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US5308246A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Visualization training device with adjustable electro-optical shutter

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1993-01-05
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Granted: 1994-05-03
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Expires: 2013-01-05
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Abstract

Abstract A visualization training device with adjustable electro-optical shutters comprises a pair of goggles (10) and a control unit (20). The goggles have a single lens made of an electro-optical shutter (11) which uses liquid crystals as the light valve. The control unit produces a square wave which alternately drives the shutter opened and closed. The opening and closing cycles are adjustable in duty cycle and frequency via a duty cycle control knob (21) and a frequency control knob (22). When the shutter is opened, it is transparent so that the user has a panoramic view of external visual information. When the shutter is closed, it becomes an opaque white to occlude the visual information from the user, so that the user must mentally visualize the previous information. The opening and viewing, and closing and visualizing cycle is repeated to train and improve the visualization ability of the user.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mark E. Balocco

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 23:10
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B5/00; G09B5/02; A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/16; A61B5/163; A61H; A61H5/00; G09B19/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 93 words
A method of training a person to visualize, comprising: providing said person with a field of view so that said person can view an image in said field of view, periodically interrupting said field of view with a series of sequential interruption intervals so that said person will not see said image during each of said interruption intervals, said periodically interrupting being performed by an electro-optical shutter in front of at least one eye of said person, whereby said person will be forced to visualize said image during each of said interruption intervals.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 93 words
A method of training a person to visualize, comprising: providing said person with a field of view so that said person can view an image in said field of view, periodically interrupting said field of view with a series of sequential interruption intervals so that said person will not see said image during each of said interruption intervals, said periodically interrupting being performed by an electro-optical shutter in front of at least one eye of said person, whereby said person will be forced to visualize said image during each of said interruption intervals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1, further including varying the frequency of said sequential interruption intervals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1, further including varying the duration of said sequential interruption intervals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 1, further including varying the frequency and duration of said sequential interruption intervals.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-05-02 1997-11-01 1998-05-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-05-02 2001-11-01 2002-05-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-05-02 2005-11-01 2006-05-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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