Normalization of color from a captured image into a universal digital color system for specification and matching

• US 10,460,475 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zencolor Global, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zencolor Global, LLC
• Inventors: Gershon, Dann, Robinson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Krasnic, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US15/472,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2431 Multiple classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/764 using classification, e.g. of video objects

Abstract

A client device and method to normalize a digital image into a universal digital color system includes a camera and a processor. The camera acquires a digital image of a color swatch and the processor converts the digital image into a RGB color image of the color swatch. The RGB color image is segmented into segments and each segment is analyzed to determine a dominant color for each segment. At least one dominant color for the color swatch is determined based on prevalence of at least one dominant color in each segment. A hexadecimal code of the universal color system is assigned to the color swatch that is closest to a digital hexadecimal value of the RGB image based on color component intensity values of the dominant color of the color swatch, thereby normalizing RGB colors of the color swatch.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for normalizing a digital image into a universal digital color system, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a digital image of a color swatch by a client device associated with a user;

converting the digital image into a RGB (red, green, blue) color image of the color swatch by a processor of the client device;

normalizing RGB colors of the color swatch by;

segmenting the RGB color image of the color swatch into a plurality of segments by the processor of the client device;

analyzing each segment to determine a dominant color for said each segment by the processor of the client device;

determining at least one dominant color for the color swatch based on prevalence of said at least one dominant color in said each segment by the processor of the client device; and

assigning a hexadecimal code of the universal digital color system to the color swatch that is closest to a digital hexadecimal value of the RGB color image of the color swatch based on color component intensity values of said at least one dominant color of the color swatch by the processor of the client device; and

storing the digital image of the color swatch, the RGB color image of the color swatch, said at least one dominant color for the color swatch, the digital hexadecimal value, and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch in a memory of the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting the digital image of the color swatch and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch to another client device over a communications network by the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of determining an Euclidian distance between each hexadecimal code of the universal digital color system to the digital hexadecimal value of the color swatch based on the color component intensity values;

and assigning the hexadecimal code yielding a shortest Euclidian distance to the RGB color image of the color swatch by the processor of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining the dominant color of said each segment on a pixel by pixel basis by the processor of the client device, the color appearing most frequently across all pixels being designated as the dominant color of said each segment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting the digital image of the color swatch, the RGB color image of the color swatch, said at least one dominant color for the color swatch, and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch to a processor based server over a communications network by the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch matches a hexadecimal code of one of standard color swatches.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising steps of accepting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch matches the hexadecimal code of one of the standard color swatches;

and rejecting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch does not match the hexadecimal code of any of the standard color swatches.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of accepting the color swatch comprises a step of transmitting an acceptance message to another client device over a communications network by the client device;

and wherein the step of rejecting the color swatch comprises a step of transmitting a rejection message of the color swatch to said another client device over the communications network by the client device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is within a predetermined range of a hexadecimal code of one of standard color swatches.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of accepting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is within the predetermined range;

and rejecting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is not within the predetermined range.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of accepting the color swatch comprises a step of transmitting an acceptance message to another client device over a communications network by the client device;

and wherein the step of rejecting the color swatch comprises a step of transmitting a rejection message of the color swatch to said another client device over the communications network by the client device.

12. A client device to normalize a digital image into a universal digital color system, comprising:

a camera to acquire a digital image of a color swatch;

a processor to;

convert the digital image into a RGB (red, green, blue) color image of the color swatch;

segment the RGB color image of the color swatch into a plurality of segments, analyzing each segment to determine a dominant color for said each segment;

determine at least one dominant color for the color swatch based on prevalence of said at least one dominant color in said each segment; and

assign a hexadecimal code of the universal digital color system to the color swatch that is closest to a digital hexadecimal value of the RGB color image of the color swatch based on color component intensity values of said at least one dominant color of the color swatch, thereby normalizing RGB colors of the color swatch; and

a memory to store the digital image of the color swatch, the RGB color image of the color swatch, said at least one dominant color for the color swatch, the digital hexadecimal value, and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch.

13. The client device of claim 12, further comprising a network connection facility to transmit the digital image of the color swatch and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch to another client device over a communications network.

14. The client device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine an Euclidian distance between each hexadecimal code of the universal digital color system to the digital hexadecimal value of the color swatch based on the color component intensity values, and configured to assign the hexadecimal code yielding a shortest Euclidian distance to the RGB color image of the color swatch.

15. The client device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine the dominant color of said each segment on a pixel by pixel basis, the color appearing most frequently across all pixels being designated as the dominant color of said each segment.

16. The client device of claim 12, further comprising a network connection facility to transmit the digital image of the color swatch, the RGB color image of the color swatch, said at least one dominant color for the color swatch, and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch to a processor based server over a communications network.

17. The client device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch matches a hexadecimal code of one of standard color swatches.

18. The client device of claim 17, further comprising a screen to display an acceptance message in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch matches the hexadecimal code of one of the standard color swatches, and to display a rejection message in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch does not match the hexadecimal code of any of the standard color swatches.

19. The client device of claim 18, further comprising a network connection facility to transmit either the acceptance message or the rejection message to another client device over a communications network.

20. The client device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is within a predetermined range of a hexadecimal code of one of standard color swatches.

21. The client device of claim 20, further comprising a screen to display an acceptance message in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is within the predetermined range, and to display a rejection message in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is not within the predetermined range.

22. The client device of claim 21, further comprising a network connection facility to transmit either the acceptance message or the rejection message to another client device over a communications network.

23. The client device of claim 12 is one of the following:

a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a netbook or a network-enabled device with a camera.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable code for normalizing a digital image into a universal digital color system, the computer executable code comprising instructions for:

obtaining a digital image of a color swatch by a client device associated with a user;

converting the digital image into a RGB (red, green, blue) color image of the color swatch by a processor of the client device;

normalizing RGB colors of the color swatch by;

segmenting the RGB color image of the color swatch into a plurality of segments by the processor of the client device;

analyzing each segment to determine a dominant color for said each segment by the processor of the client device;

determining at least one dominant color for the color swatch based on prevalence of said at least one dominant color in said each segment by the processor of the client device; and

assigning a hexadecimal code of the universal digital color system to the color swatch that is closest to a digital hexadecimal value of the RGB color image of the color swatch based on color component intensity values of said at least one dominant color of the color swatch by the processor of the client device; and

storing the digital image of the color swatch, the RGB color image of the color swatch, said at least one dominant color for the color swatch, the digital hexadecimal value, and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch in a memory of the client device.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for transmitting the digital image of the color swatch and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch to another client device over a communications network by the client device.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for determining an Euclidian distance between each hexadecimal code of the universal digital color system to the digital hexadecimal value of the color swatch based on the color component intensity values;

and assigning the hexadecimal code yielding a shortest Euclidian distance to the RGB color image of the color swatch by the processor of the client device.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for determining the dominant color of said each segment on a pixel by pixel basis by the processor of the client device, the color appearing most frequently across all pixels being designated as the dominant color of said each segment.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for transmitting the digital image of the color swatch, the RGB color image of the color swatch, said at least one dominant color for the color swatch, and the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch to a processor based server over a communications network by the client device.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for determining whether the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch matches a hexadecimal code of one of standard color swatches.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for accepting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch matches the hexadecimal code of one of the standard color swatches;

and rejecting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch does not match the hexadecimal code of any of the standard color swatches.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for transmitting an acceptance message to another client device over a communications network by the client device in response to the acceptance of the color swatch;

and transmitting a rejection message of the color swatch to said another client device over the communications network by the client device in response to the rejection of the color swatch.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for determining whether the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is within a predetermined range of a hexadecimal code of one of standard color swatches.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for accepting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is within the predetermined range;

and rejecting the color swatch in response to a determination that the hexadecimal code assigned to the color swatch is not within the predetermined range.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the computer executable code further comprises instructions for transmitting an acceptance message to another client device over a communications network by the client device in response to the acceptance of the color swatch;

and transmitting a rejection message of the color swatch to said another client device over the communications network by the client device in response to the rejection of the color swatch.