An image forming apparatus includes an optical sensor for detecting an image formed on an intermediate transfer belt. The optical sensor includes first and second light emitting diodes (LEDs) and first and second photodiodes (PDs). The first and second LEDs irradiate an optical-axis center point of an intermediate transfer belt. The first PD is arranged at a position at which an optical axis of specularly reflected light of light emitted from the second LED and an optical axis along which specularly reflected light of light emitted from the first LED is received form a first angle. The second PD is arranged at a position at which the optical axis of the specularly reflected light of the light emitted from the second LED and an optical axis along which diffused reflected light of the light emitted from the second LED is received form a second angle different from the first angle.

A multi-angle colorimeter includes an index calculation unit that calculates, based on a predetermined calculation formula, an index corresponding to luminance of a glittering material used in metallic coating or pearl coating by using optical parameters for color evaluation of the metallic coating or pearl coating on a surface of an object.

The present invention is intended to make it easier to perform positioning of a detection device when detecting surface characteristics of a sensing object. The invention includes a detection device, a processing part, a guidance information generation part and an informing part. The detection device detects reflection light from a sensing object by irradiating light onto the sensing object. The processing part calculates surface characteristics of the sensing object by processing data from the detection device. The guidance information generation part generates information about a distance and/or an attitude of the detection device relative to the sensing object. The informing part informs the information about the distance and/or the attitude generated by the guidance information generation part.

An information processing apparatus generates a signal value for forming an image of an object as a recording layer on a recording medium. The apparatus inputs a characteristic of specular reflection light, a characteristic of internal diffuse reflection light, and a characteristic of surficial diffuse reflection light. Then, the apparatus derives, based on the characteristic of the internal diffuse reflection light, a first signal value for a first recording layer to be formed on the recording medium, and derives, based on the characteristic of the specular reflection light and the characteristic of the surficial diffuse reflection light, a second signal value for a second recording layer different from the first recording layer to be formed on the recording medium.

A system for pumping laser sustained plasma and enhancing one or more selected wavelengths of output illumination generated by the laser sustained plasma is disclosed. In embodiments, the system includes one or more pump modules configured to generate pump illumination for the laser sustained plasma and one or more enhancing illumination sources configured to generate enhancing illumination at one or more selected wavelengths. The pump illumination may be directed along one or more pump illumination paths that are non-collinear to an output illumination path of the output illumination. The enhancing illumination may be directed along an illumination path that is collinear to the output illumination path of the output illumination so that the enhancing illumination is combined with the output illumination, thereby enhancing the output illumination at the one or more selected wavelengths.

A measuring apparatus that measures an optical characteristic of a surface in accordance with a standard selected from a plurality of standards is provided. The apparatus includes an illumination device configured to illuminate the surface with light from a light source, an imaging device configured to image the light source with reflected light from the surface illuminated by the illumination device, and a processor configured to process image data having number of pixels obtained by reducing number of pixels of the imaging device by a reduction rate to obtain the optical characteristic of the surface. The processor is configured to determine the reduction rate based on the selected standard.

Method for sorting products and sorting apparatus with a flow of granular products (1) moving in an inspection zone (4), wherein a light beam (8) is moved over the product flow in order to generate a reflected stream of light (12), wherein at least one detector unit (13) is provided to detect light reflected by the products (1) in order to generate detection signals, wherein this detector unit (13) cooperates with a control unit in order to sort the products (1) by means of these detection signals. The invention is characterised in that the detector unit (13) contains at least two sensors (19,20) that are provided one after the other in said reflected stream of light (12) so that a sensor (19) is placed upstream of a downstream sensor (20), wherein each sensor (19,20) detects a different part of the reflected stream of light (12).

A display apparatus includes a diffuse reflection image acquiring unit, a specular reflection image acquiring unit, a difference image acquiring unit, a reflectance distribution function calculating unit, and a display. The diffuse reflection image acquiring unit acquires a diffuse reflection image of an object surface. The specular reflection image acquiring unit acquires a specular reflection image of the object surface. The difference image acquiring unit acquires a difference image between the diffuse reflection image and the specular reflection image. The reflectance distribution function calculating unit calculates a reflectance distribution function of the object surface by using the diffuse reflection image and the difference image. The display displays a reflection color of the object surface in accordance with a change of orientation of the object surface by using the reflectance distribution function.

An optical sensor includes a first LED, a second LED, a first PD, and a second PD. The first LED and the second LED are configured to irradiate an optical-axis center point of an intermediate transfer belt. The first PD is arranged at a position at which specularly reflected light of light emitted from the first LED and diffused reflected light of light emitted from the second LED are received. The second PD is arranged at a position at which diffused reflected light of the light emitted from the first LED is received.

An image forming apparatus includes an optical sensor configured to detect an image formed on an intermediate transfer belt. The optical sensor includes a first LED, a second LED, a first PD, and a second PD. The first LED and the second LED irradiate an optical-axis center point of an intermediate transfer belt. The first PD is arranged at a position at which an optical axis of specularly reflected light of light emitted from the second LED and an optical axis along which specularly reflected light of light emitted from the first LED is received form an angle . The second PD is arranged at a position at which the optical axis of the specularly reflected light of the light emitted from the second LED and an optical axis along which diffused reflected light of the light emitted from the second LED is received.