Apparatus and method for measuring optical characteristics of an object

A method comprising the steps of:

• moving a probe towards an object through relative movement between the probe and the object, wherein light from one or more light sources is provided to the object;
• receiving light from the object with a plurality of light receivers on the probe, wherein the receivers have numerical apertures and sizes sufficient to receive light indicative of a specular-included spectrum and a specular-excluded spectrum, wherein the specular-included spectrum substantially includes light specularly reflected from the object, and wherein the specular-excluded substantially excludes light specularly reflected from the object;
• wherein light from one or more of the light receivers is coupled to one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors generate at least one signal having a frequency proportional to the light intensity received by the one or more sensors.

A method comprising the steps of:

• moving a probe towards an object through relative movement between the probe and the object, wherein light from one or more light sources is provided to the object;
• receiving light from the object with a plurality of light receivers on the probe, wherein the receivers have numerical apertures and sizes to receive light indicative of a specular-included spectrum and a specular-only spectrum, wherein the specular-included spectrum substantially includes light specularly and diffusely reflected from the object, and wherein the specular-only spectrum substantially consists of light specularly reflected from the object;
• wherein light from one or more of the light receivers is coupled to one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors generate at least one signal having a frequency proportional to the light intensity received by the one or more sensors.

A method of quantifying the color of an object comprising the steps of positioning a probe near the object, wherein light from one or more light sources is provided to the object, and wherein the probe receives light from the object with a plurality of light receivers on the probe of at least two different numerical apertures, wherein a reflected color spectrum of the object is measured and translucency and gloss of the object are measured, wherein the translucency and gloss measurement arc used to adjust the color spectrum measurement to compensate for translucency and gloss of the object;

• wherein light from one or more of the light receivers is coupled to one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors generate at least one signal having a frequency proportional to the light intensity received by the one or more sensors.

A method of quantifying the color of an object comprising the steps of positioning a probe near the object, wherein light from one or more light sources is provided to the object, and wherein the probes receives light from the object with a plurality of light receivers on the probe of at least two different numerical apertures, wherein a reflected color spectrum of the object is measured and gloss of the object is measured, wherein the gloss measurement is used to adjust the color spectrum measurement to compensate for gloss of the object;

• wherein light from one or more of the light receivers is coupled to one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors generate at least one signal having a frequency proportional to the light intensity received by the one or more sensors.