Expert color system for color selection with color harmony and color emotion intelligence

• US 9,123,149 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chong, Patrick Tak Fu, Fairman, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US13/833,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence

Abstract

An expert color selection system that assists the user in selecting color combinations is disclosed. The expert system suggests combinations of colors that are harmonious with each other. The user may tune the level of harmony in the combination. The user may also select a color emotion for the color combination and set the emotion threshold. The suggested color combination can be used as interior or exterior paints and for color merchandise.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a combination of colors comprising the steps of

(a) receiving a first color;

(b) locating said first color in a uniform three-dimensional color space, wherein said uniform three-dimensional color space is the property that defines an equal notational difference in any two, or more, places in said color space as being equally perceptible to an observer;

(c) quantizing said uniform color space into at least a first sub-space;

(d) calculating using a processor a psychophysical property of combinations of colors, wherein each combination comprises the first color and at least a color from the at least first sub-space;

(e) displaying on a visual user interface a suggested combination of colors, which include the first color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least first sub-space includes the first color.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one additional sub-space is ascertained by rotating the at least first sub-space about an axis through the first color.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the axis is parallel to a lightness axis.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the axis is a chroma axis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least first sub-space excludes the first color.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least first sub-space includes a related color, wherein the related color relates to the first color by a color wheel relationship.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the related color comprises a center of the at least first sub-space.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the color wheel theory comprises a complementary, a split complementary, mono-chromatic, analogous, triad, tetradic, five-way or six-way relationship with the first color.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one additional sub-space is ascertained to include a second related color, wherein the second related color relates to the first color by a color wheel relationship.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the uniform three-dimensional color space comprises a lightness axis ranges from about 0 to about 100 lightness units.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-space is a cuboid.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising the step of dividing the at least first sub-space into clusters.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the psychological property comprises a color harmony or a color emotion.

15. The method of claim 1, in step (d) the colors in the combinations are transformed to a non-uniform color space.

16. A method for selecting a combination of colors comprising the steps of

(a) receiving a first color;

(b) locating said first color in a uniform three-dimensional color space;

(c) quantizing said uniform color space into at least a first sub-space and dividing the at least first sub-space into clusters;

(d) calculating using a processor a psychophysical property of combinations of colors, wherein each combination comprises the first color and at least a color from the at least first sub-space;

wherein in step (d) the combinations of colors include the first color and a color from each cluster; and

(e) displaying on a visual user interface a suggested combination of colors, which include the first color.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a selected cluster is further divided into cells and the combinations of colors include the first color and a color from each cell.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selected cluster is a cluster having an optimal psychophysical property.

19. A method for processing colors to suggest a combination of colors comprising the steps of

(a) receiving a first color;

(b) locating said first color in a three-dimensional color space;

(c) quantizing said color space into at least a first sub-space;

(d) dividing the at least first sub-space into clusters

(e) calculating using a processor a property of groups of colors, wherein each group includes the first color and a color from the clusters;

(f) further dividing a selected cluster into cells;

(g) calculating using the processor said property of second groups of colors, wherein each second group includes the first color and a color from the cells;

(e) displaying on a visual user interface the suggested combination of colors, which include the first color.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the three-dimensional color space is uniform.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said property comprise a psychophysical property.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein if a value of said property from step (g) is improved from a prior value, repeat steps (f) and (g) with a selected cell being the selected cluster.