Systems and methods for producing narrowband images

• US 9,709,718 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Aiden, Erez Lieberman, Hagelstein, Peter L., Hyde, Roderick A., Langer, Robert, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Eckhoff, Philip A., Gates, William, Kare, Jordin T., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Schnall-Levin, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chwasz, Jade R
• Application Number:
  US14/083,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 359462, 359463, 359464, 359466, 359477, 359885, 359891, 359892
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/23 using wavelength separation, e.g. using anaglyph techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/28 Interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/334 using spectral multiplexing

Abstract

A system may produce images including narrow-bandwidth colors. One or more sets of the narrow-bandwidth colors may be selected to be interpreted as substantially a same color by a user. The system may include a light source configured to produce the narrow-bandwidth colors, and/or narrow-passband filters may create narrow-bandwidth colors from light emitted by broad-spectrum light sources or color sources. Spatial and/or time multiplexing may be used to create separate narrow-bandwidth colors interpreted as substantially a same color by the user. For example, the light source and/or the narrow-passband filter elements may be adjustable and may alternate between emission of two or more narrow-bandwidth colors. A viewing device may include filters allowing the user to selectively filter the narrow-bandwidth colors. The user may filter the narrow-bandwidth colors to separate a stereoscopic image pair, to view a user-specific image, to view desired content obfuscated by an obfuscating image, and/or the like.

Claims

1. An enhanced contrast viewing device for viewing images comprising narrow bandwidth colors, the device comprising:

a plurality of filters including;

a first lens with a first transmission spectrum comprising;

a first narrow passband selected to pass a desired image,

a first narrow stopband, wherein the first narrow stopband and the first narrow passband are selected to correspond to light emissions interpretable as substantially a same color by a user, and

a first wide, partial-attenuation band selected to pass a first portion of background light and to block a second portion of the background light, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band is essentially spectrally flat and occupies a larger portion of spectrum than the first narrowband passband.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters further includes:

a second lens with a second transmission spectrum comprising;

a second narrow passband overlapping the first narrow stopband, and

a second narrow stopband overlapping the first narrow passband.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first narrow stopband encompasses the second narrow passband, and wherein the second narrow stopband encompasses the first narrow passband.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters further includes a second lens with a second transmission spectrum matching the first transmission spectrum.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first narrow stopband comprises an optical density selected from the group consisting of 2-3, 3-4, and greater than 4.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first lens comprises a polarizer configured to pass light with a polarization corresponding to an expected polarization of image content from a display device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first lens comprises a polarizer configured to reject light with a polarization corresponding to an expected polarization of glare.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first transmission spectrum further comprises a second narrow stopband selected to correspond to a high-intensity band of an expected emission spectrum of a background light source.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first transmission spectrum comprises a second narrow passband selected to be interpreted as a same color as the first narrow passband by a user.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein attenuation of the first wide, partial-attenuation band is substantially constant across the first wide, partial-attenuation band.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band attenuates the background light without changing color renderings.

12. A method for providing enhanced contrast viewing of images comprising narrow bandwidth colors, the method comprising:

providing a first filter lens configured to include a first transmission spectrum comprising;

a first plurality of narrow passbands selected to pass a desired image, and

a first wide, partial-attenuation band selected to pass a first portion of background light and to block a second portion of the background light, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band is essentially spectrally flat and occupies a larger portion of spectrum than a narrowband passband from the first plurality of narrow passbands.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band is inversely related to an expected emission spectrum of a background light source.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band is configured to attenuate an expected emission spectrum of a background light source without changing color renderings.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band is configured to pass a background light of interest.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band is configured to attenuate light by approximately a factor selected from the group consisting of two, three, four, five, 10, 20, 50, and 100.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first filter lens comprises an eyeglass lens.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first filter lens comprises a contact.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the first filter lens comprises providing a window comprising the first filter lens.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the first filter lens comprises a filter assembly.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the filter assembly comprises interchangeable filter elements.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the filter assembly comprises interchangeable filter elements comprising a first interchangeable filter element having a second transmission spectrum substantially identical to the first transmission spectrum and a second interchangeable filter element having a third transmission spectrum complementary to the first transmission spectrum.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein attenuation of the first wide, partial-attenuation band is substantially constant across the first wide, partial-attenuation band.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first wide, partial-attenuation band attenuates the background light without changing color renderings.

25. A method for providing enhanced contrast viewing of images comprising narrow bandwidth colors, the method comprising:

providing a first filter lens configured to include a first transmission spectrum comprising;

a first plurality of narrow passbands selected to be interpreted by a user as a first color,

a second plurality of narrow passbands selected to be interpreted by a user as a second color, and

a first wide stopband configured to pass a first portion of in-band frequencies and to block a second portion of the in-band frequencies,

wherein the first wide stopband is essentially spectrally flat and occupies a larger portion of a spectrum of the first color than the first plurality of narrow passbands.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein attenuation of the first wide stopband is substantially constant across the first wide stopband.