Color matching apparatus for automotive repair paints
First Claim
1. A color matching apparatus for automotive repair paints which comprises a computer, a color display, a spectrophotometer capable of color measurement at a plurality of viewing angles, and an electronic balance wherein said color matching apparatus is provided, as installed on said computer, a color matching computation system capable of performing a color matching computation for said automotive repair paint, a color data file and a database reference system capable of referring to a remote database server for retrieval of at least paint component base data and automotive top coat formulation base data via a communication channel and, in response to a computation command, is capable of carrying out said color matching computation for said automotive repair paint on the basis of colorimetric data obtained from said spectrophotometer and color data in said color data file and outputting the result of said color matching computation to said color display and electronic balance, with said apparatus, upon connection to the database server via said communication channel, being enabled to retrieve at least said paint component base data and automotive top coat formulation base data and use them in said color matching computation, wherein said color matching computation system is adapted to perform a predictive computation of a formulation giving a target spectral reflectance and a target flop value on the basis of calorimetric data obtained from said spectrophotometer and color data in said color data file taking into account the change in spectral reflectance at a metallic or pearlescent pigment, and the result of said predictive computation is corrected by a fuzzy deduction algorithm by using spectral reflectance data at a plurality of viewing angles as generated with a plurality of sample plates prepared according to varied formulations of colorant and metallic or pearlescent pigments under varied coating conditions as previously stored in a computer memory.
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Abstract
This invention provides a color matching apparatus for automotive repair paints with which the color matching of a repair paint to an existing paint, whether containing or not containing a metallic or pearlescent pigment, can be performed with high precision in a reduced number of steps even by the novice. The apparatus of the invention comprises a computer, a color data file and a database reference system.
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Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A color matching apparatus for automotive repair paints which comprises a computer, a color display, a spectrophotometer capable of color measurement at a plurality of viewing angles, and an electronic balance wherein said color matching apparatus is provided, as installed on said computer, a color matching computation system capable of performing a color matching computation for said automotive repair paint, a color data file and a database reference system capable of referring to a remote database server for retrieval of at least paint component base data and automotive top coat formulation base data via a communication channel and, in response to a computation command, is capable of carrying out said color matching computation for said automotive repair paint on the basis of colorimetric data obtained from said spectrophotometer and color data in said color data file and outputting the result of said color matching computation to said color display and electronic balance, with said apparatus, upon connection to the database server via said communication channel, being enabled to retrieve at least said paint component base data and automotive top coat formulation base data and use them in said color matching computation, wherein said color matching computation system is adapted to perform a predictive computation of a formulation giving a target spectral reflectance and a target flop value on the basis of calorimetric data obtained from said spectrophotometer and color data in said color data file taking into account the change in spectral reflectance at a metallic or pearlescent pigment, and the result of said predictive computation is corrected by a fuzzy deduction algorithm by using spectral reflectance data at a plurality of viewing angles as generated with a plurality of sample plates prepared according to varied formulations of colorant and metallic or pearlescent pigments under varied coating conditions as previously stored in a computer memory.
Specification