Process for discriminating the color of a surface and apparatus for implementing the process
First Claim
1. A process for discriminating the color of a surface, comprising the steps of:
- a) acquiring at least one color of a colored acquisition surface;
b) comparing the color of a detecting surface with said at least one color previously acquired, so that said color can be recognized;
wherein the acquisition step a) comprises the following steps;
a1) sequentially illuminating the acquisition surface with each of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors, each of said light beams being generated by a respective emission source supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB;
a2) picking up by means of a light-receiving element the light scattered from the illuminated acquisition surface;
a3) generating an electric signal VR, VG, VB proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the acquisition surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams;
a4) controlling the supply current IR, IG, IB of the emission sources such that at least two of the electric signals VR, VG, VB generated are identical with each other within a predetermined tolerance margin; and
wherein the recognition step b) includes the following steps;
b1) sequentially illuminating, with the aforesaid three light beams, the detecting surface bearing the color to be recognized;
b2) picking up, by means of the light-receiving element, the light scattered from said illuminated surface;
b3) generating an electric signal VR'"'"', VG'"'"', VB'"'"' proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the detecting surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams;
b41) checking that the electric signals VR'"'"', VG'"'"', VB'"'"' generated are lower than a predetermined saturation value and that their sum is higher a predetermined minimum value and;
b41a) if both of said checks give a positive result, checking that at least two of the values of the electric signals VR'"'"', VG'"'"', VB'"'"' generated are equal, within a predetermined tolerance margin, to those of the electric signals VR, VG, VB acquired during step a);
b41b) if at least one of said checks gives a negative result, indicating that the color of the surface being scanned is not recognized.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a process for discriminating the color of a surface, comprising the steps of acquiring at least a colored acquisition surface, comparing the color of a detecting surface with said at least one color previously acquired so that said color can be recognized. In particular, the acquisition step comprises the steps of sequentially illuminating the acquisition surface with each of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors, each of said light beams being generated by a respective emission source supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB; picking up by means of a light-receiving element the light scattered from the illuminated acquisition surface; generating an electric signal VR, VG, VB proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the acquisition surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams and controlling the supply current IR, IG, IB of the emission sources such that at least two of the electric signals VR, VG, VB generated are identical with each other within a predetermined tolerance margin.
14 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A process for discriminating the color of a surface, comprising the steps of:
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a) acquiring at least one color of a colored acquisition surface; b) comparing the color of a detecting surface with said at least one color previously acquired, so that said color can be recognized;
wherein the acquisition step a) comprises the following steps;a1) sequentially illuminating the acquisition surface with each of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors, each of said light beams being generated by a respective emission source supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB; a2) picking up by means of a light-receiving element the light scattered from the illuminated acquisition surface; a3) generating an electric signal VR, VG, VB proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the acquisition surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams; a4) controlling the supply current IR, IG, IB of the emission sources such that at least two of the electric signals VR, VG, VB generated are identical with each other within a predetermined tolerance margin; and
wherein the recognition step b) includes the following steps;b1) sequentially illuminating, with the aforesaid three light beams, the detecting surface bearing the color to be recognized; b2) picking up, by means of the light-receiving element, the light scattered from said illuminated surface; b3) generating an electric signal VR'"'"', VG'"'"', VB'"'"' proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the detecting surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams; b41) checking that the electric signals VR'"'"', VG'"'"', VB'"'"' generated are lower than a predetermined saturation value and that their sum is higher a predetermined minimum value and; b41a) if both of said checks give a positive result, checking that at least two of the values of the electric signals VR'"'"', VG'"'"', VB'"'"' generated are equal, within a predetermined tolerance margin, to those of the electric signals VR, VG, VB acquired during step a); b41b) if at least one of said checks gives a negative result, indicating that the color of the surface being scanned is not recognized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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6. A process for discriminating the color of a colored surface, comprising the following steps:
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a1) sequentially illuminating an acquisition surface having the color to be discriminated with each of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors, each of said light beams being generated by a respective emission source supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB; a2) picking up by means of a light-receiving element the light scattered from the illuminated acquisition surface; a3) generating an electric signal VR, VG, VB proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the acquisition surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams; a4) controlling the supply current IR, IG, IB of the emission sources such that at least two of the electric signals VR, VG, VB generated are identical with each other, within a predetermined tolerance margin; a5) acquiring the color of the acquisition surface by memorizing the supply current values IR, IG, IB thus controlled; b) comparing the color of a detecting surface having the color to be discriminated with said color previously acquired, so that said color of the detecting surface can be recognized. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for discriminating the color of a colored surface, comprising:
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three emission sources of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors being respectively supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB; a light-receiving element adapted to receive light scattered from the illuminated surface and generate an electric signal VR, VG, VB which is proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light; a microcontroller assembly for controlling the supply current IR, IG, IB of the emission sources such that when an acquisition surface having the color to be discriminated is illuminated at least two of the electric signals VR, VG, VB generated are identical with each other, within a predetermined tolerance margin. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A process for discriminating the color of a colored surface, comprising the following steps:
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a1) sequentially illuminating an acquisition surface having the color to be discriminated with each of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors, each of said light beams being generated by a respective emission source supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB; a2) picking up by means of a light-receiving element the light scattered from the illuminated acquisition surface; a3) generating an electric signal proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the acquisition surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams and converting said electric signal into a digital signal VR, VG, VB; a41) checking if each of the digital signals VR, VG, VB has its values within a predetermined range of values defined by a reference value plus/minus a predetermined tolerance margin, and; a41a) if so, acquiring the color of the acquisition surface by memorizing the supply current values IR, IG, IB thus controlled and b) comparing the color of a detecting surface having the color to be discriminated with said color previously acquired, so that said color of the detecting surface can be recognized; a41b) if not so, iteratively varying the supply current within a predetermined range of current values, and repeating step a41) at each iteration. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A process for discriminating the color of a colored surface, comprising the following steps:
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a1) sequentially illuminating an acquisition surface having the color to be discriminated with each of three light beams corresponding to three primary colors, each of said light beams being generated by a respective emission source supplied with a supply current IR, IG, IB; a2) picking up by means of a light-receiving element the light scattered from the illuminated acquisition surface; a3) generating an electric signal VR, VG, VB proportional to the luminous intensity of the picked-up light, as the acquisition surface is being illuminated with each of the three beams; a4) controlling the supply current IR, IG, IB of the emission sources such that at least two of the electric signals VR, VG, VB generated are identical with each other, within a predetermined tolerance margin; defining, for each of the selected signals, a reference variable R, G, B equal to the ratio of the selected signal to the sum of the signals VR, VG, VB; a5) acquiring the color of the acquisition surface by memorizing the supply current values IR, IG, IB thus controlled; b) comparing the color of a detecting surface having the color to be discriminated with said color previously acquired, so that said color of the detecting surface can be recognized. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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Specification