Patent ID: 8565521

Claim:
Apparatus for classifying a visual observer among a plurality of M observer classes, wherein each class is characterized by the colour vision of a specific observer, wherein M≧3, and where the colour vision of the specific observers of these M observer classes are different, comprising: a reference colour display device using a first set of primaries (DP) R to display versions of colours on a first screen, and a test colour display device using a second set of primaries (DP) D to display versions of colours on a second screen, said first set of primaries (DP) R being different from said second set of primaries (DP) D ; a memory storing a classification chart of a plurality of N different colours (CP) n=1 to N ; means for providing, for each colour (CP) n of said classification chart stored in said memory, a first version of said colour (CP) n displayable on said first screen by said reference colour display device, and, moreover, for each (Cl-i) of said M classes of observers, a second version of said colour (CP) n displayable on said second screen by said test colour display device which is defined such that, when displayed on the second screen, this second version is perceived as the same colour as the colour perceived on the first screen when displaying said first version by the specific observer the color vision of which characterizes said observer class (Cl-i); means to present, in front of said observer-to-classify, a first version of each colour (CP) n displayed by said reference colour display device and each of the M second versions of the same colour displayed by said test colour display device, a selector provided with a command allowing said observer-to-classify to select, each time a color of said classification chart is presented to observer-to-classify as a first displayed version and as M different second displayed versions, which one of said displayed second versions of said color is perceived by said observer-to-classify as matching the best with his perception of the corresponding first displayed version of the same color; means for assigning said observer-to-classify to the same observer class (Cl-i) as the observer class of the specific observer who perceives the second version that is selected by said selector as having the same color as the first version that is simultaneously displayed; means for averaging the class assignments of said observer-to-classify performed by said means for assigning over all selections performed using said selector, in order to deliver a global assignment of said observer to at least one of said plurality of M classes of observers.