Color Measurement Instrument Error Compensation via Reflective Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sphere-based color measurement instruments face performance degradation due to aging of the specular port and sphere, leading to inaccurate measurements and increased maintenance costs, as the relationship between the specular port and sphere reflectance deviates from the master instrument, making profiling difficult and requiring hardware replacement.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use processors to quantify errors by measuring a dark sample, determining a system coefficient independent of the dark sample, and applying it to compensate for measurement deviations, allowing for remote diagnosis and compensation of errors without hardware replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hardware replacement (specular port) is performed to maintain measurement accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but maintenance cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the sphere interior by applying a reflective coating to restore its reflectance properties. Instead of replacing the entire specular port hardware, the invention modifies the optical parameters of the sphere interior surface through coating application, thereby restoring measurement accuracy without full hardware replacement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and addresses the specific problem of sphere interior degradation separately from the entire instrument system. By focusing only on the sphere interior coating rather than replacing all components, the solution reduces maintenance complexity and time while maintaining measurement precision
2Reliability
If hardware replacement (specular port) is performed to maintain inter-instrument agreement, then measurement reliability is improved, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the optical parameters of the sphere interior through reflective coating application, which restores the reflectance characteristics necessary for maintaining inter-instrument agreement. This parameter change approach is more cost-effective than complete hardware replacement while ensuring measurement reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a relatively simple and inexpensive reflective coating material to restore the sphere interior properties. This cheaper coating solution replaces the need for expensive hardware replacement, reducing maintenance costs while achieving the same reliability outcome
3Measurement precision
If sphere interior reflectance degrades over time, then instrument performance deteriorates, but hardware replacement is required to restore it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent restores the optical parameters of the sphere interior by applying a reflective coating, which reverses the degradation of reflectance over time. This approach simplifies maintenance by using a coating application process rather than complex hardware replacement procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the instrument to be restored to optimal performance through a relatively simple coating process that can be performed with minimal external service intervention. The reflective coating renewal is a self-contained maintenance operation that does not require complete disassembly or specialized hardware replacement procedures
Data Source
AI summary
In the disclosure provided herein, the described apparatus, systems and methods are directed to compensation of errors caused by the difference between the specular port and the sphere in a sphere-based color-measurement instrument, and improvement of the performance of the instrument. In one or more implementations, described approaches eliminate the need for hardware replacement, and therefore reduce costs associated with the operation of color measurement instruments.