System for distributing and controlling color reproduction at multiple sites

• US 20100231728A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAH Color Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: RAH Color Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Holub, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/283 computer-interfaced
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2866 Markers; Calibrating of scan
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0224 using polarising or depolarising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0262 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/1838 Holographic gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/465 taking into account the colour perception of the eye; using tristimulus detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/505 measuring the colour produced by lighting fixtures other than screens, monitors, displays or CRTs
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/51 using colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/524 Calibration of colorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70058 Mask illumination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/77 : Retouching; Inpainting; Scratch removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 : Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0276 : for the purpose of adaptation to the characteristics of a display device, i.e. gamma correction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 : Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 : Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 : for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 : for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 : for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 : Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 : Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 : characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6055 : using test pattern analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6058 : Reduction of colour to a range of reproducible colours, e.g. to ink- reproducible colour gamut
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 : for colour television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/643 : Hue control means, e.g. flesh tone control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/646 : for image enhancement, e.g. vertical detail restoration, cross-colour elimination, contour correction, chrominance trapping filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/69 : for modifying the colour signals by gamma correction controlling camera response for colour signals H04N23/83

Abstract

In the color imaging system, multiple rendering devices are provided at different nodes along a network. Each rendering device has a color measurement instrument for calibrating the color presented by the rendering device. A rendering device may represent a color display in which a member surrounds the outer periphery of the screen of the display and a color measuring instrument is coupled to the first member. The color measuring instrument includes a sensor spaced from the screen at an angle with respect to the screen for receiving light from an area of the screen. A rendering device may be a printer in which the measuring of color samples on a sheet rendered by the printer is provided by a sensor coupled to a transport mechanism which moves the sensor and sheet relative to each other, where the sensor provides light from the sample to a spectrograph. The color measuring instruments provide for non-contact measurements of color samples either displayed on a color display, or printed on a sheet, and are self-calibrating by the use of calibration references in the instrument.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. An imaging device comprising:

optics for capturing spectral data characterizing an object;

a camera for capturing one or more images of said object, wherein at least one of said images represents approximately photopic sensitivity and is capable of having spatial resolution higher than the spatial resolution of said spectral data; and

storage for multi-resolution image data representing said spectral data and said images.

43. The device according to claim 42 wherein said optics comprise a spectrograph.

44. The device according to claim 42 wherein said multi-resolution image data are stored hierarchically in said storage.

45. The device according to claim 42 further comprising a module to translate said camera spatially with respect to said object.

46. The device according to claim 42 wherein said device is associated with a processor capable of interpreting the colors of said object independently of the source illuminating said object to enable said object to be viewed as said object would appear under one or more different illumination conditions.

47. An apparatus for measurement of light comprising:

optics enabling collection of light emitted by, reflected from or transmitted through an object wherein at least one of said optics or said object move relative to the other to enable an image of said object to be recorded;

at least a spectrograph for measuring said light collected by said optics, in which said spectrograph represents a spectral imaging device for capturing one of scanned rasters or lines of image data representative of said light;

a processing module for controlling said spectral imaging device and storing at least said scanned rasters or lines of image data; and

an interface enabling communication between said processor and at least another digital system.

48. The apparatus according to claim 47 wherein said optics represent at least concentric optics.

49. The apparatus according to claim 47 further comprising an illumination source.

50. The apparatus according to claim 49 wherein said object is a printed sheet and said apparatus is integrated with one of a printer or a press that printed said printed sheet.

51. The apparatus according to claim 47 wherein said spectrograph has one or more sensor elements which record one or more references for calibration of said spectrograph.

52. An apparatus for measurement of color rendered on media comprising:

an illumination source which directs light to the media;

optics for collecting light of said illumination source reflected from said media, in which at least said optics are moveable to scan said media;

at least a spectrograph for producing data representative of said light collected by said optics; and

one or more programs executable by a computer system to process data of said spectrograph for comparison to reference data, to store measurements in a database of historical data, to present at least information of the grayness of mixtures of colorants on said display and to communicate one or more of said data produced by said spectrograph, said reference data, said measurements, and said information to one or more other computer systems through a network interface using Internet Protocol.

53. The apparatus according to claim 52 wherein said one or more programs further produce one or more color transformations responsive to said data of said spectrograph and communicate color transformations or information of color transformations to said one or more other computer systems through said network interface.

54. The apparatus according to claim 52 wherein said one or more programs further produce one or more color transformations responsive to said data of said spectrograph and communicate information of color transformations to said one or more other computer systems through said network interface, and said information of color transformations includes a data structure whose inputs are color values and whose outputs are either zero or non-zero, said data structure identifying colors which are out of gamut for a color rendering device.

55. The apparatus according to claim 52 wherein information of the state of calibration of said apparatus is communicated to said one or more other computer systems through said network interface.

56. The apparatus according to claim 52 wherein said one or more programs further provide a graphical user interface enabling a user to view a representation of at least gamut data of one or more rendering devices.

57. The apparatus according to claim 52 further comprising one or more programs executable by said computer to analyze images which have been rendered on said media.

58. The apparatus according to claim 57 further comprising a spectral instrument useable in conjunction with said apparatus.

59. The apparatus according to claim 52 further comprising one or more programs executable by said computer that provide information of color errors, said information used to control printing variables of a press.

60. The apparatus according to claim 52 wherein said optics are at an angle with respect to said media to reduce the contribution of specular reflections of light reflected from said media in the light collected by said optics.

61. The apparatus according to claim 52 wherein said illumination source comprises a first polarizer with a first polarization through which light is directed to said media, said optics having a second polarizer having a second polarization crossed with respect to said first polarization, and said first and second polarizers operate to reduce the contribution of specular reflections of light reflected from said media in light collected by said optics.