Color clustering technique for matching refinish paints
First Claim
1. A process for refinishing a damaged paint area of a vehicle or part thereof using a computer-implemented method to determine a color matchable refinish paint formula used to form a refinish paint being used to repair the damaged paint area and match the color of the original paint;
- said process comprising;
a) determining the color data values of the original paint to be matched;
b) entering the color data values into a computer containing a color cluster data base and color clusters, wherein each color cluster having a centroid and refinish paint formula associated with each centroid;
c) positioning the color data values of the original paint in a color cluster via computer implementation and identifying a refinish paint formula associated with the centroid of the color cluster having color characteristics close to the color characteristics of the original paint and obtaining a refinish paint with said color characteristics; and
d) using the refinish paint of step c) and spray applying the refinish paint to the damaged paint area by an operator thereby matching the color characteristics of the refinish paint to the undamaged original paint of the vehicle using conventional spraying, blending and shading techniques and drying and curing the refinish paint.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process for refinishing or repainting a damaged paint area of a vehicle or part thereof using a computer-implemented method to determine a refinish paint formula that can be matched to the color of the original paint; in this process: a) the color data values of the original paint to be matched are determined; b) the color data values are entered into a computer containing a color cluster data base and color clusters each having a centroid and a refinish paint formula associated with each centroid; c) the color data values of the original paint are positioned in a color cluster via computer implementation and a refinish paint associated with the centroid of the color cluster having color characteristics close to the color characteristics of the original paint is obtained; and d) spray applying the refinish paint of step c) to the damaged paint area using conventional techniques thereby matching the color characteristics of the refinish paint to the undamaged original paint of the vehicle.
44 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A process for refinishing a damaged paint area of a vehicle or part thereof using a computer-implemented method to determine a color matchable refinish paint formula used to form a refinish paint being used to repair the damaged paint area and match the color of the original paint;
- said process comprising;
a) determining the color data values of the original paint to be matched;
b) entering the color data values into a computer containing a color cluster data base and color clusters, wherein each color cluster having a centroid and refinish paint formula associated with each centroid;
c) positioning the color data values of the original paint in a color cluster via computer implementation and identifying a refinish paint formula associated with the centroid of the color cluster having color characteristics close to the color characteristics of the original paint and obtaining a refinish paint with said color characteristics; and
d) using the refinish paint of step c) and spray applying the refinish paint to the damaged paint area by an operator thereby matching the color characteristics of the refinish paint to the undamaged original paint of the vehicle using conventional spraying, blending and shading techniques and drying and curing the refinish paint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- said process comprising;
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12. A process for refinishing a damaged paint area of a vehicle or part thereof using a computer-implemented method to determine a color matchable refinish paint formula used to form a refinish paint being used to repair the damaged paint area and match the color of the original paint;
- said process comprising;
a) determining the color data values of the original paint to be matched;
b) entering the color data values into a computer containing a color cluster data base and color clusters, wherein each color cluster having a centroid and refinish paint formula associated with each centroid;
c) preparing color chips for each centroid using refinish paints prepared from the refinish paint formula of step b) d) positioning the color chip for each on or adjacent to the original paint and visually determining the closest color match and e) using the refinish paint associated with the color chip identified in step d) as the closest color match and spray applying the refinish paint to the damaged paint area by an operator thereby matching the color characteristics of the refinish paint to the undamaged original paint of the vehicle using conventional spraying, blending and shading techniques and drying and curing the refinish paint.
- said process comprising;
Specification