Abstract:
An improved process of matching the color of a paint to the pre-existing color of a vehicle is provided. The process includes the steps of exposing a photo-reactive film to the surface of the vehicle whose paint color is to be matched. Once exposed, pigments in the film are activated to mimic precisely the color of the vehicle. The pigments are then extracted, isolated and mixed with a neutral base paint solution, which is tinted by the pigments to match the color of the vehicle. The tinted and matched solution is used for painting or touch-up work on the vehicle.
Abstract:
A spectrophotometer measures the color properties of a sample by illuminating the sample with a light source. One or more light beams are sensed by an active pixel diode array where each of the beams are sensed by a different array of diodes in the active pixel sensor. Each of the diode arrays are formed on the same substrate by a CMOS process such that each diode array is automatically aligned to each other during formation. Subsequent mechanical alignment is, thus, eliminated.
Abstract:
A portable color measuring device is provided that includes a hand-holdable housing. The color measuring device is configured to receive an independently operable processing device that is mounted to the housing. The independently operable processing device is a portable general purpose computer that executes software applications to control the operation of the color measuring device and process color data. The color measuring device measures the color properties of a sample by illuminating the sample with a light source. The measured properties are processed and/or analyzed by the independently operable processing device and results are displayed to a user. Software applications reside on the independently operable processing device allowing software upgrades or modifications to be easily performed. New applications can be downloaded to the processing device or the processing device can be interchanged with a different processing device.
Abstract:
A sensor for measuring reflective, transmissive, or self-luminous samples, comprises a plurality of light sources, where each of the light sources emit light of a substantially different wavelength band spaced in the visible spectrum; a reference channel photodetector; a sample channel photodetector; an optical cap adapted to direct a first portion of the light emitted by each of the light sources to the reference channel photodetector, a reflector cone for directing a second portion of the light emitted by each of the light sources to the sample; and a receptor piece for directing the diffuse portion of the light reflected from the sample to the sample channel photodetector. Preferably, the reference channel and sample channel photodetectors are identical devices and are mounted back-to-back to share environmental characteristics, and in turn, minimize the variation between their respective responses. The sensor is preferably incorporated into a hand-held "mouse" device, which includes an area on its top surface for seating an index finger of the human hand. Positioned within this area is a pressure-activated switch that is operatively coupled to the sensor circuitry for performing the various readings. And the sensor is preferably mounted into the mouse device such that the focal aperture of the downward pointing reflector cone is in axial alignment with the pressure-activated switch. Accordingly, a user will be able to use the mouse to "point" with his or her index finger to an area of the sample surface, and will then simply press the switch using the same index finger.
Abstract:
A colorimeter for reading color bars of printed sheets or the like includes a longitudinally extending base including a paper stop along which a sheet to be tested for color may be positioned. An autonomously operating colorimeter head is moved along the base in a direction parallel to the edge of the sheet by means of an electric motor mounted on the base and driving an helical thread lead screw engaging an X-axis carriage supporting the head. The head is moved by operation of the lead screw in a direction parallel to the edge of the sheet, referred to as the direction of the X-axis. The head includes an electric motor and a Y-axis transport supporting an optics unit. The optics unit is moved within the head in a direction parallel to a Y-axis, extending perpendicularly to the X-axis. The optics unit is preferably a spectrophotometer including a rotating wheel provided with a plurality of individual filters, spaced apart along the periphery of the wheel. The individual filters each pass light of a predefined wavelength onto a single photodetector and the signal derived from the photodetector is integrated over a period of time to provide an output signal representative of the intensity of a particular wavelength.
Abstract:
A method for determining the appearance of an object to be replicated and an apparatus therefor are described herein. The method consists in providing a controlled illumination to illuminate a surface of the object, measuring the object with a CCD camera to collect an image map of a plurality of points on the surface and processing that information to produce an appearance mapping of the object. Calibration of the apparatus is done by measuring calibration patches illuminated with the same illumination. When the apparatus is made in view of replicating the appearance of an object, a comparison can be done by similarly producing an appearance mapping of the replicate and by comparing it to the appearance mapping of the object.
Abstract:
A color measuring system includes a portable spectrophotometer connectable to a general-purpose computer. The portable unit includes a microprocessor with a read-only program memory storing machine executable instructions to implement data processing for color measurement purposes and input/output functions including key reading and data transfer functions and display functions. A random-access data memory is used to temporarily store process data for later transfer to the general-purpose computer. An editor program and a compiler program in the general-purpose computer may be used to generate a program for the microprocessor using high-level, generalized commands. After such a program has been written and compiled in the general-purpose computer, it is transferred to a command buffer area in the random-access data memory of the microprocessor. The microprocessor, in its program memory, includes a command interpreter including a predefined sequence of machine executable instructions for each generalized command. When executed, the command interpreter reads a generalized command from the data memory and, if necessary, updates relevant data pointers and executes the predefined sequence of machine executable functions in the program memory corresponding to the generalized command being processed. A user, using the general-purpose computer, may specify any desired sequence of measurement operations by specifying functions to be performed by the microprocessor, including the display of prompts to the operator of the portable spectrophotometer to instruct the operator to perform various specified operations.
Abstract:
A portable colorimeter for characterizing the optical properties of a colored surface and in particular a colored surface containing metallic or pearlescent particles, which employs three multiangular spectrophotometric measurements to derive color constants for the surface. The colorimeter is a compact integrated unit housing irradiation, detection, control, analysis and display means and employs three illumination angles, preferably -30.degree., 0.degree., and 65.degree., and one detection angle, preferably 45.degree., all measured from the sample normal. The method includes determining the tristimulus values of the color of the sample surface from low resolution spectral reflectance data preferably using twelve detector elements.
Abstract:
An apparatus for measuring a diamond color comprises a light source composed of a lamp and an integrating sphere for diffusing light therein emitted from the lamp; a diamond holder including diamond supporting head means and suction base means, thereby positioning the table facet of the diamond in the integrating sphere for allowing the diffused light from the light source to fall on the table facet of the diamond; a monochromator for separating a beam of light as it emerges from the diamond through the table facet side into a spectrum; a photodetector for detecting the light from the monochromator; variable slit means disposed in at least one of the monochromator and the photodetector for adjusting the size of the beam of light to a diameter of the diamond; a measurement unit for controlling at least the monochromator to obtain a spectrum of the light which has passed through the diamond; and an arithmetic unit for deriving tristimulus values X, Y and Z from the spectrum of the light from the diamond; which is able to measure the colors of brilliant-cut diamonds easily and objectively.
Abstract:
The invention relates to the measurement of the shade of a particle. The particle is illuminated with light of variable intensity and viewed against a background level of illumination. A measurement is made of the ratio of time for which the intensity of light from the particle exceeds the intensity of the background to obtain a measurement of the shade of the particle.