KR100457831B1 - Apparatus for enhancing visual perception of selected objects in recreational and sporting activities - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention allows the game to be watched through an optical filter installed between the player 704 or the spectator 708 and the ball 706 to improve awareness of the yellow tennis ball 706 while playing or watching a tennis game. It relates to an optical filter. The optical filter passes the incident light of a high percentage of incident light reflected by the tennis ball 706, but with a significant peak around substantially 500-600 nm that passes the light of the remainder of the visible spectrum to a substantially low percentage. It has a predetermined transmittance.

Description

A device for improving visual perception of selected objects during recreation and sports activities {APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING VISUAL PERCEPTION OF SELECTED OBJECTS IN RECREATIONAL AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES}

The present invention improves visual perception of objects used within a range of activities related to the background. The present invention can be used during athletic practice, practice and watching, and no special training is required. The present invention improves the participant's ability to visually perceive a selected object, such as a ball, thereby providing an opportunity to improve their skills.

The present invention relates generally to optical devices used for sports-related activities. "Watch your eyes on the ball" is a very familiar word for the official. To be successful in these activities, the participant must know exactly what is moving. The traditional way to improve your ability to keep your eye on the ball is to practice. However, practice requires time and patience. Most people do not have the talent or the inclination or time to practice to overcome their natural limitations. In some sports, even very well trained professional athletes may have difficulty recognizing moving objects. It may be difficult, especially if the sport object is fast enough to surpass the innate ability of the athlete to perceive the object accurately. During a sporting activity, especially for a sport that must follow a moving object at high speed, the performance of the participant may be slowed during the sporting activity, and sports fans, referees, coaches, and other observers may have difficulty following the activity.

1 is a graph depicting the relative reflectance of visible light from a standard fluorescent yellow tennis ball as a function of wavelength.

2 is a graph showing the relative intensity of fluorescence of visible wavelengths from a standard fluorescent yellow tennis ball as a function of wavelength.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing wavelength versus transmittance (%) of a typical prior art sunglass specially treated to attenuate ultraviolet light.

4 is a graph showing the transmittance (%) at visible wavelength of an optical filter applied to a lens to improve vision for an optically yellow tennis ball in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a graph showing the transmittance (%) at visible wavelength through a second lens with a second optical filter in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 illustrates a standard eyeglasses incorporating a lens with an optical filter according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which an optical filter is installed between an audience and a sports area and supported by a specially transparent surface of a viewing stand to improve vision for an object having a daylight characteristic.

According to the present invention, a specially applied optical filter is provided to a sports participant or spectator, which is supported at a position between the eye of the spectator and the active area to visually improve the selected object used in the movement with respect to the background of the object. To do that. The selected object is provided with a surface that predominantly reflects or emits light in one or more relatively narrow predetermined wavelength ranges in the visible spectrum. The optical filter is selected to pass more incident light at a wavelength that overlaps with the peak intensity reflected light, emitted light, or both wavelengths from the object. The observer or participant visually highlights the moving object in relation to the background.

According to another example of the invention, the participant or observer glasses comprise a lens (calibration or non-correction) or other substantially transparent solid element treated with a dye or an optical multilayer interference coating which passes light in the visible spectral range. One extreme of the visible spectral range is close to and includes a spectrum corresponding to the predominant color characteristic of the object. In one preferred embodiment, a blue dye is applied to the transparent lens to optically improve the vision for the yellow tennis ball.

The present invention can be applied to other movements. Such movements may include, for example, racquetball, squash, baseball and other movements in which the player must touch a moving or stationary object with the hand grasping the object. In addition, the present invention provides spectators with distinctive color features in the participant's clothing or other wearable object, and provides the viewer with eyeglasses that improve awareness of the clothing or object, thereby providing activities such as water skiing, hunting and military training. It is useful for improving safety.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

Referring to FIG. 1, curve 100 shows the relative reflectance of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum from a typical fluorescent yellow tennis ball. There is a radiation peak 102 about 500-525 nm in the green-yellow region of the visible spectrum. The term "peak" herein is a local maximum of strength on each side of the peak by a local minimum of intensity substantially less than the peak strength. Relative reflectance drops sharply on each side of this peak. The relative reflectance drops to nearly zero at about 450 nm towards the blue side of the peak. However, in the red aspect of the peak, the reflectance curve is more slowly reduced to substantially lower levels in the range of 600 nm. As used herein, the bandwidth of a peak of incident radiation or light intensity is the range of wavelengths between half-power points on the intensity curve on either side of the peak. However, if the intensity on the side of the peak does not decrease to a level below the power half point, the edge of the bandwidth on that side of the peak is 50% point between the peak and the local minimum.

Referring to FIG. 2, the optically yellow coating applied to the tennis ball emits light in the visible range by fluorescence in addition to reflecting visible light. Graph 200 shows that the fluorescence of a typical fluorescent yellow tennis ball has a significant peak 202 at about 500-525 nm, and drops sharply on each side. The bandwidth of the peak 202 substantially correlates or overlaps with the bandwidth of the reflectance peak 102 (see FIG. 1).

Referring to FIG. 3, curve 300 illustrates typical transmission characteristics of a sunglass lens treated with a lens surface with an optical coating that attenuates ultraviolet light. As indicated by curve 300, the transmittance (measured in percentage of incident light transmitted through the lens) of the sunglass lens remains substantially constant over the visible range, but in one region with respect to the other region of the spectrum. Due to the imbalance of may have a light tint. However, it does not have significant peaks in any particular range.

1, 2 and 4, curve 400 is a graph showing the percentage of incident light as a function of wavelength transmitted by a lens with an optical filter in accordance with the present invention. As used herein, the term "lens" refers to a conventional spectacle lens for vision correction and non-correction, and in a shape or size that can be placed between the object and eye to be viewed so that the object can support the optical filter seen therethrough. By substantially transparent solid material is meant. The transmittance of the lens has a significant transmittance peak 402 substantially centered at about 500-525 nm. On each side of the peak there is a wavelength whose transmittance is 50% of the peak transmittance. The range of wavelengths between two 50% peak transmittance points is referred to herein as the bandwidth of the peak. The bandwidth of peak transmittance 402 correlates and / or partially overlaps with the peak of reflectance peak 102 shown in FIG. 1 and the peak 202 of fluorescence of the optically yellow tennis ball shown in FIG. The peaks of curves 102 and 202 are located substantially adjacent one edge of the bandpass of curve 400 within the bandpath of curve 400. It is preferable that the bandwidth of the peaks 102 and 202 of the reflectance and fluorescence of the tennis ball is close to the upper or lower edge of the filter spectrum within the filter spectrum, such that the ball is perceived to have true color to the user and the background is It will be blurred in other colors adjacent to the spectrum. The transmittance of the lens drops sharply on each side of the peak 402 and approaches zero towards the limits of the visible spectrum in each direction. Accordingly, the lens is aware of the tennis ball with respect to the major portion of the visible spectrum outside of the reflectance peak 102 and the fluorescence peak 202 of the tennis ball or background that reflects or emits light relatively uniformly in the visible spectrum. To improve.

As with most other sports, it is desirable to have at least part of the background visible in tennis. Thus, the rest of the outer visible spectrum of peak 402 is not fully attenuated. In addition, tennis games are often played outdoors under strong sunlight, so the lenses attenuate to the extent that they dissipate light within the peak range to protect the participant or the audience from the sun.

To further improve the perception of the tennis ball, as shown by curve 400, the transmittance of the lens is significantly reduced on the red side of the curve and lowers to zero on the red side than on the blue side of the curve. . The transmission in this blue region is greater than zero, so the background seen through this filter is generally pale blue. As can be seen by the portion 104 of the curve 100, the yellow tennis ball reflects a substantial amount of red light, but not at the light intensity within the green-yellow region of the spectrum. Reducing the transmission in the red region of the spectrum emphasizes the predominant yellow-green color of the ball, eliminating the orange and low wavelengths that are primarily associated with the background, further improving the tennis ball's visibility and allowing the background to be seen properly. Maintain sufficient transmission of other parts of the visible spectrum.

One example of a suitable optical filter is "Peacock Blue" No., manufactured and sold by Lee, Panavision International, Inc., Andover, Hampshire, UK. A thin film polycarbonate filter named HT-115. When applied to a neutral, substantially transparent solid support element, such as a glass lens, the filter is close to the desired transmittance as shown in FIG. 4 and is therefore optically yellow against the typical background encountered when playing tennis. Improve your awareness of tennis balls.

1, 2 and 5, in another embodiment of the present invention, the second transmittance for the optical filter supported by the lens is shown by curve 500. It has a peak 502 that correlates with a peak of reflectance of the tennis ball 102 and a peak 202 of fluorescence of the tennis ball. Unlike the transmittance curve 400 shown in FIG. 4, the transmittance curve 502 drops sharply to substantially flat area 504 on each side of the peak. Thus, the transmittance of the lens emphasizes the predominant yellow-green appearance of the ball while allowing a significant amount of the remaining visible spectrum to be transmitted. The awareness of the tennis ball is improved without significantly attenuating the light reflected and emitted by the background.

Referring to FIG. 6, the glasses 600 have two lenses 602 mounted to a frame 604 that supports the lens within the visual region of the person wearing the frame 604. The glasses are fitted to support the lens in front of the participant's eyes that must move during the game, such as a player in a tennis game. The shape and size of the frame and lens of the particular design is selected according to the wearer's preference. Each lens 602 is made of transparent, achromatic glass. A thin plastic film layer is bonded to one surface of the glass lens. The thin plastic film is impregnated with a dye having a transmittance as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. Optionally, the dye may be mixed with a plastic substrate or molded into a rigid plastic lens. Another kind of optical filter may be applied to the surface of the glass. One type of known optical filter is an optical interference coating comprising a layer of antireflective material attached on the surface of a glass lens. The structure and thickness of the layer is selected to refract and reflect certain wavelengths of light in any manner that produces certain constructive and destructive interference patterns.

Optionally, instead of a pair of spectacles, other types of spectacles, such as goggles or contact lenses, may be used to determine the recognition of an object having a certain primary color characteristic with respect to the background, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It may be treated in a similar manner as a dye or interference coating to impart improved transmission properties.

Referring to FIG. 7, a viewing stand 700 is disposed adjacent to a court 702 where a player 704 plays a tennis game with a tennis ball 706. The stand includes a lower structure 701a and an upper structure 701b. The stand includes a sheet of substantially transparent material 703 such as glass or plastic plates supported by the substructure 701a and the superstructure 701b between the audience 708 and the coat 702. The transparent material 703 includes an optical filter having transmission characteristics shown by the graph of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. Accordingly, the audience seated at the stand has an improved visual perception of the tennis ball. The viewing stand may also be applied to enable viewing of other types of stadiums, wherein the substantially transparent material attenuates or reflects a color in the visible spectrum outside of the predominant color, thereby affecting an object in the stadium having the primary color. It can be applied to include an optical filter having a transmission characteristic to improve visual recognition.

The foregoing descriptions are merely intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. The scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (4)

In the vision-compensating device for improving the visual recognition of a given target object with respect to the background of another object, a) lens means (602; 703) for transmitting a high percentage of light to each eye of the user in the wavelength spectrum within the visible light spectrum forming the filter spectrum, b) the lens means 602; 703 are provided with optical filter means for attenuating light at wavelengths outside the filter spectrum such that the filter spectrum is wider than the target spectrum and narrower than the visible light spectrum, whereby the filter spectrum Having upper and lower edges formed, the light in the visible spectrum outside the upper and lower edges is significantly attenuated compared to the center of the filter spectrum, and the optical filter means has a pale color visible to the user, c) the target spectrum comprises a wavelength spectrum of light emitted from the target object to form a true color of the object, the target spectrum corresponding to a relatively narrow portion of the visible light spectrum of the wavelength, wherein the target spectrum is of peak light intensity. Further formed by one or more target wavelengths corresponding to a point in the target spectrum, wherein the light intensity in the target spectrum above and below the target wavelength is reduced compared to the target wavelength, d) the optical filter means further attenuates light such that the target wavelength is adjacent to the upper or lower edge of the filter spectrum in the filter spectrum, so that the user perceives that the target object has its true color, and the background Recognize that the object has the same contrast color as the pale color of the optical filter means, e) support means (604; 701a, 701b) for positioning the lens means (602; 703) between the user and the target object such that visual perception of the target object is simultaneously improved in each eye of the user. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens means (602) comprises first and second lenses supported by the support means (604) adjacent to the corresponding left and right eyes of the user. 2. The target of claim 1 wherein the target object is a yellow-green tennis ball 706 having a target wavelength in the range of 510-540 nm, and wherein the optical filter means targets as compared to attenuation of light having a wavelength longer than the target wavelength. By reducing the attenuation of light at wavelengths shorter than the wavelength, light at wavelengths between the target wavelength and 400 nm is significantly transmitted compared to light at wavelengths longer than the target wavelength, allowing the user to make the target object yellow-green and a background object. A vision compensator that visually recognizes as a thin blue. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lens means 703 is composed of a sheet of optical material, and the support means 701a, 701b are arranged between the active area with a target object and the viewing area with one or more users. A vision compensating device consisting of a means for positioning.