Photometric color correction and control system for custom colors

Claim 1

A system for providing an operative color developing material for developing an image for producing a customer selectable color output image, comprising: a plurality of developing material supply dispensers, each containing a different color developing material concentrate corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system, one of the color developer material concentrates being white; a developing material reservoir for providing an operative supply of developing material for developing the latent image so as to generate the output print of a specified color, said reservoir having each of developing material supply dispensers coupled thereto; a system for systematically dispensing a selective amount of developing material concentrate from at least a selected one of said developing material supply dispensers to said developing material reservoir for providing a selected amount of a selected basic color component to said supply of operative developing material; a first optical sensing device for monitoring the color of a developed image produced by said operative developing material reservoir; and a control system coupled to said first optical sensing device for selectively actuating said systematic dispensing system in response to the sensed color of said developed image to adjust the operative color developing material so as to produce the customer selectable color output image, the customer selectable color being selected from a color guide illustrating a plurality of different colors, said color guide further provides a specific formulation of basic color components necessary to produce the selected color, and said control system being adapted to automatically blend predetermined amounts of basic color components in accordance with the specific formulation provided by said color guide and the control system is adapted to add selected amounts of basic color components to said supply of the selected color developing material in response to the sensed color thereof for correcting the selected color developing material to match the customer selectable color selected from the color guide.

Claim 2

A system for providing an operative color developing material for developing an image for producing a customer selectable color output image, comprising: a plurality of developing material supply dispensers, each containing a different color developing material concentrate corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system, one of the color developer material concentrates being white; a developing material reservoir for providing an operative supply of developing material for developing the latent image so as to generate the output print of a specified color, said reservoir having each of developing material supply dispensers coupled thereto; a system for systematically dispensing a selective amount of developing material concentrate from at least a selected one of said developing material supply dispensers to said developing material reservoir for providing a selected amount of a selected basic color component to said supply of operative developing material; a first optical sensing device for monitoring the color of a developed image produced by said operative developing material reservoir; and a control system coupled to said first optical sensing device for selectively actuating said systematic dispensing system in response to the sensed color of said developed image to adjust the operative color developing material so as to produce the customer selectable color output image, the customer selectable color being selected from a color guide illustrating a plurality of different colors, said color guide further provides a specific formulation of basic color components necessary to produce the selected color, and said control system being adapted to automatically blend predetermined amounts of basic color components in accordance with the specific formulation provided by said color guide and the control system is adapted to add selected amounts of basic color components to said supply of the selected color developing material in response to the sensed color thereof for correcting the selected color developing material to match the customer selectable color selected from the color guide.

Claim 16

A method for providing an operative color developing material for developing an image for producing a customer selectable color output image, comprising: dispensing different color developing material concentrate from a plurality of developing material supply dispensers, each dispenser containing a different color developing material concentrate corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system; supplying an operative developing material to a developing material reservoir for providing an operative supply of developing material for developing the image so as to generate the output print of a specified color, said reservoir having each of developing material supply dispensers coupled thereto; monitoring the color of a developed image produced by said operative developing material with a first optical sensing device; and selectively controlling the dispensed amount of developing material concentrate from at least a selected one of said developing material supply dispensers to said developing material reservoir for providing a selected amount of a selected basic color component to said supply of operative developing material with a control system coupled to said first optical sensing device for selectively actuating said systematic dispensing system in response to the sensed color of said developed image to adjust the operative color developing material so as to produce the customer selectable color output image, including: comparing an optical spectrum of the developed image from said sensing device to a target optical spectrum corresponding to said customer selectable color; and adding selected amounts of basic color components to said supply of the selected color developing material in response to the sensed color thereof for correcting the selected color developing material to match the customer selectable color by using the color coordinates to match the customer-selected color by increasing the fraction of white toner to increase lightness and decrease saturation, increasing the fraction of black toner to decrease lightness and decrease saturation, and changing the ratio of two color toners primarily to change hue angle.

Claim 17

A method for providing an operative color developing material for developing an image for producing a customer selectable color output image, comprising: dispensing different color developing material concentrate from a plurality of developing material supply dispensers, each dispenser containing a different color developing material concentrate corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system; supplying an operative developing material to a developing material reservoir for providing an operative supply of developing material for developing the image so as to generate the output print of a specified color, said reservoir having each of developing material supply dispensers coupled thereto; monitoring the color of a developed image produced by said operative developing material with a first optical sensing device; and selectively controlling the dispensed amount of developing material concentrate from at least a selected one of said developing material supply dispensers to said developing material reservoir for providing a selected amount of a selected basic color component to said supply of operative developing material with a control system coupled to said first optical sensing device for selectively actuating said systematic dispensing system in response to the sensed color of said developed image to adjust the operative color developing material so as to produce the customer selectable color output image, including: comparing an optical spectrum of the developed image from said sensing device to a target optical spectrum corresponding to said customer selectable color; and adding selected amounts of basic color components to said supply of the selected color developing material in response to the sensed color thereof for correcting the selected color developing material to match the customer selectable color by using the color coordinates to match the customer-selected color by increasing the fraction of white toner to increase lightness and decrease saturation, increasing the fraction of black toner to decrease lightness and decrease saturation, and changing the ratio of two color toners primarily to change hue angle.

Claim 26

A method for providing an operative color developing material for developing an image for producing a customer selectable color output image, comprising: selecting the customer selectable color from a color guide illustrating a plurality of different colors; providing a specific formulation of basic color components necessary to produce the selected color from said color guide; dispensing different color developing material concentrate from a plurality of developing material supply dispensers, each dispenser containing a different color developing material concentrate corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system; supplying an operative developing material to a developing material reservoir for providing an operative supply of developing material for developing the image so as to generate the output print of a specified color, said reservoir having each of developing material supply dispensers coupled thereto; monitoring the color of a developed image produced by said operative developing material with a first optical sensing device whereby the color coordinates of the developed image are measured; selectively controlling the dispensed amount of developing material concentrate from at least a selected one of said developing material supply dispensers to said developing material reservoir for providing a selected amount of a selected basic color component to said supply of operative developing material with a control system coupled to said first optical sensing device for selectively actuating said systematic dispensing system in response to the sensed color of said developed image to adjust the operative color developing material so as to produce the customer selectable color output image; and adapting said control system to automatically blend predetermined amounts of basic color components in accordance with the specific formulation provided by said color guide and adding selected amounts of basic color components to said supply of the selected color developing material in response to the sensed color thereof for correcting the selected color developing material to match the customer selectable color selected from the color guide by increasing the fraction of white concentrate to increase lightness and decrease saturation, increasing the fraction of black concentrate to decrease lightness and decrease saturation, and changing the ratio of two color developer material concentrates primarily to change hue angle.

Claim 27

A method for providing an operative color developing material for developing an image for producing a customer selectable color output image, comprising: selecting the customer selectable color from a color guide illustrating a plurality of different colors; providing a specific formulation of basic color components necessary to produce the selected color from said color guide; dispensing different color developing material concentrate from a plurality of developing material supply dispensers, each dispenser containing a different color developing material concentrate corresponding to a basic color component of a color matching system; supplying an operative developing material to a developing material reservoir for providing an operative supply of developing material for developing the image so as to generate the output print of a specified color, said reservoir having each of developing material supply dispensers coupled thereto; monitoring the color of a developed image produced by said operative developing material with a first optical sensing device whereby the color coordinates of the developed image are measured; selectively controlling the dispensed amount of developing material concentrate from at least a selected one of said developing material supply dispensers to said developing material reservoir for providing a selected amount of a selected basic color component to said supply of operative developing material with a control system coupled to said first optical sensing device for selectively actuating said systematic dispensing system in response to the sensed color of said developed image to adjust the operative color developing material so as to produce the customer selectable color output image; and adapting said control system to automatically blend predetermined amounts of basic color components in accordance with the specific formulation provided by said color guide and adding selected amounts of basic color components to said supply of the selected color developing material in response to the sensed color thereof for correcting the selected color developing material to match the customer selectable color selected from the color guide by increasing the fraction of white concentrate to increase lightness and decrease saturation, increasing the fraction of black concentrate to decrease lightness and decrease saturation, and changing the ratio of two color developer material concentrates primarily to change hue angle.