US 12,241,836 B2
Apparatus and method for optically characterizing a textile sample
Peyman H. Dehkordi, Knoxville, TN (US); Kent A. Rinehart, Knoxville, TN (US); and David Dickson McAlister, III, Knoxville, TN (US)
Assigned to Uster Technologies AG, Uster (CH)
Filed by Uster Technologies AG, Uster (CH)
Filed on May 9, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/659,638.
Application 18/659,638 is a continuation of application No. 17/632,429, granted, now 12,013,340, previously published as PCT/CH2019/000032, filed on Nov. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0288369 A1, Aug. 29, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G01N 21/17 (2006.01); G01N 21/25 (2006.01); G01N 21/27 (2006.01); G01N 21/31 (2006.01); G01N 21/47 (2006.01); G01N 21/55 (2014.01); G01N 33/36 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/6456 (2013.01) [G01N 21/256 (2013.01); G01N 21/276 (2013.01); G01N 21/31 (2013.01); G01N 21/55 (2013.01); G01N 33/367 (2013.01); G01N 2021/174 (2013.01); G01N 2021/178 (2013.01); G01N 2021/3155 (2013.01); G01N 2021/4766 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6423 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6471 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus (100) for optically characterizing a textile sample (106), the apparatus (100) comprising:
a presentation subsystem (102) comprising a viewing window (108),
a radiation subsystem (114) comprising a radiation source (120) for directing a desired first radiation (122) in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum and a desired second radiation (123) in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum through the viewing window (108) toward the sample (106), and causing the sample (106) to produce a fluorescent radiation (124) and a reflected radiation (125),
a sensing subsystem (126) comprising an imager (130) for capturing the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125) in an array of pixels (408), where each pixel (408) records an intensity of both the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125) at the pixel location, and
a control subsystem (132) comprising a processor (136) for controlling the presentation subsystem (102), the radiation subsystem (114), and the sensing subsystem (126), for creating a fluorescent and reflected radiation image (400) containing both spectral information and spatial information in regard to the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125) of the sample (106), and for processing the fluorescent and reflected radiation image (400) into a brightness image

OG Complex Work Unit Math
where:
a(λj) is weighting factor for the fluorescence image of wavelengths, where λmin<λj<λmax, j=1, 2, . . . , k,
b(λj) is weighting factor for the reflected radiation image of wavelengths, where λmin<λj<λmax, j=1, 2, . . . , k,
BI(λj) is the brightness image of the sample 106 for one or more ranges of wavelengths, where λmin<λj<λmax, j=1, 2, . . . , k,
FI(λj) is the fluorescence image of the sample 106 for one or more ranges of wavelengths, where λmin<λj<λmax, j=1, 2, . . . , k,
LI(λj) is the reflected radiation image of the sample 106 for one or more ranges of wavelengths, where λmin<λj<λmax, j=1, 2, . . . , k,
n is the number of spatial points for the image in the horizontal direction,
m is the number of spatial points for the image in the vertical direction, and
ixy is the energy level of the sample at coordinate location of x and y at wavelength λj.