Apparatus and process for improving visibility of object within visual field

A process comprising the steps of:

• casting visible light toward a reflective object at a frequency no less than the critical fusion frequency;
• picking up an image of the object;
• outputting image data in accordance with the image;
• monitoring the intensity of an incident light in said image pickup step and outputting a signal representing the level of the intensity of the incident light;
• filtering the incident light by means of an optical shutter;
• opening and shutting the optical shutter in accordance with the frequency of the casting of visible light and controlling the duty cycle of said optical shutter in response to a level of said signal so as to control an effective transmissivity of said optical shutter;
• generating a picture signal in accordance with the image data;
• and
• displaying a picture of the object in response to the picture signal.

An apparatus for improving the visibility of an object within a visual field of a vehicle comprising:

• a light caster casting visible light toward a reflective object within the visual field stroboscopically at a frequency no less than critical fusion frequency;
• means for picking up an image of the object and outputting image data;
• a light intensity sensor sensing the intensity of a light incident on said image pickup means and for outputting a signal representing the level of the intensity of the incident light;
• an optical shutter for said image pickup means driven to open synchronously with the intervals of transmission of the strobed visible light;
• a light-intensity control circuit driving said optical shutter and controlling the duty cycle of said optical shutter in response to a level of said signal so as to control an effective transmissivity of said optical shutter;
• a picture signal generator outputting a picture signal in accordance with the image data;
• and
• a display presenting a picture of the object in response to the picture signal.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for casting visible light toward a reflective object at a frequency no less than the critical fusion frequency;
• means for picking up an image of the object and outputting image data in accordance with the picked-up image;
• a light intensity sensor monitoring the intensity of a light incident on said image pickup means and outputting a signal representing the level of the intensity of the incident light;
• an optical shutter of a field-effect type liquid crystal filtering the incident light;
• a light-intensity control circuit analogically controlling a drive voltage of the field-effect type liquid crystal in response to a level of said signal so as to control an instantaneous transmissivity of said optical shutter;
• means for generating a picture signal in accordance with the image data;
• and
• means for displaying a picture of the object in response to the picture signal.