WO2001014856A1 - Appareil et procede de capture et d'affichage de couleur - Google Patents

Appareil et procede de capture et d'affichage de couleur Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001014856A1
WO2001014856A1 PCT/US2000/022355 US0022355W WO0114856A1 WO 2001014856 A1 WO2001014856 A1 WO 2001014856A1 US 0022355 W US0022355 W US 0022355W WO 0114856 A1 WO0114856 A1 WO 0114856A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
light
source
wavelengths
colors
target surface
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/022355
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
William G. Reed
Original Assignee
Digital Now, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Digital Now, Inc. filed Critical Digital Now, Inc.
Priority to AU67740/00A priority Critical patent/AU6774000A/en
Publication of WO2001014856A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001014856A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
    • G01J3/00—Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours
    • G01J3/46—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters
    • G01J3/50—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters using electric radiation detectors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
    • G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
    • G01N21/251—Colorimeters; Construction thereof
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
    • G01J3/00—Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours
    • G01J3/02—Details
    • G01J3/0272—Handheld
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
    • G01J3/00—Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours
    • G01J3/46—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters
    • G01J3/50—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters using electric radiation detectors
    • G01J3/501—Colorimeters using spectrally-selective light sources, e.g. LEDs

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the field of color and light reproduction, and more particularly to devices and methods for measuring, capturing and reproducing color and light.
  • a current way of dealing with this problem is to produce small transportable cards containing samples of colors contained on the object of interest. These cards are normally called swatches. People are accustomed, for example, to leaving paint stores and kitchen and bath remodeling stores with a handful of paint, cabinet and counter-top swatches to show to a spouse or to compare to objects already located in the room being remodeled. That solution works fine when the time, space and resources are available to manufacture and distribute the swatches. But in many situations, the person who needs to transport and display the color does not have the time, materials, expertise or equipment to manufacture or purchase swatches.
  • Another popular way of dealing with the problem of transporting color is to photograph the object. Typically this is done with a Polaroid® or 35mm camera. But this method also has some significant drawbacks. Sometimes the object is so small that can be very difficult or impossible to get close enough to the object to fill the camera's field of view and still keep the object in focus. Even if a properly focused photograph can be taken, the color of the object in the photograph will appear considerably different depending on any number of important factors, such as the time of day if the object is outside, the ambient light in the room if the object is inside, or the bounce of the camera's flash off the surface of the object. The color of the object as it appears in the photograph may be washed out, too dark or entirely obscured by the flash. Thus, taking a photograph may not produce color of sufficient accuracy for comparison.
  • non-visible light radiation such as infrared or ultraviolet radiation
  • non-visible light radiation such as infrared or ultraviolet radiation
  • the ultraviolet light level is captured in the field is reproduced in a laboratory.
  • non- visible electromagnetic radiation to a proportional quantity of visible light in a predictable and accurate manner.
  • a device suspected or even capable of emitting dangerous electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength not visible to the human eye (such as x-rays, ultraviolet or gamma rays, for instance)
  • the resulting visible light would not only indicate the presence of non- visible radiation, but could also give an accurate reproduction of the strength of the radiation.
  • the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for capturing visible and non-visible electromagnetic radiation emanating from a source (or surface) at one location and reproducing or displaying the same or substantially the same radiation at another location or on another surface.
  • a color capture and display device comprises a lightproof enclosure having an aperture at one end and a light source, disposed within the lightproof enclosure and opposite the aperture.
  • the light source is configured to direct at least three colors of light visible to the human eye through the aperture and onto a surface.
  • the device also includes means, coupled to the light source, for controlling the output intensity of the colors of light, and means for detecting the amount of light reflected back from the surface.
  • the means for detecting the amount of light reflected back from the surface comprises a photodiode configured to transform light entering the enclosure into electrical signals, and means for converting the electrical signals into digital data.
  • the light source is configured to direct at least three colors of light because of the tri-stimulus nature of human vision, which requires that three sets of cells in the eye (called cones) be stimulated in order to produce an accurate representation of any single color.
  • cones three sets of cells in the eye
  • capturing and redisplaying light of a single wavelength would only require a light source capable of producing that wavelength and a photodiode capable of detecting only that wavelength. For example, if the source surface only reflected light of pure red, a light source only capable of producing pure red and a photodiode only capable of detecting pure red, would be sufficient for purposes of capturing and displaying that light.
  • a person of skill in the art would recognize that such an embodiment is considered within the scope of the present invention.
  • the preferred embodiment of the present invention also comprises a microprocessor for controlling the output intensity of the light.
  • the preferred embodiment may further comprise a translucent removable cover for the aperture, the surface of which can be used to display color.
  • a method or process for capturing and displaying color comprises the steps of: measuring a source surface reflectance for each of three or more colors of visible light; illuminating a target surface with the same three or more colors of light; and adjusting the output intensity of those three or more colors of light until the target surface reflectance for the three or more colors is equal to or substantially equal to the source surface reflectance for those three colors, thereby making the target surface appear to be the same color as the source surface.
  • the adjusting step comprises adjusting the output intensity of the color of the at least three colors of light until the relative difference between the target surface reflectance for each of the at least three colors is equal to or substantially equal to the relative difference between the source surface reflectance for each of the at least three colors, whereby the target surface appears to be the same color as the source surface.
  • the output intensity of the three or more colors of light is adjusted in one or more of the following ways: (a) modulating the pulse width while holding power and frequency constant; (b) modulating the frequency while holding pulse width and power constant; or (c) modulating the power while holding pulse width and frequency constant.
  • the source surface reflectance is stored in a storage medium, possibly for later use or processing.
  • the source surface is illuminated with the three or more colors of light prior to measuring its reflectance.
  • the illumination of the source surface and second surface is accomplished by sequentially exposing the surfaces with each of the three or more colors of light.
  • the output intensity adjustments are successively reduced by half to arrive at an output intensity that causes the reflectance values to equate or substantially equate to the reflectance values of the source surface.
  • the output intensity adjustments are successively reduced by half to arrive at an output intensity that causes the ratio of the reflectance values of the target surface to equate to the ratio of reflectance values of the source surface.
  • a method for synchronizing wavelengths of light reflected from a source surface with wavelengths of light reflected from a target surface comprises the steps of: measuring a source surface reflectance for each of at least three wavelengths of light; illuminating a target surface with the at least three wavelengths of light; and adjusting the output intensity of the at least three wavelengths until the target surface reflectance for each wavelength is substantially equal to the source surface reflectance for each wavelength.
  • the reflectance ratios of the wavelengths of light is used to achieve the same result.
  • a method for capturing non-visible electromagnetic radiation and displaying a proportional quantity of visible electromagnetic radiation comprises the steps of: measuring a source surface reflectance for non-visible electromagnet radiation, illuminating a target surface with visible electromagnetic radiation; and adjusting the output intensity of the visible electromagnetic radiation until the target surface reflectance for the visible electromagnetic radiation is substantially equal to the source surface reflectance for the non-visible electromagnetic radiation.
  • visible and non- visible light emanating from one location or from one source, such as a surface can be captured and displayed at a different location or on a different surface.
  • the visible and non- visible light of an object can be captured and transported without damaging the object.
  • FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a device for capturing and displaying visible and non- visible light according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram for a method for capturing and displaying visible and non-visible light in accordance with the present invention.
  • the present invention measures the reflectance (or reflectivity) of light from a source surface and reproduces that reflectance on a target surface.
  • red, green and blue light-emitting diodes LEDs
  • a photodiode is used as a sensor to capture and digitize the red, green and blue light reflected back from that first surface.
  • a second surface is illuminated with the same three LEDs and the same photodiode is used to capture and digitize the red, green and blue light reflected from the second surface.
  • the LED pulse widths are adjusted until the reflectance of the second surface is equal to, or substantially equal to, the reflectance of the first surface, thereby "closing the loop" and making the light reflected from the second surface appear to be identical or substantially identical to the light reflected from the first surface.
  • the surfaces appear to be the same color.
  • three or more other colors of light such as cyan, magenta and yellow, are used to illuminate the first and second surfaces and the photodiode captures and digitizes the reflectance of those colors from the surfaces.
  • the present invention has a tremendous advantage over current methods and devices for capturing and reproducing light that use different light sources and sensors and therefore experience calibration and drift problems.
  • the present invention will be much easier to accomplish tasks such as matching paints to existing surfaces, checking production lots of manufactured items, choosing clothing and decorating accessories to match other items of clothes or decoration, etc.
  • it is highly desirable to capture and display light visible to the human eye.
  • it is essential or at least highly desirable to use light that falls outside the visible spectrum, such as infrared or ultraviolet light.
  • One such application would be detecting and displaying the presence and relative strength of a data signal in fiber-optic telecommunications systems.
  • the reflectance values are stored in a storage medium, such as a non- volatile memory, for subsequent use or processing.
  • a microprocessor is coupled to the photodiodes, LED light sources and storage medium to control the output intensity adjustments or to automate certain production or manufacturing functions.
  • FIG. 1 a block diagram of one embodiment of a color capture and display device 100 in accordance with the present invention is shown.
  • three colors of light are used to illuminate the first surface and the photodiode 140 measures the reflectance of each of those three colors. It would be apparent to one of skill in art, however, that embodiments that use a different number of colors of light are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Another alternative considered to be within the scope of the invention is to use three wavelengths of light not within the visible spectrum.
  • Color capture and display device 100 is comprised of a lightproof enclosure 102 having an aperture at one end, a light source 104, a microprocessor 120 and a photodiode 140.
  • the aperture of lightproof enclosure 102 having an aperture at one end, a light source 104, a microprocessor 120 and a photodiode 140.
  • Light source 104 is disposed within lightproof enclosure 102 and configured to direct at least three colors of visible light through the aperture in lightproof enclosure 102 and onto surface 130.
  • light source 104 is comprised of a red light source 106, a green light source 108 and a blue light source 110.
  • light source 104 may be configured as a source of three or more other wavelengths of radiation (instead of red, green and blue light, such as infrared, ultraviolet, etc.
  • a photodiode 140 which senses light reflected from surface 130 and generates electrical signals representing the amount of light detected.
  • Photodiode 140 is coupled via link 141 to an analog-to-digital converter 142, which converts electrical signals received from photodiode 140 into digital data and passes the digital data to microprocessor 120 via link 132.
  • Microprocessor 120 controls the output intensity of light source 104 (red light source 106, green light source 108 and blue light source 110) via link 116.
  • the adjustments to the output intensities are made by "successive approximation," i.e., reducing the adjustments by increasingly smaller powers of 2, e.g. 64, 32, 16, 8, etc., until the proper reflectance values are recorded.
  • the proper intensity values could also be found by making linear changes in output intensity, although doing so might take longer.
  • output intensity values are adjusted until the relative differences between reflectance values for the three colors used to illuminate the target surface equate or substantially equate to the relative differences between the reflectance values for the three colors used to illuminate the source surface.
  • the red, green and blue reflectance values for the target surface equate or substantially equate to the red, green and blue reflectance values of the source surface.
  • the color of the target surface will also appear to be the same as the color of the source surface when the relative differences between the red, green and blue reflectance values for the target surface equate or substantially equate to the relative differences between the red, green and blue reflectance values for the source surface.
  • microprocessor 120 is also coupled to a storage medium 150 via link 138.
  • the results of reflectance measurements taken by photodiode 140 are stored in storage medium 150 and can be accessed at the appropriate time for subsequent use or processing by microprocessor 120 or other coupled devices (not shown). This allows color capture and display device 100 to display captured colors at a much later point in time.
  • This storage medium 150 is preferably implemented with solid-state semi-conductor memory technology in order to minimize the size of the device, but other forms of memory, such as digital tape, may also be used.
  • color capture and display device 100 also comprises a translucent removable cover 160, which can be placed over the aperture in lightproof enclosure 102 for the purpose of serving as a target surface or display screen.
  • a translucent removable cover 160 When removable cover 160 is in place, and light sources 106, 108 and 110 are activated and adjusted so that their reflectances equal or substantially equal the reflectances of an earlier-sampled surface, the light emanating from light sources 106, 108 and 110 will fall on the inside surface 162 of removable cover 160. This will cause the inside surface of removable cover 160 to appear to the eye to be the same color as the earlier-sampled color. But because removable cover 160 is translucent, the color of its inside surface can be seen on the opposite outside surface 164 too.
  • color capture and display device 100 includes an opening or shaft extending through the rear 105 of the color capture and display device 100 to the back end 107 of lightproof enclosure 102. This opening or shaft (not shown in FIG. 1 for brevity) would allow the user to look through the device from the backside and directly observe the inside surface 162 of removable cover 160.
  • FIG. 2 a flow diagram 200 for a method or process for capturing and displaying color in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown.
  • a step 202 the reflectance of a source surface (depicted as surface 130 in FIG.
  • a target surface i.e., removable cover 160, for example — is illuminated with the same three colors of light.
  • the target surface is not limited to being part of the device; a separate target surface could also be used.
  • the output intensities of the three colors of light are adjusted so that the reflectance of the target surface equal to, or substantially equal to, the reflectance of the source surface as measured in step 202.
  • the output intensity of the illumination of the second surface is adjusted by modulating the pulse widths while holding power and frequency constant.
  • step 208 is to determine whether the target surface reflectance is equal to or substantially equal to the source surface reflectance. How closely the reflectance of the source surface needs to coincide with the reflectance of the target surface, and thus, how much modulation is required, could be readily determined by one skilled in the art based on the application. In some situations, there would understandably be very little tolerance for error in displaying the captured color. Such would be the case, for example, if the goal were to display the exact color of additional paint needed to complete the painting of a continuous wall. This is because having even slightly different colors of paint on the same wall is normally a very noticeable defect.
  • two colors having reflectance values less than 0.05 percent apart appear to be the same color when such a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter is used.
  • Distinguishing colors that have reflectance values less than 0.05 percent apart can be achieved, for example, by using a 16-bit analog-to-digital converter or other device with greater resolution.
  • step 208 in flow diagram 200 of FIG. 2 if the answer to the question of whether equality or substantial equality has been reached is "NO,” then processing returns to step 206, where additional adjustments to output intensity are made. If, on the other hand, the answer is "YES,” then processing ends.
  • the present invention has been disclosed and described herein in what is considered to be its most preferred embodiments. It should be noted that variations and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the present disclosure and that such variations and equivalents are intended to come within the scope of the invention and the appended claims.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Spectrometry And Color Measurement (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil et un procédé de capture de radiation électromagnétique visible et invisible (lumière), à partir d'une surface source (130) et d'affichage de cette même radiation, ou d'une quantité proportionnelle de radiation différente sur une seconde surface (162). Cet appareil (100) comporte une gaine résistante à la lumière (102) qui présente une ouverture à une extrémité, une source de lumière (106) disposée à l'intérieur (102), face à l'ouverture, des moyens (120) de contrôle de l'intensité de la sortie de la source de lumière (106), et des moyens (140) de détection de la quantité de radiation réfléchie depuis la surface source (130).
PCT/US2000/022355 1999-08-20 2000-08-15 Appareil et procede de capture et d'affichage de couleur WO2001014856A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU67740/00A AU6774000A (en) 1999-08-20 2000-08-15 Apparatus and method for capturing and displaying color

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14999499P 1999-08-20 1999-08-20
US60/149,994 1999-08-20

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001014856A1 true WO2001014856A1 (fr) 2001-03-01

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PCT/US2000/022355 WO2001014856A1 (fr) 1999-08-20 2000-08-15 Appareil et procede de capture et d'affichage de couleur

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WO (1) WO2001014856A1 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1619934A1 (fr) * 2004-07-22 2006-01-25 AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.(a Delaware Corporation) Appareil de duplication de couleur et procédé
WO2006117598A1 (fr) * 2005-05-02 2006-11-09 X-Rite, Incorporated Systeme de mesure des couleurs
JP2008539540A (ja) * 2005-04-28 2008-11-13 コーニンクレッカ フィリップス エレクトロニクス エヌ ヴィ 改良された照明システム
WO2010140089A1 (fr) 2009-06-02 2010-12-09 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Appareil équipé d'un boîtier lumineux dans une couleur dépendant de l'environnement
US11683551B2 (en) * 2016-01-12 2023-06-20 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Systems and methods for detecting light signatures and performing actions in response thereto

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5117101A (en) * 1990-08-13 1992-05-26 Technostics Corporation Tristimulus color recognition system with means for compensating for variations in light source color
US5272518A (en) * 1990-12-17 1993-12-21 Hewlett-Packard Company Colorimeter and calibration system
US5850472A (en) * 1995-09-22 1998-12-15 Color And Appearance Technology, Inc. Colorimetric imaging system for measuring color and appearance
US6055072A (en) * 1996-08-02 2000-04-25 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image reading apparatus and image reading system

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5117101A (en) * 1990-08-13 1992-05-26 Technostics Corporation Tristimulus color recognition system with means for compensating for variations in light source color
US5272518A (en) * 1990-12-17 1993-12-21 Hewlett-Packard Company Colorimeter and calibration system
US5850472A (en) * 1995-09-22 1998-12-15 Color And Appearance Technology, Inc. Colorimetric imaging system for measuring color and appearance
US6055072A (en) * 1996-08-02 2000-04-25 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image reading apparatus and image reading system

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7466416B2 (en) 2004-04-30 2008-12-16 X-Rite, Inc. Color measurement system
EP1619934A1 (fr) * 2004-07-22 2006-01-25 AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.(a Delaware Corporation) Appareil de duplication de couleur et procédé
JP2006040897A (ja) * 2004-07-22 2006-02-09 Agilent Technol Inc 色を複製する装置
US7526126B2 (en) 2004-07-22 2009-04-28 Avago Technologies Ecbu Ip (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Color duplication method and apparatus
JP2008539540A (ja) * 2005-04-28 2008-11-13 コーニンクレッカ フィリップス エレクトロニクス エヌ ヴィ 改良された照明システム
WO2006117598A1 (fr) * 2005-05-02 2006-11-09 X-Rite, Incorporated Systeme de mesure des couleurs
WO2010140089A1 (fr) 2009-06-02 2010-12-09 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Appareil équipé d'un boîtier lumineux dans une couleur dépendant de l'environnement
EP2264560A1 (fr) * 2009-06-02 2010-12-22 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Appareil doté d'un contrôle de boîtier lumineux en fonction de la couleur de son environnement
US11683551B2 (en) * 2016-01-12 2023-06-20 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Systems and methods for detecting light signatures and performing actions in response thereto

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