Paint color matching and coordinating system
First Claim
1. A method of generating a display of complementary architectural paint color samples, comprising the steps of:
- receiving an input reference color having a reference hue;
selecting a first set of architectural paint colors having a first hue that is complementary to said reference hue; and
displaying one or more color samples from said first set of architectural paint colors on one of a display monitor or a hard-copy printout.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A paint color matching and coordinating system comprises an interface for receiving an input reference color, a processor capable of reading a memory, a memory including (1) instructions readable by the processor and (2) a database of architectural paint colors spanning all or most of the known color space, and a display generator. In use, the interface of the system receives an input reference color from a user. The processor selects a “reference paint color” from the database, the reference paint color being visually closer, with respect to color space, to the input reference color than any other paint color in the database. According to the invention, color space is divided into a plurality of fixed, generally equally sized, non-overlapping, contiguous portions, each color space portion being defined as the space of all colors within a band of hues within color space. The processor selects five sets of paint colors—one set from each of the color space portions that include the five hues that comprise the “five-way harmony” of the reference paint color. The processor may also select a sixth set of paint colors from the color space portion that includes the hue of the reference paint color. Finally, the processor directs the display generator to create a display of color samples of the reference paint color and of the first through sixth sets of paint colors.
57 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of generating a display of complementary architectural paint color samples, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an input reference color having a reference hue;
selecting a first set of architectural paint colors having a first hue that is complementary to said reference hue; and
displaying one or more color samples from said first set of architectural paint colors on one of a display monitor or a hard-copy printout. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An architectural paint color coordination system for selecting complementary architectural paint colors, comprising:
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an interface for receiving an input reference color;
a processor configured to perform instructions read from a memory;
a memory storing instructions configured to be read and performed by said processor; and
a display generator;
wherein said instructions direct said processor to perform the steps of;
directing said interface to receive an input reference color having a reference hue, with respect to a color space;
selecting a first set of architectural paint colors having a first hue that is one of the hues of the five-way harmony of said reference hue; and
directing said display generator to display color samples of said first set of architectural paint colors. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An inventory selection system, comprising:
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an architectural paint color selection system configured to generate an output display of harmonious paint colors and to communicate color information of said paint colors to a processor;
a database of inventory, said database containing color information of items of said inventory; and
a processor in communication with said paint color selection system to read said color information of said paint colors and with said database to read said color information of said items of inventory;
wherein said processor is configured to select matching inventory from said database whose color information is within a predetermined tolerance of the color information of any of said paint colors, said processor also configured to provide a listing of said matching inventory.
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Specification