Method for identifying, selecting and matching colors

• US 8,558,843 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicoline Kinch
• Original Assignee: Nicoline Kinch
• Inventors: Kinch, Nicoline
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTTRAM, ALAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/985,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 345589-604, 434/98
• US Class Current: 345/593
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/522 circular 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: G01J 3/528 using colour harmony theory

Abstract

A color sphere has a plurality of organized color cells. The color cells are gradually lighter from a bottom to a top. A first color cell is selected from the color sphere. Radial, horizontal peripheral, vertical peripheral directions are identified relative to the first color cell. The color cells of the sphere are organized so that they only match in the radial direction, horizontal peripheral direction and in the vertical peripheral direction. A second color cell is selected only when the second color cell is in selected direction.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and selecting a color or a combination of colors, in a computer, comprising:

providing a color sphere having a plurality of organized color cells, the color cells being gradually lighter from a bottom towards a top and gradually more gray from a peripheral surface towards a core, the color sphere having a lower segment being positioned below a mid-segment, the mid-segment having an outer equatorial periphery representing a largest diameter of the color sphere perpendicularly to the core, the lower segment being axially spaced apart from the mid-segment;

identifying a radial direction, a horizontal peripheral direction or a vertical peripheral direction;

organizing the color cells of the sphere so that the color cells only match in the radial direction, horizontal peripheral direction and in the vertical peripheral direction, the radial direction being a direction that is perpendicular to an axial direction of the core, the lower segment having a plane surface being perpendicular to the axial direction of the core, the lower segment having an inner wheel-shaped segment, a middle wheel-shaped segment surrounding the inner wheel-shaped segment, and an outer peripheral wheel-shaped segment surrounding the middle wheel-shaped segment, the inner wheel-shaped segment having color cells with a first amount of gray, the middle wheel-shaped segment having color cells with a second amount of gray and the outer peripheral segment having color cells with a third amount of gray, the first amount being greater than the second amount, the second amount being greater than the third amount, providing the mid-segment with a plane surface being perpendicular to the axial direction of the core, the mid-segment having an inner wheel-shaped segment, a middle wheel shaped segment surrounding the inner wheel-shaped segment, and an outer peripheral wheel-shaped segment surrounding the middle wheel-shaped segment, the inner wheel-shaped segment having color cells with the first amount of gray, the middle wheel-shaped segment having color cells with the second amount of gray and the outer peripheral segment having color cells with the third amount of gray, identifying a first color cell in the inner wheel-shaped segment on the plane surface of the lower segment inside an outer surface of the color sphere;

identifying a second color cell in the inner wheel-shaped segment of the mid-segment, the second color cell being axially aligned with the first color cell, the second color cell having an amount of gray that is identical to an amount of gray of the first color cell, the second color cell having a color shade that is identical to the color shade of the first color cell, the first color cell being darker than the second color cell.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of placing a white shade at the top and a black shade at the bottom.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of making the color sphere openable to display color cells disposed below the peripheral surface within the sphere.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of placing color shades having the greatest intensity in the mid-segment.

5. A color sphere device, comprising:

a plurality of organized color cells, the color cells being gradually lighter from a bottom towards a top and gradually more gray from a peripheral surface towards a core, the color sphere having a lower segment being positioned below a mid-segment, the mid-segment having an outer equatorial periphery representing a largest diameter of the color sphere perpendicularly to the core, the lower segment being axially spaced apart from the mid-segment;

the color sphere having a radial direction, a horizontal peripheral direction or a vertical peripheral direction;

the color cells only matching in the radial direction, horizontal peripheral direction and in the vertical peripheral direction, the radial direction being a direction that is perpendicular to an axial direction of the core, the lower segment having a plane surface being perpendicular to the axial direction of the core, the lower segment having an inner wheel-shaped segment, a middle wheel-shaped segment surrounding the inner wheel-shaped segment, and an outer peripheral wheel-shaped segment surrounding the middle wheel-shaped segment, the inner wheel-shaped segment having color cells with a first amount of gray, the middle wheel-shaped segment having color cells with a second amount of gray and the outer peripheral segment having color cells with a third amount of gray, the first amount being greater than the second amount, the second amount being greater than the third amount, the mid-segment having a plane surface being perpendicular to the axial direction of the core, the mid-segment having an inner wheel-shaped segment, a middle wheel-shaped segment surrounding the inner wheel-shaped segment, and an outer peripheral wheel-shaped segment surrounding the middle wheel-shaped segment, the inner wheel-shaped segment having color cells with the first amount of gray, the middle wheel-shaped segment having color cells with the second amount of gray and the outer peripheral segment having color cells with the third amount of gray, the color sphere having a first color cell in the inner wheel-shaped segment on the plane surface of the lower segment inside an outer surface of the color sphere;

the color sphere having a second color cell in the inner wheel-shaped segment of the mid-segment, the second color cell being axially aligned with the first color cell, the second color cell having an amount of gray that is identical to an amount of gray of the first color cell, the second color cell having a color shade that is identical to the color shade of the first color cell, the first color cell being darker than the second color cell.