Color mixing and color system for use in a printing machine
First Claim
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1. A method of determining the color of materials, each material comprising a subset of colorants from a selectable set of colorants, comprising the steps of:
- directing light from the material to a set of photodetectors, each photodetector being sensitive to a predetermined range of wavelength;
for a first material comprising a first subset of colorants, converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of the first subset of colorants in the first material through a first set of weightings; and
for a second material comprising a second subset of colorants, converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of the second subset of colorants in the second material through a second set of weightings.
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Abstract
A system for determining, in real time, the precise color measurements of a colorant being applied in a printing apparatus, the colorant being a combination of two or more primary colorants. Light from a light source is transmitted through or reflected from the colorant mixture, and received by a sensor having a relatively small number of photodetectors, each photodetector having a different translucent primary-color filter thereon. Various special algorithms can be used to approach the accuracy of a spectrophotometer using a relatively simple light sensor.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of determining the color of materials, each material comprising a subset of colorants from a selectable set of colorants, comprising the steps of:
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directing light from the material to a set of photodetectors, each photodetector being sensitive to a predetermined range of wavelength; for a first material comprising a first subset of colorants, converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of the first subset of colorants in the first material through a first set of weightings; and for a second material comprising a second subset of colorants, converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of the second subset of colorants in the second material through a second set of weightings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of determining the color of materials, each material comprising a subset of colorants from a selectable set of colorants, comprising the steps of:
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directing light from the material to a set of more than three photodetectors, each photodetector having a translucent filter associated therewith to make the photodetector sensitive to a predetermined range of wavelength; converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of at least a subset of colorants in the material through a set of weightings. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for providing a customer selectable color marking material in a printing machine, each color marking material containing a plurality of selectable colorants, comprising:
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a plurality of colorant supply receptacles, each containing a different colorant corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system; a colorant reservoir, having at least one of said plurality of colorant supply receptacles coupled thereto, for providing a supply of marking material having a specified color value; and a sensing device, said sensing device including means for directing light from the color marking material to a set of photodetectors, each photodetector being sensitive to a predetermined range of wavelength, and means for converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of a first subset of colorants in a first color marking material through a first set of weightings, and converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of a second subset of colorants in a second color marking material through a second set of weightings. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for providing a customer selectable color marking material in a printing machine, each color marking material containing a plurality of selectable colorants, comprising:
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a plurality of colorant supply receptacles, each containing a different colorant corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system; a colorant reservoir, having at least one of said plurality of colorant supply receptacles coupled thereto, for providing a supply of marking material having a specified color value; and a sensing device, said sensing device including a set of more than three photodetectors for receiving light from the color marking material, each photodetector having a translucent filter associated therewith to make the photodetector sensitive to a predetermined range of wavelength, and means for converting a set of signals from the set of photodetectors to a set of proportions of each of at least a subset of colorants in the color marking material through a set of weightings. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification