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Photometry in the dark: time dependent visibility of low intensity light sources |
Optics Express, Vol. 18, Issue 25, pp. 26293-26299 (2010)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.026293
Acrobat PDF (1013 KB)
Abstract
This paper aims at describing the perceived brightness of persistent luminescent materials for emergency signage. In case of emergency, typically, a fully light adapted person is left in the dark, except for the emergency sign. The available photometric models cannot describe visibility of such light source, as they do not consider the slow dark adaptation of the human eye. The model proposed here fully takes into account the shift from photopic to scotopic vision, the related shift in spectral sensitivity and the dark adaptation. The resulting metric is a ‘visibility index’ and preliminary tests show that it more realistically describes the perceived brightness of persistent luminescent materials than the common photometric standards.
© 2010 Optical Society of America
1. Introduction
A. Stockman and L. T. Sharpe, “Into the twilight zone: the complexities of mesopic vision and luminous efficiency,” Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt. 26, 225–239 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. S. Rea, J. D. Bullough, J. P. Freyssinier-Nova, and A. Bierman, “A proposed unified system of photometry,” Lightning Res. Tech. 36, 85–111 (2004). [CrossRef]
D. Poelman, N. Avci, and P. F. Smet, “Measured luminance and visual appearance of multi-color persistent phosphors,” Opt. Express 17, 358–364 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
K. Van den Eeckhout, P. F. Smet, and D. Poelman, “Persistent luminescence in Eu2+-doped compounds: a review,” Materials 3, 2536–2566 (2010). [CrossRef]
2. Experimental
GloTech International, http://www.glotechint.com/index.html.
3. Results and discussion
- Above a luminance of the order of 1 cd/m2, the rods are saturated and do not contribute to vision. Below about 1 mcd/m2, the cones become inactive. In the intermediate region, the mesopic regime, both types of photo-receptors contribute to vision. It is a field of active research to describe human response in mesopic vision, in view of, for example, improving street lighting [7].
- Rods and cones are not equally distributed over the retina. In the fovea, the central area of the retina which is used for direct vision, the concentration of cones is highest and rods are totally absent. This highly complicates an accurate description of eye sensitivity, since cones are mostly active for direct vision and rods for peripheral vision.
- The eye sensitivity is highly dependent on adaptation to certain lighting conditions [8]. A typical curve for dark adaptation is shown in Fig. 3. The graph shows the threshold of visibility as a function of time. During the first few minutes, the eye sensitivity rapidly increases due to sensitization of the cones and dilatation of the pupils (the graph was obtained with naturally changing pupil size). After 5 to 10 minutes, the cones obtain their maximum sensitivity [9]. The second part of the graph is due to the sensitization of the rods, which gain their ultimate sensitivity after 30–45 minutes. The discontinuity in the graph is described as the cone-rod breakdown. In order to facilitate further modeling, we have fitted continuous curves to both the photopic and scotopic thresholds, which we call PT and ST, respectively [Eqs. (10) and (11) in the appendix]. The curves are typical for human eyes, but variations of about a decade exist among individuals, so they should only be used as approximations. The human eye also becomes less sensitive with age, showing a typical decrease in sensitivity of a factor 200 between the age of 20 to 80 [10]. Figure 3 has been measured with violet light below 460 nm; as an approximation, we have assumed it was measured at a constant wavelength of 460 nm. At other wavelengths, the shape of the curves will be somewhat different, as they should be corrected for the appropriate eye sensitivity using the V (λ) and V′ (λ) curves. This has been done in Eqs. (12) and (13) in the appendix.
S. Hecht, S. Shlaer, E. L. Smith, G. Haig, and J. C. Peskin, “The visual functions of the complete colorblind,” J. Gen. Physiol. 31, 459–472 (1948). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. S. Rea, J. D. Bullough, J. P. Freyssinier-Nova, and A. Bierman, “A proposed unified system of photometry,” Lightning Res. Tech. 36, 85–111 (2004). [CrossRef]
K. Sagawa, “Toward a CIE supplementary system of photometry: brightness at any level including mesopic vision,” Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt. 26, 240–245 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. S. Rea, J. D. Bullough, J. P. Freyssinier-Nova, and A. Bierman, “A proposed unified system of photometry,” Lightning Res. Tech. 36, 85–111 (2004). [CrossRef]
4. Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix
References and links
A. Stockman and L. T. Sharpe, “Into the twilight zone: the complexities of mesopic vision and luminous efficiency,” Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt. 26, 225–239 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
M. S. Rea, J. D. Bullough, J. P. Freyssinier-Nova, and A. Bierman, “A proposed unified system of photometry,” Lightning Res. Tech. 36, 85–111 (2004). [CrossRef] | |
D. Poelman, N. Avci, and P. F. Smet, “Measured luminance and visual appearance of multi-color persistent phosphors,” Opt. Express 17, 358–364 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
K. Van den Eeckhout, P. F. Smet, and D. Poelman, “Persistent luminescence in Eu2+-doped compounds: a review,” Materials 3, 2536–2566 (2010). [CrossRef] | |
GloTech International, http://www.glotechint.com/index.html. | |
ISO 23539:2005(E) / CIE S 010/E:2004 standard: “Photometry - The CIE System of Physical Photometry,” (CIE Central Bureau, Vienna, 2005). | |
CIE Technical Report 191:2010: “Recommended system for mesopic photometry based on visual performance,” (CIE Central Bureau, Vienna, 2010). | |
H. Davson, The Eye , Vol. 2 (Academic Press, New York, 1962). | |
S. Hecht, S. Shlaer, E. L. Smith, G. Haig, and J. C. Peskin, “The visual functions of the complete colorblind,” J. Gen. Physiol. 31, 459–472 (1948). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
M. Eloholma and L. Halonen, “New model for mesopic photometry and its application to road lighting,” LEUKOS 2, 263–293 (2006). | |
K. Sagawa, “Toward a CIE supplementary system of photometry: brightness at any level including mesopic vision,” Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt. 26, 240–245 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
E. Nakazawa, “Fundamentals of luminescence,” in Phosphor Handbook , 2nd ed., W.M. Yen, S. Shionoya, and H. Yamamoto, eds. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2007), pp. 83–97. |
OCIS Codes
(120.5240) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Photometry
(160.2540) Materials : Fluorescent and luminescent materials
(300.6280) Spectroscopy : Spectroscopy, fluorescence and luminescence
(330.4060) Vision, color, and visual optics : Vision modeling
ToC Category:
Vision, Color, and Visual Optics
History
Original Manuscript: September 21, 2010
Revised Manuscript: October 27, 2010
Manuscript Accepted: November 26, 2010
Published: December 1, 2010
Citation
Dirk Poelman and Philippe F. Smet, "Photometry in the dark: time dependent visibility of low intensity light sources," Opt. Express 18, 26293-26299 (2010)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-18-25-26293
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References
- A. Stockman, and L. T. Sharpe, “Into the twilight zone: the complexities of mesopic vision and luminous efficiency,” Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt. 26, 225–239 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- M. S. Rea, J. D. Bullough, J. P. Freyssinier-Nova, and A. Bierman, “A proposed unified system of photometry,” Lighting Res. Tech. 36, 85–111 (2004). [CrossRef]
- D. Poelman, N. Avci, and P. F. Smet, “Measured luminance and visual appearance of multi-color persistent phosphors,” Opt. Express 17, 358–364 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- K. Van den Eeckhout, P. F. Smet, and D. Poelman, “Persistent luminescence in Eu2+-doped compounds: a review,” Materials 3, 2536–2566 (2010). [CrossRef]
- GloTech International, http://www.glotechint.com/index.html.
- ISO 23539:2005(E) / CIE S 010/E:2004 standard: “Photometry - The CIE System of Physical Photometry,” (CIE Central Bureau, Vienna, 2005).
- CIE Technical Report 191:2010: “Recommended system for mesopic photometry based on visual performance,” (CIE Central Bureau, Vienna, 2010).
- H. Davson, The Eye, Vol. 2 (Academic Press, New York, 1962).
- S. Hecht, S. Shlaer, E. L. Smith, G. Haig, and J. C. Peskin, “The visual functions of the complete colorblind,” J. Gen. Physiol. 31, 459–472 (1948). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- A. Valberg, Light vision color (Wiley, Chichester, 2005).
- M. Eloholma, and L. Halonen, “New model for mesopic photometry and its application to road lighting,” LEUKOS 2, 263–293 (2006).
- K. Sagawa, “Toward a CIE supplementary system of photometry: brightness at any level including mesopic vision,” Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt. 26, 240–245 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- E. Nakazawa, “Fundamentals of luminescence,” in Phosphor Handbook, 2nd ed., W. M. Yen, S. Shionoya, and H. Yamamoto, eds. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2007), pp. 83–97.
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