Color-designating server, color-designating receiving/ordering system, color-designating method, color-designating receiving/ordering method, and recording medium

• US 7,509,271 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Incorporated
• Inventors: Goto, Hiroki, Nakagawa, Masaaki, Uchimi, Hideki, Hatanaka, Mitsuo, Okauchi, Masaki, Tomita, Yoshiro, Shishikura, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisberger; Richard C.
• Application Number:
  US10/026,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Disclosed are a color-designating server which can display a screen for designating color at a user terminal, which can be connected to a network, a color-designating method, and a recording medium. A matchable color database stores data required for determining matchable colors in a color-designating server which displays a screen for designating color at a user terminal. A conditions-designating processor transmits a conditions-designating screen for designating conditions data, required for determining the matchable colors, to the user terminal. A color data transmission processor determines colors which can be matched under the conditions specified by the conditions data, designated in the conditions-designating screen, by consulting the matchable color database, and transmits the result to the user terminal.

Claims

1. A color-designating server for designating color of a product to be manufactured, which displays a screen for designating color at a user terminal, which can be connected to a network, the color-designating server comprising:

a processor program for receiving information directed to a product to be manufactured;

a matchable color database which stores data required for determining matchable colors;

a conditions-designating processing unit which transmits a conditions-designating screen for designating conditions data, required for determining the matchable colors, to the user terminal in which the conditions data displayed on the conditions-designating screen includes use information specified for a user;

a color data transmitting unit which determines colors which can be matched under the conditions specified by the conditions data, designated in the conditions-designating screen, by consulting the matchable color database, and transmits a result to the user terminal; and

a customer database which stores user information, the user information comprising a user ID for specifying users of the color-designating server and said use information,

the use information including requirements relating to items to be colored predetermined in correlation with the user ID, and types of resin and dye or pigment which can be used in dependence upon the requirements;

wherein, the user has been identified, the conditions-designating processing unit transmits the conditions-designating screen to the user terminal,

wherein the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment are stored in the customer database in correlation with the identified user, so that the user can designate the conditions data by selecting it from a range specified by the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment displayed on the conditions-designating screen, and

wherein the color-designating server comprises a use data receiving unit which receives, from the user terminal, the conditions data designated by the user.

2. The color-designating server according to claim 1, wherein the conditions data further comprises the ratio of resin and the dye or pigment when matching them.

3. The color-designating server according to claim 1, wherein the color data transmitting unit provides a color gamut, comprising a region of colors which can be matched from the matchable colors, in a color space, and transmits data for displaying a color-designating screen for enabling colors to be designated in the color gamut to the user terminal.

4. The color-designating server according to claim 1, wherein the matchable color database further stores basic color data relating to a plurality of basic colors, determined by combining resins and dyes or pigments;

and

the color data transmitting unit determines a color gamut, comprising a region of matchable colors which can be matched from the basic colors under the conditions determined by the conditions data, by consulting the matchable color database, and transmits the result to the user terminal.

5. The color-designating server according to claim 1, wherein the matchable color database further stores color sample data relating to colors of color samples;

and

the color data transmission unit determines color samples which can be matched under the conditions, determined by the conditions data, by consulting the matchable color database, and transmits the result to the user terminal.

6. The color-designating server according to claim 1, further comprising a color data receiving unit which receives color data relating to a color which was designated from the matchable colors;

an arrangement calculating unit which calculates an arrangement ratio of resins and dyes or pigments based the received color data; and

an arrangement result transmitting unit which transmits arrangement result data, output from the arrangement calculating unit, to the user terminal.

7. The color-designating server according to claim 1, further comprising a virtual item coloring processing unit which displays a virtual item conforming to actual requirements in two-dimensions or three-dimensions in the color-designating screen, colors the virtual item in the color which has been designated from the matchable colors, and allows the color to be confirmed.

8. The color-designating server according to claim 1, further comprising a cost-calculating unit which calculates a cost based on data relating to resins and dyes or pigments which is determined uniquely by arrangement result data, output by the arrangement calculation processing unit;

the arrangement result unit transmitting the arrangement result data including cost data.

9. A color-designating receiving/ordering system for designating color of a product to be manufactured, comprising at least a color-designating server which displays a screen for designating color at a user terminal, which can be connected to a network, and a receive-order system which receives order data, received from the user terminal by the color-designating server,

the color-designating server comprising:

a processor program for receiving information directed to a product to be manufactured;

a matchable color database which stores data required for determining matchable colors;

a conditions-designating processing unit which transmits a conditions-designating screen for designating conditions data, required for determining the matchable colors, to the user terminal in which the conditions data displayed on the conditions-designating screen includes use information specified for a user; and

a color data transmitting unit which determines colors which can be matched under the conditions specified by the conditions data, designated in the conditions-designating screen, by consulting the matchable color database, and transmits a result to the user terminal;

a receiving unit which, when a color has been designated from the matchable colors, and a product in the color has been designated, receives designated product data for specifying the color and the product, and order data, from the user terminal;

a transmitting unit which transmits the designated product data and the order data to the receive-order system;

the receive-order system comprising a receive-order unit which performs receive-order processing based on the order data, which has been received;

a customer database which stores user information, the user information comprising a user ID for specifying users of the color-designating server, and said use information,

the use information including requirements relating to items to be colored predetermined in correlation with the user ID, and types of resin and dye or pigment which can be used in dependence upon the requirements; and

wherein, the user has been identified, the conditions-designating processing unit transmits the conditions-designating screen to the user terminal,

wherein the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment are stored in the customer database in correlation with the identified user, so that the user can designate the conditions data by selecting it from a range specified by the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment displayed on the conditions-designating screen, and

wherein the color-designating server comprises a use data receiving unit which receives, from the user terminal, the conditions data designated by the user.

10. The color-designating receiving/ordering system according to claim 9, further comprising a distribution system which manages the stock number of the products;

the color-designating server further comprising an available stock confirming unit which extracts stock data of a product corresponding to the designated product data from the distribution system, and determines whether it can be ordered; and

a transmitting unit which transmits the result of the determination to the user terminal.

11. The color-designating receiving/ordering system according to claim 9, further comprising an account system which manages data relating to the cost of the product;

and

the color-designating server further comprising a price supplying unit which extracts current price data of materials used in a product, which has been specified in the product-product data, from the account system, and supplies a price of the product reflecting the current price to the user terminal.

12. The color-designating receiving/ordering system according to claim 9, further comprising a manufacturing system which receives receive-order data from the receive-order system, and manufactures a product based on the receive-order data.

13. A color-designating method for designating color of a product to be manufactured, which displays a screen for designating color at a user terminal, which can be connected to a network, the color-designating method comprising the steps of:

designating a product to be colored;

specifying users of the color-designating server by accessing a customer database which stores user information, the user information comprising a user ID for specifying users of the color-designating server and use information, the use information including requirements relating to items to be colored, predetermined in correlation with the user ID, and types of resin and dye or pigment which can be used in dependence upon the requirements;

when a user has been identified, transmitting a conditions-designating screen for designating conditions data, required for determining matchable colors, to the user terminal in which the conditions data displayed on the conditions-designating screen includes use information specified for the user,

the conditions-designating screen displays said use information which includes the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment, which are stored in the customer database in correlation with the identified user, so that the user can designate the conditions data by selecting it from a range specified by the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment displayed on the conditions-designating screen; and

determining colors which can be matched under the conditions specified by the conditions data, designated in the conditions-designating screen, by consulting a matchable database, and transmitting the result to the user terminal.

14. The color-designating method according to claim 13, the second step comprising providing a color gamut, comprising a region of colors which can be matched from the matchable colors, in a color space, and transmitting data for displaying a color-designating screen for enabling colors to be designated in the color gamut to the user terminal.

15. A color-designating receiving/ordering method for designating color of a product to be manufactured, using a color-designating server which displays a screen for designating color at a user terminal, which can be connected to a network, and a receive-order system which receives order data, received from the user terminal by the color-designating server, the color-designating receiving/ordering method comprising the steps of:

designating a product to be colored;

specifying users of the color-designating server by accessing a customer database which stores user information, the user information comprising a user ID for specifying users of the color-designating server and use information, the use information including requirements relating to items to be colored, predetermined in correlation with the user ID, and types of resin and dye or pigment which can be used in dependence upon the requirements;

when a user has been identified, transmitting by a color-designating server a conditions-designating screen for designating conditions data, required for determining matchable colors, to the user terminal in which the conditions data displayed on the conditions-designating screen includes use information specified for the user,

the conditions-designating screen specifying said use information which includes the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment which are stored in the customer database in correlation with an identified user and were obtained by consulting the customer database;

the conditions-designating screen displays said use information which includes the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment, which are stored in the customer database in correlation with the identified user, so that the user can designate the conditions data by selecting it from a range specified by the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment displayed on the conditions-designating screen; and

when a color has been designated from the matchable colors, and a product in the color has been designated, the color-designating server receiving designated product data for specifying the color and the product, and order data, from the user terminal;

the color-designating server transmitting the designated product data and the order data to the receive-order system; and

the receive-order system performing receive-order processing based on the order data, which has been received.

16. A computer-readable recording medium, which a program of color-designating method for designating color of a product to be manufactured by displaying a screen for designating color at a user terminal, which can be connected to a network, is recorded in, the program comprising the steps of:

designating a product to be colored;

specifying users of the color-designating server by accessing a customer database with stores user information, the user information comprising a user ID for specifying users of the color-designating server and use information, the use information including requirements relating to items to be colored, predetermined in correlation with the user ID, and types of resin and dye or pigment which can be used in dependence upon the requirements;

when a user has been identified, transmitting a conditions-designating screen for designating conditions data, required for determining matchable colors, to the user terminal in which the conditions data displayed on the conditions-designating screen includes use information specified for the user,

the conditions-designating screen displays the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment, which are stored in the customer database in correlation with the identified user, so that the user can designate the conditions data by selecting it from a range specified by the requirements and the types of resin and dye or pigment displayed on the conditions-designating screen; and

determining colors which can be matched under the conditions specified by the conditions data, designated in the conditions-designating screen, by consulting a matchable color database, and transmitting the result to the user terminal.