COLOR SENSING FOR A READER DEVICE AND THE LIKE

• US 20100044441A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: In-Dot Limited
• Original Assignee: In-Dot Limited
• Inventors: Ben-Tolila, Itsick, Cohen, Moshe, Raichman, Yossef
• Application Number:
  US12/530,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20100044441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/469
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/501 Colorimeters using spectrally-selective light sources, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4759 Annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/251 Colorimeters; Construction thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/474 Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0627 Use of several LED's for spectral resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0636 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0644 Simple baffled tube construction

Abstract

A reader device for identifying a color property in an area of interest and presenting content in response. The reader device comprises a light source unit for emitting a number of monochromatic lights having different wavelength bands toward the area of interest and a single photoelectric sensor for intercepting a reflection of the monochromatic lights from the area of interest, thereby providing the color property output and presenting the content according to the color property.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A reader device for identifying a label on an object, said reader device comprising:

a light source unit (3) configured for emitting a plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams centered on different wavelengths;

a single photoelectric sensor (4);

a light guide shaped and positioned for guiding each said substantially monochromatic light beam from said light source unit (3) toward the label said object such that a respective specular reflection from the label is directed away from said single photoelectric sensor (4) and at least a portion of a respective diffuse reflection from the label is directed toward said single photoelectric sensor;

a processing unit for matching a color property of the label with a content record according to at least one output of said single photoelectric sensor; and

a presentation unit for presenting said matching content record.

41. The reader device of claim 40, further comprising a light guide unit (10) for guiding each of said plurality of monochromatic light beams to an area of interest, said label being positioned in said area of interest.

42. The reader device of claim 41, wherein said light guide unit (10) is configured for condensing each of said plurality of monochromatic light beams to the vicinity of said area of interest.

43. The reader device of claim 41, wherein said light guide unit (10) comprises a light separator for blocking direct light from said light source unit (3).

44. The reader device of claim 41, wherein said light guide unit (10) comprises a light separator for delimiting the absorption area of said photoelectric sensor.

45. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said light source unit (3) is configured for consecutively emitting said plurality of monochromatic light beams.

46. The reader device of claim 41, wherein said light guide unit (10) is a tubular light guide.

47. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said photoelectric sensor (4) is a single photodiode.

48. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said light source unit (3) comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) (3) having different emission wavelengths.

49. The reader device of claim 48, wherein said plurality of LEDs (3) encircle said photoelectric sensor, said device further comprising a tubular separator for preventing said single photoelectric sensor (4) from intercepting said plurality of monochromatic light beams.

50. The reader device of claim 48, wherein said plurality of LEDs (3) comprises a red LED, a green LED, a blue LED, an infrared (IR) LED, and a white light LED.

51. The reader device of claim 48, wherein said light source unit (3) is configured for activating one of said plurality of LEDs for estimating the presence of said label in front of said single photoelectric sensor (4) before said emitting.

52. The reader device of claim 41, wherein said light guide unit (10) is configured for guiding said plurality of substantially monochromatic such that the luminance distribution of the reflection of each one of said plurality of monochromatic lights being relatively uniform.

53. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said processing unit being configured for analyzing the intensity of the color property and determining a working mode of the reader device accordingly.

54. The reader device of claim 40, further comprising a label detection sensor adapted for detecting the presence of a label in front of said single photoelectric sensor.

55. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said single photoelectric sensor (4) further comprises a number of additional photoelectric sensors for intercepting another portion of said reflection and measuring the color property according to said another portion.

56. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said light guide is positioned to allow a user to use said device reader in an acute angle between 50°

and 90°

in relation to the plane of said label.

57. The reader device of claim 40, wherein said single photoelectric sensor (4) is configured for receiving said respective diffuse reflection during a period that is longer than an illumination cycle time of said light source unit (3), thereby reducing the effect of a fluorescent illumination on said portion, said single photoelectric sensor (4) being configures for generating said at least one output according to said reduction.

58. The reader device of claim 40, wherein the label comprises a plurality of segments each having a different color, each said monochromatic light beam is emitted toward one of said plurality of segment.

59. The reader device of claim 40, further comprising a proximity detection element for detecting the positioning of said reader device in a proximity to the label, said proximity detection element being configured for activating at least one of said light source unit (3), single photoelectric sensor, and presentation unit.

60. The reader device of claim 59, wherein said proximity detection element is a pressure switch.

61. The reader device of claim 40, wherein the label comprises a plurality of segments each having a different color, said light source unit (3) being configured for emitting said plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams toward each said segment, said single photoelectric sensor (4) configured for measuring the color property according to light reflected from each said segment, the color property is defined according to the order of said plurality of segments.

62. The reader device of claim 40, wherein the label comprises a calibration segment, said single photoelectric sensor (4) being configured for generating said at least one output according to said calibration segment.

63. The reader device of claim 62, wherein said calibration segment having a maximal reflection of light that is centered on a certain wavelength in relation to other reflections from the label.

64. The reader device of claim 40, wherein the label comprises a calibration segment, said single photoelectric sensor (4) being configured for at least one of normalizing said at least one output according to said calibration segment and normalizing said color property according to said calibration segment.

65. A color-sensing unit for measuring a color property in an area of interest, said color-sensing unit comprising:

a light source for emitting a plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams centered on different wavelengths;

a single photoelectric sensor; and

a single light guide, positioned in front of said light source and sized and shaped for guiding each said substantially monochromatic light beam from said single photoelectric sensor (4) toward the area of interest such that a respective specular reflection of said light beam is diverted away from said photoelectric sensor;

wherein said photoelectric sensor (4) is configured for intercepting and measuring at least a portion of a diffuse reflection of said light beam from the area of interest, thereby providing the color property.

66. The color-sensing unit of claim 65, wherein said light guide has a wall around a tubular pore, said light beam being guided in said wall and said single photoelectric sensor (4) being positioned in front of said tubular pore.

67. The color-sensing unit of claim 65, wherein said light guide has one of a conical shape, a tubular shape, a conical shape, and a shape of a longitudinal segment of a conical tube.

68. The color-sensing unit of claim 65, wherein said plurality of light sources are configured for consecutively emitting said plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams, said photoelectric sensor (4) being configured for providing the color property according to the diffuse reflections from each of said light sources.

69. The color-sensing unit of claim 65, wherein said plurality of light sources comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

70. A method for identifying a color property in a label using a photoelectric sensor, said method comprising:

a) emitting a beam of light;

b) directing said beam toward a label on an object in such a manner that the specular reflection thereof is directed away from the photoelectric sensor (4) and at least a portion of a diffuse reflection is directed to the photoelectric sensor;

c) using the photoelectric sensor (4) for intercepting at least a portion of a diffuse reflection of said beam from the label; and

d) providing the color property according to said intercepted reflection.

71. The method of claim 70, further comprising a step c1) of repeating step (a)-(c) using an additional beam of light having a different wavelength bands from said beam of light.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein the photoelectric sensor (4) is a single photodiode.

73. The method of claim 70, further comprising detecting the presence of a label in the label before said a).

74. The method of claim 73, wherein said detecting comprises:

emitting a preliminary beam of light toward the label;

using the photoelectric sensor (4) for intercepting at least a preliminary portion of a preliminary diffuse reflection of said preliminary beam from the label; and

analyzing said preliminary diffuse reflection to determine the presence of a label in the label.