Method and system for automatically monitoring the colors of an object at a vision station
US5764386A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 25, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jun 9, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 25, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N1/6033
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Color balance of a sample image is compared with a previously learned template image utilizing an appropriately programmed machine vision system including a color camera at a vision station. The sample image, preferably captured from a web scanner attached directly to an offset printing machine, is compared with a previously generated "known good" template image. This comparison process produces four correction factors which are the ratios between the amount of each of four colored inks in the template image to that in the sample image. The four colored inks may be cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks but inks of other colors could also be used. These correction factors can either be presented to an operator to manually adjust the machine or else used in an automatic feedback loop of a controller of the machine, thereby maintaining consistent image quality.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.