Patent Document ID: 4414635
Application ID: 06324615
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. In a method of preparing for and recognizing colors on a colored image with the aid of a light source of known spectral composition, each color corresponding to a color location in a color space, each color location being defined by a color component triplet representing the spatial coordinates of said color location in said color space, and being spaced from another color location by a spatial distance, said color space including at least one spatial color range being defined by at least one of said color locations, the steps comprising: preparatory to color recognition selecting in said colors of said image a number of test points, each test point having a test point color; illuminating said image with said light source; photoelectrically measuring the color component triplets of the selected test point colors; defining a certain identification symbol for each selected test point color; assigning the defined identification symbols to the color locations corresponding to respective selected test point colors; calling up a plurality of said color locations from said color space; determining for each called-up color location the spatial distance separating said called-up color location from the color location of each selected test point color; selecting the color location of each test point color having the shortest distance from any of said called-up color locations respectively; determining the identification symbols corresponding to the color locations of said test point colors having said shortest distances, respectively; assigning said determined identification symbols to said corresponding called-up color locations, so as to form color recognition ranges around the color locations of the selected test point colors within said color space, all color locations assigned the same identification symbol forming said color recognition ranges corresponding to said color ranges, respectively; and thereafter performing the color recognition steps of: photo-electrically scanning said colored image point-by-point and line-by-line so as to obtain the color component triplets corresponding to each color scanned from said image; calling up the color locations represented by said color component triplets and the identification symbols associated therewith; and reading out said associated identification symbols, whereby the image colors are identified.