Electronic color matching apparatus and method of display

• US 7,602,493 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John Ramirez
• Original Assignee: John Ramirez
• Inventors: Ramirez, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Geisel; Kara E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nur; Abdullahi
• Application Number:
  US11/354,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 356/406, 356/30, 345/84, 345/32, 348/29, 348/30, 348/34, 348/60
• US Class Current: 356/402
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/51 using colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/526 for choosing a combination of different colours, e.g. to produce a pleasing effect for an observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

In accordance with the description, electronic color matching apparatus with a display of multiple independently controllable segments enable a user to visually compare, capture, catalog and disseminate color as tangible information. In one embodiment, the invention provides an accurate color display representation of a color by means of a novel color screen that is also capable of hundreds of shade adjustments of the overall RGB color component levels until an exact color Hue is displayed. Such a novel color screen of this invention may be designated as an RGBH screen or display device. (Red, Green, Blue, Hue).

Claims

1. An electronic color matching apparatus for displaying colors and hues comprising:

a plurality of independently controllable segments for displaying colors consisting of Red, Green and Blue; and

at least one light filtering element for modulating the opacity of said plurality of independently controllable segments for adjusting the hue of the color combination of said Red, Green, and Blue independently controllable segments displayed through said light filtering element.

2. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of independently controllable segments and said light filtering element are represented by components RGBH modulated in color formula integer levels (0-255) of each Red, Green, and Blue component;

and integer levels (1-10) of the Hue component.

3. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of independently controllable segments and said light filtering element are represented by components RGBH modulated in color formula integer levels (0-255) of each Red, Green, Blue and Hue components.

4. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a light sensor to correct said plurality of display areas for various extraneous ambient light conditions.

5. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an electronic memory for storing one or more databases of a plurality of color files or catalogs of color files.

6. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of plug-in interface ports for receiving and transferring information.

7. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 6 wherein said electronic color matching apparatus is a handheld mobile device.

8. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an RGB sensor to scan and match the color of an existing surface.

14. The electronic color matching apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said plurality of independently controllable segments is further comprised of:

an RGB light array; and

a light pipe including a light diffusing surface for light transmission from said RGB array to said light diffusing surface, wherein said light diffusing surface is overlaid by and independently modulated from light to dark by said at least one light filtering element.

9. A handheld mobile electronic color matching apparatus for displaying surface colors and hues comprising:

an RGB sensor to scan and match the color of an existing surface;

two or more independently controllable segments for displaying multiple RGB modulated colors adjacent to one another;

at least one modulated light filtering element for modulating the opacity of said plurality of independently controllable segments for adjusting the light to dark hue of the RGB modulated colors displayed.

10. The handheld mobile electronic color matching apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a light sensor to correct said plurality of display areas for various extraneous ambient light conditions.

11. The handheld mobile electronic color matching apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of plug-in interface ports for receiving and transferring information; and

an electronic memory for storing one or more databases of a plurality of color files or catalogs of color files.

12. The handheld mobile electronic color matching apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

an electronic memory for storing one or more databases of a plurality of color files or catalogs of color files; and

a plurality of plug-in interface ports for receiving and transferring information.

15. The Handheld mobile electric color matching apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a plurality of RGB light arrays; and

a plurality of light conductor/mixer elements including at least one light diffusing surface for light transmission from said plurality of RGB arrays to the at least one light diffusing surface of the two or more independently controllable segments.

16. The Handheld mobile electric color matching apparatus of claim 15 wherein said at least one modulated light filtering element for modulating the opacity of said plurality of independently controllable segments overlays each of said plurality of light conductor/mixer elements including at least one light diffusing surface to independently filter the light opacity level viewed from said light diffusing surface.

17. The Handheld mobile electric color matching apparatus of claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of light conductor/mixer elements including at least one light diffusing surface also includes one of said plurality of RGB light arrays.

13. A method of more accurately displaying colors and hues on an electronic color matching apparatus comprising the following steps:

Independently controlling the RGB color of a plurality of display segments; and

Independently controlling the Hue of said plurality of display segments by changing only the light to dark opacity of said display segments with a light filtering element.