Calibration Tools For PC-Based Vision Enhancement

描述(由申请人提供)：将创建一个硬件/软件工具包，以允许将个人计算机用作准确校准和受控的视力测试仪器。该工具包的基础是现代PC和显示器(基于CRT或平板显示器)具有足够的计算能力、分辨率和稳定性，可用作可靠的测量工具。PC机用于视觉测试的一大优势是测量软件可以配备高水平的容错。自动化测试程序包括无标准和强制选择程序、捕捉试验、贝叶斯阈值近似和其他复杂的心理物理技术，可以极大地减少对训练有素的技术人员的需求，操作员的主要任务可以是确保测试对象是合作的。然而，这种容错不会自动扩展到硬件的设置和校准。屏幕强度和色度、测试距离、房间照明和许多其他变量会对测试阈值产生显著影响，即使是在相同PC上以相似条件测试同一对象时也是如此。我们建议开发一套简单的硬件工具和控制软件，使必要的硬件校准和设置能够快速、可靠、可重复地执行，并且操作员只需接受非常适度的培训。在这个第一阶段的应用下，我们设计了一个原型工具包，其中硬件基于现成的组件，软件具有相对原始的用户界面。在随后的第二阶段应用中，我们将开发完全集成的硬件原型、具有用户友好界面的容错软件包，以及详细的产品开发和商业化计划。将创建一个硬件/软件工具包，以便将个人计算机用作精确校准和控制的视力测试仪器。该工具包的基础是现代PC和显示器(基于CRT或平板显示器)具有足够的计算能力、分辨率和稳定性，可用作可靠的测量工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A hardware/software toolkit will be created to will allow personal computers to be used as accurately calibrated and controlled vision test instruments. This toolkit is predicated on the fact that modern PCs and displays (either CRT-based or flat screen) have sufficient computing power, resolution, and stability to function as reliable measurement tools. A major advantage of PC use for vision testing is that measurement software can be equipped with a high level of fault tolerance. Automated test routines including criterion-free and forced-choice procedures, catch trials, Bayesian threshold approximation, and other sophisticated psychophysical techniques can greatly alleviate the need for highly-trained technicians, and the operator's main task can be to make sure that the test subject is cooperative. This fault tolerance does not automatically extend to the setup and calibration of hardware, however. Screen intensity and chromaticity, test distance, room illumination, and a number of other variables can have a significant effect on test thresholds, even when testing the same subject on the same PC under similar conditions. We propose to develop a set of simple hardware tools and control software that will allow necessary hardware calibrations and setup to be performed quickly, reliably, reproducibly, and with a very modest level of training on the part of the operator. Under this phase I application we designed a prototype toolkit with hardware based on off-the-shelf components and software with a relatively primitive user interface. Under the subsequent phase II application we will develop a fully integrated hardware prototype, a fault-tolerant software package with a user-friendly interface, and a detailed product development and commercialization plan. A hardware/software toolkit will be created to will allow personal computers to be used as accurately calibrated and controlled vision test instruments. This toolkit is predicated on the fact that modern PCs and displays (either CRT-based or flat screen) have sufficient computing power, resolution, and stability to function as reliable measurement tools.