System and method for spectral interpolation using multiple illumination sources

A method of generating high resolution spectral data for a target surface based on low resolution spectral data from an optical detector comprising a plurality of light sources having distinct spectral characteristics, and a sensor arranged to receive light radiated by the plurality of light sources and reflected from the target surface, the method comprising:

• controlling the plurality of light sources to be turned on or off across a predetermined plurality of lighting intensity combinations;
• receiving output signals from the sensor as representative of the reflected light from the target surface;
• generating a first spectral data set based on the respective output signals from the sensor and corresponding to each of the predetermined plurality of lighting intensity combinations;
• and
• programmatically interpolating the first spectral data set with respect to a stored second spectral data set associated with a reference device.

A system comprising:

• an optical detector further comprising
• a plurality of light sources having distinct spectral characteristics,
• a sensor arranged to receive light radiated by the plurality of light sources and reflected from a target surface, the sensor further effective to generate output signals representative of the reflected light from the target surface;
• a controller configured to control the plurality of light sources to be turned off or on across a predetermined plurality of lighting intensity combinations;
• and
• a computing device communicatively linked to receive messages corresponding to the output signals from the optical detector, the computing device configured to
• generate a first spectral data set based on messages from the optical detector corresponding to the predetermined plurality of lighting intensity combinations, and
• programmatically interpolate the first resolution spectral data set to generate a second spectral data set associated with the target surface.