Color search engine

• US 20030231185A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carl A. Kupersmit
• Original Assignee: Carl A. Kupersmit
• Inventors: Kupersmit, Carl A.
• Application Number:
  US10/465,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/10 Teaching painting

Abstract

A computerized color matching method can include receiving at least one color space matching parameter for matching a first color to a second color. The first color can correspond to color specification parameters defined in a color characterization system. Second, based upon the color specification parameters of the first color and the color space matching parameter, new color specification parameters can be computed. The new color specification parameters can correspond to said second color. As such, the second color can match the first color. The computing step can also include computing new color specification parameters based upon the color specification parameters of the first color, the color space matching parameter, and a randomly generated value.

Claims

1. A color matching system comprising:

a swatch user interface for displaying at least one activatable color swatch for visually presenting a color corresponding to at least one color specification parameter specified according to a color characterization system;

at least one color control for specifying said color specification parameters; and

,

a color matching module for computing a matching color based upon a color space matching parameter and color specification parameters corresponding to a color presented in an activated color swatch in said swatch user interface, said color matching module identifying a color matching said color presented in said activated color swatch.

2. The color matching system of claim 1, wherein said at least one color specification parameter is a user-selectable color space matching parameter.

3. The color matching system of claim 1, wherein each activatable color swatch in said swatch user interface is repositionable within said swatch user interface.

4. The color matching system of claim 1, wherein said color characterization system comprises a Hue-Saturation-Brightness (“

HSB”

) color characterization system.

5. The color matching system of claim 1, wherein said swatch user interface comprises at least one network distributable document displayable in a Web browser.

6. The color matching system of claim 1, wherein said color controls comprise a hue control, a saturation control and a brightness control.

7. The color matching system of claim 1, wherein said color space matching parameter comprises a contrast parameter.

8. The color matching system of claim 1, further comprising means for creating, saving, retrieving and deleting sets of color swatches displayable in said swatch user interface.

9. The color matching system of claim 1, further comprising a color extractor for identifying an object'"'"'s color, said color extractor extracting said object color from said object, said color extractor providing said identified color to said swatch user interface for display in a color swatch.

10. The color matching system of claim 9, wherein said color extractor comprises:

an image acquisition device for acquiring a digitized image of an object;

partitioning logic for subdividing said acquired digitized image into a plurality of color zones; and

,

color computing logic for computing a color for each color zone;

said color extractor displaying each computed color in a color swatch in said swatch user interface.

11. The color matching system of claim 10, wherein said color extractor further comprises:

color averaging logic for computing an average color for each color computed for each color zone;

said color extractor displaying said average color in a color swatch in said swatch user interface.

12. The color matching system of claim 10, wherein said color extractor further comprises:

a library of patterns for arranging said color zones in a selected portion of said acquired digitized image.

13. The color matching system of claim 1, further comprising:

a product database containing images of products, each said product having at least one color; and

,

a product matching module for identifying products in said product database having at least one color matching said color identified by said color matching module;

said product matching module producing a selectable set of said identified products.

14. The color matching system of claim 1, further comprising shopping cart means for processing a check-out transaction for a selected product in said selectable set.

15. A method for performing computerized color matching comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one color space matching parameter for matching a first color to a second color, said first color corresponding to color specification parameters defined in a color characterization system; and

,

based upon said color specification parameters of said first color and said color space matching parameter, computing new color specification parameters, said new color specification parameters corresponding to said second color;

whereby said second color matches said first color.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said computing step comprises the step of:

based upon said color specification parameters of said first color, said color space matching parameter, and a randomly generated value, computing new color specification parameters, said new color specification parameters corresponding to said second color;

whereby by virtue of said randomly generated value, each time said computing step is performed said second color differs from a second color computed in a previous performance of said computing step.

17. The computerized color matching method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

visually presenting to a user in a color swatch in a swatch user interface said first color corresponding to said color specification parameters defined in said color characterization system.

18. The computerized color matching method of claim 15, wherein said color space matching parameter is a user-specified color space matching parameter.

19. The computerized color matching method of claim 17, further comprising the step of visually presenting said second color in a color swatch in said swatch user interface.

20. The computerized color matching method of claim 17, wherein each swatch in said swatch user interface is repositionable within said swatch user interface.

21. The computerized color matching method of claim 15, wherein said color characterization system comprises a Hue-Saturation-Brightness (“

HSB”

) color characterization system.

22. The computerized color matching method of claim 19, further comprising the step of displaying said color swatch in a swatch user interface in a network distributable document displayable in a Web browser.

23. The computerized color matching method of claim 19, further comprising the step of providing color controls for modifying said color specification parameters specifying said first color in said color swatch.

24. The computerized color matching method of claim 23, wherein said color controls comprise a hue control, a saturation control and a brightness control.

25. The computerized color matching method of claim 15, wherein said color space matching parameter comprises a contrast parameter.

26. The computerized color matching method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

extracting an object color from an object; and

,

visually presenting said extracted object color in said color swatch.

27. The computerized color matching method of claim 26, wherein said extracting step comprises the steps:

optically scanning said object, said optical scanning producing a digital image of said object;

determining color specification parameters corresponding to colors in a selected region of said digital image; and

,

identifying a color according to said determined color specification parameters, said identified color corresponding to said object color in said selected region.

28. The computerized color matching method of claim 26, wherein said extracting step comprises the steps:

optically scanning said object, said optical scanning producing a digital image of said object;

subdividing a selected region of said digital image into a plurality of color zones;

determining color specification parameters corresponding to colors in a each color zone in said selected region of said digital image; and

,

identifying a color according to said determined color specification parameters, said identified color corresponding to said object color in said selected region.

29. The computerized color matching method of claim 27, further comprising:

computing average color specification parameters based upon color specification parameters computed for each color zone; and

,

identifying an average color according to said computed average color specification parameters.

30. The computerized color matching method of claim 28, wherein said visual presentation step comprises:

visually presenting each identified color in a color swatch.

31. The computerized color matching method of claim 28, wherein said visual presentation step further comprises:

visually presenting said average color in a color swatch.

32. The computerized color matching method of claim 28, wherein said subdividing step comprises:

retrieving a user selectable pattern from a library of patterns, said pattern specifying a spatial arrangement of color zones; and

,

subdividing said selected region of said digital image into at least two color zones according to said retrieved pattern.

33. The computerized color matching method of claim 32, wherein said subdividing step comprises:

subdividing said selected region of said digital image into a pre-selected number of color zones according to said retrieved pattern.

34. The computerized color matching method of claim 27, wherein said determining step comprises the step of computing color specification parameters based upon an average value of said color specification parameters determinable in said selected region.

35. The computerized color matching method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

accessing a product database containing images of products, each said product having a color;

identifying products in said product database having a color matching said second color identified by said color matching module; and

,

producing a selectable set of said identified products.

36. The computerized color matching method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a user selection of at least one of said identified products in said selectable set; and

,

displaying an image of said selected identified product in a swatch user interface.

37. The computerized color matching method of claim 36, further comprising the steps of:

positioning said displayed image next to said first color in said color swatch in said swatch user interface

38. The computerized color matching method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

positioning said displayed image next to other color swatches in said swatch user interface.

39. The computerized color matching method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a user selection of at least one of said identified products in said selectable set; and

,

displaying information related to said selected product.

40. The computerized color matching method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a user selection of at least one of said identified products in said selectable set;

adding each user selected product to a shopping cart; and

,

processing a check-out transaction for each user selected product in said shopping cart.

41. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for computerized color matching, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving at least one color space matching parameter for matching a first color to a second color, said first color corresponding to color specification parameters defined in a color characterization system; and

,

based upon said color specification parameters of said first color and said color space matching parameter, computing new color specification parameters, said new color specification parameters corresponding to said second color;

whereby said second color matches said first color.

42. The machine readable storage of claim 41, wherein said computing step comprises the step of:

based upon said color specification parameters of said first color, said color space matching parameter, and a randomly generated value, computing new color specification parameters, said new color specification parameters corresponding to said second color;

whereby by virtue of said randomly generated value, each time said computing step is performed said second color differs from a second color computed in a previous performance of said computing step.

43. The machine readable storage of claim 41, further comprising the step of:

visually presenting to a user in a color swatch in a swatch user interface said first color corresponding to said color specification parameters defined in said color characterization system.

44. The machine readable storage of claim 41, wherein said color space matching parameter is a user-specified color space matching parameter.

45. The machine readable storage of claim 43, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the step of visually presenting said second color in a color swatch in said swatch user interface.

46. The machine readable storage of claim 43, wherein each swatch in said swatch user interface is repositionable within said swatch user interface.

47. The machine readable storage of claim 41, wherein said color characterization system comprises a Hue-Saturation-Brightness (“

HSB”

) color characterization system.

48. The machine readable storage of claim 43, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the step of displaying said color swatch in a swatch user interface in a network distributable document displayable in a Web browser.

49. The machine readable storage of claim 43, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the step of providing color controls for modifying said color specification parameters specifying said first color in said color swatch.

50. The machine readable storage of claim 41, wherein said color controls comprise a hue control, a saturation control and a brightness control.

51. The machine readable storage of claim 41, wherein said color space matching parameter comprises a contrast parameter.

52. The machine readable storage of claim 43, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

extracting an object color from an object; and

,

visually presenting said extracted object color in said color swatch.

53. The machine readable storage of claim 52, wherein said extracting step comprises the steps:

optically scanning said object, said optical scanning producing a digital image of said object; and

,

determining color specification parameters corresponding to colors in a selected region of said digital image; and

,

identifying a color according to said determined color specification parameters, said identified color corresponding to said object color in said selected region.

54. The machine readable storage of claim 52, wherein said extracting step comprises the steps:

optically scanning said object, said optical scanning producing a digital image of said object; and

,

subdividing a selected region of said digital image into a plurality of color zones;

determining color specification parameters corresponding to colors in a each color zone in said selected region of said digital image; and

,

identifying a color according to said determined color specification parameters, said identified color corresponding to said object color in said selected region.

55. The machine readable storage of claim 54, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

computing average color specification parameters based upon color specification parameters computed for each color zone; and

,

identifying an average color according to said computed average color specification parameters.

56. The machine readable storage of claim 54, wherein said visual presentation step comprises:

visually presenting each identified color in a color swatch.

57. The machine readable storage of claim 55 wherein said visual presentation step further comprises:

visually presenting said average color in a color swatch.

58. The machine readable storage of claim 54, wherein said subdividing step comprises:

retrieving a user selectable pattern from a library of patterns, said pattern specifying a spatial arrangement of color zones; and

,

subdividing said selected region of said digital image into at least two color zones according to said retrieved pattern;

59. The machine readable storage of claim 54, wherein said subdividing step comprises:

subdividing said selected region of said digital image into a pre-selected number of color zones according to said retrieved pattern;

60. The machine readable storage of claim 52 wherein said determining step comprises the step of computing color specification parameters based upon an average value of said color specification parameters determinable in said selected region.

61. The machine readable storage of claim 41, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

accessing a product database containing images of products, each said product having a color;

identifying products in said product database having a color matching said second color identified by said color matching module; and

,

producing a selectable set of said identified products.

62. The machine readable storage of claim 61, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

accepting a user selection of at least one of said identified products in said selectable set; and

,

displaying an image of said selected identified product in a swatch user interface.

63. The machine readable storage of claim 62, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the step of positioning said displayed image next to said first color in said color swatch in said swatch user interface.

64. The machine readable storage of claim 61, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of positioning said displayed image next to other color swatches in said swatch user interface.

65. The machine readable storage of claim 61, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

accepting a user selection of at least one of said identified products in said selectable set; and

,

displaying information related to said selected product.

66. The machine readable storage of claim 61, having additional code sections executable by said machine for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

accepting a user selection of at least one of said identified products in said selectable set;

adding each user selected product to a shopping cart; and

,

processing a check-out transaction for each user selected product in said shopping cart.