Color Notation System

• US 20100039444A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ou, Li-Chen, Luo, Ming Ronnier, Chong, Patrick Tak Fu, Minchew, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/593
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 3/003 Methods or devices for colour determination, selection or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables
• 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 3/465 taking into account the colour perception of the eye; using tristimulus detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts

Abstract

According to one example embodiment described herein is a method of notating a color that includes determining, using predetermined mathematical equations and in dependence on numerical color attributes that identify a color, a plurality of numerical color emotion values each representative of a different human emotional response to the color; and assigning an identifying notation to the color, the identifying notation comprising a color emotion notation that includes the color emotion values.

Claims

1. A method of notating a color, comprising:

determining, using predetermined mathematical equations and in dependence on numerical color attributes that define a color, a plurality of numerical color emotion values each representative of a different human emotional response to the color; and

assigning an identifying notation to the color, the identifying notation comprising a color emotion notation that includes the color emotion values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the color emotion values included in the color emotion notation are each integer values indicating a relative value on a respective color emotion scale.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each color emotion scale is a based on a respective emotional pairing having a highest degree of contrasting emotions represented at opposite ends thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of the emotion pairings is selected from the group the consisting of (a) cool-warm, (b) dark-light, (c) calming-exciting, (d) inviting-uninviting;

(e) clean-dirty;

(f) happy-depressing; and

(g) fun-serious.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the identifying notation includes a further unique identifier for the color.

6. The method of claim 2 comprising:

producing a color sample that shows the color and the identifying notation.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein producing the color sample includes applying the color and the identifying notation to a physical substrate.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein producing the color sample includes presenting an image on an electronic display that includes the color and the identifying notation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the numerical color attributes include CIELAB attributes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the color emotion notation represents the color emotion values associated with the color viewed under a predetermined illuminant.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising estimating the numerical color attributes for the color in dependence on the color emotion values included in the color emotion notation assigned to the color.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining color emotion notations for multiple colors, the color emotion notation for each color including a plurality of color emotion values each being representative of a respective human emotional response to the color; and

displaying a plurality of the colors organized in dependence on the relative color emotion notations for the plurality of colors.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the color emotion values included in the color emotion notation are each rounded to a single digit.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the color emotion values included in the color emotion notation include multiple digits.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each of a plurality of suppliers, assigning color emotion notations to colors available for products from the supplier; and

displaying the colors available for products from the suppliers with the respective color notation values for the colors, thereby facilitating consistent color decisions across products offered by different suppliers.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the products include one or more of paints, stains, architectural coatings, textiles, flooring, broadloom, drapes, appliances, furniture, countertops, clothing and cars.

18. The method of claim 16 comprising tracking the color emotion notations of the colors applied to the products sold over time and determining color trends in dependence on the tracked color emotion notations.

13. The method of claim 13 wherein the displayed colors are organized so that adjacent colors have color emotion notations that are identical except for one color emotion value.

19. A color sample comprising:

a substrate having a display surface with a color and an identifying notation for the color being viewable on the display surface, the identifying notation including a color emotion notation that includes a plurality of color emotion values, wherein each of the color emotion values is representative of a different human emotional response to the color and derived from a different predetermined mathematical equation in dependence on numerical color attributes that define the color.

20. The color sample of claim 19 wherein the color emotion values included in the color emotion notation are each integer values indicating a relative value on a respective color emotion scale, and the predetermined mathematical equations have each been derived from emotional response data collected from a plurality of test subjects in response to a plurality of color samples.

21. The color sample of claim 19 wherein the substrate display surface includes a plurality of different colors applied thereto and each having an identifying notation including a respective color emotion notation including a plurality of color emotion values for the color that are each representative of different human emotional responses to the color and derived from the different predetermined mathematical equations in dependence on numerical color attributes that define the color.

22. The color sample of claim 19 wherein the substrate comprises wall paper, fabric, flooring material, wall tile, ceiling tile, plastic, metal, composite material, paper or cardboard.

23. The color sample of claim 19 wherein the identifying notation also includes a unique identifying number for the color, and a name of the color is also viewable on the display surface.

24. A computer implemented method of presenting color samples, comprising:

receiving an input through an input device requesting that at least one color be displayed; and

displaying on a display device a visual representation of the color and an identifying notation for the color, the identifying notation including a color emotion notation that includes a plurality of color emotion values, wherein each of the color emotion values is representative of a different human emotional response to the color and derived from a different predetermined mathematical equation in dependence on numerical color attributes that define the color.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein displaying on the display device includes displaying a plurality of different colors, each having an identifying notation including a respective color emotion notation including a plurality of color emotion values for the color that are each representative of different human emotional responses to the color and derived from the different predetermined mathematical equations in dependence on numerical color attributes that identify the color.

26. A method for estimating the color attributes of color, comprising:

retrieving a color emotion notation for a color, the color emotion notation including a plurality of color emotion values each being representative of a respective human emotional response to the color, each color emotion value having been calculated using a predetermined mathematical equation in dependence on numerical color attributes that define the color; and

determining the numerical color attributes that define the color in dependence on the color emotion notation.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the numerical color attributes are CIELAB attributes.