Relation of Threshold Criterion to the Functional Receptors of the Eye*

John L. Brown; Margaret P. Kuhns; Helmut E. Adler

doi:10.1364/JOSA.47.000198

Journal of the Optical Society of America
Vol. 47,
Issue 3,
pp. 198-204
(1957)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSA.47.000198

Relation of Threshold Criterion to the Functional Receptors of the Eye

John L. Brown, Margaret P. Kuhns, and Helmut E. Adler

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John L. Brown, Margaret P. Kuhns, and Helmut E. Adler, "Relation of Threshold Criterion to the Functional Receptors of the Eye*," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47, 198-204 (1957)

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Abstract

Luminance thresholds for the resolution of parallel line grating test patterns were determined by the method of constant stimuli. Measurements were made in the dark-adapted eye. Thresholds were determined with each of eight selected color filters and also with Wratten neutral tint filters. Seven gratings were used which required visual acuities from 0.042 to 0.625. With gratings requiring a high order of visual acuity, minimum luminances for resolution of a grating are very nearly the same for all the color filters. As visual acuity requirements are decreased, however, luminance thresholds determined with red filters become higher relative to thresholds determined with other filters. Luminance thresholds with blue filters become lower relative to thresholds obtained with other filters. These results are interpreted to indicate that changes in the threshold criterion may result in changes in the character of visual function from rod function through mesopic function to cone function even though the eye remains dark-adapted. In situations where an individual is adapted to a visual field of low over-all luminance and must periodically, in short glimpses, read visual displays at higher levels of illumination, the appropriate specification of the relative effectiveness of illumination wavelengths will depend on the visual acuity required to read the display.

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Wavelength λ	Foveal thresholds (log relative energy)		Derived luminous efficiency coefficients (logK_λ)		Log relative energy of tungsten source logE_λ	(logE_λ−1.03) logE_λ′
	Subject		Subject
	JB	PK	JB	PK
370	4.43^a	5.64^a	0.57	−0.64	−0.60	−1.63
80	4.28^a	5.30^a	0.72	−0.30	−0.43	−1.46
90	4.16^a	4.97^a	0.84	0.03	−0.26	−1.29
400	4.02^a	4.66^a	0.98	0.34	−0.10	−1.13
10	3.91^a	4.38^a	1.09	0.62	0.02	−1.01
20	3.78	4.14^a	1.22	0.86	0.11	−0.92
30	3.68	3.94	1.32	1.06	0.22	−0.81
40	3.57	3.77	1.43	1.23	0.31	−0.72
450	3.43	3.61	1.57	1.39	0.41	−0.62
60	3.31	3.54	1.69	1.46	0.50	−0.53
70	3.11	3.31	1.89	1.69	0.59	−0.44
80	2.94	3.04	2.06	1.96	0.66	−0.37
90	2.89	2.95	2.11	2.05	0.71	−0.32
500	2.68	2.69	2.32	2.31	0.75	−0.28
10	2.46	2.50	2.54	2.50	0.79	−0.24
20	2.32	2.26	2.68	2.74	0.83	−0.20
30	2.26	2.19	2.74	2.81	0.87	−0.16
40	2.28	2.22	2.72	2.78	0.93	−0.10
550	2.20	2.20	2.80	2.80	0.96	−0.07
60	2.24	2.23	2.76	2.77	1.00	−0.03
70	2.22	2.22	2.78	2.78	1.01	−0.02
80	2.29	2.26	2.71	2.74	1.03	0.00
90	2.28	2.33	2.72	2.67	1.04	0.01
600	2.31	2.29	2.69	2.71	1.06	0.03
10	2.27	2.34	2.73	2.66	1.07	0.04
20	2.38	2.44	2.62	2.56	1.08	0.05
30	2.46	2.63	2.54	2.37	1.09	0.06
40	2.65	2.85	2.35	2.15	1.10	0.07
650	2.87	3.04	2.13	1.96	1.11	0.08
60	3.17	3.26	1.84	1.74	1.14	0.11
70	3.45	3.70	1.55	1.30	1.15	0.12
80	3.78	4.03	1.22	0.97	1.17	0.14
90	4.11	4.31	0.89	0.69	1.19	0.16
700	4.59	4.75	0.41	0.25	1.20	0.17
10	4.82	4.98	0.18	0.02	1.23	0.20
20	5.20	5.33	−0.20	−0.33	1.25	0.22
30	5.35	5.50	−0.35	−0.50	1.28	0.25
40	5.64	5.73	−0.64	−0.73	1.31	0.28

	Light detection			Grating visual acuity
	30′ foveal area	With 0.042 grating in 6° area		0.042		0.083		0.125		0.250		0.385		0.500		0.625
Filter	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB
Neutral 650^a	−1.26	−2.40	−2.89	−2.46	−2.52	−2.01	−2.17	−1.79	−1.86	−1.08	−1.02	−0.56	−0.67	−0.37	⋯	⋯	−0.28
Red Interference	−1.21	−1.08	−1.39	−1.43	−1.34	−1.18	−1.24	−1.18	−1.19	−1.03	−1.09	−0.56	−0.69	−0.46	⋯	⋯	−0.37
2030 Dark Red	−1.42	−1.79	−1.84	−1.84	−1.84	−1.69	−1.74	−1.74	−1.64	−1.49	−1.49	−1.13	−1.19	−0.83	⋯	⋯	−0.64
2412 Red	−1.25	⋯	−1.46	−1.49	−1.41	⋯	−1.26	−1.29	−1.21	−1.19	−1.01	⋯	⋯	−0.69	⋯	⋯	−0.32
3480 Orange	−1.40	−1.77	−1.99	−1.92	−1.79	−1.57	−1.64	−1.46	−1.39	−1.20	−1.18	−0.75	−0.88	−0.40	⋯	⋯	−0.33
3486 Yellow-Orange	−1.14	⋯	−2.76	−2.96	−2.46	⋯	−2.01	−1.64	−1.71	−1.14	−1.16	⋯	⋯	⋯	⋯	⋯	−0.16
3387 Yellow	−0.97	−2.41	−2.83	−2.53	−2.53	−2.07	−2.18	−1.78	−1.88	−1.06	−1.08	−0.47	⋯	−0.38	⋯	⋯	−0.19
550^a Green	−1.27	−2.64	−3.05	−2.83	−2.80	−2.22	−2.44	−1.98	−1.95	−1.20	−1.35	−0.72	⋯	−0.55	⋯	⋯	−0.30
5543 Dark Blue	−0.89	−3.16	−3.46	−3.17	−3.16	−2.67	−2.51	−2.28	−2.11	−1.39	−0.53	−0.68	⋯	−0.36	⋯	⋯	+0.11

Wavelength λ	Foveal thresholds (log relative energy)		Derived luminous efficiency coefficients (logK_λ)		Log relative energy of tungsten source logE_λ	(logE_λ−1.03) logE_λ′
	Subject		Subject
	JB	PK	JB	PK
370	4.43^a	5.64^a	0.57	−0.64	−0.60	−1.63
80	4.28^a	5.30^a	0.72	−0.30	−0.43	−1.46
90	4.16^a	4.97^a	0.84	0.03	−0.26	−1.29
400	4.02^a	4.66^a	0.98	0.34	−0.10	−1.13
10	3.91^a	4.38^a	1.09	0.62	0.02	−1.01
20	3.78	4.14^a	1.22	0.86	0.11	−0.92
30	3.68	3.94	1.32	1.06	0.22	−0.81
40	3.57	3.77	1.43	1.23	0.31	−0.72
450	3.43	3.61	1.57	1.39	0.41	−0.62
60	3.31	3.54	1.69	1.46	0.50	−0.53
70	3.11	3.31	1.89	1.69	0.59	−0.44
80	2.94	3.04	2.06	1.96	0.66	−0.37
90	2.89	2.95	2.11	2.05	0.71	−0.32
500	2.68	2.69	2.32	2.31	0.75	−0.28
10	2.46	2.50	2.54	2.50	0.79	−0.24
20	2.32	2.26	2.68	2.74	0.83	−0.20
30	2.26	2.19	2.74	2.81	0.87	−0.16
40	2.28	2.22	2.72	2.78	0.93	−0.10
550	2.20	2.20	2.80	2.80	0.96	−0.07
60	2.24	2.23	2.76	2.77	1.00	−0.03
70	2.22	2.22	2.78	2.78	1.01	−0.02
80	2.29	2.26	2.71	2.74	1.03	0.00
90	2.28	2.33	2.72	2.67	1.04	0.01
600	2.31	2.29	2.69	2.71	1.06	0.03
10	2.27	2.34	2.73	2.66	1.07	0.04
20	2.38	2.44	2.62	2.56	1.08	0.05
30	2.46	2.63	2.54	2.37	1.09	0.06
40	2.65	2.85	2.35	2.15	1.10	0.07
650	2.87	3.04	2.13	1.96	1.11	0.08
60	3.17	3.26	1.84	1.74	1.14	0.11
70	3.45	3.70	1.55	1.30	1.15	0.12
80	3.78	4.03	1.22	0.97	1.17	0.14
90	4.11	4.31	0.89	0.69	1.19	0.16
700	4.59	4.75	0.41	0.25	1.20	0.17
10	4.82	4.98	0.18	0.02	1.23	0.20
20	5.20	5.33	−0.20	−0.33	1.25	0.22
30	5.35	5.50	−0.35	−0.50	1.28	0.25
40	5.64	5.73	−0.64	−0.73	1.31	0.28

	Light detection			Grating visual acuity
	30′ foveal area	With 0.042 grating in 6° area		0.042		0.083		0.125		0.250		0.385		0.500		0.625
Filter	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB	PK	JB
Neutral 650^a	−1.26	−2.40	−2.89	−2.46	−2.52	−2.01	−2.17	−1.79	−1.86	−1.08	−1.02	−0.56	−0.67	−0.37	⋯	⋯	−0.28
Red Interference	−1.21	−1.08	−1.39	−1.43	−1.34	−1.18	−1.24	−1.18	−1.19	−1.03	−1.09	−0.56	−0.69	−0.46	⋯	⋯	−0.37
2030 Dark Red	−1.42	−1.79	−1.84	−1.84	−1.84	−1.69	−1.74	−1.74	−1.64	−1.49	−1.49	−1.13	−1.19	−0.83	⋯	⋯	−0.64
2412 Red	−1.25	⋯	−1.46	−1.49	−1.41	⋯	−1.26	−1.29	−1.21	−1.19	−1.01	⋯	⋯	−0.69	⋯	⋯	−0.32
3480 Orange	−1.40	−1.77	−1.99	−1.92	−1.79	−1.57	−1.64	−1.46	−1.39	−1.20	−1.18	−0.75	−0.88	−0.40	⋯	⋯	−0.33
3486 Yellow-Orange	−1.14	⋯	−2.76	−2.96	−2.46	⋯	−2.01	−1.64	−1.71	−1.14	−1.16	⋯	⋯	⋯	⋯	⋯	−0.16
3387 Yellow	−0.97	−2.41	−2.83	−2.53	−2.53	−2.07	−2.18	−1.78	−1.88	−1.06	−1.08	−0.47	⋯	−0.38	⋯	⋯	−0.19
550^a Green	−1.27	−2.64	−3.05	−2.83	−2.80	−2.22	−2.44	−1.98	−1.95	−1.20	−1.35	−0.72	⋯	−0.55	⋯	⋯	−0.30
5543 Dark Blue	−0.89	−3.16	−3.46	−3.17	−3.16	−2.67	−2.51	−2.28	−2.11	−1.39	−0.53	−0.68	⋯	−0.36	⋯	⋯	+0.11

Abstract

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Journal of the Optical Society of America