Color Selection, Coordination and Purchase System

• US 20110018895A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BEHR Process Corporation (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEHR Process Corporation (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Buzyn, John, Raynolds, Damien, Milsom, Doug, Webb, Marc, Une, Donna, Irizarry, Bernadette
• Granted Patent: US 9,639,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/594
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

A paint color selection website arranged to provide a plurality of home pages each comprising a featured project image, each project image employing a plurality of different colors, each color located in a respective region of the image with at least one “hot spot” located in one or more of the regions, each hot spot comprising an attention-drawing animation feature responsive to a first selection operation to cause display of at least one color name, the color name being that of the color of the region where the hot spot lies. The home pages further may include real-life simulating animation features while the system software is operable to select the relative frequency with which each home page appears in response, for example, to a user'"'"'s successive home page selections. An animated color sheen selection tool is also provided.

Claims

1. A paint color selection apparatus comprising:

a website comprising one or more servers or computers for supplying data for generating a plurality of web pages, the web pages comprising;

a first home page for display on a computer controlled display apparatus, the first home page comprising a first featured project image employing a plurality of different colors, each color located in a respective region of said image;

at least one hot spot located in one of said regions, the hot spot comprising an attention-drawing animation feature; and

wherein a first selection operation performable on said hot spot causes display of at least one color name, said color name being that of the color of the region where said hot spot lies.

2. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein a second selection operation performed on said hot spot causes display of a color summary menu comprising a listing of a plurality of colors present in said project image.

3. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first selection operation further causes display of a link to said color summary menu.

4. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein a portion of said project image is animated to simulate real-life operation of a portion of said image.

5. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 4 wherein said project image comprises a home and front lawn and wherein the project image is animated to simulate water spraying from one or more sprinklers disposed on the lawn.

6. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 4 wherein said project image comprises an interior room having a fireplace and wherein the project image is animated to cause the fireplace to appear to be burning.

7. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein said web pages further comprise a second home page comprising a second featured project image, said second project image employing a plurality of different colors each in a respective area of said image and wherein said website further comprises software operable to cause appearance of said first and second home pages according to a selected ratio of appearance.

8. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 7 wherein said second project image further comprises:

a plurality of second hot spots, one located in each of said areas, each second hot spot employing an attention-drawing animation feature;

and wherein a third selection operation on one of said second hot spots causes display of at least one color name, said color name being that of the color of the area wherein the second hot spot lies.

9. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 7 wherein a fourth selection operation on said second hot spot causes display of a color summary menu comprising a listing of a plurality of colors present in said second project image.

10. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 7 wherein said third selection operation further causes display of a link to a color summary menu.

11. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 7 wherein a portion of said second project image is animated to simulate life-like operation of a portion of said image.

12. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first project image comprises a home and front lawn and wherein the animation comprises simulating water spraying from one or more sprinklers disposed on said lawn and wherein said second project image comprises an interior room having a fireplace and wherein the animation comprises causing the fireplace to appear to be burning.

13. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 further wherein said web pages further comprise a color sheen selection tool, providing a display comprising a plurality of color sheen chips, each chip representing a different selected sheen and wherein touching a selected sheen chip causes an enlarged image of the chip to appear and wherein a further operation causes the chip to move slightly to the left and slightly to the right to enhance the display of the sheen'"'"'s characteristics.

14. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said web pages further comprise a color sheen selection tool providing a display comprising a plurality of color sheen chips, each chip colored to represent a different selected sheen and wherein touching a selected sheen chip causes an enlarged image of the chip to appear and wherein a further operation causes the chip to move slightly to the left and slightly to the right to enhance the display of the sheen'"'"'s characteristics.

15. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein animation of said hot spot comprises enlargement thereof in response to touching.

16. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein animation of said hot spot comprises pulsing or blinking.

17. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hot spot comprises a pulsing or blinking, rounded chip shape.

24. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein a second selection operation performed on said hot spot causes display of a product detail page.

30. The apparatus of claim 24 herein said second selection operation comprises clicking on said hot spot.

31. The paint color selection apparatus of claim 1 wherein said color summary menu contains first, second, and third links respectively enabling the user to:

add selected colors to a log of saved samples, order a sample of a selected color, or access a color coordination application for coordinating a selected color with other colors.

18. An automated method for providing color selection capability to a user comprising:

employing one or more programmed computers to perform a plurality of operations in conjunction with a computer readable medium or media, the operations comprising;

providing a first home page for display on a computer controlled display, the first home page comprising a first featured project image employing a plurality of different colors, each color located in a respective region of said image;

positioning at least one hot spot in one of said regions, the hot spot comprising an attention-drawing animation feature; and

the one or more computers being responsive to a first selection operation performable on said hot spot to cause display of at least one color name, said color name being that of the color of the region where said hot spot lies.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said one or more computers are responsive to a second selection operation on said hot spot to display a color summary menu comprising a listing of a plurality of colors present in said project image.

20. A paint color selection apparatus comprising:

at least one server for transmitting data defining a first home page, the first home page comprising a first featured project image employing a plurality of different colors, each color located in a respective region of said image;

at least one hot spot located in one of said regions, the hot spot comprising an attention-drawing animation feature;

wherein a first selection operation on said hot spot causes display of at least one color name, said color name being that of the color of the region where said hot spot lies; and

a computer controlled display apparatus adapted to display said home page.

22. Computer software comprising:

a computer usable medium or media;

computer readable program code embodied in said medium or media, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by one or more computers to generate a first home page, said home page comprising;

a first featured project image employing a plurality of different colors, each color located in a respective region of said image;

at lease one hot spot located in one of said regions, the hot spot comprising an attention-drawing animation feature; and

wherein a first selection operation on said hot spot causes display of at least one color name, said color name being that of the color of the region where said hot spot lies.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a website comprising one or more servers or computers for supplying data for generating a plurality of web pages, the web pages comprising;

a first web page for display on a computer controlled display apparatus, the first web page comprising an image of a selected product;

at least one hot spot located on said product, the hot spot comprising an attention-drawing animation feature; and

wherein a first selection operation performable on said hot spot causes display of at least one informational element regarding said product.

21. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein a second selection operation on said hot spot causes display of a color summary menu comprising a listing of a plurality of colors present in said project image.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein animation of said hot spot comprises enlargement thereof in response to touching.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein animation of said hot spot comprises pulsing or blinking.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said hot spot comprises a pulsing or blinking, rounded chip shape.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said informational element comprises the name of the product.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said first selection operation comprises moving a cursor over said hot spot.

32. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said hot spot initially appears to pop out toward a user and then retreats to a normal position.

33. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said hot spot comprises first and second rings concentric with an inner circle.