Fluorescent Sample Optical Measurement Without UV Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring the optical properties of fluorescent samples, particularly those treated with Fluorescent Whitening Agents (FWA), require a fluorescence standard and UV correction, which are unstable, costly, and prone to errors due to aging and spectral intensity fluctuations, making accurate colorimetric measurements challenging, especially for printed materials with multiple inks.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that calculate the total spectral radiance factor of a fluorescent sample using a bi-spectral radiance factor and different spectral intensities of illuminations, synthesizing a virtual illumination to match the specified test illumination, eliminating the need for a fluorescence standard and UV correction, by determining a weight for each wavelength to combine the illuminations and calculate the total spectral radiance factor based on measured spectral intensities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fluorescence standard and UV correction are used to measure optical properties of fluorescent samples, then measurement accuracy can be improved, but the system becomes more complex, costly, and prone to errors due to aging and spectral intensity fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the fluorescence standard and UV correction components from the measurement system. By using a calculation method that computes the total spectral radiance factor directly from bi-spectral radiance factor data and illumination spectral intensity without requiring physical standards or correction procedures, the system removes these complex elements while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the fluorescence standard through mathematical calculation. Instead of using a physical fluorescence standard that ages and fluctuates, the system calculates the total spectral radiance factor by convolving the bi-spectral radiance factor with the illumination spectral intensity, effectively copying the standard's function through computation rather than physical materials.
2Measurement precision
If a fluorescence standard is used for measurement, then colorimetric values can be obtained, but errors occur due to aging and spectral intensity fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical fluorescence standard with a calculated virtual standard. The total spectral radiance factor is computed by convolving the bi-spectral radiance factor with the illumination spectral intensity, creating a stable mathematical representation that does not suffer from aging or spectral fluctuations like physical standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the mechanical/physical fluorescence standard system with a computational system. Instead of relying on physical materials that age and fluctuate, the measurement relies on mathematical convolution of spectral data, replacing physical reliability issues with computational stability.
3Measurement precision
If UV correction using fluorescence standard is performed, then measurement accuracy improves, but costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the UV correction step from the measurement process. By calculating the total spectral radiance factor directly from the bi-spectral radiance factor and illumination spectral intensity without requiring separate UV correction procedures, the system simplifies operations while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the measurement system universal by integrating all necessary corrections and calculations into a single unified process. The convolution calculation simultaneously handles fluorescence, spectral intensity variations, and other corrections that would traditionally require separate UV correction steps, simplifying the overall operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides accurate optical property measurements of fluorescent samples under specified illumination without a fluorescence standard or UV correction, reducing errors and costs, and enabling precise evaluation of printed colors on fluorescent paper considering fluorescence, spectral transmittance, and dot areas of inks.
Implementation Method 1
the light emitted from the fluorescent sample is the sum of the reflected light and the fluoresced light
Implementation Method 2
the reflected light and the fluoresced light
Data Source
AI summary
The method and the apparatus measures the total spectral radiance factor Bxs (λ) of a fluorescent sample illuminated by a specified illumination for testing Is without a fluorescent standard and a bothersome UV correction using it. The method and the apparatus calculates Bxs(λ) based on the spectral intensity Is(λ) of the illumination for testing, the measured spectral intensities I1(λ) and I2(λ) of actual illuminations I1 and I2 which are different from each other, a bi-spectral luminescent radiance factor F(μ,λ) or a bi-spectral radiance factor B(μ,λ) which is close to either of the sample, and the measured spectral intensities Sx1 (λ) and Sx2(λ) of the light emitted from the sample illuminated by illuminations I1 and I2.