Technique for enabling color blind persons to distinguish between various colors

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing data representative of a full color image. Such systems may comprise the steps of assisting a color blind person to indicate portions of an image which to their color-deficient vision are indistinguishable, and altering the image to cause those portions to become distinguisable and identifiable.

1 . A method for allowing a user to adjust a display of color-coded information, comprising the steps of: 
 presenting a display having color-coded information,    allowing the user to select a color range,    identifying color-coded information in the display that is associated with an unselected color range, and    processing the identified color-coded information to enhance the selected color range, wherein processing comprises at least one of adjusting the contrast, the color saturation, and the brightness of the unselected color range.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises displaying the identified color-coded information as a hatch pattern.  
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein selecting a color range includes manipulating a graphical tool that allows for selecting at least one color range.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein selecting a color range includes moving a cursor over a color on the display.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein processing includes processing data in at least one of a video memory and a data file.  
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein presenting a display having color-coded information comprises at least one of presenting an image on a computer display, a television display, a cellular telephone display, a personal digital assistant display, an instrumentation panel, and a video game display.  
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein processing the identified color-coded information comprises processing hypertext links to indicate status changes in a format perceptible by color blind users.  
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein processing hypertext links includes altering the color of the links, adding a temporal variation to the link, and altering the texture of the link.  
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein processing hypertext links includes altering a characteristic of the font of the links.  
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein processing the identified color-coded information includes enhancing the visual appearance of the identified color-coded information relative to other portions of the display.  
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein enhancing the selected color range includes causing the identified color-coded information of the unselected color range to be represented as a grey-scale image.  
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein enhancing the selected color range includes altering the darkness characteristic of the selected color range relative to the unselected color range.  
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises displaying the color-coded information as a hatch pattern.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises decreasing the color saturation level of the unselected color range to about zero.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises mapping the unselected color range to a grey scale range.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises selecting a color in the unselected color range and displaying the selected color as a grey scale shade.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises decreasing the color saturation of the identified color-coded information.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises selecting a color in the unselected color range and decreasing the saturation of the selected color.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises one of increasing the brightness and decreasing the brightness of the identified color-coded information.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises selecting a color in the unselected color range and one of increasing the brightness and decreasing the brightness of the selected color.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises increasing the contrast between the selected color range and the unselected color range.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing comprises adjusting the edge definition of the identified color-coded information.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting a color range includes selecting a color and selecting a color range width.  
   
   
       24 . A system configured to process color image data to be presented on a color display to a user, comprising: 
 a data memory having stored therein a full color space defined by all colors associated with the color image data, first data representative of a first portion of the color space selected by the user, and second data representative of a second portion of the color space including colors not selected by the user;    a processor adapted to modify color image data associated with the second portion by at least one of adjusting contrast, color saturation, and brightness of the second portion.    
   
   
       25 . The system according to  claim 24 , further comprising means for identifying portions of the color space having colors that are absent from the image data.  
   
   
       26 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein the color display comprises one of a computer display, a television display, a cellular telephone display, a personal digital assistant display, an instrumentation panel, and a video game display.  
   
   
       27 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein modifying color image data includes altering the darkness characteristic of the second portion relative to the first portion.  
   
   
       28 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein modifying color image data includes decreasing the color saturation level of the second portion to about zero.  
   
   
       29 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein modifying color image data comprises mapping the second portion to a grey scale range.  
   
   
       30 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein modifying color image data includes selecting a color in the second portion and displaying the selected color as a grey scale shade.  
   
   
       31 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein modifying color image data includes one of increasing the brightness and decreasing the brightness of the second portion.  
   
   
       32 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein modifying color image data includes increasing the contrast between the first portion and the second portion.  
   
   
       33 . The system according to  claim 24 , further comprising a device for selecting a color range width.  
   
   
       34 . The system according to  claim 24 , further comprising a graphical user interface for selecting a color range width.  
   
   
       35 . The system according to  claim 34 , wherein the graphical user interface is a slider.  
   
   
       36 . The system according to  claim 34 , wherein the graphical user interface is a dial.  
   
   
       37 . Apparatus for flashing a color having a selected hue, comprising 
 a panel through which light can pass,    an optical filter disposed over the panel and capable of reducing an amount of a selected hue passing through the panel,    a controller for intermittently activating the optical filter, whereby light of a selected hue is caused to flash.    
   
   
       38 . Apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein the optical filter comprises an electronic optical filter formed as a pattern of lines across the surface of the panel.  
   
   
       39 . Apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein the optical filter comprises a mechanically driven optical filter.  
   
   
       40 . Apparatus for allowing a driver of a vehicle to identify a selected hue, comprising 
 a panel mounted to the vehicle and disposed between the driver and a wind shield, the panel being capable of passing light,    an optical filter disposed over the filter and being capable of reducing an amount of the selected hue and being formed in a pattern for causing motion of the vehicle relative to the driver to achieve a flashing effect for objects of the selected hue viewed through the panel.