Abstract
A key problem in vision is to normalize one's lightness scale so that surface reflectances are always assigned the same gray value regardless of the illumination level. The solution requires an assessment of the relation between the strength of the illuminant and the strength of the image signal-information that is not available in the image alone. However, the level of scattered light in the optical system does provide an independent measure of the illuminant strength, and can be used to solve the lightness scale normalization problem. To do this requires a comparison between two imaging systems, each of which respond differently to the internal optical scatter. The rod and cone systems have properties that are ideally suited for such a role.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aguilar, M., Stiles, W.S.: Saturation of rod mechanism of the retina at high light levels of stimulation. Opt. Acta 1, 59–65 (1954)
Barlow, H.B.: Increment thresholds at low intensities considered as signal/noise discriminations. J. Physiol. 136, 469–488 (1957)
Barlow, H.B.: Measurements of the quantum efficiency of discrimination in human scotopic vision. J. Physiol. 160, 169–188 (1962)
Barlow, H.B., Sparrock, J.M.B.: The role of afterimages in dark adaptation. Science 144, 1309–1314 (1964)
Blackwell, H.R., Blackwell, O.M.: Rod and cone receptor mechanisms in typical can atypical congenital achromatopsia. Vis. Res. 1, 62–107 (1961)
Blick, D.W., MacLeod, D.I.A.: Rod threshold: influence of neighboring cones. Vis. Res. (in press)
Crawford, B.H.: Visual adaptation in relation to brief conditionning stimuli. Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 134, 283–302 (1949)
DeValois, R.L.: Analysis of response patterns of LGN cells. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56, 966–677 (1966)
DeVries, H.: The quantum character of light and its bearing upon threshold of vision, the differential sensitivity and visual acuity of the eye. Physica 10, 553–564 (1943)
Enoch, J.M., Hope, G.M.: Directional sensitivity of the foveal and parafoveal retina. Invest. Ophthalmol 12, 497–503 (1973)
Enoch, J.M., Laties, A.M.: An analysis of retinal receptor orientation. Invest. Ophthalmol. 10, 959 (1971)
Fry, G.A., Alpern, M.: The effect of a peripheral glare source upon the apparent brightness of an object. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 43, 189–195 (1953)
Fry, G.A., King, V.M.: The pupillary response and discomfort glare. J. Illum. Eng. Soc. 4, 307–324 (1975)
Gouras, P.: Color opponency from fovea to striate cortex. Invest. Ophthalmol. 11, 427–433 (1972)
Graham, C.H.: Vision and visual perception. New York: Wiley 1965
Hallett, P.E.: Quantum efficiency and false positive rate. J. Physiol. 202, 421–436 (1969)
Horn, B.K.P.: Obtaining shape from shading information. In: The psychology of computer vision. Winston, P.H. (ed.), p. 115. New York: McGraw-Hill 1975
Hurvich, L.M., Jameson, D.: Some quantitative aspects of an opponent colors theory. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 45, 602–616 (1955)
Jones, R.C.: Quantum efficiency of human vision. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 49, 645–653 (1959)
Land, E.H.: The retinex. Am. Sci. 52, 247–264 (1964)
Land, E.H., McCann, J.J.: Lightness and retinex theory. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61, 1–11 (1971)
Naka, K.J., Rushton, W.A.H.: S-potentials from colors within the retina of fish (Cyprinidae). J. Physiol. 185, 536–555 (1966)
Laties, A.M.: Histological techniques for the study of receptor orientation. Tissue Cell 1, 63 (1968)
LeGrand, Y.: Light, colour, and vision. London: Chapman & Hall 1968
Makous, W., Boothe, R.: Cones block signals from rods. Vis. Res. 14, 285–294 (1974)
McCann, J.J., Benton, J.L.: Interaction of long-wave cones and the rods to produce color sensations. J. Opt. Soc. Am 59, 103–107 (1969)
Normann, R.A., Werblin, F.S.: Control of retinal sensitivity. I light and dark adaptation of vertebrate rods and cone. J. Gen. Physiol. 63, 37–61 (1974)
Purkinje, J.: Beobachtungen und Versuche zur Physiologie der Sinne, Bd. 2. Berlin: Reiner 1825
Rose, A.: The sensitivity performance of the human eye on an absolute scale. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 38, 196–208 (1942)
Rushton, W.A.H.: The retinal organization of vision in vertebrates, p. 12. In: Biological receptor mechanisms. Symp. of Soc. Exp. Biol. XVI. Cambridge: University Press 1962
Sakitt, B.: Psychophysical correlates of photoreceptor activity Vis. Res. 16, 129–140 (1976)
Stevens, S.S.: Duration, luminance, and the brightness exponent. Percept. Psychophys. 1, 96–100 (1966)
Stevens, J.C., Stevens, S.S.: Brightness function: effects of adaptation. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 53, 375–385 (1963)
Stiles, W.S.: Color vision: the approach through increment thresh-old sensitivity. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 45, 100–114 (1959)
Stiles, W.S., Crawford, B.H.: The luminous efficiency of rays entering the eye pupil at different points. Proc. R. Soc. London. Ser. B 112, 428 (1933)
Ullman, S.: On the visual detection of light sources. Biol. Cybernetics 21, 205–212 (1976)
Meeteren, van, A.: On the detective quantum efficiency of the human eye. Vis. Res. 18, 257–267 (1978)
Wald, G.: Human vision and the spectrum. Science 101, 653–658 (1945)
Westheimer, G.: Dependence of the magnitude of the Stiles-Crawford effect on retinal location. J. Physiol. 192, 309 (1967)
Wiesel, T., Hubel, D.H.: Spatial and chromatic interaction in the lateral geniculate body of the rhesus monkey. J. Neurophysiol. 29, 115 (1966)
Williams, T.P., Gale, J.G.: Compression of retinal responsivity: V-logI functions and increment thresholds. Vis. Res. 18, 587–590 (1978)
Woodham, R.J.: Reflectance map techniques for analyzing surface defects in metal castings. Massachusetts Institute of Technology report AI-TR-457, 1978 (available from the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory)
Wyszecki, G., Stiles, W.S.: Color science: concepts and methods, quantitative data, and formulas. New York: Wiley 1967
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Richards, W. Why rods and cones?. Biol. Cybernetics 33, 125–135 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337290
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337290