Paint color matching and coordinating system

• US 6,924,817 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BEHR Process Corporation (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEHR Process Corporation (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Pace, James P., Rice, Mary R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US10/383,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20030174143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 345/593, 345/589, 345/591, 345/597, 345/545, 345/530, 345/635, 382162-167, 352518-521, 434/98, 434/81, 434/101, 434102-104, 106/456, 106/401, 106/474, 702/32, 356/402, 356/403, 356/408, 356/425
• US Class Current: 345/589
• 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 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/528 using colour harmony theory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A paint color matching and coordinating system comprises an interface for receiving an input reference color, a processor capable of reading a memory, a memory including (1) instructions readable by the processor and (2) a database of architectural paint colors spanning all or most of the known color space, and a display generator. In use, the interface of the system receives an input reference color from a user. The processor selects a “reference paint color” from the database, the reference paint color being visually closer, with respect to color space, to the input reference color than any other paint color in the database. According to the invention, color space is divided into a plurality of fixed, generally equally sized, non-overlapping, contiguous portions, each color space portion being defined as the space of all colors within a band of hues within color space. The processor selects five sets of paint colors—one set from each of the color space portions that include the five hues that comprise the “five-way harmony” of the reference paint color. The processor may also select a sixth set of paint colors from the color space portion that includes the hue of the reference paint color. Finally, the processor directs the display generator to create a display of color samples of the reference paint color and of the first through sixth sets of paint colors.

Claims

1. A method of generating a display of complementary paint color samples, comprising:

receiving an input reference color having a reference hue;

selecting a first narrow range of hues encompassing a first hue that is complementary to said reference hue;

displaying one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said first narrow range of hues on an output display comprising one of a display monitor and a hard-copy printout; and

monitoring for a selection of one or more of the color samples on the output display;

wherein said first hue is one of the hues comprising a five-way harmony of said reference hue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a second narrow range of hues encompassing a second hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the second narrow hue range not overlapping with the first narrow hue range;

selecting a third narrow range of hues encompassing a third hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the third narrow hue range not overlapping with either of the first and second narrow hue ranges;

displaying on the output display one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said third narrow range of hues;

selecting a fourth narrow range of hues encompassing a fourth hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the fourth narrow hue range not overlapping with any of the first, second, and third narrow hue ranges;

displaying on the output display one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said fourth narrow range of hues;

selecting a fifth narrow range of hues encompassing a fifth hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the fifth narrow hue range not overlapping with any of the first, second, third, and fourth narrow hue ranges; and

displaying on the output display one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said fifth narrow range of hues.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting a sixth narrow range of hues encompassing said reference hue, the sixth narrow hue range not overlapping with any of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth narrow hue ranges; and

displaying on the output display one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said sixth narrow range of hues.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying said one or more color samples on said output display is accomplished at a remote location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying said one or more color samples comprises transmitting data representative of said color samples over the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of one of said one or more color samples.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising producing architectural paint having the color of said selected one of said one or more color samples.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input reference color comprises receiving a color identification code based on a known color reference system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the reference hue prior to selecting the first narrow range of hues.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the hue of at least one of the one or more color samples.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a value setting of the input reference color.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a value setting of at least one of the one or more color samples.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a chroma setting of the input reference color.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a chroma setting of at least one of the one or more color samples.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on said output display, text identifications of said one or more color samples displayed on said output display.

16. A method of generating a display of complementary paint color samples, comprising:

receiving an input reference color having a reference hue;

selecting a first narrow range of hues encompassing a first hue that is complementary to said reference hue;

displaying one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said first narrow range of hues on an output display comprising one of a display monitor and a hard-copy printout; and

monitoring for a selection of one or more of the color samples on the output display;

wherein said first hue is a split-complement of said reference hue.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a second narrow range of hues encompassing a second hue which is a split-complement of said reference hue, said second narrow hue range not overlapping with said first narrow hue range; and

displaying on the output display one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said second narrow range of hues.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a third narrow range of hues encompassing said reference hue, said third narrow hue range not overlapping with either of the first or second narrow hue ranges; and

displaying on the output display one or more color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said third narrow range of hues.

19. An architectural paint color coordination system for selecting complementary architectural paint colors, comprising:

an interface for receiving an input reference color;

a processor configured to perform instructions read from a memory;

a memory storing instructions configured to be read and performed by said processor; and

a display generator;

wherein said instructions direct said processor to perform the steps of;

directing said interface to receive an input reference color having a reference hue;

selecting a first narrow range of hues encompassing a first hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue;

directing said display generator to display one or more separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said first narrow range of hues; and

monitoring for a selection of one or more of the color samples displayed by the display generator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said instructions direct said processor to perform the further steps of:

selecting a second narrow range of hues encompassing a second hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the second narrow hue range not overlapping with the first narrow hue range; and

selecting a third narrow range of hues encompassing a third hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the third narrow hue range not overlapping with either of the first and second narrow hue ranges;

selecting a fourth narrow range of hues encompassing a fourth hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the fourth narrow hue range not overlapping with any of the first, second, and third narrow hue ranges;

selecting a fifth narrow range of hues encompassing a fifth hue that is five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, the fifth narrow hue range not overlapping with any of the first, second, third, and fourth narrow hue ranges; and

directing said display generator to display separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth narrow hue ranges.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said instructions further direct said processor to perform the steps of:

selecting a sixth narrow range of hues encompassing said reference hue, said sixth narrow hue range not overlapping with any of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth narrow hue ranges; and

directing said display generator to display separate and individually selectable color samples of architectural paint colors having hues within said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth narrow hue ranges.

22. An inventory selection system, comprising:

a storage containing color information of a palette of harmonious paint colors;

a database of merchandise items, said database containing color information of said merchandise items;

a processor in communication with said storage to read said color information of said harmonious paint colors and with said database to read said color information of said merchandise items, said processor being configured to select merchandise items from said database whose color information is within a predetermined tolerance of the color information of any of said harmonious paint colors;

an architectural paint color selection system configured to generate an output display of said harmonious paint colors; and

one or more kiosks, at least one of the kiosks being configured to receive an input reference color having a reference hue and send said reference hue to said architectural paint color selection system, wherein said architectural paint color selection system is configured to select additional hues that are five-way harmonious with respect to said reference hue, said architectural paint color selection system configured to include in said output display separate and individually selectable architectural paint color samples having hues that are substantially the same as said additional hues.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said one or more kiosks are in a retail store.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said at least one of said kiosks is configured to receive said input reference color from a scan of a physical sample by a scanner.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said scanner comprises a spectrophotometer.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein said at least one of said kiosks is configured to receive said input reference color by displaying a sampling of architectural paint colors and receiving a selection of one of the colors of said sampling.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein said at least one of said kiosks is configured to receive said input reference color by receiving a color identification code based upon a known color reference system.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein said at least one of said kiosks is configured to receive said input reference color by receiving a common color name.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein said architectural paint color selection system is configured to send said output display of harmonious paint colors to a remote device, said remote device comprising one of a display monitor and a printer.