Device for recording spectral information

Abstract

A user device including a camera, a spectrometer module, and a processing unit is disclosed. In one aspect, the camera is adapted to acquire at least one image of a scenery which falls within a field of view of the camera. The spectrometer module is adapted to acquire spectral information from a region within the scenery which region falls within a field of view of the spectrometer module. The processing unit is adapted to determine, based on information relating the field of view of the spectrometer module to the field of view of the camera, a spectrometer module target area, within the at least one image, corresponding to the region. The processing unit is adapted to output display data to a screen of the user device for providing an indication of the target area on the display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user device comprising:
 a camera adapted to acquire at least one image of a scenery which falls within a field of view of the camera;   a spectrometer module adapted to acquire spectral information from a region within the scenery which region falls within a field of view of the spectrometer module; and   a processing unit adapted to determine a spectrometer module target area, within the at least one image to output display data to a display of the user device for providing an indication of the target area on the display, the processing unit further adapted to:
 retrieve focus data indicating a focus distance of the camera during acquisition of the at least one image; 
 compare the focus distance of the camera to an optimum measurement distance of the spectrometer module; and 
 output user-perceptible information based on a result of the comparison. 
   
     
     
         2 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is adapted to determine the spectrometer module target area based on information representing a position of the target area in an acquired image. 
     
     
         3 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the target area includes a graphical representation of the target area within the at least one image. 
     
     
         4 . The user device according to  claim 3 , wherein the graphical representation includes a graphical element enclosing the target area. 
     
     
         5 . The user device according to  claim 3 , wherein the graphical representation includes highlighted image pixels within the target area. 
     
     
         6 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera is adapted to acquire a sequence of images of the scenery and the processing unit is adapted to output display data to the display for displaying the sequence of images and an indication of the target area within each image. 
     
     
         7 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is adapted to:
 adjust the region within the field of view of the spectrometer module to focus on a particular feature within a field of view of the camera.   
     
     
         8 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optimum measurement distance of the spectrometer module represents a predetermined measurement distance of the spectrometer module, or a focus distance of the spectrometer module, or a focus distance of the spectrometer module. 
     
     
         9 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is adapted to control the camera to focus on a feature in the region. 
     
     
         10 . The user device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is adapted to output user-perceptible information for guiding a user of the user device to move the user device to increase or reduce a distance between the user device and the region. 
     
     
         11 . A user device comprising:
 a spectrometer module adapted to acquire spectral information from a region;   a processing unit adapted to determine an RGB equivalent corresponding to the spectral information acquired by the spectrometer module from the region and to output display data to a display of the user device for providing an indication of the RGB equivalent on the display; and   a camera adapted to acquire a sequence of images of scenery including the region, wherein the processing unit is further adapted to:
 output display data to the display for displaying the sequence of images and an indication of the RGB equivalent along with each image; 
 retrieve focus data indicating a focus distance of the camera during acquisition of the sequence of images of the scenery; 
 compare the focus distance of the camera to an optimum measurement distance of the spectrometer module; and 
 output user-perceptible information based on a result of the comparison. 
   
     
     
         12 . The user device according to  claim 11 , wherein the spectrometer module is configured to acquire the spectral information from the region in response to the processing unit detecting that the focus distance of the camera matches the optimum measurement distance of the spectrometer module further comprising a camera adapted to acquire a sequence of images of a scenery including the region, and wherein the processing unit is further adapted to output display data to the display for displaying the sequence of images and an indication of the RGB equivalent along with each image. 
     
     
         13 . A user device comprising:
 a spectrometer module adapted to acquire spectral information; and
 a processing unit adapted to compare the acquired spectral information with a predetermined target spectrum and provide an output signal based on the comparison; and 
 a camera adapted to acquire at least one image of scenery which falls within a field of view of the camera, and wherein the processing unit is further adapted to: 
 retrieve focus data indicating a focus distance of the camera during acquisition of the at least one image of the scenery; 
 compare the focus distance of the camera to an optimum measurement distance of the spectrometer module; and 
 output user-perceptible information based on a result of the comparison of the focus distance of the camera and the optimum measurement distance of the spectrometer module. 
   
     
     
         14 . The user device according to  claim 13 , wherein the processing unit is adapted to determine a degree of correspondence between the acquired spectral information and the predetermined target spectrum. 
     
     
         15 . The user device according to  claim 13 , wherein the processing unit is adapted to provide the output signal to indicate the determined degree of correspondence as user-perceptible information.