Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Yasushi Hibi

Tohru Wada

Yasuhiro Komiya

Kensuke Ishii

Susumu Kikuchi

A color classification system and method for classifying, judging and/or identifying objects by color. An optical system utilizes light from an object to form an image on an imaging device. A plurality of optical band-pass filters each having a different pass band are provided between the object and the imaging device. The optical band-pass filters include a plurality of measurement filters for use in measuring a color of the object and a test filter for use in judging which one of the measurement filters should be applied to the object. A changeover section changes between the optical band-pass filters. A computing circuit performs at least one of a color classification and a color judgment based on a spectral characteristic of the imaged object through a statistical approach, and a control section causes the changeover section to select an effective one of the measurement filters based on a judgment by the computing circuit of a result sensed by the test filter. The plurality of optical band-pass filters are arranged in a plurality of filter sets each of which has at least one filter, and the changeover section includes a filter changeover mechanism for changing between the optical band-pass filters in one of the filter sets, and a filter-set changeover mechanism for changing between the plurality of filter sets.

Color classification system and method capable of automatically

The present invention provides a simple, low-cost color classification apparatus having a high resistance to mechanical vibrations and capable of properly performing color classification even if a light source is not specified and its spectrum changes. A color classification apparatus of the present invention is further including an image pickup means for picking up a spectrum of light reflected by a target object, a plurality of bandpass filters having different bands and arranged between the target object and the image pickup means, and a classifying means for calculating a classification spectrum for classification using a statistic technique from a spectrum of light reflected by the target object and picked up by the image pickup means, and classifying the target object using the classification spectrum.

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Kokubunji, Japan

Yasushi Hibi