METHOD, APPARATUS AND TECHNIQUE FOR ENABLING INDIVIDUALS TO CREATE AND USE COLOR

• US 20080079965A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Jackson
• Original Assignee: Andrew Jackson
• Inventors: Jackson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/522 circular colour charts

Abstract

A person can create a desired color through use of a visual aid or tool. The aid or tool may include a plurality of color lines, provided on a medium, on which color can be blended. The plurality of color lines may include: (i) a primary set of color lines, each providing a corresponding primary color that is different than a primary color of another color line in the primary set, and (ii) a secondary set of lines, where each color line in the secondary set is for a corresponding secondary color. Each color line in the primary set includes a plurality of color formations, and each color formation may have a common range of hues that are different of hues of the other color lines in the primary set. The plurality of color formations of each color line are arranged from a highest intensity to a lowest intensity. Each color line in the secondary set includes a plurality of color formations for the corresponding secondary color. The plurality of colors for each color line in the primary set and in the secondary set are arranged from a lowest intensity to a highest intensity. One of the color lines may be identified as either containing the desired color or containing a first primary component of the desired color. Once identified, one of two actions may take place: adjacent color formations from a single color line may be mixed, or color formations from adjacent color lines of relatively equivalent intensity are mixed.

Claims

1. A method for creating a desired color, the method comprising:

using a plurality of color lines on a medium on which color can be blended, wherein the plurality of color lines include;

(i) a primary set of color lines, the primary color lines including a first color line, a second color line, and a third color line, wherein each color line in the primary set is for a corresponding primary color that is different than a primary color of another color line in the primary set, and wherein each color line in the primary set includes a plurality of color formations that each have a common range of hues that are different of hues of the other color lines in the primary set, wherein the plurality of color formations of each color line are arranged from a highest intensity to a lowest intensity,

(ii) a secondary set of color lines, wherein each color line in the secondary set is for a corresponding secondary color, wherein at least one color line from the secondary set is provided to transition from one color line in the primary set to another color line in the primary set, and wherein each color line in the secondary set includes a plurality of color formations for the corresponding secondary color,

wherein the plurality of color formations for each color line in the primary set and in the secondary set are arranged from a lowest intensity to a highest intensity;

for the desired color, identifying a first selected color line from the primary or secondary set that either contain the desired color or a first primary component of the desired color;

performing one of;

(i) mixing color formations in the first selected color line to achieve the desired color;

or

(ii) mixing color formations in the first selected color line to achieve the first primary component of the desired color, mixing color formations in a second selected color line to achieve a second primary component of the desired color and then mixing the first primary component and the second primary component to achieve the desired color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a plurality of color lines on a medium on which color can be blended includes providing the plurality of color lines on the medium selected from a group consisting of:

(i) a tray on which paint is grouped, (ii) a kit on which the color lines of the primary and secondary set of predefined and provided a plurality of repositories to collect paint corresponding to each color in each color line of the primary and secondary set, and (iii) a computer-generated medium for which colors are displayed and mixed through computer-generation

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary colors for the set of primary color lines in the red, blue and yellow.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for the desired color, determining that the desired color includes a tint or a tone; and

adding white to the desired color or the first primary component to achieve the tint or the tone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adding white to the desired color includes adding white to the highest intensity color of the primary of secondary set of color lines to create the tint of the desired color.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein adding white to the desired color includes adding white to the lowest intensity color of the primary of secondary set of color lines to create the tone of the desired color.

7. An apparatus for enabling a person to create a desired color, the apparatus comprising:

a medium that includes a plurality of markings, wherein each of the plurality of markings is assigned to carry a corresponding color formation, wherein the plurality of markings are arranged so that when each of the plurality of markings carries the corresponding color formations, the plurality of markings form a plurality of color lines, the plurality of color lines including;

a primary set of color lines, the primary set of color lines including a first color line, a second color line, and a third color line, wherein each color line in the primary set is for a corresponding primary color, and wherein each color line in the primary set includes a plurality of color formations that have a common range of hues that are different than hues of color formations of other color lines in the primary set, wherein the plurality of color formations of each color line in the primary set are arranged from a highest intensity to a lowest intensity;

a secondary set of color lines, wherein each color line in the secondary set is for a corresponding secondary color, wherein at least one color line from the secondary set is provided to transition from one color line in the primary set to another color line in the primary set, and wherein each color line in the secondary set includes a plurality of color formations that each have a common range of hues that are different than the range of hues of the color formations of other color lines in the secondary set.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the medium corresponds to a tablet, and wherein each of the plurality of markings are shaped into a holding region for holding a corresponding coloring material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the holding region of each of the plurality of markings identifies the corresponding coloring material by at least one of make, manufacturer, or color identification.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the medium is formed from glass, and includes one or more mixing areas between pairs of adjacent repositories.

11. The apparatus of claim of claim 8, wherein the medium includes, for each of the primary and secondary color lines, a first holding region for holding the coloring material of the lowest intensity and a second holding region for holding the coloring material of the highest intensity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the medium includes, for each of the primary and secondary color lines, one or more additional repositories between the first holding region and the second holding region for holding coloring material of an intensity that is between the low intensity of the first holding region and the high intensity of the second holding region.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the holding regions corresponds to a repository formed on the tablet.

14. A kit for enabling a person to create a desired color, the apparatus comprising:

a medium that includes a plurality of holding regions, wherein each of the plurality of holding regions is for carrying a corresponding paint, wherein the plurality of holding regions are arranged so that when each of the plurality of holding regions carries the corresponding paint of the particular color, the plurality of holding regions form a plurality of color lines arranged about a center, the plurality of color lines including;

a primary set of color lines, the primary set of color lines including a first color line, a second color line, and a third color line, wherein each color line in the primary set is for a corresponding primary color, and wherein each color line in the primary set includes a plurality of colors that each have a common range of hues that are different than hues of other color lines in the primary set, wherein the plurality of colors of each color line are arranged from a highest intensity to a lowest intensity;

a secondary set of color lines, wherein each color line in the secondary set is for a corresponding secondary color, wherein at least one color line from the secondary set is provided to transition from one color line in the primary set to another color line in the primary set, and wherein each color line in the secondary set includes a plurality of colors that each have a common range of hue that are different of a hue of other color lines in the secondary set; and

a set of coloring materials, wherein each paint in the set is the corresponding paint for one of the holding regions.

15. The kit of claim 14, wherein the medium is formed from glass.

17. The kit of claim 14, wherein the medium includes, for each of the primary and secondary color lines, a first holding region for holding the coloring material of the lowest intensity and a second holding region for holding the coloring material of the highest intensity.

16. The kit of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of holding regions includes an identifier that identifies a corresponding coloring material by at least one of make, manufacturer, or color identification.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for enabling a person to create a desired color, wherein the instructions include instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

displaying a plurality of color lines, the plurality of color lines including;

(i) a primary set of color lines, the primary color lines including a first color line, a second color line, and a third color line, wherein each color line in the primary set is for a corresponding primary color that is different than a primary color of another color line in the primary set, and wherein each color line in the primary set includes a plurality of color formations that each have a common range of hues that are different of hues of the other color lines in the primary set, wherein the plurality of color formations of each color line are arranged from a highest intensity to a lowest intensity,

(ii) a secondary set of color lines, wherein each color line in the secondary set is for a corresponding secondary color, wherein at least one color line from the secondary set is provided to transition from one color line in the primary set to another color line in the primary set, and wherein each color line in the secondary set includes a plurality of color formations for the corresponding secondary color,

detecting an input action by the person corresponding to the person selecting a first color formation and a second color formation; and

forming a blended color from the first color formation and from the second color formation.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to identifying one or more coloring materials that a person can use to mix and form the desired color.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the coloring materials identified are paint tubes.