Color identification system taking into account the color and reflecting of the base material

Claim 3

The method of identifying a pigment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said document is scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light.

Claim 4

The method of identifying a pigment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said document is scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light and wherein the intensities of said chromatically-different spots of light are modulated.

Claim 11

The method of identifying a pigment as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first said value is the square of said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus, wherein said second value is the square of the contrast of said pigment, and wherein said third value is the square of said cosine of said latitude angle.

Claim 12

A color identification unit that comprises: a light source that can direct light onto a document; a light sensor that can receive light from said document; said light sensor developing an essentially DC signal in response to light received from the base material of said document and developing an essentially AC signal in response to light received from a colored area on said document, said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor including information on the position of the pigment used in preparing said colored area with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid; a first circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the latitude angle of said pigment within said color solid; and a second circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the hue of said pigment.

Claim 13

A color identification unit that comprises: a light source that can direct light onto a document; a light sensor that can receive light from said document; said light sensor developing an essentially DC signal in response to light received from the base material of said document and developing an essentially AC signal in response to light received from a colored area on said document, said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor including information on the position of the pigment used in preparing said colored area with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid; a first circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the latitude angle of said pigment within said color solid; and a second circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the hue of said pigment.

Claim 14

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first circuit has a subcircuit which determines a value corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus, wherein said first circuit has a second subcircuit which determines a second value corresponding to the contrast of said pigment, and wherein said first circuit has a third subcircuit which combines the first said and said second values to develop said signal which is a measure of said latitude angle.

Claim 15

A color identification unit that comprises: a light source that can direct light onto a document; a light sensor that can receive light from said document; said light sensor developing an essentially DC signal in response to light received from the base material of said document and developing an essentially AC signal in response to light received from a colored area on said document, said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor including information on the position of the pigment used in preparing said colored area with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid; a first circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the latitude angle of said pigment within said color solid; said first circuit having a subcircuit which includes a squaring circuit and a low frequency filter that coact to provide a value corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus; said first circuit having a second subcircuit which includes said squaring circuit and a delay circuit and a rejection filter that coact to provide a second value corresponding to the contrast of said pigment; and said first circuit having a third subcircuit which combines the first said and said second values to develop said signal which is a measure of said latitude angle.

Claim 16

A color identification unit that comprises: a light source that can direct light onto a document; a light sensor that can receive light from said document; said light sensor developing an essentially DC signal in response to light received from the base material of said document and developing an essentially AC signal in response to light received from a colored area on said document, said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor including information on the position of the pigment used in preparing said colored area with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid; a first circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the latitude angle of said pigment within said color solid; said first circuit having a subcircuit which includes a squaring circuit and a low frequency filter that coact to provide a value corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus; said first circuit having a second subcircuit which includes said squaring circuit and a delay circuit and a rejection filter that coact to provide a second value corresponding to the contrast of said pigment; and said first circuit having a third subcircuit which combines the first said and said second values to develop said signal which is a measure of said latitude angle.

Claim 17

A color identification unit that comprises: a light source that can direct light onto a document; a light sensor that can receive light from said document; said light sensor developing an essentially DC signal in response to light received from the base material of said document and developing an essentially AC signal in response to light received from a colored area on said document, said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor including information on the position of the pigment used in preparing said colored area with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid; a first circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the latitude angle of said pigment within said color solid; said first circuit having a subcircuit which determines a value corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus; said first circuit having a second subcircuit which includes a squaring circuit and a delay circuit and a rejection filter that coact to provide a second value corresponding to the contrast of said pigment; said first circuit having a third subcircuit which combines the first said and said second values to develop said signal which is a measure of said latitude angle; said light from said light source being modulated at a predetermined frequency; and said delay circuit providing a time delay equal to one-half of a cycle of said predetermined frequency.

Claim 18

A color identification unit that comprises: a light source that can direct light onto a document; a light sensor that can receive light from said document; said light sensor developing an essentially DC signal in response to light received from the base material of said document and developing an essentially AC signal in response to light received from a colored area on said document, said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor including information on the position of the pigment used in preparing said colored area with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid; a first circuit that responds to signals developed by said light sensor to provide a signal which is a measure of the latitude angle of said pigment within said color solid; said first circuit having a subcircuit which determines a value corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus; said first circuit having a second subcircuit which includes a squaring circuit and a delay circuit and a rejection filter that coact to provide a second value corresponding to the contrast of said pigment; said first circuit having a third subcircuit which combines the first said and said second values to develop said signal which is a measure of said latitude angle; said light from said light source being modulated at a predetermined frequency; and said delay circuit providing a time delay equal to one-half of a cycle of said predetermined frequency.

Claim 19

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second circuit senses the phase of said AC signals developed by said light sensor.

Claim 20

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; and fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment.

Claim 21

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; and fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment.

Claim 22

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; and said first means including a circuit that senses the longitude angle of said pigment within said color solid by sensing zero crossings of signals developed by a light sensor as said light sensor ''''sees'''' said pigment.

Claim 23

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; and said first means including a circuit that senses the longitude angle of said pigment within said color solid by sensing zero crossings of signals developed by a light sensor as said light sensor ''''sees'''' said pigment.

Claim 24

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue Of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; and said second means including a circuit which essentially filters out the AC components of the signals developed by a light sensor as said light sensor ''''sees'''' said pigment to provide essentially DC values corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus.

Claim 25

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue Of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; and said second means including a circuit which essentially filters out the AC components of the signals developed by a light sensor as said light sensor ''''sees'''' said pigment to provide essentially DC values corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus.

Claim 26

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 13 wherein said third means includes a squaring circuit and a delay circuit and a rejection circuit that coact to provide a signal which is a measure of the contrast of said pigment.

Claim 27

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 13 wherein said first means includes a circuit that senses the longitude angle of said pigment within said color solid by sensing zero crossings of signals developed by a light sensor as said light sensor ''''sees'''' said pigment, wherein said second means includes a circuit which essentially filters out the AC components of the signals developed by a light sensor as said light sensor ''''sees'''' said pigment to provide essentially DC values corresponding to said position of said pigment along said achromatic locus, and wherein said third means includes a squaring circuit and a delay circuit and a rejection circuit that coact to provide a signal which is a measure of the contrast of said pigment.

Claim 28

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 13 wherein said document is scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light.

Claim 29

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 13 wherein said document is scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light and wherein the intensities of said chromatically-different spots of light are modulated.

Claim 30

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; said document being scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light; and the intensities of said chromatically-different spots of light being set to cause the light received from said base material to be essentially white.

Claim 31

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; said document being scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light; and the intensities of said chromatically-different spots of light being set to cause the light received from said base material to be essentially white.

Claim 32

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; said document being scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light; the intensities of said chromatically-different spots of light being adapted to cause the light received from said base material to develop a DC signal as long as said received light is essentially white light and to create a ripple on said DC signal whenever said received light is not essentially white; and a fifth means responding to said ripple to adjust the intensity of at least one of said chromatically-different spots of light.

Claim 33

A color identification unit that comprises: first means to determine the hue of a pigment on a document relative to the hue of the base material of said document; second means to determine the position of said pigment with respect to the black end of the locus of achromatic light of a color solid relative to the position of said base material of said document with respect to said black end of said locus of achromatic light of said color solid; third means to determine the saturation of said pigment relative to the saturation of said base material of said document; fourth means responsive to the relative hue, the relative position along said achromatic locus, and the relative saturation of said pigment to identify said pigment; said document being scanned by a spot of light composed of a plurality of chromatically-different spots of light; the intensities of said chromatically-different spots of light being adapted to cause the light received from said base material to develop a DC signal as long as said received light is essentially white light and to create a ripple on said DC signal whenever said received light is not essentially white; and a fifth means responding to said ripple to adjust the intensity of at least one of said chromatically-different spots of light.

Claim 34

A color identification unit which comprises: means to provide a plurality of individually-different colors of light; a light modulator which modulates the intensities of said individually-different colors of light; an optical system that directs said modulated colors of light toward a document to form a spot of light on said document; means providing relative movement between said spot of light and said document to cause said spot of light to ''''scan'''' portions of said document; a light sensor that receives light from the areas of said document which are successively illuminated by said spot of light and that responds to said light to develop waveforms; and means to sense the differences between the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' a colored area on said document and the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document.

Claim 35

A color identification unit which comprises: means to provide a plurality of individually-different colors of light; a light modulator which modulates the intensities of said individually-different colors of light; an optical system that directs said modulated colors of light toward a document to form a spot of light on said document; means providing relative movement between said spot of light and said document to cause said spot of light to ''''scan'''' portions of said document; a light sensor that receives light from the areas of said document which are successively illuminated by said spot of light and that responds to said light to develop waveforms; and means to sense the differences between the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' a colored area on said document and the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document.

Claim 36

A color identification unit which comprises: means to provide a plurality of individually-different colors of light; a light modulator which modulates the intensities of said individually-different colors of light; an optical system that directs said modulated colors of light toward a document to form a spot of light on said document; means providing relative movement between said spot of light and said document to cause said spot of light to ''''scan'''' portions of said document; a light sensor that receives light from the areas of said document which are successively illuminated by said spot of light and that responds to said light to develop waveforms; and means to sense the differences between the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' a colored area on said document and the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document; and said last-mentioned means including a low pass filter that effectively separates the DC components from the AC components of the waveforms developed by said light sensor.

Claim 37

A color identification unit which comprises: means to provide a plurality of individually-different colors of light; a light modulator which modulates the intensities of said individually-different colors of light; an optical system that directs said modulated colors of light toward a document to form a spot of light on said document; means providing relative movement between said spot of light and said document to cause said spot of light to ''''scan'''' portions of said document; a light sensor that receives light from the areas of said document which are successively illuminated by said spot of light and that responds to said light to develop waveforms; and means to sense the differences between the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' a colored area on said document and the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document; and said last-mentioned means including a low pass filter that effectively separates the DC components from the AC components of the waveforms developed by said light sensor.

Claim 38

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 22 wherein said individually-different colors of light include the basic components of white light so said light sensor will ''''see'''' essentially white light as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document.

Claim 39

A color identification unit which comprises: means to provide a plurality of individually-different colors of light; a light modulator which modulates the intensities of said individually-different colors of light; an optical system that directs said modulated colors of light toward a document to form a spot of light on said document; means providing relative movement between said spot of light and said document to cause said spot of light to ''''scan'''' portions of said document; a light sensor that receives light from the areas of said document which are successively illuminated by said spot of light and that responds to said light to develop waveforms; means to sense the differences between the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' a colored area on said document and the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document; and said light modulator phase displacing the modulated light from said individually-different colors of light.

Claim 40

A color identification unit which comprises: means to provide a plurality of individually-different colors of light; a light modulator which modulates the intensities of said individually-different colors of light; an optical system that directs said modulated colors of light toward a document to form a spot of light on said document; means providing relative movement between said spot of light and said document to cause said spot of light to ''''scan'''' portions of said document; a light sensor that receives light from the areas of said document which are successively illuminated by said spot of light and that responds to said light to develop waveforms; means to sense the differences between the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' a colored area on said document and the waveforms developed by said light sensor as it ''''sees'''' the base material of said document; and said light modulator phase displacing the modulated light from said individually-different colors of light.

Claim 41

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 22 wherein said light modulator modulates the intensities of the light from said individually-different colors of light, wherein said light modulator phase displaces the modulated light from said individually-different colors of light, and wherein said color identification unit has a circuit which can be programmed to provide different phase displacements of the modulated light from said individually-different colors of light.

Claim 44

The method of identifying a pigment as claimed in claim 27 wherein an AC waveform is developed as said pigment is ''''seen,'''' wherein time periods are developed during which zero crossings corresponding to the longitude angles of predetermined pigments are expected to occur, and wherein the time period which is active as said AC waveform crosses zero in a predetermined direction is sensed to determine the longitude angle of said pigment.

Claim 49

A color identification unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said light from said light source is modulated at a predetermined frequency, and wherein said second circuit includes means to sense the phase of said essentially AC signal developed by said light sensor relative to the modulation of said light at said predetermined frequency.

Claim 50

A color identification unit which comprises: a source of light; light-modulating means receiving light from said source of light and phase-displacing and amplitude-modulating said light; a document-receiving support mounted in the path of the phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means; means providing relative movement between said document-receiving support and said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to enable said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to ''''scan'''' a document held by said document-receiving support; a light-sensor receiving light from said document held by said document-reciving support; a circuit connected to said light sensor to analyze information within the light from said document; and said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means being modified by light-absorbing pigments on said document.

Claim 51

A color identification unit which comprises: a source of light; light-modulating means receiving light from said source of light and phase-displacing and amplitude-modulating said light; a document-receiving support mounted in the path of the phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means; means providing relative movement between said document-receiving support and said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to enable said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to ''''scan'''' a document held by said document-receiving support; a light-sensor receiving light from said document held by said document-reciving support; a circuit connected to said light sensor to analyze information within the light from said document; and said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means being modified by light-absorbing pigments on said document.

Claim 52

A color identification unit which comprises: a source of light; light-modulating means receiving light from said source of light and phase-displacing and amplitude-modulating said light; a document receiving support mounted in the path of the phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means; means providing relative movement between said document-receiving support and said phase-displaced amplitude-modulated light to enable said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to ''''scan'''' a document held by said document-receiving support; a light-sensor receiving light from said document held by said document-receiving support; a circuit connected to said light sensor to analyze information within the light from said document; said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means being modified by light-absorbing pigments on said document; said source of light including three light sources; said light-modulating means including three light modulators; each of said light modulators being in register with one of said light sources; and filters interposed between said light sources and said light modulators.

Claim 53

A color identification unit which comprises: a source of light; light-modulating means receiving light from said source of light and phase-displacing and amplitude-modulating said light; a document receiving support mounted in the path of the phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means; means providing relative movement between said document-receiving support and said phase-displaced amplitude-modulated light to enable said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to ''''scan'''' a document held by said document-receiving support; a light-sensor receiving light from said document held by said document-receiving support; a circuit connected to said light sensor to analyze information within the light from said document; said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means being modified by light-absorbing pigments on said document; said source of light including three light sources; said light-modulating means including three light modulators; each of said light modulators being in register with one of said light sources; and filters interposed between said light sources and said light modulators.

Claim 54

A color identification unit which comprises: a source of light; light-modulating means receiving light from said source of light and phase-displacing and amplitude-modulating said light; a document-receiving support mounted in the path of the phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means; means providing relative movement between said document-receiving support and said phase-displaced amplitude-modulated light to enable said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to ''''scan'''' a document held by said document-receiving support; a light-sensor receiving light from said document held by said document-receiving support; a circuit connected to said light sensor to analyze information within the light from said document; said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means being modified by light-absorbing pigments on said document; said light sensor developing an AC waveform which has essentially the same frequency and the same phase as a component of said phase-displaced amplitude-modulated light whenever said light sensor ''''sees'''' the base material of said document held by said document-receiving support; and said circuit sensing shifts of said AC waveform as said light sensor ''''sees'''' a pigment of said document.

Claim 55

A color identification unit which comprises: a source of light; light-modulating means receiving light from said source of light and phase-displacing and amplitude-modulating said light; a document-receiving support mounted in the path of the phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means; means providing relative movement between said document-receiving support and said phase-displaced amplitude-modulated light to enable said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light to ''''scan'''' a document held by said document-receiving support; a light-sensor receiving light from said document held by said document-receiving support; a circuit connected to said light sensor to analyze information within the light from said document; said phase-displaced, amplitude-modulated light from said light-modulating means being modified by light-absorbing pigments on said document; said light sensor developing an AC waveform which has essentially the same frequency and the same phase as a component of said phase-displaced amplitude-modulated light whenever said light sensor ''''sees'''' the base material of said document held by said document-receiving support; and said circuit sensing shifts of said AC waveform as said light sensor ''''sees'''' a pigment of said document.