Methods and systems for using colors and color themes

• US 8,416,255 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilra, Anant
• Primary Examiner(s): Xiao, Ke
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, KIM THANH THI
• Application Number:
  US12/470,711
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 345/593, 345/594, 345/595, 345/597, 715/700, 715/810
• US Class Current: 345/593
• 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: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture
• 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

Systems and methods are disclosed for using colors and color themes. One embodiment uses color(s) already included in a design to select and suggest other color(s) or color themes. For example, a design application may provide a listing of suggested color themes based on the colors used in a design area or in selected item(s) of a design area. Such a listing can be ordered based on assessments of how well the color themes match. The listing can also be updated in real time. For example, a designer adding a color to a design may trigger an update to the color theme listing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing an interface for authoring content on a computer apparatus, the interface provided according to instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium which configure the computer apparatus to display content and receive input modifying content that is displayed on the interface;

identifying a plurality of colors in the content displayed on the interface;

selecting at least one color theme, wherein each of the at least one color theme is selected using multiple colors of the plurality of identified colors;

displaying the at least one color theme in a listing of color themes on the interface; and

updating the listing of color themes based on a change in color of the content displayed on the interface, wherein the change in color of the content comprises a new color added to the content displayed interface, a color deleted from the content displayed on the interface, or a color changed in the content displayed on the interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of colors comprises receiving a selection of one or more colors of an object displayed in the content on the interface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the listing of color themes based on a change of selected objects displayed in the content on the interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of color from a displayed color theme for use in the content displayed on the interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of colors comprises all of the colors in the content displayed on the interface, wherein each of the at least one color theme is selected using all of the colors in the content displayed on the interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of colors comprises receiving a gradient object and identifying the nodes of the gradient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of colors comprises receiving a pattern and identifying one or more of the most common colors of the pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of colors comprises receiving a photograph image and identifying one or more of the most common colors of the photograph image.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting at least one color theme comprises selecting a plurality of color themes wherein each color theme is selected using the same colors of the plurality of identified colors.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing an interface for authoring content on a computer apparatus, the interface provided according to instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium which configure the computer apparatus to display content and receive input modifying content that is displayed on the interface;

selecting at least one color theme by selecting amongst candidate color themes based on proximity values determined for the candidate color themes, wherein a proximity value for each of the candidate color themes is determined by comparing a plurality of colors in the content displayed on the interface to a plurality of colors of the respective candidate color theme; and

displaying the at least one color theme on the interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein proximity values for the candidate color themes are determined by:

determining a first group of representative colors based on the at least one color in the content displayed on the interface;

determining a second group of representative colors based on colors of a candidate color theme;

determining a proximity value for the candidate color theme based on representative colors common to the first group and second group of representative colors; and

wherein the representative colors are selected from a set of representative colors that is a subset of the entire range of colors in a color space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of representative colors consists of only Web Safe Colors.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising caching the first set of representative colors for future proximity value determinations.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a proximity value for a candidate color theme is the sum of color-to-color proximities of each of the at least one color in the content displayed on the interface to each color of the candidate color theme.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein proximity between any two individual colors is zero (0) if the two individual colors do not have the same representative color and greater than zero if the two individual colors have the same representative color.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein a proximity value for a candidate color theme is the weighted sum of color-to-color proximities of each of the at least one color in the content displayed on the interface to each color of the candidate color theme, wherein the weighted sum of color-to-color proximities is weighted based on use of color in the content.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the weighted sum of color-to-color proximities is weighted based on relative positions of objects comprising colors in the content.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the weighted sum of color-to-color proximities is weighted based on relative amounts of the colors in the content.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the weighted sum of color-to-color proximities is weighted based on how many times a color is used in the content.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting amongst candidate color themes based on proximity values comprises comparing weighted proximity values, wherein the proximity value of each color theme is weighted based on popularity or rating of the color theme.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the at least one color theme on the interface comprises ordering the color themes displayed based on the proximity value.

21. A system comprising:

an interface for authoring content on a computer apparatus, the interface provided according to instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium which configure the computer apparatus to display content and receive input modifying one or more colors of content displayed on the interface; and

a suggestion component for selecting at least one color theme, wherein each of the at least one color theme is selected using multiple colors of the plurality of identified colors, displaying a listing of the at least one color theme on the interface, and updating the listing based on a new color added to the interface, on a color deleted from the interface, or on a color changed on the interface.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the suggestion component receives a selection of a color theme of the at least one color theme displayed on the interface and replaces one or more colors of content displayed on the interface with one or more colors of the color theme.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is encoded program code, the program code comprising:

program code for providing an interface for authoring content on a computer apparatus, the interface provided according to instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium which configure the computer apparatus to display content and receive input modifying content that is displayed on the interface;

program code for identifying a plurality of colors in the content displayed on the interface;

program code for selecting at least one color theme, wherein each of the at least one color theme is selected using multiple colors of the plurality of identified colors;

program code for displaying the at least one color theme in a listing of color themes on the interface; and

program code for updating the listing of color themes based on a change in color of the content displayed on the interface, wherein the change in color of the content comprises a new color added to the content displayed interface, a color deleted from the content displayed on the interface, or a color changed in the content displayed on the interface.