Color measurement device with error detection

1. A color measurement device including an error detection function for color printing control, comprising:

an optical measurement head, the optical measurement head being moveable linearly along a color bar region of a printing sheet, and being configured for making color measurements with respect to the color bar, and for detecting color measurement errors by determining whether such color measurements are being made at least in part with respect to regions of the printing sheet other than the color bar region.

2. The color measurement device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement head further comprises a pixel array for tracking a center trajectory of the color bar for purposes of detecting the color measurement errors.

3. The color measurement device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement head further comprises a color measurement engine for purposes of making the color measurements with respect to the color bar.

4. The color measurement device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a motion control element and a mechanical track to guide the optical measurement head along the color bar region.

5. A color measurement system including the color measurement device in accordance with claim 1 , and further comprising application software residing in a host computer, wherein the optical measurement head is further configured to support bidirectional data communication with the application software.

6. The color measurement system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the optical measurement head further comprises a pixel array for tracking a center trajectory of the color bar for purposes of detecting the color measurement errors, and wherein the application software is configured to interpret color data generated by the optical measurement head, and to simultaneously interpret error detection pixel data generated by the optical measurement head.

7. A color measurement system including an error detection function for color printing control, comprising:

an optical measurement head for moving linearly along a color bar on a printed sheet and measuring the color bar;

a mechanical track with linear motion means; and

a host computer with software configured to receive color measurement data from the optical measurement head and to actively monitor a validity of the color measurement data;

wherein the software configured to actively monitor the validity of the color measurement data includes software configured to determine whether measurements of the color bar are being made at least in part with respect to regions of the printing sheet other than the color bar region.

8. The color measurement system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the software is further configured to prevent invalid color bar measurements from being forwarded to printing press control units.

9. The color measurement system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the software is further configured to provide user feedback with respect to realignment actions required to enable valid color bar measurements during a consecutive measurement of a plurality of printed sheets of a printing press run job.

10. The color measurement system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the software is further configured to provide user feedback with respect to physical printed sheet alignment actions required to enable valid color bar.