Patents by Inventor Harold R. Van Aken

Harold R. Van Aken has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7280118
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing a color palette including a multitude of color patterns for a predetermined coloring process with a multitude of defined base colors and for a predetermined substrate. The individual color patterns are systematically, especially equidistantly, defined in a mathematically defined color space by the way of color coordinates describing the color space. The spectrum of the color pattern is synthesized by calculation for each color pattern in the color space by way of a color mixing model representing the predetermined coloring process and the predetermined substrate, whereby that spectrum is selected having the highest color constancy. The spectra synthesized by calculation are stored in relation to the color coordinates of the underlying color patterns. Through use of a mathematical/physical basis (such as the CIE-system), it is possible to define a visually equidistant color space and assign a spectral curve to individual points having the best color constancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: GretagMacbeth, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Senn, Harold R. Van Aken, Bruno Zimmermann, Peter Ehbets
  • Patent number: 7116336
    Abstract: Systems and methods for selectively manipulating and/or restandardizing color measurement or spectral data are provided. The color measurement or spectral data may be advantageously restandardized based on a selected color coordinate system using data transform(s) or delta profile(s). Users of the systems/methods are able to mix or employ color-measuring instrument types more easily and effectively by selectively causing a first instrument produced by a first color-measuring instrument manufacturer to provide color measurement data according to a color measurement standard of another color-measuring instrument manufacturer. Selective transformation of color measurement data gathered by the first manufacturer's color-measuring instrument is facilitated, so that the resultant color measurement data may be evaluated as though it was generated by the other manufacturer's color-measuring instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: GretagMacbeth, LLC
    Inventors: Harold R. Van Aken, Shreyance Rai, Mark A. Lindsay, Richard J. Knapp
  • Publication number: 20040135794
    Abstract: Systems and methods for selectively manipulating and/or restandardizing color measurement or spectral data are provided. The color measurement or spectral data may be advantageously restandardized based on a selected color coordinate system using data transform(s) or delta profile(s). Users of the systems/methods are able to mix or employ color-measuring instrument types more easily and effectively by selectively causing a first instrument produced by a first color-measuring instrument manufacturer to provide color measurement data according to a color measurement standard of another color-measuring instrument manufacturer. Selective transformation of color measurement data gathered by the first manufacturer's color-measuring instrument is facilitated, so that the resultant color measurement data may be evaluated as though it was generated by the other manufacturer's color-measuring instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Harold R. Van Aken, Shreyance Rai, Mark A. Lindsay, Richard J. Knapp
  • Patent number: 6559944
    Abstract: A method for maintaining substantial reliability of color measurements obtained by a number of color measuring instruments includes by measuring color values of a set of master color standards on a master color measuring instrument at a master color lab, and measuring color values of sets of working color standards on the same instrument to determine calibration values. The working sets are provided to remote locations for use on remote color measuring instruments and the working sets are measured on the remote color measuring instruments to obtain color value measurements which are transmitted to the master color lab. The measurements from the remote instruments are compared with the calibration values obtained from measurements on the master instrument to generate profiles which are provided to the remote color labs. The profiles are applied to measured color values for the set of working color standards to obtain corrected color values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: GretagMacbeth, LLC
    Inventors: Harold R. Van Aken, Ronald G. Anderson
  • Publication number: 20020167527
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing a color palette including a multitude of color patterns for a predetermined coloring process with a multitude of defined base colors and for a predetermined substrate. The individual color patterns are systematically, especially equidistantly, defined in a mathematically defined color space by the way of color coordinates describing the color space. The spectrum of the color pattern is synthesized by calculation for each color pattern in the color space by way of a color mixing model representing the predetermined coloring process and the predetermined substrate, whereby that spectrum is selected having the highest color constancy. The spectra synthesized by calculation are stored in relation to the color coordinates of the underlying color patterns. Through use of a mathematical/physical basis (such as the CIE-system), it is possible to define a visually equidistant color space and assign a spectral curve to individual points having the best color constancy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas Senn, Harold R. Van Aken, Bruno Zimmermann, Peter Ehbets
  • Patent number: 6424413
    Abstract: An integrating sphere, and an integrating sphere-based reflectance colorimeter/spectrophotometer for the measurement of color and appearance, having multiple receivers capable of concurrently receiving optical radiation scattered/reflected from a diffusely illuminated sample surface, with the capability of multiple measurement modes (e.g., multiple specular component excluded (SCE), SCE and specular component included (SCI), multiple SCI), multiple areas-of-view for a given measurement mode, multiple viewing angles per measurement mode, and combinations thereof. An embodiment of the invention includes two SCI receivers and two SCE receivers, each disposed at an equal viewing angle relative to the sample surface. For each viewing mode, two sample areas-of-view are provided. The SCE receivers are opposite each other, such that the specular component of each SCE receiver is excluded by the port of the other SCE receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: GretagMacbeth LLC
    Inventors: William L. Weber, Harold R. Van Aken, Perry A. Palumbo, Joseph Corrado
  • Patent number: 6181418
    Abstract: A concentric spectrometer which reduces stray light and re-entrant spectra within the spectrometer. The spectrometer includes a non-direct optical path between the entrance slit assembly and exit aperture. Dyson and Offner concentric optical configurations are used to eliminate third-order aberrations The concentric optical system includes a light trap which mitigates or eliminate stray light due to reflection of light incident on the exit aperture region but which does not impinge on the active area of a detector optically coupled to the exit aperture. A two-dimensional area array detector concurrently senses a spectral signal corresponding to an input optical radiation signal and a signal corresponding to zero-input radiation, and the spectral signal is corrected according to the zero-input radiation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Gretag Macbeth LLC
    Inventors: Perry A. Palumbo, William L. Weber, Harold R. Van Aken, Robert K. McMahan
  • Patent number: 6043894
    Abstract: A method for maintaining substantial reliability of color measurements obtained by a number of color measuring instruments includes by measuring color values of a set of master color standards on a master color measuring instrument at a master color lab, and measuring color values of sets of working color standards on the same instrument to determine calibration values. The working sets are provided to remote locations for use on remote color measuring instruments and the working sets are measured on the remote color measuring instruments to obtain color value measurements which are transmitted to the master color lab. The measurements from the remote instruments are compared with the calibration values obtained from measurements on the master instrument to generate profiles which are provided to the remote color labs. The profiles are applied to measured color values for the set of working color standards to obtain corrected color values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: GretaMacbeth LLC
    Inventors: Harold R. Van Aken, Ronald G. Anderson