Patent Application
20080007838
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers designate like objects, and in which:
The present disclosure describes a device or system that provides a visible indicator in the field-of-view of a viewing device. Whether active or inactive, the indicator does not block a user's view of a scene while using the viewing device. The indicator is visible only to the user of the viewing device. The indicator is operable to provide a plurality of indications by the use of a plurality of colors, flash rates, on-off duty cycles, and/or intensities.
Now turning to
The optical system 100 is a direct view system, because the user 102 looks directly into the day scope 106A to view the image of the scene 104. In other embodiments of the invention, an indirect view optical system may be used, where the image of the scene 104 is formed on a projection surface for the user 102 to view.
In still other embodiments of the invention, the viewing device may be a microscope, a telescope, or other optical system permitting the user 102 to view the scene 104. While in
The maximum extent of the scene 104 that may be viewed through the viewing device 106 is typically larger than the frontmost optical element of the viewing device 106. There is thus a cone spreading from the frontmost optical element to the scene 104 that encompasses all items that may be perceived, to some degree, by the user 102 of the viewing device 106. This cone is referred to as the field of view of the viewing device 106.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in
When the LED 110 is not activated (i.e., is not producing light) it is invisible to the user 102. The LED 110 does not block any portion of the image of the scene 104. When the LED 110 is activated (i.e., is producing light) the user 102 perceives the LED 110 as a ‘wash’ of light over part or all of the image of the scene 104 that the user 102 is viewing. In some embodiments of the invention, the active LED 110 affects substantially all of the image; in other embodiments, it affects 25% or more of the image. If light from the LED 110 has a red color, then when the LED 110 is activated the user 102 will perceive all or part of the image of the scene 104 as having a red tint. If the light from the LED 110 is white, then the user 102 will perceive all or part of the image of the scene 104 as having a greater brightness and lower contrast.
In other embodiments of the invention, an indicator mechanism such as the LED 110 may be located at other positions in the optical system of the viewing device 106. Some of such locations are indicated by reference characters 112, 114, 116, 118 and 120. As may be seen from the positions indicated by reference characters 112 and 116, the indicator mechanism may be located off the optical axis 108. However, so long as the LED 110 is near enough to the optical axis 108 that its light enters the next optical element in the viewing device (or the user's eye, for position 120), the LED 110 is considered to be substantially on the optical axis 108.
Thus, when the LED 110 is activated it displays an indication to the user 102 by altering a color or intensity of all or part of the image of the scene 104 that the user 102 is viewing with the viewing device 106. Whether the indicator mechanism is located at position 110 or at positions 112-120, the indication does not block part of the image or otherwise significantly interfere with the view of the image. The indication is generally visible only to the user 102 because the light produced by the LED 110 is generally constrained within the day scope 106A.
Where the presence or absence of a single piece of information is to be conveyed to the user 102, its presence or absence is indicated by activating or deactivating, respectively, the monochromatic LED 110. In other embodiments of the invention, where the presence or absence of more than one piece of information is to be indicated, a multi-color LED may be used to indicate a first piece of information with a first color and a second piece of information with a second color. In such an embodiment, the presence of both pieces of information may be indicated by switching the LED from the first color to the second color and back again, or by activating the LED in the first color, deactivating the LED, activating the LED in the second color, deactivating the LED, etc.
In yet other embodiments of the invention, where an amount or value is to be conveyed to the user 102, other characteristics of the indication may be varied. A longer ‘on’ period and shorter ‘off’ period for a flashing indication may be used to signal a larger value, while a shorter ‘on’ period and longer ‘off’ period signal a smaller value. A faster flash rate of the indication may be used to signal a greater amount, while a slower flash rate signals a smaller amount. A brighter indication may signal a larger value, while a dimmer indication signals a smaller value.
In still other embodiments of the invention, a pattern of flashing may encode the information to be conveyed. For example, three brief flashes may indicate an incoming communication on radio channel 3. It will be understood that other variations and combinations of color, brightness, flash rate, duty cycle, intensity and pattern may be used to indicate status, events, levels, amounts, or other information in other embodiments of the invention.
In other embodiments of the invention, a sensor is used to measure a brightness of the image being viewed by the user 102. The measurement of brightness is then used to control the intensity of the indicator mechanism 110 to prevent its indication from overwhelming the image of the scene 104 being viewed by the user 102. The sensor may comprise a photodiode, a phototransistor, a photovoltaic cell, or other photo-sensitive device. Where the brightness of the image is sampled at a number of points, for example by a camera, gain-averaging software or hardware may be employed to determine an overall intensity of the image.
Now turning to
In other embodiments of the invention, the indicator mechanism 204 may be mounted to a surface of an optical element other than a lens, such as a sheet of protective glass that seals the optical system from external contamination. While the LED 204 is depicted as projecting light away from the lens 302, in other embodiments of the invention the mounting of the indicator mechanism 204 may be reversed, such that it projects light through the optical element 202 toward a user.
In other embodiments, the indicator mechanism may be another type of electrically powered light-emitting device, such as an electroluminescent device. In yet other embodiments, the wire 406 serves only as a mechanical support for the indicator mechanism 404 and an additional wire is added to serve as the anode conductor for the mechanism 404. In still other embodiments, the wire portions 406A and 406B are separate wires that serve as the anode and cathode conductors for electrically activating the indicator mechanism 404. In such an embodiment, wire 408 is not needed as an electrical conductor.
It will be understood that, as described for the LED 110 in the embodiment of the invention shown in
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like.
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. provisional Application Ser. No. 60/819,066 filed on Jul. 7, 2006, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60819066 | Jul 2006 | US |
