Color monitoring system for use in creating colored displays

Claim 3

A scanning densitometer system for automatically monitoring a plurality of color inked areas on material and for automatically identifying which of a plurality of ink control positions related to said areas may be in need of a control change comprising in combination: moving means formed and disposed to move light sensitive detecting means along a path in close proximity to said plurality of color inked areas in order to scan said areas; light sensitive detecting means coupled to said moving means to be moved thereby and formed to direct light to each of said color inked areas being scanned and further formed to have three light receiving channels therein to receive light in said three channels simultaneously as reflected from each of said color inked areas being scanned; detection means disposed in said three channels to simultaneously generate three electrical signals which are respectively indicative of the optical densities of the basic colors cyan, magneta and yellow present at each of said color inked areas being scanned; first logic circuitry means coupled to said detection means to receive said three signals and formed to compare said three signals to automatically determine at each of said color inked areas being scanned, which basic color is predominant thereat and the optical density value thereof; said first logic circuitry means coupled to said moving means to determine and remember the location of each of said color inked areas being scanned; second logic circuitry means, including memory means, coupled to said first logic circuitry means to act with said first logic circuitry means to compare said predominant basic color optical density value at each of said color inked areas being scanned with a reference optical density value for a basic color being compared; and, display means coupled to said first and second logic circuitry means to display the location of each color inked area being scanned and display how its predominant basic color optical density value compares with its associated reference value whereby the need for adjusting an ink control position associated with a color inked area would become apparent.

Claim 4

A scanning densitometer system for automatically monitoring a plurality of color inked areas on material and for automatically identifying which of a plurality of ink control positions related to said areas may be in need of a control change comprising in combination: moving means formed and disposed to move light sensitive detecting means along a path in close proximity to said plurality of color inked areas in order to scan said areas; light sensitive detecting means coupled to said moving means to be moved thereby and formed to direct light to each of said color inked areas being scanned and further formed to have three light receiving channels therein to receive light in said three channels simultaneously as reflected from each of said color inked areas being scanned; detection means disposed in said three channels to simultaneously generate three electrical signals which are respectively indicative of the optical densities of the basic colors cyan, magneta and yellow present at each of said color inked areas being scanned; first logic circuitry means coupled to said detection means to receive said three signals and formed to compare said three signals to automatically determine at each of said color inked areas being scanned, which basic color is predominant thereat and the optical density value thereof; said first logic circuitry means coupled to said moving means to determine and remember the location of each of said color inked areas being scanned; second logic circuitry means, including memory means, coupled to said first logic circuitry means to act with said first logic circuitry means to compare said predominant basic color optical density value at each of said color inked areas being scanned with a reference optical density value for a basic color being compared; and, display means coupled to said first and second logic circuitry means to display the location of each color inked area being scanned and display how its predominant basic color optical density value compares with its associated reference value whereby the need for adjusting an ink control position associated with a color inked area would become apparent.

Claim 5

A densitometer system according to claim 2 wherein said three light receiving channels are first, second and third apertures and wherein in said first, second and third apertures there are respectively disposed red, green and blue light filters.

Claim 6

A densitometer system according to claim 2 wherein there is further included a shaft pulse generator coupled to said moving means which generates shaft pulses which when counted are commensurate with the locations of said light sensitive detecting means along said path.

Claim 7

A densitometer system according to claim 4 wherein said first logic circuitry means includes logic circuits to detect when said light sensitive detecting means has read markers on a first excursion and includes logic circuits to count said shaft pulses and store the values thereof at the time said light sensitive detecting means has read markers.

Claim 8

A densitometer system according to claim 5 wherein said first logic circuitry includes means to continually count said shaft pulses as said light sensitive detecting means moves on a second excursion and compare said count with said values stored when said light sensitive detecting means read markers on said first excursion so that, when said count and said values stored match, the system accepts the electrical signals from said detection means to determine the color of the area being scanned at that time.

Claim 9

A densitometer system according to claim 2 wherein there is further included a console having despressable keys and adjustable thumbwheels for entering information into said first and second logic circuitry means.

Claim 10

A densitometer system according to claim 7 wherein said display means includes video display means and video control circuitry connected thereto and wherein said video control circuitry is connected to said first and second logic circuitry means to receive data and instructions therefrom to display (1) the values of optical densities determined by said light sensitive detecting means operating with said detection means, (2) the color identifiers associated with said optical densities displayed and (3) the foregoing at locations on said display means which are commensurate with associated ink control positions.

Claim 11

A densitometer system according to claim 7 wherein said thumbwheels set the minimum and maximum tolerance values with which the optical densities should be compared and circuitry means to connect said console to said first and second logic circuitry means, to enter said tolerance values and video display means and video control circuitry connected thereto and wherein said video control circuitry is connected to said first and second logic circuitry means to receive data and instructions therefrom to display (1) a first symbol if the difference between the optical density and a reference density does not exceed the minimum tolerance, (2) a second symbol if the difference between the optical density and a reference density exceeds the minimum tolerance but does exceed the maximum tolerance and (3) a third symbol if the difference between the optical density and a reference density exceeds the maximum tolerance.

Claim 12

A densitometer system according to claim 2 wherein said display means includes video display means and video control circuitry connected thereto and wherein said video control circuitry is connected to said first and second logic circuitry means to receive data and instructions therefrom to display (1) the values of optical densities determined by said light sensitive detecting means operating with said detection means and (2) the color identifiers associated with said optical densities displayed.