US 20040209051A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. N0.: US 2004/0209051 A1 Santos et al. (43) Pub. Date: Oct. 21, 2004

(54) CAMOUFLAGE U.S. MARINE CORPS (57) ABSTRACT UTILITY UNIFORM: PATTERN, FABRIC, A camou?age system to be used for both military uniforms AND DESIGN and equipment. The system includes specialized means of printing the camou?age system unto fabric. The system can (76) Inventors: Luisa DeMorais Santos, Franklin, MA also be used for civilian applications, particularly With (US); Deidre E. Townes, Newton, MA sportsman hunters. The system provides camou?age in both (US); Gabriel R. Patricio, Stafford, VA the human visible light range and the infrared. The system (US); Carole Ann Winterhalter, depends on the use of a macro-pattern resulting from a Marlborough, MA (US); Anabela repeat of a micro-pattern. When applied to fabric, a polya Dugas, Fall River, MA (US); Timothy mide-cotton ?ber blend has a macro pattern resulting from R. O=Neil, Fall River, MA (US); a repeat of a micro pattern printed on at least one surface. Rosemary Ann Lomba, Westport, MA The coloring system used comprises at least four colorings (US); Barbara J. Quinn, Framingham, from dyes that in combination produce a percent re?ectance MA (US) value comparable to the negative space of the surroundings near the camou?aged subject. The system functions by a Correspondence Address: macro pattern being disruptive of the shape of the subject OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH and a micro pattern comprising sharp edge units of a siZe OFFICE OF COUNSEL capable of blending the subject into the background. The 800 NORTH QUINCY STREET relative lightness values and percentages of total pattern are ARLINGTON, VA 22217-5660 (US) sufficient to produce a percent re?ectance of acceptable colors, Wet or dry in terms of lightness values compared to (21) Appl. No.: 09/986,016 current military four-color camou?age. On fabric, the results are achieved by printing A macro pattern that disrupts the (22) Filed: Nov. 7, 2001 sensed shape and a micro pattern With a repeat siZe that produces the macro pattern. The re?ectance of the material Publication Classi?cation is comparable to the negative space surrounding a subject so the subject does not appear too dark or too light (out of (51) Int. Cl.7 ...... B32B 27/14; B32B 3/00; place). The variation in the lightness between Wet and dry is A41D 1/00; A41B 1/00 not greater than 17-28%, achieved during the printing pro (52) US. Cl...... 428/195.1;2/69 CGSS. Patent Application Publication Oct. 21, 2004 Sheet 1 0f 11 US 2004/0209051 A1 Patent Application Publication Oct. 21, 2004 Sheet 2 0f 11 US 2004/0209051 A1

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CAMOUFLAGE U.S. MARINE CORPS UTILITY [0009] HoWever, strategies based on natural observations UNIFORM: PATTERN, FABRIC, AND DESIGN often fall short of military requirements. There are tWo reasons for departing from the “natural” approach. First, RELATED APPLICATIONS animal coloration is often idiosyncratic and keyed to narroW co-evolution histories of predator and prey in a speci?c [0001] Design patent application No. 29/143,340 titled econiche—that is, the Zebra’s stripes tell us more about the “United States Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform” ?led visual system of the lion than about usable principles of 13 June, 2001. military camou?age. Second, organisms are limited in the [0002] Design patent application No. 29/143,683 titled strategies (patterns) they can “employ.” The coloration pat “Camou?age Pattern for Sheet Material and Uniforms” ?led terns of animals re?ect survival probabilities over a long 19 Jun. 22, 2001. period of time passed on genetic advantage. HoWever, animals do not “design” their appearance; the process is [0003] Provisional Patent Application Number passive and represents genetic exploitation of random muta titled the same as above, ?led 17 Aug. 2001 from tions. In addition, the processes by Which natural patterns Which ?ling date bene?t is claimed. develop are constrained by biology.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0010] Murray (1992) describes, for example, the process by Which local interaction betWeen tWo populations of color [0004] 1. Field of the Invention producing cells (melanophores) create different categories [0005] This invention relates to a camou?age pattern, and of patterns (stripes, spots, blotches, etc.) reminiscent of techniques that can be used to create a camou?age pattern. standing Waves of different frequencies in metal sheets. It is More particularly, the invention relates to a camou?age signi?cant requirement for this invention that a particular pattern used on fabric based structures that in combination frequency or local melanophore interaction may produce a pattern that interrupts internal symmetry axes. Biological With certain dyes, fabrics, and materials as Well as certain printing techniques, provides improved concealment for entities have the disadvantage of not being able to produce military personnel, vehicles, and other equipment in a range an animal With both spots and stripes, or With complex of tactical environments. Also, the invention pertains to a patterns of certain types. camou?age system used on non-fabric equipment. In addi [0011] Deliberate military camou?age as Well as sports tion, the camou?age pattern is useful in the civilian sector man and fashion patterns does not suffer from these limita for fashion, as Well as sportsman. This invention combines tions. It is useful as Well to remember that animals choose principles of human perception, natural camou?age, and to inhabit certain fairly narroW econiches Which in turn psychophysics to create tWo pattern elements of a macro alloWs camou?age “strategies” very speci?c to particular pattern and a micro-pattern combined into a single con?gu places and backgrounds. Military forces do not have this ration: one to disrupt the features of the subject target, the luxury, and must adopt strategies more generally effective other to match the subject target to the characteristics of the across a range of terrain and environmental conditions to background. The combinations of this invention provide Which they may be deployed. counter surveillance from visual and near-infrared detection for combat utility uniforms and equipment. [0012] Brassey’s Book of Camou?age by Tim NeWark traces some of the history of camou?age. In 1812, some of [0006] 2. Description of the Prior Art the ?rst experimentation done With camou?age found that [0007] Camou?age is an art in the process of becoming a the color that blended in the best in the Wild Was gray. In science. Camou?age, also called protective concealment, is 1857, one of the ?rst true uses of camou?age occurred When a means to disguise a subj ect, Whether animate or inanimate, British soldiers dyed their White tunics and belts tan, or in plain sight so as to conceal the subject from something or khaki (Which means literally “dusty” colored), to blend in someone. Beginning With Abbott and Gerald Thayer in the With the environment in India. The ?rst section de camou late 1800’s and Pycraft in the 1920’s, camou?age evolved ?age in military history Was established in 1915 by the from a study of naturalistic observations of organisms in French, under the command of an artist. Thereafter, com their complex environments to designs that purposely effect parable units Were used by the British and Americans, and, perception. The basic canon of natural camou?age includes to lesser extent, by the Germans, Italians, and Russians. “evolved tactics” such as mimicry (contrived similarity to These units Were largely made up of camou?uerss Who in background features, like the Walking stick bug), counter civilian life had been artists of one kind or another, including shading (lightened ventral surfaces to combat the contrast of ?ne artists, designers, and architects. As a result, participants shadoW), and disruption (Thayer’s “ruption”), the breakup on all sides of the con?icts used hundreds of artists during of boundary features or internal structures. both World Wars. These artists acted as military or civil defense camou?age experts. Included in this group Were [0008] Thayer noticed that the coloring of many animals such familiar names as Jacques Villon, FranZ Marc, Arshile graduated from dark, on their backs, to almost White on their Gorky, Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, LasZlo Moholy bellies. The gradation from dark to light breaks up the Nagy, and Oskar Schlemmer. surface of an object and makes it harder to see the object as one thing. The object loses its three-dimensional qualities [0013] Arti?cial camou?age patterns of some sophistica and appears ?at. The ratio of dark coloration to light tion appeared in the 1914-1918 time frame propelled by coloration can mean the difference betWeen success and advances in Weapons and tactics that accompanied the First failure of a design. Thayer called this ‘ruption’—the devel World War. Thayer designed some of these patterns. Others opment of patches of light and dark covering that served to Were designed by a variety of daring and empirical innova break up the outline of the animal. tors. The designers tended to rely on bold disruption, decep US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

tion techniques (eg painting a large bow Wave on a sloW address both camou?age patterns in general and military or vessel to deceive submarine observers as to their actual paramilitary applications of camou?age in particular. The velocity and direction), as Well as traditional blotch and most common appearance of military camou?age are vari splinter (sharp-edged, polygonal patterns) approaches. ous forms of curving shapes in three to four natural “earth tone” colors. Hunter camou?age takes the form of a mimic [0014] While the Wartime use of camou?age is by no of trees, bark or bushes. MatheWs in US. Pat. No. Des. means a modern invention, its importance became magni?ed 425,709 teaches a camou?age design in the form of bushes. during World War I because of the use of airplanes and aerial photography. The Korean War saW the introduction of night Kolpin, in US. Pat. No. Des 297,076 shoWs a bark or rock like pattern. Yacovella in US. Pat. No. 4,656,065 teaches a vision devices, Which added the need to disrupt the human pattern and color combination that mimics rough bark of a form not only in the visible but also in the near infrared tree. Hollinger, in US. Pat. No. 5,675,838 carries this theme range of the spectrum. Humans see a Wide color spectrum a step further by teaching tWo different patterns printed on called the visible range, and When aided by night vision one set of clothing to account for vertically and horiZontally devices, humans can also see into the near infrared range. The problem of disrupting the human form in both the groWing plant life. Lehman, in US. Pat. No. 5,972,479 describes a method of creating or forming these mimic near-infrared and visible ranges is only a military problem camou?age patterns. The process includes photographing that has no parallel in the natural World. Adding to the compleXity is that dry and Wet conditions change re?ectivity one or more environments, entering the photographs as graphics into a computer to create a composite picture, of surfaces changing the “hiding” characteristics of most separating the colors in the composite picture into a series of patterns under different light conditions. color prints, creating screens for each major color, and [0015] Interest in camou?age declined through the 1950s ?nally rotary screen printing the composite onto sheet because of advances in ?re control and target acquisition material. This technique is a standard printing process for technology. Also, eXperience shoWed that most camou?age fabrics in general and camou?age in particular. The issue measures simply did not Work very Well. The visual system With mimic patterns is that they are site speci?c or geo simply overpoWered most measures. graphically limited. [0016] In the late 1960’s and 1970’s, there Was a resur [0021] For military applications, the mimic of a particular gence of interest in camou?age. In the area of camou?aging setting is inadequate. The military needs camou?age that combat vehicles, SWeden adopted a “splinter” pattern keyed Will be adaptable in many different environments and under to the colors predominant in Scandinavia. Germany experi different Weather conditions With the minimum number of mented With novel boundary disrupting measures. Many uniform sets. In addition, the military needs a camou?age countries simply applied camou?age as a matter of pride or pattern that Works Well in the visible as Well as in the decoration. Some of these designs had little practical near-infrared range of the spectrum When using night vision counter-surveillance utility, but looked somehoW “martial.” devices. [0017] In the United States, the War in Viet Nam occa [0022] Many military patterns, on the other hand, ignore sioned the issue of battle dress uniforms using a Woodland the nature of the background (except as regards gross color color pattern that Was designed by the US. ArmyEngineer distributions), concentrating on the Thayer principle of ing Research and Development Laboratory as early as 1948. disruption of boundaries. Each of these approaches is some Though designed by the Army, it Was rejected by that service What less than half the ansWer. ConWay, in US. Pat. No. and adopted instead by the Marine Corps. By the late 1970’s, 5,077,101, describes camou?age for tanks and other a general desert camou?age appeared for uniforms. By the vehicles by using a three-color paint that helps to mask middle of the 1970’s, combat vehicles and other equipment infrared emissions. The paint relies heavily on the inclusion acquired a four-color camou?age pattern designed by the of carbon in the dye. Carbon can also be incorporated into US Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development the ?ber itself for substrate or sheet material on Which a Center (MERDC; noW BRDEC). This pattern Was Widely camou?age pattern is printed. Such a process is described by used from 1974 until the 1980’s, When it Was replaced by a Weingarten in US. Pat. No. 4,095,940, Where carbon is 3-color NATO standard pattern. incorporated into the ?ber and the sheet material is then [0018] Camou?age Pattern cross-dyed or over-printed With standard dyes that are com patible With that type of ?ber as used in traditional camou [0019] For the human form, camou?age is used by hunters ?age patterns to provide adequate near-infrared protection and by the military. For hunters, it is suf?cient to disrupt the properties. Clarkson, in US. Pat. No. 5,798,304, describes human form With a pattern because many animals are an interesting camou?age uniform for uniformed laW colorblind so, it is only necessary to “blend” into the shades enforcement that shoWs a solid color under visible lighting of gray created by the background of the terrain. Colors conditions and a camou?age pattern in the near-infrared Within that terrain are not as critical. For military applica range. tions, color is an additional issue that must be considered. [0023] Conner in US. Pat. No. 5,985,381 took a different [0020] TWo signi?cant de?ciencies common to most cam approach. Conner suggests a mimic type pattern (leaves of ou?age pattern measures is that most pattern measures an eastern forest) coated With photochromic and/or heat address either the con?guration of the target to be hidden, or sensitive materials so the printed pattern Will change color the nature of the background into Which the target must under different light and temperature conditions. blend. This limits the usefulness and robustness of a con cealment measure since both objectives must be ansWered if [0024] One innovation appeared in 1976 that applied a the target’s signature is to be signi?cantly reduced for the more scienti?c spin explaining the reasons camou?age observer. There have been many approaches trying to Worked, O’Neill et al. (1977a,b). This innovation Was called US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

“Dual-Tex” or dual-texture. Initially, Dual-Tex Was a modi environment, de?ned as the spatial frequency spectrum. The ?cation of the MERDC 4-color vehicle pattern, Where a micro-pattern matches the spatial frequency spectrum of the band of higher, denser texture Was added by the simple environmental background. It mimics the siZe components expedient of coarse quantiZation. This means that a larger of the background. The role of spatial frequency in human pattern Was decomposed into pixel-like square elements vision and pattern recognition has been demonstrated While keeping the larger element. This Was like “adding experimentally since 1969 (e.g., Blakemore and Campbell, leaves to trees” Without removing the tree. The result Was a 1969; JulesZ, 1980; Maffei and Fiorentini, 1980; Ginsburg, macropattern that disrupted the shape of the target making it 1978, 1980). O’Neill (1988) demonstrated the role of spatial hard to recognize, and a micropattern that matches the channels in detecting military targets. Dual-Tex pattern texture of the background, making it hard to detect (hence employs a quantiZation method to decompose a macro “Dual-Texture”). These tWo elements address the tWo visual pattern (q.v.) by the technique of digitiZing the macro tasks that face an observer: detecting a target against a background (technically, detecting an anomaly in the optic pattern to add appropriate bands of spatial frequency “noise” array), and then recogniZing (or identifying) the anomaly as that mimics the presumed tactical background. a target or a false alarm. These tasks are served by tWo more [0029] The Canadian National Defense Force came to or less distinct visual pathWays—the ambient (or tectopulvi realiZe that it Was not necessary to have curved sections of nar) and the focal (or geniculostriate). These have been color to form a camou?age pattern. The Canadians designed described as the “Where is it?” and the “What is it?” systems. and began ?elding the Canadian disruptive pattern (CAD [0025] The Dual-Tex measure Was subjected to test and PAT), Which consists of shapes having relatively straight evaluation at the United States Military Academy using sides. Josephs, in Us. Pat. No. 6,061,828, also suggests a photo-simulation techniques (O’Neill et al., 1977a), and at camou?age pattern using What Josephs calls rectilinear Aberdeen Proving Ground using human observers against shapes. Josephs relies on rather large splotches of color in at painted test vehicles at tactically appropriate ranges (O’Neill least six sided splotches With opposing sides being parallel et al., 1977b,c). The measure Was tested informally in to form a pattern. Josephs appears most interested in the various locations, and in 1978 Was adopted by the 2nd “fashion” attraction of camou?age rather than its utilitarian Armored Cavalry Regiment in Europe (Where it continued in application. The only advantage of straight-sided ?gures is use until the adoption Army-Wide of the current 3-color that it simpli?es computer printing. The US Marine Corps pattern). It Was formally subjected to troop test by the evaluated some 60 existing patterns in house. Field-testing Combat Development Experimentation Command shortly revealed that none of the existing patterns provide maximum afterWard (CDEC, 1979). An application of the Dual-Tex concealment possible given today’s printing and material concept Was published in the November/December 1977 technologies as Well as pattern concepts. issue of Armor MagaZine. [0030] Fabric, Printing and Garment Treatments: [0026] Military patterns that address disruption of the target shape, as opposed to background match, concentrate [0031] Historically, military uniforms Were made of heavy on the boundary features of the target. This is a miscon cotton tWill or duck fabric. This is also true of the modern struction of What constitutes the visual, as opposed to the fatigue or utility uniform. The heavier the fabric the more physical features of the target. The Dual-Tex macro-pattern durable it Was. These types of fabrics Were hot to Wear, component, as an exception, evolved from a traditional became heavier When Wet and Were sloW to dry. Cotton boundary-disrupting con?guration to a unique and more fabrics rapidly look like they Were “slept in” even When effective approach. heavily starched. Pure synthetic ?bers had a good Wear life [0027] Blum (1967, 1973, 1974, 1978) demonstrated a and could be made permanent press, but the fabric tended to neW non-Euclidean geometry of biological form based on be hot and not adsorb sWeat. In addition, many synthetic internal symmetries of shapes. Psotka (1978) shoWed that ?bers re?ected both visible and infrared light. In other the observer’s visual attention tends to lie along the sym Words, synthetic ?bers are shiny. Blending cotton With metry axes of a shape rather than along the boundary or at synthetic ?ber, such as nylon, increases the fabric’s strength the center (as traditionally assumed). O’Neill (1982) dem Without increasing Weight. Uniforms and clothing made onstrated the effect of a local interaction in the optic array from these fabrics Wear better than those made from the that draWs the attention of the observer, and may assist in traditional 100 percent cotton fabrics. They also have advan recogniZing and encoding shapes in the visual cortex. tages of drying rapidly, and maintain a sharp military O’Neill (1986) modi?ed the Dual-Tex pattern to include a appearance longer. Finding the correct balance of ?ber macro-pattern keyed to the symmetry axes instead of the composition, Weave, Weight, and ability to take the needed boundaries in a test of the effects of camou?age measures on dyes Was a complicated empirical problem. the ability of a gunner to track a moving target. The [0032] Printing, represents another challenge. While there combination of the target disrupting macro-pattern and the are numerous types of dyes and pigments, all of Which are background-matching micro-pattern is the essential charac chemically compatible With speci?c ?ber types, they can not teristic of the Dual-Tex type measure. No previously knoWn be used interchangeably. Each different class of dye also has or currently knoWn camou?age pattern measure appears to certain performance characteristics. Acid dyes are compat address both these factors (disrupting the target and match ible With nylon ?ber and are very colorfast, but in the near ing the background) effectively for a broad spectrum of infrared, generally, they are too light and bright for military terrain and environmental conditions needed for military camou?age purposes. Vat dyes are used to dye cotton operational effectiveness. fabrics. They are very colorfast, but in the near infrared, [0028] The micro-pattern of the Dual-Tex measure Was generally, they are too dark. Disperse dyes are compatible designed to match the texture of the background in a tactical With polyester, hoWever, they are not available in the colors US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

required to meet military camou?age speci?cations, they are visible light range and the infrared light range. The system not very colorfast, and they are light and bright in the near depends on the use of a macro-pattern resulting from a infrared. repeat of a micro-pattern. On fabric, the results are achieved by printing a macro-pattern that disrupts the sensed shape of [0033] Hodge et al., in US. Pat. No. 5,074,889, teaches a the subject and a micro-pattern that blends the subject into method and describes materials for printing aromatic polya the background. The repeat siZe of the micro-pattern pro mide (aramid) fabrics With acid dyes. The treatment is duces the macro pattern. The re?ectance of the printed speci?cally designed to print or overprint the sheet material material is comparable to the negative space surrounding a With an acid dye for camou?age patterns. A problem still subject so the subject does not appear too dark or too light remains. The problem is achieving the objectives of a (out of place). The variation in the lightness betWeen Wet and durable, serviceable uniform With concealing characteristics dry printed fabric is not greater than 17-28%. The fabric can in the visible and near infrared. The problem requires a be formed into uniforms and other fabric equipment. disruptive pattern that can be used for a Wide range of applications from paint patterns on tanks, through uniforms BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS that is an improvement on the good beginning of the prior [0044] Amore complete appreciation of the invention Will art. be readily obtained by reference to the folloWing Descrip tion of the Preferred Embodiments and the accompanying SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION draWings in Which like numerals in different ?gures repre [0034] Accordingly, an object of this invention is the sent the same structures or elements. The representations in creation of a camou?age pattern measure based on the each of the ?gures are diagrammatic and no attempt is made functioning of the human visual system, addressing both to indicate actual scales or precise ratios. Proportional disruption of the subject target shape and matching of the relationships are shoWn as approximates. spatial characteristics of the environment. [0045] FIG. 1 is a plan vieW of the camou?age pattern of this invention applied to at least one surface of sheet material [0035] Another object of the invention is a pattern Which shoWing a single repeat of the ornamental design. The is empirically developed and subsequently de?ned by a pattern is independent of the colors used in the design. The mathematical algorithm that is optimiZed for different envi broken lines depict the boundaries of one repeat unit of the ronments by computer aided devices. ornamental design. The design continues indeterminately in [0036] A further object of this invention is a pixel pattern one or more directions. Each repeat is approximately 36“>< that provides improved disruption of a subject over existing 36“. This siZe is based on the approximate siZe needed to patterns. avoid an appreciable repeat of the pattern on the individual subject When the pattern is used for clothing. [0037] Yet another object of this invention is the creation of a camou?age pattern printed on a surface such as fabric [0046] FIG. 2 is a section of the repeat of FIG. 1 at full of uniforms and equipment or combat vehicles that Will scale shoWing the inclusion of the US. Marine Corps Eagle provide improved concealment in both visible and near Globe and Anchor symbol (EGA). infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. [0047] FIG. 3 is a plan vieW of one repeat of the sheet [0038] A further object of this invention is integrating the material of this design shoWing the distribution of the Eagle, fabric, acid dyes and overprinted vat dyes, and functional Globe and Anchor. At least seven (7) EGA logos are ?nishes together With a speci?c empirically derived pixel distributed in each repeat. For clarity, the camou?age pattern pattern providing improved results in the visible and near is not shoWn. infrared spectrum range for fabric based subjects. [0048] FIG. 4 is an overall vieW of United States Marine [0039] Yet another object of the invention is a camou?age Corps Combat Utility uniform With boots and Garrison pattern Which gives effective camou?age results under both cover. The trousers are bloused, and the boots are coyote Wet and dry conditions. broWn leather With the rough side out. [0040] A further object of this invention is a system [0049] FIG. 5 is an overall vieW of United States Marine resulting from a combination of materials, dyes, printing Corps Combat Utility uniform With trousers bloused and methods, pattern and design features relating speci?cally to “Boonie” Hat. uniform design that builds a “system” Which provides US. [0050] FIG. 6 is a front vieW of the United States Marine Marines a combat utility uniform With signi?cant advan Corps Combat Utility uniform blouse. tages over currently available similar systems. [0051] FIG. 7 is a back vieW of the United States Marine [0041] A further object of this invention is a fabric that Corps Combat Utility uniform blouse. provides improved camou?age advantages When combined With speci?c dyes and printed in a speci?c pattern. [0052] FIG. 8 is a front vieW of the United States Marine Corps Combat Utility uniform trousers unbloused. [0042] Again, an object of this invention is a human engineered uniform having improved Wear characteristics [0053] FIG. 9 is a back vieW of the United States Marine and improved protective protection for the user. Corps Combat Utility Uniform trousers unbloused. [0043] These and additional objects of the invention are [0054] FIG. 10 is a graph titled Fractal Dimensions of accomplished by by a camou?age system to be used for both Camou?age. military uniforms and equipment. Also, the system can be used for civilian applications, particularly With sportsman [0055] FIG. 11 is a graph titled Fractal Dimension of Lin hunters. The system provides camou?age in both the human e. US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED sary to print each iteration on cloth. The ?nal camou?age EMBODIMENTS patterns Were printed on the appropriate textile substrate for more detailed laboratory and ?eld testing With the Marine [0056] Through focus group discussion and feedback to Corps Scout Sniper School and other subject matter experts the uniform board, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) from the Marine Operating Forces. found that the current curved style camou?age patterned uniform Was inadequate for color, pattern, and durability of [0060] The pattern itself is a part of this invention. Where the fabric. The same inadequacies applied to equipment of War ?ghting is not necessary or When applied to hardWare, all types including vehicles, tents etc. The camou?age the pattern stands alone. Where War ?ghting is necessary, the pattern and colors in use at the time Were developed in the pattern, When applied to fabric, could be combined With late 70’s at Which time the designated threat areas Were speci?c dyes and printing procedures to extend disruption considerably different than today’s threats. Additionally, into the near infrared. The invention is applicable to all there Were other problems. The current uniform and fabric aspects Where camou?age is needed to disrupt the visual equipment becomes very dark When Wet. This is an issue that iZation of a subject such as painting vehicles, making tents, concerned many Marines because the change in color can tarpaulins, and painting or covering stationary equipment as markedly change the hiding ability of the disruptive pattern. Well as clothing. The preferred embodiment illustrated in If a camou?age pattern doesn’t break up the pattern of the this invention is the USMC ?eld combat utility uniform and human body or other subject and aid in matching the particularly the blouse and pants of the combat utility background texture of its surroundings, the subject Will uniform With its accessory boots and hat. appear as a black silhouette against the background. This is one of the primary shortcomings of the current system. [0061] Macro-Pattern/Micro-Pattern Preferably, the same pattern and design principals are appli [0062] The inventors found that While camou?age patterns cable to camou?age Whether applied to clothing or a tank. can be described by mathematics after the fact, it is not The invention Will be illustrated by reference to uniforms. possible to design a pattern by formula alone. The general principals taught by O’Neill require a macro-pattern and a [0057] When the US Marine Corps began to consider micro-pattern. The macro-pattern is based on the shape of designing and improving the camou?age it currently uses, the potential subject to be camou?aged, and is independent the USMC realiZed that more Was needed to maximiZe the of environmental or background characteristics (except for utility of a neW combat uniform than just a more distinctive selected color palette). The purpose of the macro-pattern is pattern. There is a need for an integrated approach to obtain to disrupt recognition of the shape characteristics of the the maximum bene?t of the synergistic inter-relationship betWeen pattern, materials used, printing and painting tech subject. niques and procedures to obtain complete battle?eld con [0063] Shape derives, not from the boundary of the shape cealment in the visible and near infrared spectrum. (B-morphology) of the subject, but from the symmetry axes (A-morphology). The symmetry axes are internal, skeletal [0058] The USMC began its design efforts by studying the “stick ?gures” that are unique and fully reversible: that is, camou?age designs, currently used WorldWide. Over 60 information de?ning the symmetry (symmetry axis and commercial camou?age patterns and uniforms Were evalu symmetry distance) axes can be used to de?ne the shape that ated in the US. Army, Soldier Biological and Chemical generates them. Once the symmetry axes have been de?ned, Command, Natick Soldier Center’s Camou?age Evaluation the designer can proceed to generate a macro-pattern intu Facility, S-136 (Natick). The selected patterns Were evalu itively by inserting irregular bands and patches that interrupt ated for effectiveness in the visual and near infrared range the symmetry axis components of the subject. These bands (using night vision goggles) in a laboratory setting simulat or patches are formed from blocks of color. The siZe of the ing actual Woodland, desert and urban settings. Three trained macro-pattern elements Will depend on the siZe of the and experienced camou?age technical observers conducted symmetry-axis elements. The macro-pattern does not have the evaluation using a seven-point scale (7-most effective). to be formed from solid blocks of color but can be formed The evaluation included both pattern and color(s). Based on from smaller elements called pixels that are grouped into this initial evaluation, eight potential candidates Were doWn variations of color that form a block of textured color that selected. Because of other factors, this selection Was further forms the macro-pattern. narroWed doWn to the three best performers called Tiger Stripe pattern, CADPAT (Canadian Pattern), and Rhodesian [0064] In the simplest sense, the micro-pattern is a sys pattern. After extensive laboratory analysis and testing, a tematic decomposition of the larger macro-pattern elements variation of the CADPAT pattern, empirically modi?ed by into pixels that match the optel siZes of the optic array. This the artistic interpretation and visual experience of Well means that a given tactical environment is composed of a trained and seasoned Marine Corps Scout Snipers Was band of textures of various siZes (and colors). These can be selected and designated as MARPAT (Marine Corps Pattern. de?ned as optels, or optic elements. An optical element is a basic unit of re?ected light that cannot be practically broken [0059] After initial selection, these three patterns Were doWn further in a Way that is meaningful to the eye or a further enhanced using softWare applications to optimiZe sensor. Of course, this theory is more usable on ?xed forms, and enhance effectiveness. These modi?cations We empiri such as tanks, trucks etc. When applied to uniforms (cloth cally analyZed by testing as described above and Were ?rst ing) design becomes more dif?cult because the shape is printed on paper for further evaluation. Once optimiZed, tWo alWays changing as a subject moves. patterns Were selected for print on actual material and taken for ?eld evaluation (MARPAT and Tiger stripe). This pro [0065] The micro-pattern can be established by ?rst decid cedure permitted continuous and frequent changes to maxi ing on a base pixel siZe. This is a judgment determination miZe pattern effectiveness Without the cost and time neces made on the basis of the subject siZe and the distance from US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

Which the subject Will be observed. Obviously, there is a applied to traverse a span or line. If N is measured for pixel siZe too small to be resolved at tactical distances. For several values of step siZe, L, the slope of the linear portion example, a uniform for an individual subject Will have a base of the line ln(N) versus ln(1/L) is the fractal dimension, D; pixel siZe that is relatively small because detection distances the limits of the linear region mark the ends of the length Will be smaller because of the tactical environments in scale for Which the object appears rough. For a tWo-dimen Which a subject operates. A large vehicle Will as a matter of sional object having a rough jagged boundary, the fractal practicality be hidden against detection and recognition at dimension for some range of L Will be betWeen 1.0 and 2.0. much longer ranges and can thus get by With a larger base A rough calculation of the fractal dimension of this neW pixel siZe. The pixel shape may be almost anything that camou?age and of the fractal line Was developed and is mimics the environment. For uniformity and simplicity of recorded beloW in Charts I & II. The program puts a grid of generation, the familiar rectangular, including square, pixel squares of siZe L over the pattern and counts the number of is preferred. The square shape (rare in nature) Will not be squares (N) containing a piece of the pattern edge. Repeating detectable if the base pixel siZe is kept small enough to avoid for several grid siZes produces a fractal dimension (slope of being conspicuous. the line ln(N) vs. ln(1/L)) of 1.23 [0066] In the ideal environment the micro-pattern is devel oped by a survey that de?nes the bands of optel siZe that must be modeled. The simplest method for such a survey is L N ln(1/L) ln(N) photographic images digitiZed and subjected to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), a mathematical method (in this case) for Chart I decomposing the image into its spatial components and the 50 123.87 —3.91202 4.819233 spatial frequency poWer spectrum. The segment of the 40 178.15 —3.68888 5.182626 highest frequency peak has the smallest pixel. It is important 30 279.2 —3.4012 5.631928 to note that color attributes (chromaticity and contrast) are 20 499.94 —2.99573 6.214488 10 1111.67 —2.30259 7.013619 independent of the pattern. The pattern con?guration can 5 2119.2 —1.60944 7.658794 theoretically be used for any optic array, no matter the color Chart II properties. It is also essential to understand that the choice of rectangular pixels to represent the in?nite number of optel 30 12 —3.4012 2.484907 25 15 —3.21888 2.70805 shapes is arbitrary and based on the ease of digitally decom 20 17 —2.99573 2.833213 posing images into rectangles or squares. It is only necessary 18 21 —2.89037 3.044522 that the pixel shape be the correct siZe to mimic the spatial 16 24 —2.77259 3.178054 properties of the background of the subject. 14 27 —2.63906 3.295837 12 30 —2.48491 3.401197 [0067] The edges of the pixel shape must be sharply 10 36 —2.30259 3.583519 8 46 —2.07944 3.828641 de?ned because much high-spatial frequency information 6 65 —1.79176 4.174387 resides in edges of the shape than in the shape itself. Based 4 105 —1.38629 4.65396 on extensive testing, USMC selected a pixel for uniforms of 2 170 —0.69315 5.135798 rectangular shape at the pixel (optel) level betWeen 1 to 1.5 square millimeters forming the macro pattern effect mea sured at betWeen 130 to 150 square millimeters and 8 to 12 [0069] The preferred pattern is shoWn in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 square millimeters. Paint arrangements for tanks, trucks etc. shoWs a detail, in full scale, of FIG. 1. The US Marine Corp are proportional. Pixels are approximately 4-5 mm (1/16 of an Eagle Globe & Anchor (EGA) insignia is incorporated into inch) that When agglomerated into groups, make up an the printed fabric of the USMC uniform. FIG. 3 is a detail overall pattern of irregular, rectangular shapes in siZe and shoWing placement of the EGA for an example of the con?guration matching the spatial properties of the pre placement of seven EGA. Of course, more EGA can be used. sumed tactical environment. Although these shapes have In FIG. 3, the pattern is not shoWn for clarity. The impact of relatively sharp edges, the line can be jagged and not long this pattern/color placement at a distance (that is, combina straight lines. These jagged edges are illustrated in FIG. 1. tion of macro-pattern and micro-pattern visually resolved) is the formation of macro-pattern blotches that interrupt the [0068] These rough jagged lines can be measured in terms structural symmetries of the human form. The orientation of of a fractal dimension or its texture (roughness or jagged the pixels is not critical. They could just as Well be vertically ness). The fractals are described in Charts I & II and FIGS. aligned or horiZontally aligned. 10 & 11. Creating color patches Whose roughness (texture) matches the roughness (texture) of the background Will [0070] Color and Ratio of Light to Dark provide better concealment than matching only the percent [0071] The colors used are independent of the pattern age of each color. The length of a smooth straight line con?guration, except that the percentage of base pixels of a remains constant as you change the length of a ruler used in given color should approximately match the percentage of the measurement. That is, if you cut the length of the ruler optels of those colors in the tactical environment. It is in half you Will need to lay it doWn tWice as many times to practical to use the same pattern that is empirically derived reach the end of the line. HoWever, if the line is not smooth and just vary the colors used to match the predominant but is irregular and jagged, its measured length Will depend colors of the environment. It is also possible to use image on the length of the ruler used. The shorter the ruler length analysis techniques to de?ne sub con?gurations based on the the more closely you can folloW the exact contour and thus physical characteristics of the environment, but this is not the line appears to be longer. One measure of the roughness necessary in most cases, and might lead to nonproductive of this line is its fractal dimension, D, Where D=ln(N)/ln(1/ excursions into artistic mimicry. Color choices should be L) and N is the number of times a ruler of length L must be based on the tactical environment, not the geographic envi US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

ronment. To be effective, a camou?age pattern must be spectrum of operations, based on their performance Within designed and developed to be used in a speci?c environment that operational environment. In the optimiZation process, and the primary Zone(s) of operation or potential threat areas the best results Were achieved When mixing the appropriate must be identi?ed. This is critical for selecting the disruptive amounts of Acid Blue 258 and Tectilon Orange GV4R to dye pattern most effective for that Zone and, most importantly, the ground shade and When selecting the proper color selecting the colors/shades that Work best in that environ combinations of Vat YelloW 2, Vat Green 1, Vat BroWn 57 ment. Sand, concrete, asphalt, dirt, rocks, bark, leaves, and and Vat Orange 6 along With small amounts of Sulfur Black shadoWs make up the vast majority of the terrain in Which 6, it provided the required visual and near-infrared re?ec a Marine Will be required to operate. Each of those elements tance and colorfastness performance critical to military has certain color and spectral re?ectance values, measured in items. By mixing the appropriate amounts of the dyestuffs percent re?ectance. This percent re?ectance must be con stated above, one Will be able to closely achieve the desired sidered When selecting the appropriate colors dyestuffs and CIELAB values for each color in the relevant terrain. Color associated re?ective properties for designing/selecting the is expressed using the universally knoWn CIELAB system. colors of a camou?age pattern. Each color is characteriZed in terms of L* a* b* values [0072] From a tactical standpoint, nature is vieWed in Where L* represents the lightness coordinate, a* represents terms of positive and negative space. One must keep in mind its red-green variation, and b* represents its blue-yelloW variation. Every color has its oWn unique set of L* a* b* negative versus positive space and its in?uence on camou ?age and its deception characteristics. Positive space is values, similar to a ?ngerprint. The CIE L* a* b* values for the camou?age colors for Woodland, desert, and urban de?ned as the solid objects in nature such as rocks, trees, etc. terrains are listed in Table 1 beloW: Which are primarily vertical lines. Negative space is described as the “empty” space or the color surrounding the solid objects or resembling horiZontal lines. USMC Scout TABLE 1 Snipers are trained to differentiate betWeen positive and “CIELAB Measurements” negative space in nature. Based on experience, the snipers feel that the best camou?age resembles negative space and CIELAB does not necessarily match the surrounding objects exactly. Measurements A good example is a gray fox that resembles the space L* a* b" around solid objects. The objective is to develop a camou ?age system Whose colors and pattern resemble negative Woodland Camou?age Colors space another Words, not anything speci?c found in that Green 474 24.93 —3.80 4.06 particular environment. Khaki 475 45.07 0.60 12.94 Coyote 476 33.42 3.26 10.08 [0073] The focus is to develop a camou?age system that Black 477 15.42 0.79 —1.25 Will be most effective in both the visible and near-infrared Desert Camou?age Colors range under Wet and dry conditions. Applying the principals Urban Tan 478 53.57 4.51 12.16 described above, the USMC selected the colors that are Desert Lt. Tan 479 59.22 2.90 9.28 usable in a variety of terrain. The USMC determined three Highland 480 33.42 5.70 15.36 different color pattern schemes Would Work for most envi Lt. Coyote 481 44.26 4.48 16.41 ronments for a utility uniform. The colors systems are Urban Camou?age Colors designates Woodland pattern composed of shades of coyote, Coyote 476 33.42 3.26 10.08 green, black and khaki, Desert color pattern composed of Black 477 15.42 0.79 —1.25 shades of light coyote, urban tan, desert light tan and Lt. Gray 486 60.71 2.22 5.13 highland and Urban pattern composed of shades of black, Medium Gray 487 43.86 1.36 2.89 medium and light gray and coyote. The pattern for all three of the color schemes is the same, ie the MARPAT pattern. The selected colors are chosen to provide superior camou [0075] Lightness and re?ectance are interrelated. Color is ?age for any Zone of operation having a general environ measured in terms of lightness (brightness of a color, i.e. ment designated Woodland, Desert or Urban regardless of light red), chroma (dull red vs. bright red) and hue (color Where in the World that environment is found. itself, ie red). These three components make up the re?ec tance factor of a color. When the lightness value of a color [0074] Empirically, it Was determined that the optimum is measured, the light re?ected or brightness of an object as camou?age system effective in both the visible and near compared to another object is What is being measured. infrared ranges for fabric and provides the best colorfastness Chroma or hue are not considered in this calculation. While properties, is a 50/50 cotton nylon fabric dyed using acid the re?ectance factor of a material is the absolute value of class of dyes and then overprinted using rotary screen light re?ected for a material at each Wavelength in the entire printing technology With either three or four screens. Basi electromagnetic spectrum and it takes into consideration all cally, one color is the base color and one screen is used for three components of a color; lightness, chroma and hue. each color using selected vat dyestuffs. Of course, if the base shade is used as one of the four colors that shade should be [0076] The ratio and placement of dark to light are critical the lightest of the four. Color names and numbers identify factors that need to be considered in producing an effective the speci?c color and shade. While the full pattern repeat is camou?age pattern. The darkest color for Woodland is black the same for Woodland, Desert and Urban, the difference 477, the next lightest is green 474, then coyote 476, and the betWeen them (as visually depicted in FIGS. 1 & 2) is the lightest is the base color khaki 475. For Desert, the colors are distribution, location and percentage Within the pattern highland 480, light coyote 481, urban tan 478 and desert repeat of each of the four colors selected especially for each light tan 479, and for Urban the colors are black 477, US 2004/0209051 A1 Oct. 21, 2004

Medium Gray 487, Coyote 476 and Light Gray 486 in increasing order of lightness. These colors are made by TABLE 2-continued combining appropriate acid and vat dyes as speci?ed above to provide the desired colorfastness and near-infrared re?ec Lightness Comparison Between Current Combat tance properties required by military combat clothing users. Utilities & MARPAT Utility Uniforms [0077] During discussions With focus groups, the degree Current Combat Utilities MARPAT Combat Utilities of darkness of the current Combat Utility Woodland Uni Lightness Lightness form When Wet Was identi?ed as a problem that needed to be Percent value L" Percent value L" addressed When developing a neW Combat Utility for a Woodland Terrain. The respondents indicated that the “cur Color Color Dry Wet Color Color Dry Wet rent cammies are too dark When Wet”. The darkness or Dark 30 31.26 25.62 Coyote 47 38.67 30.22 lightness of a material is described scienti?cally in terms of Green its lightness value. All colored materials are arranged in Light 20 41.82 35.62 Khaki 5 47.14 40.56 color space by their order of lightness, from pure black or Green “0” value, to pure White or “100” value. All colored mate rials fall Within that range With neutral gray tones measuring [0078] When comparing the Lightness values for the col in the “50” range. The lightness value or L* can be measured ors of each pattern, We can see that the MARPAT colors, by the use of a spectrophotometer. Typically dark colors eXcept for the black in the Wet state, have lightness values such as black, dark green, and broWn have a L* value beloW higher than the current combat utilities in both dry and Wet 50 and closer to Zero on the lightness scale, While lighter conditions, thus appearing lighter to the naked eye. In other Words, 82% of the colors in the MARPAT are originally colors such as khaki and light green have a L* closer to 50 lighter (dry state) than the colors in the current combat or higher. Accordingly, the colors selected for the neW utilities, Which Will in turn re?ect as being lighter When Wet. combat camou?age pattern for a Woodland background must [0079] In addition to the laboratory testing, ?eld-testing have lightness values that are greater than the current Was also performed to determine the effectiveness of the combat camou?age pattern and more closely approximating current standard combat utility against the MARPAT combat the lightness value of earth in the Zone of operation of utility under Wet (rain) conditions. Under both unaided interest. Consequently, When comparing the degree of light (naked eye) and aided (binoculars) conditions, the MARPAT ness betWeen the current Woodland camou?age combat performed far superior to the current standard uniform. Both utility and the neW MARPAT utility in the Woodland color laboratory and ?eld-testing data shoWed that the colors combination, the folloWing factors should be considered; selected for the neW Woodland camou?age pattern provides ?rst, the lightness values of each color and second, the a signi?cant improvement in terms of “color darkness/ percent of each color in the pattern. Table 2 beloW compares lightness” When Wet over the current standard camou?age both the percent color and lightness values for each color pattern. Lightness (L*) values for both the Desert and Urban under both dry and Wet conditions in a Woodland terrain: camou?age colors are listed beloW in Table 3.

TABLE 3

Lightness Values for Desert and Urban Camouflage Colors

MARPAT Urban Combat Utilities MARPAT Desert Combat Utilities Lightness Lightness Percent value L" Percent value L"

Color Color Dry Wet Color Color Dry Wet

Light Gray 486 47 60.71 53.99 Lt Tan 479 47 60.65 51.19 Medium Gray 487 30 43.86 36.84 Urban Tan 478 30 54.28 46.02 Coyote 476 18 41 32.47 Lt Coyote 481 18 43.7 39.85 Black 477 5 17.67 14.58 Highland 480 5 34.1 29.9

[0080] Fabric and Texture TABLE 2 [0081] To meet this goal of a single uniform and address Lightness Comparison Between Current Combat the durability de?ciency of prior uniforms, a neW uniform Utilities & MARPAT Utility Uniforms blouse fabric Was developed. The preferred fabric is made of approximately 50+/—5% polyamide (nylon type 6,6 manu Current Combat Utilities MARPAT Combat Utilities factured by Dupont as type 420, With a denier per ?lament Lightness Lightness of betWeen 1.6-1.8), With the remaining percentage combed Percent value L" Percent value L" cotton. Other cellulosic ?bers such as Lyocell can be used instead of cotton. The preferred Weave is left-hand tWill or Color Color Dry Wet Color Color Dry Wet tWill derivative, though other Weaves may be used. The Black 16 17.24 15.07 Black 18 17.67 14.58 preferred Weight is 6.0-6.6 oZ/yd2. The trouser is made of a BroWn 34 25.53 20.28 Green 30 30.47 25.03 heavier temperate Weight fabric. The neW lightWeight blouse, and heavier Weight trousers provide the USMC With