Temperature compensation method and apparatus for color sensors

1. An apparatus coupled to a color sensor that receives light and based thereon generates an output signal; wherein the color sensor includes a temperature, said apparatus comprising:

a) a temperature compensation mechanism that receives the output signal from the color sensor, measures the temperature of the color sensor, and uses the measured temperature to selectively adjust the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal that is not dependent on the temperature of the color sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature compensation mechanism includes

a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the color sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the temperature compensation mechanism includes

a controller coupled to the temperature sensor for receiving the temperature of the color sensor; wherein the controller employs the temperature of the color sensor to selectively modify the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller employs a first compensation algorithm for selectively modifying the output signal of the color sensor to cancel or offset the leakage current due to temperature variations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature compensation mechanism compensates for variations in the output signal of a color sensor due to temperature changes and prevents drift of the output signal versus light graph as temperature of the color sensor varies.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the temperature sensor measures the temperature at one of a location on the color sensor, a location of a component proximate the color sensor, and an environment proximate to the color sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the temperature sensor includes a thermocouple.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature compensation mechanism includes a temperature compensation program that when executed by a processor receives the output signal generated by the color sensor, receives the measured temperature of the color sensor, and based thereon generates a compensated output signal that is not dependent on the temperature of the color sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature compensation mechanism includes a look-up table that associates output signals and compensated output signals for different temperatures.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature compensation mechanism includes a look-up table that associates output signals and compensation factors for different temperatures.

11. A method for compensating for variations in output signal of a color sensor due to temperature changes in a color sensor comprising:

measuring a temperature of the color sensor; and

employing the measured temperature to selectively adjust the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal that is not dependent on temperature variations of the color sensor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein employing the measured temperature to selectively adjust the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal that is not dependent on temperature variations of the color sensor includes

compensating for leakage current of the color sensor due to temperature variations.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of measuring a temperature of the color sensor includes the step of

converting the measured temperature into a digital representation thereof.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein employing the measured temperature to selectively adjust the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal that is not dependent on temperature variations of the color sensor includes

using the measured temperature to retrieve a compensation factor; and

employing the compensation factor to adjust the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal that is not dependent on different operating temperatures of the color sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of using the measured temperature to retrieve a compensation factor includes

converting the measured temperature into a digital representation thereof; and

accessing a look-up table accessed by using a digital representation of the temperature.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein employing the compensation factor to adjust the output signal of the color sensor to generate a compensated output signal that is not dependent on different operating temperatures of the color sensor includes

adding the compensation factor to the output signal of the color sensor,

subtracting the compensation factor from the output signal of the color sensor,

multiplying the output of the color sensor with the compensation factor, and

applying a compensation algorithm to the output signal of the color sensor that uses the compensation factor.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of

normalizing the voltage output of the color sensor;

executing an algorithm; and

generating one or more pulse width modulation (PWM) control signals.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of executing an algorithm includes performing a matrix calculation.