IQ200
This document describes the anticipated specifications for
the IQ200 color meter from Prime Color, Inc (PCI). This new device shares the unique capabilities of the
original IQ meter, (also produced by PCI) and exceeds that device in accuracy,
ease of use and interaction with the generated data.
This document assumes that the reader is familiar with the original IQ
meter and its capabilities.
A Reading
The heart of an IQ meters’ function is the production of
a “Reading”. Each “Reading”
is an interpretation of a sample of ambient light.
The original IQ meter used 8 sampling “eyes” to analyze ambient
light; the new meter uses 256. The
original produced 20 characteristics with tremendous value to the user; the new
meter does this as well, and in addition provides a calibrated wattage for each
Nanometer (Nm) of the visible spectrum. The
new meters reading is of increased accuracy due to the far greater number of
“eyes” used to take each sample in conjunction with enhanced calculations
that take advantage of that added data.
Components
Overview
The physical product is composed of a handheld computing
device, a sensor and the connection between them, which is collectively referred
to as the “meter”.
Software is provided which controls all relevant aspects of
the handheld computing device. This
includes the taking of each reading and subsequent display and manipulation of
one or many such readings. This
software is pre-loaded on the handheld computer and facilities are provided to
restore the software should circumstances warrant.
Software is also provided to be loaded onto the
customer’s pre-existing PC. This
software will allow greater manipulation of the readings taken than can be
accomplished on the Pocket PC (PPC). Additionally,
the readings data can be exported to other common software for processing
limited only by the user’s capabilities and desires.
Meter
The new meter is composed of a computing device coupled to
a sensor. The computing device is a
handheld computer of the type labeled a “Pocket PC’. This means the device runs MS Windows for Pocket PC operating
system. The producer of these
devices is Compaq Computer Corporation. The
sensors are a customized housing produced by Prime Color, Inc. and incorporated
a sensor produced by OCLI, Inc. in addition to batteries and recharging
facilities for those batteries.
It is expected that the initial product will have the
sensor deployed at a short distance from the computer. The connection between the two will be either an industry
standard RS-232 serial cable or a low-power wireless radio frequency interface
known as “bluetooth”.
The PPC’s dimensions are approximately 5/8 ” x 3 ˝”
x 5”. The sensor’s dimensions
are approximately ˝” x 2 ˝” x 3 ˝ “.
Meter Software
The PPC is pre-loaded with MS Windows for Pocket PC and PCI
IQ200 software. Windows manages
most of the devices functions. IQ200
manages all functions related to the light color readings.
The IQ200 software is uniquely calibrated to the sensor
included with the product (and no other).
IQ200 controls the sensor as it takes each individual
reading. The user assigns a name to
that reading and it is stored as a file in the PPC. This file includes all aspects of physical and visual
characteristics as well as additional information necessary to plot those
details in relevant graphs. The
format of this file is XML (extensible Markup Language), an emerging Internet
standard for the sharing and communication of data.
IQ200 provides for the viewing of one or several readings
at the same time. The views
provided are the SPD display, the Chromaticity diagram display, the
characteristics display and the Reading management display (See “Software
Functions” below). Due to small
display size of the PPC only one of these views is available at a time.
PC Software
The customer’s PC must be of the type that runs Microsoft
(MS) Windows versions 98, ME, 2000, NT or XP.
It may be either a “laptop” or “desktop” model.
Provided software includes MS ActiveSync, a product that
copies and keeps information synchronized between the customer’s PC and the
Pocket PC. MS Active will
automatically copy all reading files from the PPC to the PC.
PCI provides IQ200 software that is loaded to the
customer’s PC. This software
provides for the viewing of one or several readings at the same time. The views provided are the SPD display, the Chromaticity
diagram, the characteristics display and the Reading management display (See
“Software Functions” below). On
the PC any or all of these views is available at one time.
The IQ200 for the PC also provides the ability to export one or many
readings or views of readings to MS Excel, MS Word and MS Access.
These products are prevalent on PCs throughout the world and provide
additional capabilities for manipulating the information in user-customized
ways.
Software Functions
Both the PPC and PC versions of the IQ200 software
incorporate the ability to open one or more reading files at once.
“Opening” a reading means to have it displayed on the screen as
opposed to being only resident on the computer and not immediately in view.
On the PPC, when a reading is newly taken, it is automatically “open”
and in view.
In both environments a “tab” represents each reading
that is opened. “Tabs” are a
common visual computer construct drawn on the computer screen simulating the
tabs visible at the top of physical file folders when in their files. Each tab represents a different topic as do their physical
counterparts. The caption on the
tab of an opened reading is the name given by the user to that reading when it
was recorded. The user may
“click” each tab. This means,
by mouse on the PC or stylus on the PPC, he focuses the computers cursor on and
presses an individual tab. This tab
is then redisplayed in slightly differing coloring to signify that it is the one
“selected”, the one currently in “focus” by the software.
Several views of opened readings are available.
In each of the following views the software may be directed to either
show the information for the one “selected” reading or all reading currently
open.
Chromaticity Diagram Display
Displays the X, Y coordinates of one or many readings as an
“X” in the proper position within a diagram of the 1931 CIE standard
chromaticity plot.
The user may zoom in on any area simply by clicking the
center of the area he wants to see in greater detail. A button is provided which zooms back out to the full view of
the diagram.
If several readings are open and the user has chosen to
have all readings displayed at once then selecting tabs corresponding to
readings causes the “X” denoting that reading’s position to be
highlighted.
SPD Display
Displays one or many readings’ spectral power
distributions as a plot of power on the vertical axis versus Nm wavelength on
the horizontal axis. The area
immediately under any point on the plotted curve is colored as appropriate for
that wavelength in the spectrum.
If several readings are open and the user has chosen to
have all readings displayed at once then selecting tabs corresponding to
readings causes the line denoting that reading’s SPD plot to be highlighted.
Characteristics Display
Displays one or many readings’ numerical characteristics.
Each reading’s characteristics are displayed in one column.
If several readings are open and the user has chosen to
have all readings displayed at once then selecting tabs corresponding to
readings causes the column denoting that reading’s characteristics to be
highlighted.
Reading Management Display
A display analogous to the actual storage of the readings
files within directories on the computer is displayed.
The user is provided with the ability to rename, copy, move or delete the
readings he has recorded.
Options
There are many optional settings available to the user:
- Each
numerical characteristic may be displayed or hidden.
- A
list of the readings open when the program was last run can be recalled and
those readings opened again when the program next starts.
Or not.
- The
programs active screen and location on the computer screen can be recalled
and the workspace restored. Or
not.
Key Benefits
- Benefit 1
- Benefit 2
- Benefit 3
Pricing
| Description |
SKU # |
Price |
| option 1 |
sku-1 |
100 |
| option 2 |
sku-2 |
200 |
| option 3 |
sku-3 |
300 |
IQ 200 Manual
