This invention relates to the field of color mixing filter systems and more specifically to a mixing system comprising an extra multiband filter that produces enhanced color and intensity in the blue, green, and red portions of the color spectrum.
Traditional cyan/magenta/yellow (CMY) dichroic color mixing systems and gobos are less than optimal at producing colors in the blue, green, and red range, unless drastic modifications to the CMY filter responses are made. These spectral modifications come at the expense of the filter's intrinsic colors themselves, yielding a color mixing system or gobo with an output that is a poor compromise throughout the entire spectral range.
This disclosure describes a multiple channel dichroic color mixing system or gobo that is comprised of three standard filters, one each of cyan, magenta and yellow, in combination with a fourth “multiband” optical filter with a spectral design that has multiple pass and blocking regions such that, by a suitable sequential combination of filters, the resultant transmitted light can be made to have enhanced color and intensity in the blue, green, and red portions of the color spectrum, without sacrificing the colors produced by combinations of the CMY filters that are commonly known in the industry. The “multiband” filter provides an optical solution with a single additional filter that, prior to this invention would require the addition of multiple single band filters, thereby increasing the mechanical complexity and overall cost of the color mixing device.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The preferred embodiment is comprised of, and not limited to, optical color filters that have circularly varying color density, so that the color saturation of any or all of the filters described can be adjusted to produce a range of mixed colors of the transmitted beam. The described color mixing system can also find applicability to other items well known in the optical engineering and entertainment lighting arts, such as color mixing systems that utilize a set of patterned color filters that are linearly translated in one or more dimensions to effect an overall change in the output color, filter components or assemblies for projection of a multicolor image (dichroic based gobos), as well as other applications where a multitude of filters are used in combination. This color mixing method is applicable to optical filter systems in which the color filter elements are located on one, or multiple, optical surfaces of one or more optical elements used in conjunction to form a color mixing system or multicolor image device. Those skilled in the art will recognize that multiple optical elements encompasses those used as physically separate elements, and alternatively, as mechanically bonded assemblies such as cemented gobos.
The typical cyan, magenta and yellow filters have spectra similar to
The fourth “multiband” filter has a spectral design similar to
In the blown up representation of the preferred embodiment shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the multiband filter (2) alone transmits light in three primary spectral regions concurrently, the blue region, the green region, and the red region. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other regions could also be used to create multiband filters such as those having 5 bands for example.
It is important to note that the multiband filter (2) of the preferred embodiment, when used alone, has a visible green photopic color, even though there is a blue and red concurrent transmission.
If light in the blue spectral range is desired, the cyan (4), magenta (3), and the multiband filter (2) are combined in the desired saturation amounts to produce blue. The resultant overlapping transmitted spectral color is blue, with the blocking regions of each filter contributing to the overall rejection of light in the non-blue spectral regions producing a spectral result as shown in
If green output is desired, a combination of cyan (4), yellow (5), and the multiband filter (2) can be selected producing a spectral result as shown in
If red output is desired, a combination of yellow (5), magenta (3), and the multiband filter (2) can be selected producing a spectral result as shown in
Traditional colors can still be produced unchanged if the multiband filter (2) is not utilized in the optical beam (6), i.e. the multiband filter (2) rotated or translated to the “clear” position).
A range of overall intensities and hues can be obtained by various combinations of all four filters, including complex hues that require less overall intensity. The filters can also be used with all filters set to full saturation to provide near-total beam dimming, eliminating the need for a separate dimmer filter or circuit as shown in the spectral result of
Since certain changes may be made in the above described color mixing system without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the description thereof or shown in the accompanying figures shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
The present application claims the benefit of previously filed co-pending Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/714,887.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60714887 | Sep 2005 | US |