System and method for evaluating sign legibility
US5761060A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 25, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jun 2, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 25, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09F7/00
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for using information about colors, fonts, and viewing distances to predict the legibility of a sign. The invention takes into account the colors used in the sign, in order to allow the use of many different color combinations while still avoiding "strobing" from simultaneous contrast caused by complementary afterimages. A computer program accepts information such as the desired visual acuity, viewer velocity (for signs viewed from a car), font specification, ambient light strength, and the desired typeface color and background color. The program then predicts the legibility of a sign which uses the fonts and colors indicated under the given conditions. Thus, the program may be used to assess the effect of various changes on the sign's legibility without actually rendering or building the sign, installing it, and looking at it.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.