Patent Publication Number: US-10791304-B2

Title: Apparatus for augmenting human vision

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 62/371,515 filed Aug. 5, 2016 and hereby incorporated by reference 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     - - 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for augmenting human vision and in particular, to an apparatus that increases the spectral sensitivity of human vision. 
     Human color vision generally relies on photoreceptor “cone” cells containing photopigments with various frequency-dependent sensitivities. The degree of color perception is determined to a significant extent by the number of different cone cell types in the eye (i.e., cone cells having different photopigments), and their frequency sensitivity. 
     The typical human eye has three cone cell types, which together are sensitive to wavelengths between approximately 390 to 700 nm. By comparison, many birds, such as the plum-headed finch, have four cone cell types, and are sensitive to both the visible and a portion of the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. In an extreme example, the mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) has 16 types of cone cell types, eleven of which are responsible for color vision. The mantis shrimp eyes are sensitive across the entire visible range along with portions of the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR). 
     In typical, healthy humans, the three cone types (called S, M, and L) are sensitive to approximately 360-530 nm, 400-670 nm, and 400-700 nm, and very roughly correspond to blue, green, and red, respectively. These cone responses can be thought of as compressing the complete spectral information into just three values (the so-called “LMS tristimulus values” henceforth also “tristimulus values”) by integrating across the sensitivity of each cone, respectively, which are then interpreted by the brain. The tristimulus values do not uniquely describe the actual spectrum, and there exist many spectra that resolve to the same three cone responses and thus are perceived as the same color. The mapping of different spectra to the same tristimulus values is known as metamerism, and means that, in some cases, objects that have different reflection/transmission/emission spectra appear to be the same color. 
     The limited number of cone cell types in the human eye increases the visual limitations linked to metamerism compared to organisms with more cone cell types, and reflects an underlying limitation of the ability to discern spectral information. Improved spectral discrimination can be useful in a variety of applications, for example, in agriculture to assist in assessing plant health, or in surveillance to help distinguish camouflage from background terrain or foliage. 
     Currently, hyperspectral or multispectral cameras can be used to provide higher resolution sampling of light spectra for improved spectral discrimination. Such cameras can also provide a greater frequency range of light sensitivity, for example, into the infrared and ultraviolet. The ability to display or otherwise present data collected using hyperspectral or multispectral camera systems is also hampered by the fundamental limitations of the human eye with respect to spectral sensitivity as described above. Normally the limitations of the human eye are addressed by adding “false color” to a normal three-color image perceivable by the human eye. These false colors can “overload” existing colors in the image, and thus obscure other image data. For example, ultraviolet data mapped as blue into a standard three-color image conceals any underlying blue image information, revealing the inherent limitation of the human visual system to convey multi-spectral information. Hyperspectral or multispectral camera systems are relatively complex and expensive, and require power sources and digital logic, limiting their practicality for many tasks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present inventors have developed a system that maps spectral ranges not only to different cone types but also to different eyes. Although the inventors do not wish to be bound by a particular theory, it is currently believed that the brain, receiving different tristimulus values through two different eyes or in rapid succession in a single eye perceives a new “meta-color” distinguishable from colors perceived when those same tristimulus values are mapped identically to both eyes. These meta-colors thus convey additional color space information to the brain without obscuring or blocking existing color information. 
     Specifically, the present invention in one embodiment provides a vision augmentation system having a first eyepiece providing a first representation of an image having spatially varying spectral characteristics to a viewer, the first representation presenting spatially varying LMS tristimulus values being a first function of the spatially varying spectral characteristics. A second eyepiece provides a second representation of the spatially varying spectral characteristics to the viewer, the second representation presenting corresponding spatially varying LMS tristimulus values being a second function of the spatially varying spectral characteristics. 
     The first and second representations also present to both a left and right eye of the viewer at least one spatially varying LMS tristimulus value that share a substantially identical function of the spatially varying spectral characteristics. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to encode additional spectral information into the three LMS tristimulus channels of the human eye by encoding additional color information into the pathways of the visual system of the eyes. By combining two different three-color images, either in space or time, an additional meta-color can be effected. 
     The first eyepiece may be positionable in front of a viewer&#39;s first eye and the second eyepiece is positioned in front of a viewer&#39;s second eye. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to take advantage of the redundancy of data in binocular vision to encode additional data by varying a portion of that redundant data. 
     The first eyepiece may be positioned in front of a first portion of a field of view of a viewer&#39;s eye and the second eyepiece positionable in front of a second portion of the field of view of the viewer&#39;s eye. 
     It is thus a feature of different embodiments of the invention to provide an alternative configuration useful for monocular applications or situations where additional encoding may be desired (for example by changing the image with time) or wherein different visual fields require different encodings. 
     The first and second functions may provide different eyes with different stimuli to different frequencies within two ranges of a frequency band of one cone type in a human eye. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to partition the sensitivity of an individual human cone type into multiple frequency bands allowing otherwise metameric colors to be separated visually. 
     The first and second functions may be selected to provide similar color perception of at least one of daylight and incandescent light. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to reduce certain differences between the information received by the left and right eye to minimize processing conflicts by the human brain. 
     The first and second eyepiece may be optical filters. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a simple and low-cost system that can be fit into standard glasses frames without complex electronics, cameras, or power supplies. 
     The first filter may preferentially pass a lower half of one frequency band of one cone type and the second filter preferentially passes an upper half of the frequency band of the one cone type. In one embodiment, the one cone type may be an S cone. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to generate meta-colors by effectively splitting the sensitivity of existing cones in the eye. 
     The first filter and second filter may unequally partition one or more frequency bands of multiple cone types. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide an ability to provide spectral discrimination with respect to one cone type while adjusting color balance by modification of the light received by other cones. 
     These particular objects and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of glasses frame holding filters suitable for use with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic representation of a light spectrum, for example, from various points in an image, as the light passes through the filters of  FIG. 1  and is further processed by the eye to produce a perceived color; 
         FIG. 3  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 2  showing a glasses frame supporting multispectral camera and tricolor displays in a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the components of the multispectral camera and tricolor displays of the second embodiment of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a figure similar to  FIG. 2  showing several light spectra as processed by the multispectral camera and processing circuitry of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a display system for producing meta-colors discernible through the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a display system generating meta-colors from synthetic images; 
         FIG. 8  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 1  showing a split filter system that can tailor the sensitivity of the filters to particular spatial regions or provide additional time encoded information by the user tipping his or her head; 
         FIGS. 9 a -9 c    is a figure showing various filter combinations that may be implemented in the embodiment of  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 3  showing an electronic display version of the invention in monocle form providing time-multiplexed filter changes for generating the meta-color. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the present invention may provide for a glasses frame  10  of conventional design providing lens rims  12   a  and  12   b  holding corresponding filters  14  and  16  to be positioned in front of a wearer&#39;s left and right eye respectively. The filters  14  and  16  may be incorporated into prescription lenses, for example, providing for eyesight correction or magnification. 
     The lens rims  12  may be joined by a bridge  18  and may support inwardly facing nose pads  19  to provide support on the user&#39;s nose. Temples  20   a  and  20   b  extend rearwardly from the outer edges of the rims  12  to earpieces  22 , the latter supported on the user&#39;s ears as is generally understood in the art. 
     Generally, and as will be discussed below, the filters  14  and  16  have different spectral transmission characteristics so as to provide different spectra from the same spot in the user&#39;s visual field to the user&#39;s left and right eyes such as simulates the existence of additional cone colors beyond the normal S, M, and L cones when an illuminated object  24  is viewed through the filters  14  and  16 . 
     Referring now also to  FIG. 2 , a visual background and each point on an illuminated object  24  may transmit to each respective filter  14  and  16  different an image having spatially varying spectral characteristics, the variations depending on the optical properties of that point (e.g., color) and the illumination conditions. These different spectra may include, for example, a broadband background spatially varying spectrum  26  (in this example being substantially white), a first image spectrum  27  comprised of a set of spectra for each point in the image carried by light reflected, refracted, or transmitted from the object  24  and a second image spectrum  42  from light reflected, refracted, or transmitted from the object  24 , this latter spectrum  42 , for example being a metamer of spectrum  27 . Each of these spectra  26 ,  27 , and  42  are denoted in the figure as “a” (e.g.  26   a ) as received by the left eye and “b” (e.g.  26   b ) as received by the right eye but are otherwise identical. As depicted for the purposes of explanation, only a single example point spectrum is shown. 
     An example of the processing of broadband spectra  26  will be described first. This broadband light will be received by filters  14  and  16  which each have a different transmission characteristic  28   a  and  28   b . Ideally, the transmission characteristics  28   a  and  28   b  provide different passbands  30  through which light within the frequency range of the passbands  30  passes and stopbands  32  blocking the passage of light within the frequency range of the stopband  32 . Generally, the stopbands  32  need not provide full attenuation of the light and, in fact, a partial attenuation for example less than 80 percent may be sufficient. This ability to accommodate partial attenuation in the filters  14  and  16  distinguishes them from filter glasses used for 3-D visualizations where any light transmission in the stopbands  32  creates cross talk interfering with the 3-D perception. Typically, however, the stopband  32  may provide for transmission of 0.6 or lower. 
     Filter  14  may have a low pass region  30   a  of the passbands  30 , for example, extending up to about 450 nanometers followed by a stopband  32   a  extending from 450 nanometers to approximately 500 nanometers, followed by a passband region  30   b  extending from 500 nanometers to approximately 650 nanometers, and a second stopband  32   b  extending from 650 nanometers to approximately 700 nanometers and a third passband region  30   c  extending beyond 700 nanometers. 
     The second filter may have a first stopband  32   a  extending to 450 nanometers and then a single passband  30  extending from 450 nanometers beyond 800 nanometers. 
     The human eye provides a spectral sensitivity characteristic  33  defining sensitivity to light at different frequencies and being roughly identical for each eye. This spectral sensitivity characteristic  33  is composed of cone frequency bands  34   a - 34   c  corresponding to the sensitivity of the S, M, L cones, correspondingly very roughly to blue, green, and red colors, respectively. The first stopband  32  of filter  14  will substantially divide cone frequency band  34   a  for the blue cones in half, passing only frequencies in a higher frequency portion  36   a  of cone frequency band  34   a  detectable by blue cones and below about 450 nanometers. In contrast, the stopband  32  of filter  16  will end at approximately 450 nanometers thereby passing frequencies only in the lower frequency portion  36   b  of the cone frequency band  34   a  detectable by the blue cones for frequencies above 450 nanometers. Accordingly, frequencies in the upper and lower portions of cone frequency band  34  are provided to different eyes. 
     The passband  30  of filter  16  passes the cone frequency bands  34   b  and  34   c  completely whereas the second stopband  32  of filter  14  truncates a small portion  38  of the upper frequencies of cone frequency band  34   c  for the red cone. This truncation provides improved color balance between the left and right eyes when viewing a white scene, thus reducing the tendency of the brain to reject possibly clashing color signals being received through the left and right eye. 
     Ideally, the difference in color of a broadband light spectrum  26  approximating daylight (e.g. defined as the CIE Standard Illuminant D65) perceived through the left filter  14  and right filter  16  will be similar, having a CIEDE2000 color difference in the LAB color space ΔE close to 2.3, preferably less than eight, and in general as close to zero as possible. The result is a set of LMS tristimulus values  40   a  and  40   b  received by the left and right eyes for white light that provide roughly balanced color perception. Alternatively, this balance may be provided with respect to other “white” spectra such as other white standards or according to standard light sources such as incandescent bulbs or the like. 
     Consider now the processing of image spectra  27  representing a metamer with respect to the image spectra  42 . In this example, the image spectra  27  (provided identically to the left and right eye as spectra  27   a  and  27   b ) provides a feature within the cone frequency band  34   a  that is processed differently by the filters  14  and  16 . Specifically, the spectrum  27  provides relatively greater response in higher frequency portion  36   a  of the blue cone than in lower frequency portion  36   b  of the blue cone. Accordingly, LMS tristimulus values  40 ′ a  from the image spectra  27   a  for the left eye will show much higher value for the blue cone then the LMS tristimulus values  40 ′ b  for image spectra  27   b , while the LMS tristimulus values  40 ′ a  for the green and red cones will be approximately the same as the LMS tristimulus values  40 ′ b  for the green and red cones. 
     This difference in LMS tristimulus values received by the left and right eye for one cone provides new information to the brain keyed to the receipt of the differing LMS tristimulus values at the left or right eye. By minimizing other inconsistencies between the LMS tristimulus values, the inventors have determined that the inconsistency in LMS tristimulus values for one cone can be perceptively interpreted (that is without conscious effort) as a meta-color distinct from the colors represented by either LMS tristimulus values  40 ′ a  or  40 ′ b  when viewed through both eyes. 
     Consider now, for example, image spectra  27  representing a metamer with respect to the image spectra  42  as received by the filters  14  and  16  having a feature in the cone frequency band  34   a  of the blue cone with higher energy content in the lower frequency portion  36   b  of cone frequency band  34   a  of the blue cone compared to energy in the higher frequency portion  36   a  of the cone frequency band  34   a  of the blue cone. This spectrum  42  may provide the same tristimulus values as spectrum  27  in the absence of filtration. However, after filtration by filters  14  and  16 , this spectrum  42  will produce LMS tristimulus values  44   a  having a lower tristimulus value for the blue cone in the left eye when compared to tristimulus values  44   b  for the blue cone perceived by the right eye. 
     The inventors have determined that, the user may readily discriminate between the two spectra  27  and  42  when placed side-by-side. That is, the brain can distinguish spectra that would otherwise be metamers under normal (unfiltered) viewing conditions. As such, the invention operates to effectively simulate vision with an extra cone in (e.g. four cones or tetrachromacy) in each eye. 
     By using filters that likewise split the other cone frequency bands  34   b  and  34   c , the inventors predict that up to six cones can be simulated, possibly more with a combination of spatial and temporal multiplexing. It will be appreciated that when only four cones are simulated, different cone frequency bands  34   b  or  34   c  of the green or red cones, in contrast to the cone frequency band  34   a  of the blue cone, may be selected to be split by the filters  14  and  16 . 
     The particular filters  14  and  16  may, for example, be individual or stacks of dielectric filters having thin-film dielectric layers to produce the desired transmission spectra. In one embodiment alternating layers of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) may be deposited on N-BK7 optical glass to produce the desired filter characteristics. Ideally the filters are designed to have low angular sensitivity. 
     Generally, it will be appreciated that the invention maps additional color information through the eyes to the brain while remaining within the natural tricolor perception space of each eye provided by S, M, L cone sensitivities. It follows that this technique can also be used to with two conventional tricolor displays, for example LCD, CRT, or plasma displays, one for each eye, to similarly augment to the visual experience. 
     The different LMS tristimulus values  44   a  and LMS tristimulus values  44   b  may refer to actual cone responses in the retina related to the LMS cones (L for long, M for medium, S for short). Practically, however, and as used in this application and the claims, LMS tristimulus values  44  should be understood to refer interchangeably to any commonly used color perception space including but not limited to XYZ space, RGB space, LAB space and the like each of which provide proxies for LMS tristimulus values  44  that are difficult to measure directly. 
     As is generally understood in the art, XYZ is a space that was developed to capture the perceptual effect of LMS tristimulus values  44 , describes the color humans can see, and is based off empirically derived data from experiments performed the 1930s. The Y value in XYZ corresponds to the luminance (brightness) of a given color. X and Z describe the hue. RGB is a linear transformation from the XYZ space that describes colors in the familiar basis of red, green, and blue, and is commonly used in electronic devices. LAB is a nonlinear transformation from XYZ space, and was developed to be perceptually uniform so that equidistant points in different regions of the color space correspond to an equivalent measure of a color difference (this is not the case in RGB, for example). L is luminance, and A and B describe the hue. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an alternative glasses frame  50  may provide for a support structure similar to glasses frame  10  described above while replacing filters  14  and  16  with tricolor backlit LCD displays  52  of conventional design. In this case, the bridge  18  of the frame  50  may support a multispectral camera  54  providing more than three different color measurements at a variety of pixel locations. Multispectral camera as used herein refers to a camera that can discriminate among and make measurements in more than three different frequency ranges using filters, or dispersive elements such as prisms or gratings to obtain additional spectral information. These ranges may cover a range of human vision with greater discrimination or may extend outside of that range. 
     Referring also to  FIG. 4 , the multispectral camera  53  may provide signals representing multispectral pixel data over two dimensions to an internal microcontroller  60 . The microcontroller provides a processor  63  communicating with a memory  65  holding a stored program  67  operating as will be described below. Outputs from the microcontroller  60  are communicated to each of the backlit tricolor displays  52  which provide lenses  62  to allow viewing of the displays  52  by the eyes when in close proximity in the frame  50 . This viewing allows each eye to view only a single one of the displays  52 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , multi-spectral data  64  received by the camera  53  is processed to flexibly map distinct multispectral measurements  68  (five in this example labeled I-V) to the three blue, green, red channels of the tricolor displays  52  using a camera transfer function  66 . In this example, the invention provides the human eye with greater frequency discrimination. The camera transfer function  66  differs for the displays  52  of the left and right eye to implement a system similar to that provided by the filters described above. A camera transfer function  66  may be flexibly implemented by providing for each spectral measurement  68  a weighting indicated by multiplier blocks  72  and then summing these weighted values indicated by addition blocks  74  to produce outputs to drive the light emitter  70  associated with each color channel of the tricolor displays  52 . In this example, a multispectral measurement I, positioned in higher frequency portion  36   a  of the blue cone, is used to provide a signal to the blue tricolor light emitter  70  for the left eye. In contrast, a second multispectral measurement II corresponding to lower frequency portion  36   b  of the blue cone is used to provide light to the blue tricolor light emitter  70  for the right eye. In this way, different LMS tristimulus values  40   a  and  40   b  are generated for the left and right eye respectively for materials having a spectrum, for example, similar to spectrum  27  or  42  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     It will be appreciated that this mapping may also be used to map multispectral measurements A and B at frequencies outside the range of normal human vision into the light emitters  70 , for example, taking ultraviolet light at multispectral measurement A and mapping it to the blue tricolor light emitter  70  only for one eye and not the other, or taking infrared light at multispectral measurement B and mapping it to the red tricolor light emitter  70  for only the other eye and not the other. In this way, light components outside of the range of normal human vision can be mapped the human vision range using meta-colors so as to minimize interference with color rendition for colors within the range of human vision. 
     It will be appreciated that the camera  53  need not be mounted on the frames  50  but that the system may be used for remote monitoring of hyperspectral information, for example, in a survey aircraft or the like with a remotely located camera communicating with glasses mounted displays  52 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the invention further provides a method of creating a metameric display that can produce metamers distinguishable by the present invention. In one embodiment, a beam splitter  80  is used to combine a first image  82   a  from a first display technology  84   a  superimposed on a second image  82   b  from a second display technology  84   b . The first and second display technologies  84   a  and  84   b  are selected to provide for different spectral renditions of the colors blue, green, and red, for example, resulting from different phosphors or the use of phosphors versus filters, different filter types, or different light emitter designs such as different LEDs. Each of the first and second display technologies  84   a  and  84   b  may be color balanced with respect to each other to render approximately identical color rendition to the naked human eye for identical RGB input values. In one example, the images  82   a  and  82   b  may provide portions of a colored rectangle  87  generated, for example, by a controller computer  85 . Specifically, image  82   a  may provide a left portion of the rectangle  87  and image  82   b  may provide the right portion of the rectangle  84  both with the same perceived color to the naked human eye but with different spectral qualities. These two portions of the rectangle  87  are combined by the beam splitter to produce a rectangle  87  apparently having uniform color to the naked eye but in fact rendering that color with two different spectra as can be distinguished by present invention&#39;s ability to break metamers by implementing additional color sensitivity beyond that of normal human vision. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , it will be appreciated that meta-colors of the present invention may be rendered in a synthetic image generated on conventional tricolor displays. For example, the controller computer  85  having a processor  86  may execute a program  88  for the generation of different images for separate displays  52  for the left and right eye, these displays  52  for example, as held in the frame  50  described above with respect to  FIG. 3 . In a normally colored portion  90  of the two images, regular colors may be produced by providing identical LMS tristimulus values  40  through the red, green, and blue pixel elements of the displays  52 . In a meta-color region  92  however, different LMS tristimulus values  40   a  and  40   b  for given pixels may be provided to the left and right eye respectively producing the experience of the meta-color. In this way three-color, binocular displays can convey additional “color” information beyond that normally perceivable by the human eye. Such colors may be used, for example, to denote particular information of interest, for example, in the form of visual underlining or the like. 
     The ability of the present invention to “break” metamers into visually distinguishable colors may be useful, for example, in the detection of camouflage in military operations or forgeries in art or money or the like. In both cases, this utility is derived from an expectation that the camouflage or forgeries may be created using metamers that are not distinguishable by the naked eye but could be distinguished by the present invention. More generally, ability to provide for finer color discrimination or a wider range of frequency sensitivity may be useful in medicine or in geology and agriculture where it may provide additional information about a visual scene that otherwise might not be perceived. The present invention is also a useful for situations where additional visual information needs to be conveyed to the human brain through the limited color channels of the eye and brain. 
     It will be appreciated that the present invention may also be implemented, for example, with shutter glasses that selectively expose different eyes to light, and an illumination source that provides different spectra of light to a viewed object synchronized to the shutter glass openings to implement the technique described above. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a glasses frame  10  may provide lens rims  12   a  and  12   b  holding corresponding split filters  100 , and  102  to be positioned in front of a wearer&#39;s left and/or right eye respectively. Each filter  100  and  102  may provide for two portions  104  having different filter components, for example, the different portions  104  implementing different of the filters  14  and  16  discussed above with respect to  FIG. 1 . The portions  104  may divide the filters  100  and  102  into left and right halves respectively, as shown, to affect the user&#39;s left and right side fields of vision, or may divide the filters  100  and  102  into upper and lower halves (not shown) in the manner of conventional bifocals dividing the user&#39;s field of view into upper and lower portions. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 a   , in one embodiment filter type “A”, for example corresponding to filter  16  of  FIG. 1 , and filter type “B”, for example corresponding to filter  14  of  FIG. 1 , may be positioned with A on the left and B on the right (with respect to the viewer) for filter  100  and with B on the left and A on the right for filter  102 . In this way, a slight tipping of the user&#39;s head back and forth may bring an object of interest into view successively through the left and right side of each of the filters  100  and  102  to change the particular eye receiving the different LMS tristimulus values  40   a  and  40   b  (for example discussed with respect to  FIG. 2 ). Again, each eye sees different image spectra, but the differences are flipped as the user moves his or her head reinforcing the effect of the meta-color. 
     Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 9 b   , both filters  100  and  102  may have filter portion with A on the left and B on the right (or vice versa) to allow movement of the head back and forth to provide a time varying filtration conveying the meta-colors solely with respect to time variation and not with respect to the different eyes receiving a signal. The result is meta-colors invoked by a changing image spectrum with time in contrast to meta-colors invoke by simultaneous viewing of different image spectra with different eyes. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 c    in an alternative embodiment, the portions  104  may be separated along a horizontal axis and may, for example, provide in upper portions  104  filters type A and type B as discussed above on a respective the filters  100  and  102 . The lower portions  104 , however of filters  100  and  102  may provide for filters type C and D respectively where filters type C and D differ from filters type A and B. For example, filters type C and D may each transmit different parts of cone frequency band  34   b  or  34   c  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) as opposed to cone frequency band  34   a  divided by filter types A and B. 
     In this embodiment, different meta-colors may be revealed in the upper and lower portions of the user&#39;s field of view. Alternatively, by a head nodding, a time changing filtration can be provided conveying the meta-colors both the time domain as spectral shifts with respect to time and in the spatial domain as spectral shifts between two different eyes. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , it will be appreciated that this time series mapping of the meta-colors may be performed electronically either in a binocular or monocular implementation using a LCD display  52 , for example, receiving data wirelessly through wireless receiver  116  from computer  85 . The computer  85  may sequentially send images  91   a  and  91   b  to the display  52  to encode the differences between different LMS tristimulus values  40   a  and  40   b  in sequential times t 1  and t 2  rather than as divided between the left and right eyes. This version may also be implemented in a binocular version simply by adding a second LCD display  52  for the left eye per  FIG. 3 . The LCD display  52  may either be directly viewed by the individual or may be viewed through a beam splitter to superimpose an image of the LCD display  52  on the user&#39;s regular visual field in the manner of augmented reality. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 10 , a camera  53  may also communicate wirelessly to the computer  85  to provide a real-time image  118  of what would normally be perceived by an individual wearing the frame  50  that can be used to create an augmented composite of the real-time image  118  with generated meta-colors for example as indicated in regions  92 . For example, meta-colors may be imposed on objects in the image  118  to track those objects and create an additional dimension of information about the reality around the user. 
     It will be appreciated that information displayed to the user may be light that is directly filtered by filters or light that is processed through a signal chain including a camera, computer, and electronic display to implement the filters electronically. “Electronic display” may generally include LCD type displays as well as projectors such as micro-mirror arrays and other display technologies. 
     Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. 
     Multispectral is a subset of hyperspectral as used herein hyperspectral cameras are also multispectral cameras. The term “eyepiece” should be broadly understood to include fixtures intended and adapted to be positioned in front an eye for providing or modifying image viewed by the eye including optical filters, electronic displays viewable by a single eye, contact lenses and the like. 
     When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
     References to “a microprocessor” and “a processor” or “the microprocessor” and “the processor,” can be understood to include one or more microprocessors that can communicate in a stand-alone and/or a distributed environment(s), and can thus be configured to communicate via wired or wireless communications with other processors, where such one or more processor can be configured to operate on one or more processor-controlled devices that can be similar or different devices. Furthermore, references to memory, unless otherwise specified, can include one or more processor-readable and accessible memory elements and/or components that can be internal to the processor-controlled device, external to the processor-controlled device, and can be accessed via a wired or wireless network. 
     It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. All of the publications described herein, including patents and non-patent publications, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.