Abstract:
The present invention is the integration of formulas, algorithms, databases, and interactive interfaces. The technology results in a user friendly software application that captures, documents, and delivers the results of human vision studies via a secure web server. The present invention is a method for incorporating commercially available software having an Application Program Interface (API) for calculating the amount of vision obstruction for a particular device by producing a rendered image having pixels and designating the pixels in the rendered image to have various colors. Certain types of colors are designated for representing objects in the rendered image to be visible to the user, and other types of colors are designated to represent objects which are obstructed in the rendered image.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/784,015, filed Mar. 20, 2006. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the area of human vision criteria, and the ability for various companies to comply with the government standard for human vision criteria. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Various products that require human interaction have to comply with human vision criteria. Human vision criteria are the requirements a product, such as an automobile, must have with regard to a human being able to see the environment surrounding the automobile without obstruction from objects such as a headrest when looking forward, backwards, and on both sides of the vehicle. The various criteria (or vision obstruction requirements) are mandated by the government for all automotive and aerospace companies defined by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Society of Automotive, Aerospace, and Aeronautical Engineers (SAE), and the like. 
         [0004]    Current vision studies do not employ any specific computer software or other quantitative way of ensuring various products comply with the government vision criteria. Rather, typical vision obstruction studies are performed using manual paper-based and physical prototypes which are flawed in that they are time consuming, lack accuracy in that the present methods are visual (giving subjective results), take up massive amounts of space because the paper having the results from testing must kept in filing cabinets for a specified period by government mandate which can be up to 50 years, and the manual studies are not easily accessible. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there exists a need to eliminate the aforementioned problems and improve the accuracy by eliminating the subjectiveness of human vision criteria testing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is the integration of formulas, algorithms, databases, and interactive interfaces. The technology results in a user friendly software application that captures, documents, and delivers the results of human vision studies via a secure web server. The present invention is a method for incorporating commercially available software having an Application Program Interface (API) for calculating the amount of vision obstruction for a particular device by producing an image having pixels and designating the pixels in the image to have various colors. Certain types of colors are designated for representing objects in the image to be in view of the user, and other types of colors are designated to represent objects which are obstructed in the image. 
         [0007]    The amount of obstruction of the various objects is tabulated by calculating the percentages of the objects in the image to be in view, and the objects which are obstructed in the image, by dividing the amount of the pixels of each type of color by the total amount of pixels, thereby producing the amount of obstructed objects in the image. 
         [0008]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a simulation of the range of motion for a human right eye and left eye used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a sphere used a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a sphere used a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a first hyperbola-shaped viewing area with a front clip plane and a back clip plane, used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a first hyperbola-shaped viewing area, used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6   a  is first portion of a schematic illustration of a flowchart used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention 
           [0016]      FIG. 6   b  is a second portion of a schematic illustration of a flowchart used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration of a flowchart representing the client utility used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a schematic illustration of a flowchart representing the system server analysis used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is an exploded isometric view of a sphere used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is an example of a rendered image used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a second example of a rendered image projected on a hyperbola-shaped viewing area used in a human vision analysis system, according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its applications, or uses. 
         [0023]    The present invention uses a scheme for creating, cataloging, and running analysis for, but not limited to, vision obscuration Studies. The present invention is a multi-vector vision quantification service which incorporates current commercially available existing software (such as Unigraphics or Catia) having an Application Program Interface (API) with the programming software of the present invention. The combination of software is then used to create a series of rendered images which capture the effects of a light projected from predefined eye points with a single color designated for each. These rendered images are then packaged and uploaded to an webserver providing software as a service (SAAS). The present invention may also be used as a stand-alone service, and does not have to be used in combination with client API. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a diagram showing several points used in a multi-vector vision quantification service according to the present invention is shown generally at  10 . One of the points on the diagram  10  represents a neck pivot point  12 , other points represent a right eye  14 , and a left eye  16 . These points  12 ,  14 ,  16  represent the position of the eyes and neck of a human being. Also shown on the diagram  10  are a first set of ellipses  18 , and a second set of ellipses  20 . The first set of ellipses  18  represent the available range of movement for the ninety-fifth percentile of the human population for the first eye  14  and the second eye  16  when the head of a human being is moved using only the neck. The second set of ellipses  20  represent the range of movement of the human head for the ninety-ninth percentile of the human population for the first eye  14  and the second eye  16  when the head of a human being is moved using only the neck. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , and  FIG. 9 , the entire area available that a human being can see from the right eye  14  and left eye  16  of the surrounding environment is represented by a sphere  22  having a center  24 , relative to the center position between the right eye  14  and left eye  16 . The sphere  22  is three dimensional and has three axes, a first axis  26 , or “X-axis,” a second axis  28 , or “Y-axis,” and a third axis  30 , or a “Z-axis.” Regardless of how the body, neck, or eyes are positioned, a human being can look to the left, right, upward, downward, forward, rearward, or any combination thereof, the sphere  22  will represent the entire viewing area available to the right eye  14  and left eye  16 . 
         [0026]    A steradian (sr) is the standard unit of solid angle measurement in mathematics for spheres. There are 2π radians in a circle, therefore, there are 4π 2  radians in a sphere. Also, since there are 360° in a circle, one sphere is equal to 360° multiplied by 360°, yielding 129,600 square degrees of theoretical viewing space in a sphere, which applies to the sphere  22  of the present invention. Thus, 129,600 square degrees is equal to 4π 2  steradians. If the sphere  22  is then divided up into equal sections, with section each section having a length of one degree and a width of one degree, each section would have an area of one square degree. One steradian is approximately equal to 3282.8063 square degrees, and one square degree is equal to 0.00030462 steradians. With regard to the application of square degrees to the present invention; one square degree is equal to one Visual Mass Unit (VMU), the function of which will be described later. 
         [0027]    To perform the analysis according to the present invention, the sphere  22  is broken up into six sections, forming four quadrants of equal size, a first quadrant  32 , a second quadrant  34 , a third quadrant  36 , and a fourth quadrant  38 , and two circles of equal size, a first or upper circle  40 , and a second or lower circle  42 . Each quadrant  32 , 34 , 36 , 38  represents 12.5% of the viewing area available, and each circle  40 , 42  represents 25% of the viewing area available. The quadrants  32 , 34 , 36 , 38  are created by dividing the sphere  22  once along the first axis  26 , and once along the second axis  28  perpendicular to the division of the first axis  26 ; this creates four quadrants  32 , 34 , 36 , 38  relative to the center  24 , one in a forward direction, one in a rearward direction, one in a first side direction, and another in a second side direction. The sphere  22  is then divided along a plane above the center  24  to form a first plane or upper plane  44 , and below the center  24  to form a second plane or lower plane  46 , with both planes  44 , 46  being parallel to the first axis  26  and the second axis  28 , and equidistant from the center  24 . The distance above the center  24  of the sphere  22  where the upper plane  44  is located at a vertical distance  48  opposite of an angle  50  when looking at  FIG. 5 . The angle  50  is thirty degrees. This process is repeated to obtain the lower plane  46   
         [0028]    Each of the quadrants  32 , 34 , 36 , 38  is then projected onto a flat plane, creating four hyperbola-shaped viewing areas, a first hyperbola-shaped viewing area  52 , a second hyperbola-shaped viewing area  54 , a third hyperbola-shaped viewing area  56 , and a fourth hyperbola-shaped viewing area  58 . The four hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  along with the upper and lower circles  40 , 42  together therefore represent the entire viewing area encompassed by the sphere  22  surrounding the center  24 . By way of a non-limiting example, the first hyperbola-shaped viewing area  52  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and is similar to the other hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  54 , 56 , 58 . 
         [0029]    The next step in performing the analysis is to simulate the projection of light from the right eye  14  and the left eye  16  onto each of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 , and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42  to generate a rendered image of what is seen. The simulation of light projection is from the right eye  14  and the left eye  16 . The right eye  14  and left eye  16  are located relative to a single point, shown as a centroid  116 . The centroid  116  is located in the middle between the right eye  14  and left eye  16 , and is also aligned with the neck pivot point  12 . The rendered images projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42  are each divided equally into a given number of units, such as pixels seen on a computer screen. Each rendered image is processed individually. 
         [0030]    The formation and location of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42  is based on the center  24  of the sphere  22 . However, the simulation of light projection from the right eye  14  and left eye  16  can vary in relation to the center  24  of the sphere  22 . The location of the right eye  14  and left eye  16  can be changed. Each time the location of the right eye  14  and left eye  16  are changed, and simulated light is projected from the right eye  14  and left eye  16  to produce a rendered image, a new “study” is created that can be captured and stored for analysis to determine what can be seen by the right eye  14  and left eye  16 . At the beginning to each study, the location of the centroid  116  is chosen, and the location of the right eye  14  and left eye  16  is based on the location of the centroid  116 . The location of the neck pivot point  12  is also determined based on the location of the centroid  116 . The neck pivot  12  is in the same location as the center  24  of the sphere  22  at the beginning of each study. However, the right eye  14  and left eye  16  can pivot about the neck pivot point  12  after the study begins, allowing for the simulation of light projection through the right eye  14  and left eye  16  to produce different images on the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42 . Each study can have its own simulated environment that can be projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42 . 
         [0031]    Also, the location of the neck pivot point  12 , and therefore the center  24  of the sphere  22 , can be changed to also produce other various simulated environments, in addition to the right eye  14  and left eye  16  being able to pivot about the neck pivot point  12 . However, the position of each of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42  remains constant in relation to the neck pivot point  12  and center  24  of the sphere  22 . What varies is the images projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42 . 
         [0032]    The present invention uses various colors and shading for each pixel to demonstrate what can be seen with the right eye  14  individually, the left eye  16  individually, and both the right eye  14  and left eye  16  simultaneously. What can be seen by only the right eye  14  can be represented by one color, such as yellow pixels, what can be seen by only the left eye  16  can be represented by another color, such as blue pixels, and what can be seen by both the right eye  14  and left eye  16  can be represented by white pixels. What cannot be seen can be represented by black pixels. In the example shown in  FIG. 10 , the colors are represented by various shading, the function of which will be described later. 
         [0033]    There are portions of the rendered image which can be partially seen by both the right eye  14  and the left eye  16 , these pixels are designated as gray pixels. Each of the gray pixels is then analyzed, if the gray pixels are dark enough (i.e. reach a predetermined threshold), they are designated as black pixels. If the gray pixels are not dark enough, they are analyzed further and matched to predetermined minimum and maximum thresholds for viewing capabilities of the right eye  14 , the left eye  16 , and viewing capabilities of both the right eye  14  combined with the left eye  16 . 
         [0034]    The amount of each blue, yellow, white, and black pixels are then calculated; percentages of each color are calculated by dividing the number of pixels of each color with the total number of pixels and multiplying by 100. For example, the total number of blue pixels is divided by the total number of pixels the rendered image has and is divided by 100, yielding a percentage of blue pixels. The value for Sphere Scale (SS), Steradians (SR) Solid Angle Measure, Visual Mass Units (VMU) is obtained by multiplying the SS, SR, VMU scalar factors with the pixel percentage for each color. Once the SS, SR, and VMU totals for each image are reached, the totals for the right eye  14  and left eye  16  individually can be added together to obtain the percentage of what can be seen by the right eye  14 , the left eye  16 , and the right eye  14  and left eye  16  together can be added together to obtain what can be seen for all the images used in the environment simulated in the study. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a front clip plane  60  and a back clip plane  62  are also part of the rendered image on each of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 . The front clip plane  60  and the back clip plane  62  represent the portions of the objects in the rendered image which have been removed, and are not shown in the rendered image projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 . The shadows from the object in the rendered image are still projected in the various colors described above, but the object itself is removed such that the shadows can be seen more easily. 
         [0036]    The multi-vector vision quantification service of the present invention can include, without limitation, computer servers, computer networks, data storage devices, optical mediums (CD, DVD, or the like), transmissions of the subject matter across a wide area network, transmissions of the subject matter across a local area network, transmissions of the subject matter from one data storage device to a second data storage device, and wireless transmissions of the subject matter. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b , there is shown generally at  64  a flowchart illustrating the client utility portion of the processing steps of a multi-vector vision quantification service of the present invention. The course multi-vector vision quantification service of the present invention can be practiced in conjunction with the Internet, World Wide Web, intranets, extranets, electronic media (e.g., CD/DVD-based systems), or the like. 
         [0038]    By way of a non-limiting example, a user navigates to the URL of the main Web Site that contains the course development program of the present invention (e.g., with the aid of a Web browser, such as INTERNET EXPLORER, NETSCAPE, or the like). By way of a non-limiting example, the URL http://www.scatemvv.com can be designated as the main Web Site for the multi-vector vision quantification service of the present invention. 
         [0039]    Referring again to the flowchart  64 , a user will have opened a file that presents the object or objects to be viewed in a Computer Aided Design (CAD) or equivalent design environment. Beginning at a start block  66 , the user will launch with the Vision Analysis Menu  68 , at this point the user will interface with the Vision Analysis Menu  70  and be prompted to Select A Study Tool  72 , which will require manual input by the user. In this step, the user is selecting the environment which will be used in the particular study, such as the interior of an automobile shown in the example in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0040]    Once the user has Selected A Study Tool  72 , the hyperbola environment will be loaded, shown as the Utility Loads Hyperbola Environment  74 . The hyperbola environment  74  consists of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 , and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42  described above. Once the hyperbola environment  74  is loaded, the user will interface with the Point Constructor Dialog  76 , where the user will be prompted to select a centroid point. The user will then progress to the step where the user will Select A Centroid Point  78 . This step  78  involves selecting the location of the centroid  116  (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 9 ). Once the centroid  116  is selected, the user will reach the Clipping Planes Dialog Window  80 , and the user will then manually input, and Set The Front and Back Clip Planes  82 , where locations of the clip planes  60 , 62  are set in relation to each of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 . There is a front clip plane  60  and a back clip plane  62  for each of the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  (shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0041]    After the clip planes  60 , 62  are set, the system will position the eye points, shown as block  84 . The system will then simulate light being cast from the right eye  14  and left eye  16 , shown as block  86 . The system will then render an image, shown as block  88 . The rendered images produced are the rendered images projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 . These rendered images are stored in files, shown as Image Files  90 , and the Data/Meta-Data is also stored in files  92 . 
         [0042]    A logic gate  94  is reached where the system determines whether more rendered images are required for the study. If more rendered images are required, steps  84 ,  86 , and  88  are repeated. If no more rendered images are necessary, the next step, designated  100 , occurs where the CAD header data is captured and stored into a Header Data File  98 . 
         [0043]    The next step occurs where the system prepares the Image Files  90  and the Data/Meta-Data Files  92  for use with a server. This is shown by block  100 , where the Image Files  90  and the Data/Meta-Data Files  92  are combined to produce a Compressed Package File  102 . After the Compressed Package File  102  is created, the system will connect to the server, represented by block  104 . After this point the user will reach the User Log-in Block  106 . Once the user has reached the user log-in block  106 , a logic gate  114  is then reached as to whether the log-in is approved. If the log-in is not approved, the user is returned to the start block  66 . If the log-in is approved, the system will upload the package to the server, represented by block  108 . 
         [0044]    After the package is uploaded to the server, another logic gate will be reached represented by block  110 , which will determine if the upload was successful. If the upload was not successful, the user returns to the start block  66 . If the upload was successful, the system will then perform the Delete Temporary Files step, represented by block  112 . In this step, the Image Files  90 , the Compressed Package Files  102 , and the Data/Meta-Data/Header Data  92  files will be deleted. After the temporary files have been deleted, the next step in the process is moved to the end block  120 , and onto the server analysis, represented by block  122 . 
         [0045]    Once the user has completed the client utility portion, shown by flowchart  64 , the user will reach the system server analysis, shown as a flowchart generally at  124  in  FIG. 7 . The first step in this process is that the present invention checks for new studies at timed intervals, which is represented by block  126  in the flowchart  124 . The server has a service which then checks every two minutes for the presence of new, completely uploaded study packages and processes those studies that are ready. Certain studies are “catalog only,” which means they are added to the data base and are made available to the person conducting the study via an on-line graphical user interface with no analysis required. Some studies require analysis that Is sent to an analysis engine where the following processes are accomplished prior to being made available in the on-line graphical user interface. 
         [0046]    The next step is where a logic gate  128  will be reached where it is determined if the study package is a new study package. If the study package is not new, then the step designated as block  126  will be repeated, and the system will check for new studies at the timed intervals. If the job is new then step designated as block  130  is performed, where the Compressed Package File  102  is extracted to open the rendered image files  90  and the Data/Meta-Data/Header Data Files  92 . After this step occurs, the data from the particular study being used is written to the data base, represented by block  138 . The study is then added to the data base, represented by block  140 . 
         [0047]    The next step in the analysis is where a decision needs to be made at logic gate  142 . The decision that is to be made is whether the study requires analysis. If the study does not require analysis, the step designated as block  138  is then repeated, where the next study is written to the data base. If the study does require analysis, then the next step in the process, represented by block  144 , occurs where each rendered image is analyzed pixel by pixel. The system accesses the image files  90 , and analyses each image file  90  pixel by pixel. As stated above, each rendered image will have pixels of various colors. Some of the pixels will be blue, others will be yellow, white, or black. Each pixel shown in the rendered image will represent what can be seen by the right eye  14 , the left eye  16 , neither the right eye  14  or the left eye  16 , or the right eye  14  and the left eye  16 . The rendered images analyzed at block  144  are the rendered images that are projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58 , and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42 . 
         [0048]    After the rendered images are analyzed at block  144 , a logic gate  148  is reached where a decision is made as to whether there is another rendered image that needs to be analyzed. If another rendered image needs to be analyzed, the step designated at block  144  is repeated where the rendered image is analyzed. If there is not another rendered image to be analyzed, the next step, designated as block  150 , occurs where the analysis data of the study is written to the data base. The analysis data is added to the data base, shown at block  152 . After the system server analysis is completed, the system moves to end block  154 . 
         [0049]    The next step in the process of using the present invention is where the user will perform the system server viewing represented generally as a flowchart at  156 , in  FIG. 8 . In this portion of the process, the user will interact with the server to view the results of each study performed. Beginning at step block  158 , the step of accessing the system through the use of a web browser is performed, represented by block  160 . A graphical user interface, represented at block  162 , is then reached where the user will log-in to the server. The user will then perform the step shown at  164  where the user enters a user name and password at the log-in page  162 . 
         [0050]    A logic gate is then reached where a decision is made as to whether the user name and password are approved, which is represented by block  166 . If the user name and password are not approved, the user is then returned to the log-in page  162 . If the user name and password are approved, the main user interface with search options step, represented at block  168 , is then performed. At this block, the user will perform the step, represented at block  170 , where the user selects the study search criteria. A logic gate  172  is then reached where a decision is made as to whether the study search criteria is found. If the study search criteria is not found, the user will return to the main user interface with search options block  168 . If the study search criteria is found, the system will retrieve the study images and data, represented at block  174 . At this step the system will retrieve the image files  90  and the study data  152 . After the image files  90  and study data  152  are retrieved, the user will move onto the next step of the study player graphical unit user interface  176 . The user will then interact with the study player  178 . After the user interacts with the study player  178 , the use of the program will have been completed, represented at end block  180 . 
         [0051]    By way of a non-limiting example, a rendered image produced in a study using the multi-vector vision quantification service  10  of the present invention is shown generally at  182  in  FIG. 10 . The image  182  of this example depicts a portion of the interior of an automobile. A steering wheel  184  and a dashboard  186  are shown with portions removed from the image  182  because of the front clip plane  60  and back clip plane  62 . In this image  182 , the various shadows shown depict what can be seen with both eyes  14 , 16 , and what can be seen with the right eye  14 , and left eye  16  individually. The image  182  has a first shadow  188  which represents what can be seen by the right eye  14 , a second shadow  190  representing what can be seen by the left eye  16 , and a third shadow  192 , which represents what can be seen by both eyes  14 , 16 . If the image  182  were in color, the first shadow  188  would be yellow, and the second shadow  190  would be blue. 
         [0052]    Another example of a rendered image produced according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 11 . In this example, a rendered image  194  has been projected onto the second hyperbola-shaped viewing area  52 . The rendered image  194  is shown, along with the first shadow  188  showing what can be seen by the right eye  14 , the second shadow  190  representing what can be seen by the left eye  16 , and the third shadow  192 , which represents what can be seen by both eyes  14 , 16 . Also, the calculations for SS, SR, and VMU are shown for each eye  14 , 16  individually, as well as together. Also, the totals for SS, SR, and VMU are shown for the entire environment projected onto the hyperbola-shaped viewing areas  52 , 54 , 56 , 58  and the upper and lower circles  40 , 42 . 
         [0053]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.