Patent ID: 7884968

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a program for enabling a host computer system to perform a method for calibrating a multi-element sensor for creating a digital master of a graphical image in a hyperspectral form, the method comprising the steps of: controlling a director to direct an optical beam to one of one or more sensing elements in a sensor; controlling an iris diaphragm to adjust an intensity of the optical beam; measuring a white point (WP) value for the one sensing element, the WP value occurring at a lowest optical beam intensity sufficient to saturate the one sensing element; determining a first setting of the iris diaphragm to produce the lowest optical beam intensity sufficient to saturate the one sensing element; controlling a hyperspectral bandpass creation apparatus to divide 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; setting the iris diaphragm to the first setting; determining a white point (WP λ ) value for the one sensing element value at one of the plurality of hyperspectral bandpasses; closing the iris diaphragm; and determining a black point (BP λ ) value for the one sensing element value at the one hyperspectral bandpass.