Method for classifying and arranging metallic paint colors

• US 6,747,662 B2
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kansai Paint Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kansai Paint Company Limited
• Inventors: Masuda, Yutaka, Tsukahara, Yukiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US09/236,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 345/431, 345/429, 345/589, 345/581, 356/328, 356/402-408
• US Class Current: 345/591
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/504 Goniometric colour measurements, for example measurements of metallic or flake based paints
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts

Abstract

Metallic paint colors are classified and arranged by determining the representative color of any metallic paint color; calculating the hue-tone value of said representative color; generating coating color computer graphics indicating optical properties of said metallic paint color in a prescribed range of angles of observation; and preparing a coating color map by arranging said coating color computer graphics over the hue-tone value of said representative color in a hue-tone chart on the monitor screen of a computer system.

Claims

1. A process to determine a representative color of a metallic paint color, which comprises:

calculating a representative angle (D) of a metallic paint color by Equation (1);

2. The process according to claim 1, which further includes a step of determining a hue-tone value based upon the determined Lab* value.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the highlighted side has an angle range between 10 and 30 degrees.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the shaded side has an angle range between 35 and 55 degrees.