Method of quantifying paint and bodywork on automobiles and other painted objects using coating thickness gauges

• US 7,606,671 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elcometer, Inc. (Elcometer Limited)
• Original Assignee: Elcometer, Inc. (Elcometer Limited)
• Inventors: Walker, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; John H
• Application Number:
  US12/001,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 702/32, 702/34, 702/35, 700/283, 356/73, 356/613, 382/141, 521/56
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/08 for measuring thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/06 for measuring thickness measuring during the manufacture of coatings C23C14/54
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/066 for measuring thickness of coating apparatus or processes for the manufacture of piezoelectric or electrostrictive resonators for obtaining desired frequency H03H3/04

Abstract

A method is disclosed for a test and data retrieval method that not only provides an illustration of an object paint condition but also provides a linear numerical data point, that gives the user a quantifiable number to determine the extent of body work and over paint for a painted object that is being appraised, up for bid, or sold in a private treaty sale or auction.

Claims

1. The method of determining the diminished value of a used automobile available for resale, with the automobile having panels with an exterior surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing a paint thickness gauge and determining the paint thickness at various data points on the exterior surface of the panels forming the top, sides, front, and rear of an automobile;

(b) storing the readings of the data points which have a coefficient of variation (COV) in a data collection device;

(c) calculating the coefficient of variation (COV) of the readings of the data points by using the formulas;

$S=\sqrt{\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>\frac{{\left(x_i-\mathrm{mean}\right)}^2}{\left(n-1\right)}}$ $\mathrm{and}$ $C<br><br><br><br>O<br><br><br><br>V=\frac{S}{\mathrm{mean}}\times <br><br>100$

where i=index of iteration starting at 1, n=number of readings, x=individual readings, mean=mean average of readings, Σ

=summation, √

{square root over ( )}=square root and S=sum;

(d) placing the individual readings of the data points onto a template of the automobile;

(e) assembling the coefficient of variation and automobile template with the data point readings along with other economic factors relating to the value of the automobile namely, tire wear, engine condition, frame damage, mileage, color and or other condition which can effect value of the automobile; and

(f) viewing the automobile on or off-site to thereby evaluate the economic factors of the automobile thereby determining the diminished value of the used automobile.

2. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 1, wherein said paint thickness gauge is a wireless enabled paint thickness gauge;

and

the steps of storing the data point readings utilize wireless technology.

3. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 2, wherein the wireless enabled paint thickness gauge is Bluetooth enabled;

and

the step of storing the data point readings utilizes Bluetooth technology.

4. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 3, wherein the data collection device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

5. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 3, wherein the data collection device is a personal computer (PC).

6. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 3, wherein the data collection device is a personal digital assistant and a personal computer (PC).

7. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 1, and the step of evaluating the individual data point readings and the coefficient of variation of the readings.

8. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 1, wherein said viewing takes place over the internet using a computer.

9. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 1, wherein the calculations are performed manually.

10. The method of determining the diminished value of used automobiles available for resale as set forth in claim 1, wherein the calculations are performed automatically using a computer software program.

11. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale, with the automobile having panels with an exterior surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing a paint thickness gauge and determining the paint thickness at various data points on the exterior surface of the panels forming the top, sides, front, and rear of an automobile;

(b) storing the readings of the data points which have a coefficient of variation (COV) in a data collection device;

(c) calculating the coefficient of variation (COV) of the readings of the data points by using the formulas;

$S=\sqrt{\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>\frac{{\left(x_i-\mathrm{mean}\right)}^2}{\left(n-1\right)}}$ $\mathrm{and}$ $C<br><br><br><br>O<br><br><br><br>V=\frac{S}{\mathrm{mean}}\times <br><br>100$

where i=index of iteration starting at 1, n=number of readings, x=individual readings, mean=mean average of readings, Σ

=summation, √

{square root over ( )}=square root and S=sum;

placing the individual readings of the data points onto a template of the automobile;

assembling the coefficient of variation and automobile template with the data point readings along with other economic factors relating to the value of the automobile; and

viewing the automobile on or offsite to determine the value of the used automobile.

12. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 11, wherein said paint thickness gauge is a wireless enabled paint thickness gauge;

and

the steps of storing the data point readings utilize wireless technology.

13. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 12, wherein said wireless enabled paint thickness gauge is Bluetooth enabled;

and

the step of storing the data point readings utilizes Bluetooth technology.

14. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 13, wherein said data collection device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

15. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 13, wherein said data collection device is a personal computer (PC).

16. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 13, wherein said data collection device utilizes a personal digital assistant and a personal computer (PC).

17. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 11, wherein the calculations are performed manually.

18. The method of determining the diminished value of the exterior paint of a used automobile available for resale as set forth in claim 11, wherein the calculations are performed automatically using a computer software program.