METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC COLOR MATCHING

• US 20070242877A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syndigo, LLC
• Original Assignee: EdgeAQ LLC
• Inventors: Peters, Sean, Rudolph, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/167
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries

Abstract

Disclosed is a method to define automatically, in a pre-selected color space, at least one user-provided sample color. The method includes defining at least one target color within the color space to yield a standard color data set and providing a physical color swatch corresponding to the defined target color. The user then provides a digitized image comprising the user-provided sample color juxtaposed with the physical color swatch, to yield a sample color data set. The sample color data set is then compared to the standard color data set by means of a program stored on a programmable computer to determine a set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

Claims

1. A method to define automatically, in a pre-selected color space, at least one user-provided sample color, the method comprising:

(a) defining mathematically within a programmable computer at least one target color within the color space to yield a standard color data set;

(b) providing a physical color swatch corresponding to the at least one target color defined in step (a); and

(c) providing a digitized image comprising the at least one user-provided sample color juxtaposed with the physical color swatch, to yield a sample color data set; and

then

(d) comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by means of a program stored on the programmable computer to thereby determine a set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises defining the target color within a color space selected from the group consisting of RGB, CMY, CMYK, HSV, HSI, and L*a*b*.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises defining the target color within a color space selected from the group consisting of RGB, CMYK, and HSV.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises providing the digitized image in a digital format selected from the group consisting of JPEG and RAW.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises providing the digitized image in JPEG format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by determining a minimum mathematical distance between the standard color set and the sample color data set, and wherein the standard color data set having the minimum mathematical distance from the sample color data set is deemed to be the set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the minimum mathematical distance is determined using a metric selected from a Euclidean metric, a taxicab metric, or a Chebyshev metric.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises providing a digitized image comprising a plurality of sample colors, and wherein step (d) comprises comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by means of a clustering algorithm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in step (d), the clustering algorithm is a fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises defining a plurality of distinct target colors within the color space, wherein each distinct target color occupies a unique location in an virtual array;

and step (b) comprises providing a physical color swatch comprising a physical array corresponding to the virtual array of step (a), and further wherein the physical array includes a unique void array location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises providing the digitized image of the user-provided sample color, wherein the user-provided sample color occupies the void array location within the physical array of step (b).

12. A method to define automatically, in a pre-selected color space, at least one user-provided sample color, the method comprising:

(a) defining mathematically within a programmable computer at least one target color within the color space to yield a standard color data set;

(b) providing a physical color swatch corresponding to the at least one target color defined in step (a); and

(c) providing a digitized image comprising the at least one user-provided sample color juxtaposed with the physical color swatch, to yield a sample color data set; and

then

(d) comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by determining a minimum mathematical distance between the standard color set and the sample color data set, and wherein the standard color data set having the minimum mathematical distance from the sample color data set is deemed to be the set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (a) comprises defining the target color within a color space selected from the group consisting of RGB, CMY, CMYK, HSV, HSI, and L*a*b*.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein step (c) comprises providing the digitized image in a digital format selected from the group consisting of JPEG and RAW.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein step (a) comprises defining a plurality of distinct target colors within the color space, wherein each distinct target color occupies a unique location in an virtual array;

and step (b) comprises providing a physical color swatch comprising a physical array corresponding to the virtual array of step (a), and further wherein the physical array includes a unique void array location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step (c) comprises providing the digitized image of the user-provided sample color, wherein the user-provided sample color occupies the void array location within the physical array of step (b).

17. A method to define automatically, in a pre-selected color space, at least one user-provided sample color, the method comprising:

(a) defining mathematically within a programmable computer a plurality of distinct target colors within the color space, wherein each distinct target color occupies a unique location in an virtual array, to yield a standard color data set;

(b) providing a physical color swatch comprising a physical array corresponding to the virtual array of step (a), and further wherein the physical array includes a unique void array location; and

(c) providing a digitized image of the user-provided sample color inserted into the physical array of step (b), wherein the user-provided sample color occupies the void array location within the physical array of step (b) to yield a sample color data set; and

then

(d) comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by determining a minimum mathematical distance between the standard color set and the sample color data set, and wherein the standard color data set having the minimum mathematical distance from the sample color data set is deemed to be the set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (d) comprises comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by determining a minimum mathematical distance between the standard color set and the sample color data set, and wherein the standard color data set having the minimum mathematical distance from the sample color data set is deemed to be the set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the minimum mathematical distance is determined using a metric selected from a Euclidean metric, a taxicab metric, or a Chebyshev metric.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises providing a digitized image comprising a plurality of sample colors, and wherein step (d) comprises comparing the sample color data set of step (c) to the standard color data set of step (a) by means of a clustering algorithm.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein in step (d), the clustering algorithm is a fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm.