Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A spectrophotometer mouse is provided for making color spectrum measurements of desired areas on a surface over which the mouse is movable. The spectrophotometer mouse includes a housing shaped to conform to the hand of an operator, and a spectrophotometer in the housing having an input (such as a light receiving aperture) for measuring the color spectrum of the target area on the surface. The mouse has a position sensing encoder which is coupled to a programmed computer for identifying the position of the mouse on the surface. This programmed computer may be internal or external of the housing. The computer is used for locating the target area on the surface with reference to a pointer on the mouse, and then detecting when an operator has moved the mouse such that the input of the spectrophotometer is substantially coincident with the located target area. The computer automatically actuates the spectrophotometer so that the spectrum of the light from the target area is received at the input of the spectrophotometer and is measured. In addition to providing color spectrum measurements of target areas on a surface, the position sensing features of the mouse can also be operated as a typical computer-type mouse for command input to a graphical user interface. Thus, the operator can use the spectrophotometer mouse to measuring the color spectrum of target areas on the surface, or as a typical computer-type mouse.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim