Method and apparatus for colouring a cosmetic covering

• US 8,995,760 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Original Assignee: Touch Bionics Limited (Ossur hf)
• Inventors: Gill, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): MOTSINGER, SEAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/502,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/5046 for designing or making customized prostheses, e.g. using templates, finite-element analysis or CAD-CAM techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5001 Cosmetic coverings

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for coloring a cosmetic covering. The apparatus includes image acquisition apparatus (18) operative to acquire an image of a part of a human or animal body to provide a digital color image, processing apparatus (20) operative to determine a calibration transform for colors of an image acquired by the image acquisition apparatus, the processing apparatus being further operative to transform the digital color image with the calibration transform to provide a color compensated digital color image, pigment mixing apparatus (26) operative to mix a plurality of pigments of different colors in dependence on at least one color characteristic of at least one color within the color compensated digital color image to produce at least one mixed pigment, and pigment applying apparatus (24) operative to apply the at least one mixed pigment to a cosmetic covering.

Claims

1. A method of colouring a cosmetic covering, the method comprising:

acquiring an image of a colour chart with image acquisition apparatus to provide a colour chart image;

determining a calibration transform for colours of an image acquired by image acquisition apparatus in dependence on the colour chart image and colour values represented in the colour chart, wherein the calibration transform includes transformations for each of Red, Green and Blue values and each Red, Green and Blue transformation includes a Look Up Table (LUT), wherein each LUT is determined by sparsely populating the LUT with colour differences between each of the colour values in the colour chart image and each corresponding actual colour for the colour chart and interpolating between the sparse points;

acquiring an image of a part of a human or animal body with the image acquisition apparatus to provide a digital colour image;

transforming the digital colour image with the calibration transform to provide a colour compensated digital colour image;

conveying at least one colour characteristic of at least one colour within the colour compensated digital colour image to a pigment mixing apparatus, which is operative to mix a plurality of pigments of different colours in dependence on the at least one colour characteristic to produce at least one mixed pigment; and

applying the at least one mixed pigment to a cosmetic covering.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cosmetic covering is configured to cover a prosthesis.

3. A method according to claim 1 comprising acquiring a plurality of different images of the part of the human or animal body.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of disposing the part of the human or animal body in relation to the image acquisition apparatus and displaying an image of the part acquired by the image acquisition apparatus on display apparatus, the step being carried out before the step of acquiring an image of the part to provide the digital colour image.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the human or animal body part is illuminated by a light source configured to provide for substantially uniform illumination in a plane extending generally perpendicular to a path between the image acquisition apparatus and the part of the human or animal body.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the light source is configured to receive a lens of the image acquisition apparatus such that a light emitting part of the light source is disposed around the lens.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting part of annular form.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data acquisition apparatus comprises a digital camera.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to control the camera in respect of at least one of:

at least one RGB analogue gain;

at least one of HSV values corresponding to RGB values;

exposure time;

a gain of the camera;

gamma;

contrast; and

saturation.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the compensated digital colour image on display apparatus; and

selecting a plurality of different areas on the compensated digital colour image.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein colour characteristics of the colours within the plurality of different selected areas are conveyed to the pigment mixing apparatus to produce a plurality of mixed pigments.

12. A method according to claim 11 further comprising applying the plurality of mixed pigments to the cosmetic covering.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pigment mixing apparatus comprises a plurality of pigment dispensers, each pigment dispenser containing a pigment of a different colour.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising determining a colour of a batch of pigment by means of colour determining apparatus, the colour determining apparatus comprising apparatus that is operative to determine a bulk colour value for the pigment batch.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising comparing the determined colour of the pigment with a predetermined colour.

16. A method according to claim 14 further comprising changing proportions of pigments of different colours used to produce a pigment mixture in dependence on the determined colour of the batch of pigment.

17. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

conveying the colour compensated digital colour image to printing apparatus; and

printing the colour compensated digital colour image by means of the printing apparatus.

18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising acquiring by image acquisition apparatus an image of an image printed by the printing apparatus to provide a digital colour printed image.

19. A method according to claim 18 further comprising:

determining a printer calibration transform for colours of an image printed by the printer; and

transforming a colour compensated digital colour image in dependence on the printer calibration transform.

20. An apparatus for colouring a cosmetic covering, the apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition apparatus operative to acquire an image of a colour chart to provide a colour chart image and an image of a part of a human or animal body to provide a digital colour image;

a processing apparatus operative to determine a calibration transform for colours of an image acquired by the image acquisition apparatus in dependence on the colour chart image and colour values represented in the colour chart, wherein the calibration transform includes transformations for each of Red, Green and Blue values and each Red, Green and Blue transformation includes a Look Up Table (LUT), wherein each LUT is determined by sparsely populating the LUT with colour differences between each of the colour values in the colour chart image and each corresponding actual colour for the colour chart and interpolating between the sparse points, the processing apparatus being further operative to transform the digital colour image with the calibration transform to provide a colour compensated digital colour image;

a pigment mixing apparatus operative to mix a plurality of pigments of different colours in dependence on at least one colour characteristic of at least one colour within the colour compensated digital colour image to produce at least one mixed pigment; and

a pigment applying apparatus operative to apply the at least one mixed pigment to a cosmetic covering.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the cosmetic covering is configured to cover a prosthesis.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20 comprising a computer and in which the image acquisition apparatus comprises a colour digital camera and is configured to convey the digital colour image to the processing apparatus for processing thereon.