Chromatic architecture for sports equipment

• US 20050170920A1
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike International Ltd. (Nike, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Reichow, Alan W., Citek, Karl, Boyer, Clancy G., Avis, Richard G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,360,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0027 visually handicapped
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/00 Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00 starting appliances A63K3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 3/003 Methods or devices for colour determination, selection or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables
• CPC Class Codes: B44F 1/08 characterised by colour effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/465 taking into account the colour perception of the eye; using tristimulus detection

Abstract

Sporting items such as soccer balls include a casing region and a graphic region that are defined by enhanced-visibility colors (EVCs) that are substantially complementary. Such EVCs can be selected to avoid colors associated with color confusion in color deficient individuals. In addition, such colors can be selected based on total reflectances to obtain a predetermined luminance contrast. EVCs can be selected based on separations of color coordinate locations using CIE chromaticity coordinates or CIE L-a-b coordinates or otherwise selected. Color selection can include consideration of anticipated viewing backgrounds in a general setting, or colors can be customized for a particular location and particular illumination conditions.

Claims

1. A sporting object, comprising an exterior having a first exterior region having a spectral reflectance associated with a first color of a pair of enhanced visibility colors (EVCs) and a second exterior region defining a pattern graphic and associated with a second color of the pair.

2. The object of claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are substantially complementary.

3. The object of claim 1, wherein the first and second colors are associated with a luminance contrast of greater than about 50%.

4. The object of claim 1, wherein the first color is substantially yellow and the second color is substantially blue.

5. The object of claim 4, wherein the first exterior region and the second exterior region are substantially non-reflective in a spectral window associated with a background.

6. The object of claim 4, wherein the background is grass.

7. The object of claim 4, wherein the background is an immediate surround to a playing surface.

8. The object of claim 4, wherein the background is blue sky.

9. The object of claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region are substantially diffusely reflective.

10. A ball for a team or individual sport, comprising a cover on which are defined a first color region and a second color region configured to be visible while the ball is in play, wherein the second color region defines a motion graphic and the first color region and the second color region have spectral reflectances associated with substantially complementary colors.

11. The ball of claim 10, wherein color space locations of the substantially complementary colors are separated by at least about 50% of a chromatic blend limit.

12. The ball of claim 11, wherein a chromatic blend line associated with the complementary colors is separated from a central white color space location by less than about 25% of the chromatic blend limit.

13. The ball of claim 10, wherein color space locations of the substantially complementary colors are separated by at least about 75% of a chromatic blend limit.

14. The ball of claim 13, wherein a chromatic blend line associated with the complementary colors is separated from a central white color space location by less than about 25% of the chromatic blend limit.

15. The ball of claim 14, wherein a chromatic blend line associated with the complementary colors is separated from a central white color space location by less than about 10% of the chromatic blend limit.

16. The ball of claim 10, wherein the substantially complementary colors are associated with respective coordinates C1, C2 in an L-a-b color coordinate system, wherein a color difference is greater than about 50.

17. The ball of claim 16, wherein an L-a-b color space a-coordinate of one of C1 and C2 is greater than zero and an L-a-b color space a-coordinate of the other of C1 and C2 is less than zero.

18. The ball of claim 16, wherein an L-a-b color space b-coordinate of one of C1 and C2 is greater than zero and an L-a-b color space b-coordinate of the other of C1 and C2 is less than zero.

19. The ball of claim 16, wherein the color difference is greater than about 100.

20. The ball of claim 15, wherein the substantially complementary colors have a luminance contrast of at least about 50%.

21. The ball of claim 10, wherein a total color difference (TCD) of the first region and the second region is at least about 100.

22. The ball of claim 10, wherein the motion graphic defined in the second color region includes a first portion and a second portion associated with a first axis and a second axis, respectively.

23. A method of selecting colors for a sports item, comprising:

defining a chromatic blend line;

selecting a first color location and a second color location on the chromatic blend line, wherein the first color location and the second color location are separated by at least 50% of a chromatic blend limit; and

selecting a first color and a second color based on the first color location and the second color location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the chromatic blend line is separated from a central white color space location by less than about 20% of the chromatic blend limit.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising selecting a color vision deficiency to be accommodated, and selecting the chromatic blend line to be substantially perpendicular to a color vision defect line of confusion.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising selecting a background spectral window associated with an anticipated background for viewing the sports item, and reducing a reflectance of at least one of the first color and/or the second color in at least a portion of the background spectral window.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first color and the second color are selected to provide a predetermined luminance contrast.

28. A method of increasing ball visibility, comprising:

selecting a graphic that is viewable on a ball in play;

assigning a first color to the graphic; and

assigning a second color to a casing, wherein the first color and the second color are substantially complementary.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

selecting a background; and

reducing a reflectance of at least one of the first color and the second color based on the selected background.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the first color and the second color are selected based on a color vision deficiency.