System for capturing graphical images using hyperspectral illumination
OwnerLarry Kleimaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A graphical scanner for scanning a graphical image includes a source for producing an optical beam, a monochromator for dividing the optical beam into a plurality of component beams for hyperspectral bandpasses, a director for directing the component beams to illuminate portions of the graphical image, a sensor for measuring a light intensity for the one or illuminated portions, and a translator for transforming the measured light intensities for each of the one or more portions into hyperspectral traces each representing a spectral power distribution. The translator further transforms the hyperspectral traces into one or more device-independent representations of color.
Claims28
A method for creating a digital master of a graphical image in a hyperspectral form, the method comprising the steps of:
- dividing a light beam from an illumination source into a plurality of component beams each representing one of a plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses, wherein the plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses define a spectrum characterized by wavelengths ranging continuously between 360 and 830 nanometers, and wherein the component beam for each hyperspectral bandpass is characterized by a substantially unique and non-overlapping selection of continuous wavelengths from the spectrum;
- successively illuminating one or more portions of the graphical image with each of the plurality of component beams;
- measuring a light intensity with a sensor for each of the one or more illuminated portions of the graphical image with respect to each of the plurality of component beams;
- transforming each measured light intensity into a relative light intensity based on minimum and maximum light intensities measured by the sensor;
- and
- saving the relative light intensities in a buffer or data file as a hyperspectral trace representing a spectral power distribution.
An apparatus for creating a digital master of a graphical image in a hyperspectral form, the apparatus comprising:
- an illumination source for producing an optical beam;
- a hyperspectral bandpass creation apparatus for dividing the optical beam into a plurality of component beams each representing one of a plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses, wherein the plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses define a spectrum characterized by wavelengths ranging continuously between 360 and 830 nanometers, and wherein the component beam for each hyperspectral bandpass is characterized by a substantially unique and non-overlapping selection of continuous wavelengths from the spectrum;
- a director for directing each of the plurality of component beams to one or more portions of the graphical image;
- a sensor for measuring a light intensity for each of the one or more illuminated portions of the graphical image with respect to each of the plurality of component beams;
- a translator for transforming each of the measured light intensities for each of the one or more portions into a relative light intensity based on minimum and maximum light intensities measured by the sensor;
- and
- a buffer for storing each of the relative light intensities as a hyperspectral trace representing a spectral power distribution.
A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a program for enabling a host computer system to scan a graphical image for creating a master of the graphical image in a hyperspectral form, the method comprising the steps of:
- controlling a hyperspectral bandpass creation apparatus to divide an optical beam into a plurality of component beams each representing one of a plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses, wherein the plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses define a spectrum characterized by wavelengths ranging continuously between 360 and 830 nanometers, and wherein the component beam for each hyperspectral bandpass is characterized by a substantially unique and non-overlapping selection of continuous wavelengths from the spectrum;
- controlling a position of the graphical image;
- controlling a director for directing each of the plurality of component beams to illuminate a portion of the graphical image;
- controlling a position of a sensor to measure a light intensity of the illuminated portion of the image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.