A reflective materials sensor for detecting remotely located reflective material. The reflective materials sensor includes a transparent window with two window surfaces, an amount of reflective material that is remotely located away from one window surface. An operating parameters sensor located adjacent to the transparent window, a radiation detector located away from the other window surface; and two spaced apart radiation emitters located on either side of the radiation detector, and away from the second window surface. Each radiation emitter is configured to emit radiation along one axis through the transparent window towards the reflective material and towards a common focal point. The radiation detector is located to receive reflected radiation from the reflective material along another axis. The first axis of the radiation emitters is angled towards the other axis of the reflected radiation.

A detection device includes a light source which emits light, a lens, a light transmissive protecting plate, a length between the light source and the light transmissive protecting plate being larger than a length between the lens and the light transmissive protecting plate, and a light receiving element; which receives the light. An angle formed by an optical axis of the lens and the light transmissive protecting plate is smaller than an angle formed by an optical axis of the light source and the transmissive protecting plate.

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to color and appearance metric measurements and, in particular, developing instrumentation to enable self-consistent image appearance measurements within instruments of unitary construction.

An apparatus can be provided according to certain exemplary embodiments. For example, the apparatus can include a waveguiding first arrangement providing at least one electromagnetic radiation. A configuration can be provided that receives and splits the at least one electromagnetic radiation into a first radiation and a second radiation. The apparatus can further include a waveguiding second arrangement which has a first waveguide and a second waveguide, whereas the first waveguide receives the first radiation, and the second waveguide receives the second radiation. The first arrangement, the second arrangement and the configuration can be housed in a probe.

Since both gloss and a reflection characteristic are measured by one surface characteristic measurement device, a gloss measurement target area and a reflection characteristic measurement target area are appropriately set. A gloss measurement instrument and a color measurement instrument are integrated with a gloss colorimeter. The gloss measurement instrument illuminates an illumination target face by illumination light, receives reflected light generated by a regular reflection of the illumination light on the illumination target face, and outputs a measurement result for the reflected light. A size of the gloss measurement target area can be changed. The color measurement instrument illuminates the illumination target face by annular illumination light, receives reflected light generated by a reflection of the annular illumination light on the illumination target face, and outputs a measurement result for the reflected light. A size of the reflection characteristic measurement target area can be changed.

An apparatus can be provided according to certain exemplary embodiments. For example, the apparatus can include a waveguiding first arrangement providing at least one electromagnetic radiation. A configuration can be provided that receives and splits the at least one electromagnetic radiation into a first radiation and a second radiation. The apparatus can further include a waveguiding second arrangement which has a first waveguide and a second waveguide, whereas the first waveguide receives the first radiation, and the second waveguide receives the second radiation. The first arrangement, the second arrangement and the configuration can be housed in a probe.

The present concept is a method of preparing an egg to determine the color of the egg using an egg yolk cover. The egg yolk cover is dome-shaped with a base edge and inspection area. The egg yolk cover eliminates ambient light from impinging on the egg yolk and is used in combination with a light sensor to determine the color of egg yolks. The light sensor includes a single flat printed circuit board with a top and bottom side which includes at least one LED light and one color sensor, at least one light pipe receiving light from the LED and transmitting it onto a substrate at an angle theta and a tube frame including an optical tube for receiving light reflections from the substrate. The light pipes and the tube frame are compression fit between the printed circuit board and a lower housing. To determine the color of the egg yolk, the egg is first cracked onto a flat surface. The egg yolk cover is then placed over the egg yolk and the color sensor is placed onto the inspection area to measure the color.

The present concept is a portable color sensor for measuring color of a substrate that includes a single flat printed circuit board with a top and bottom side which includes at least one LED light and one color sensor and at least one light pipe receiving light from the LED and transmitting it onto a substrate at an angle theta. It also includes a tube frame including an optical tube for receiving light reflections from the substrate and directing the reflections to the color sensor. The light pipes and the tube frame, are mounted and compression fit between the printed circuit board and a lower housing.

An optical vital signs sensor configured to measure or determine vital signs of a user comprises a light source configured to generate a light beam having an angular range of angles of incidence. The light beam is directed towards the skin of the user. A photo detector is provided and is configured to detect light which is indicative of a reflection of the light beam from the light source in or from the skin of the user. The light source and the photo detector are arranged adjacent to each other and on the same side of the skin of the user. A light shaping unit is configured to shape the light beam of the light source before the light beam enters the skin by limiting the angular range of angle of incidence to less than 20.

Since both gloss and a reflection characteristic are measured by one surface characteristic measurement device, a gloss measurement target area and a reflection characteristic measurement target area are appropriately set. A gloss measurement instrument and a color measurement instrument are integrated with a gloss colorimeter. The gloss measurement instrument illuminates an illumination target face by illumination light, receives reflected light generated by a regular reflection of the illumination light on the illumination target face, and outputs a measurement result for the reflected light. A size of the gloss measurement target area can be changed. The color measurement instrument illuminates the illumination target face by annular illumination light, receives reflected light generated by a reflection of the annular illumination light on the illumination target face, and outputs a measurement result for the reflected light. A size of the reflection characteristic, measurement target area can be changed.