Patent ID: 7283244
Filing Date: 2007-10-16
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
1. A reflectance estimating method for estimating a reflectance of an object at an angle representing displacement from a normal light reflecting direction of the object, the method comprising: (a) a step of executing a principal component analysis on reflectances at predetermined plural displacement angles; (b) a step of selecting a principal component vector obtained by the analysis as an eigenvector; (c) a step of estimating a reflectance at a displacement angle other than said predetermined displacement angles, at least based on said eigenvector; (d) a step, with respect to the principal component vector obtained as a result of said principal component analysis, of determining characteristics for each factor of the principal component vector regarding the relationship between a principal component and a displacement angle; (e) a step of determining a displacement angle corresponding to each of feature points of the determined characteristics; and (f) a step of estimating a reflectance at a displacement angle other than said predetermined displacement angles, based on the determined displacement angle; and further comprising a step of forming a correspondence between a reflectance distribution of an arbitrary displacement angle and a luminocity including relative luminous efficiency characteristics, and adopting a feature point of characteristics of each term of said principal component vector obtained by said principal component analysis, as a displacement angle to be used.