Optical chromatic display for navigational guidance

Claim 2

An optical device for providing a visual chromatic display for guiding an observer along a prescribed path of travel comprising: a lens system comprised of cylindrically ribbed lenticulars and having its aperture oriented toward said observer, a color field member positioned at substantially the focal point of said lens system, said color field member comprising a plurality of identical sets of translucent color materials arranged in a repetitive pattern and occupying homologous positions with respect to the cylindrical lenses which make up said ribbed lenticulars and with which they are respectively associated, each of said sets including a plurality of colors and having substantially the same dimensions in length and width as one of said cylindrical lenses, the longitudinal axes of said sets being parallel with the rib axes of said lenses, and a plurality of opaque vane-like members situated respectively at the interstices of adjacent sets and projecting outward toward said lenticulars, a light source positioned with respect to said color field member to provide for the back-lighting thereof, said lens system forming an image of said illuminated color field member which encompasses said entire lens aperture and which appears generally to said observer as one of said plurality of colors depending upon the observer''s line of sight to said lens aperture, observation of a preselected one of said colors being indicative of the observer''s alignment with said presecribed path of travel.

Claim 3

An optical device as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said sets of translucent color materials is comprised of three adjacent different color film strips, colorless transparent substrate means for mounting said film strips, the central film strip of each of said sets having its longitudinal center line aligned with the longitudinal center line of its associated cylindrical lens, the total viewing cone angle and its corresponding width dimension at a given distance from said device being a function of the width of said central film strip.

Claim 4

An optical device as defined in claim 2 wherein the rib axes of said lenticulars and the longitudinal axes of said color film strips are oriented vertically to provide azimuth guidance information to said observer.

Claim 5

An optical device as defined in claim 2 wherein the rib axes of said lenticulars and the longitudinal axes of said color film strips are oriented horizontally to provide height guidance information to said observer.

Claim 6

An optical device for providing a visual chromatic display for guiding an observer along a prescribed path of travel comprising: a lens system comprised of a Fresnel lens and having its aperture oriented toward said observer, a color field member positioned at substantially the focal point of said lens system, said color field member comprising a multi-color sheet of translucent material which includes a narrow vertically oriented central section having in turn a centrally disposed first color area, the geometrical center of said last mentioned area lying on the optical center line of said Fresnel lens, the remaining portions of said central section contiguous to said first color area having respectively second and third colors, at least two additional sections situated respectively on opposite sides of said central section and contiguous with the longitudinal edges thereof, said last mentioned sections having respectively fourth and fifth colors, a light source positioned with respect to said color field member to provide for the back-lighting thereof, said lens system forming an image of said illuminated color field member which encompasses said entire lens aperture, the observation of said first color by said observer being indicative of the observer''s alignment with said prescribed path of travel, deviations in height from said path being indicated to the observer as a change to said second or third color depending upon whether the observer is above or below said prescribed path, and deviations in azimuth from said path being indicated as a change to said fourth or fifth color depending on whether the observer is to the left or right of said path.

Claim 7

An optical device for providing a visual chromatic display for guiding an observer along a prescribed path of travel comprising: a lens system comprised of a Fresnel lens and having its aperture oriented toward said observer, a color field member positioned at substantially the focal point of said lens system, said color field member comprising a multi-color sheet of translucent material which includes a narrow vertically oriented central section having in turn a centrally disposed first color area, the geometrical center of said last mentioned area lying on the optical center line of said Fresnel lens, the remaining portions of said central section contiguous to said first color area having respectively second and third colors, at least two additional sections situated respectively on opposite sides of said central section and contiguous with the longitudinal edges thereof, said last mentioned sections having respectively fourth and fifth colors, a light source positioned with respect to said color field member to provide for the back-lighting thereof, said lens system forming an image of said illuminated color field member which encompasses said entire lens aperture, the observation of said first color by said observer being indicative of the observer''s alignment with said prescribed path of travel, deviations in height from said path being indicated to the observer as a change to said second or third color depending upon whether the observer is above or below said prescribed path, and deviations in azimuth from said path being indicated as a change to said fourth or fifth color depending on whether the observer is to the left or right of said path.

Claim 8

An optical device as defined in claim 5 further including a shutter-like member extending transversely across the upper portion of said color field member and adapted to be rotatably mounted to create an apparent flashing display of one of said third, fourth or fifth colors depending upon the observer''s azimuth viewing angle, said flashing display being indicative of a critically low height condition.