EP2384904B1 - Appareil et procédé de distribution de marchandises de couleur - Google Patents

Appareil et procédé de distribution de marchandises de couleur Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2384904B1
EP2384904B1 EP10004713.3A EP10004713A EP2384904B1 EP 2384904 B1 EP2384904 B1 EP 2384904B1 EP 10004713 A EP10004713 A EP 10004713A EP 2384904 B1 EP2384904 B1 EP 2384904B1
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Prior art keywords
color
colors
illuminants
printed
merchandise
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EP10004713.3A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP2384904A1 (fr
Inventor
Carl Minchew
Bobby Chin
Edmund N. Colosi
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Benjamin Moore and Co
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Benjamin Moore and Co
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
    • B44D—PAINTING OR ARTISTIC DRAWING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRESERVING PAINTINGS; SURFACE TREATMENT TO OBTAIN SPECIAL ARTISTIC SURFACE EFFECTS OR FINISHES
    • B44D3/00—Accessories or implements for use in connection with painting or artistic drawing, not otherwise provided for; Methods or devices for colour determination, selection, or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables
    • B44D3/003—Methods or devices for colour determination, selection or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables

Definitions

  • This invention generally relates to an apparatus for providing customers with color samples, e.g., color chips, wet paint samples and/or color merchandise depicting accurate colors and accurate paint colors.
  • color samples e.g., color chips, wet paint samples and/or color merchandise depicting accurate colors and accurate paint colors.
  • paint chips typically measure about 11 ⁇ 4 inch by 2 inches, and recently, buyers can purchase larger paint chips of about 18 inches by 18 inches to assist with the mental projection of the colors to the walls. Additionally, the buyers may purchase small containers of about 2 ounces of the desired paints to paint larger swatches on the walls. Typically, the buyers start with small paint chips to narrow the choices and then move to larger paint chips and/or sample paints before choosing the final paint colors.
  • Color merchandising may take many forms including the electronic depictions discussed below. Color accurate, physical merchandise, which has a tactile dimension as well as color, is available in a nearly unlimited variety of shapes and sizes. These include the basic, single color chips described above, as well as strip chips, fan decks, designer decks, counter books, specialty collections and variations of all of these.
  • the merchandising may be used by consumers or design professionals and may appear in retail stores, kiosks, design centers or be available for sale through stores or via the internet. All of this physical color merchandising is produced through an industrial process that requires quite large production runs to achieve economies of scale. Consequently, there are long lead times and relatively high inventory levels.
  • customers When deciding on a paint color, customers typically select colors from the above-mentioned fan deck or use any type of inspiration piece to direct them to agreeable colors. To find the appropriate color chips, they must then search the store independently or ask a store staff member to find the color chips or wet samples. This process can be time consuming and frustrating. Many times, customers may search the store themselves for color chips and subsequently return the chips to the wrong location, hindering the paint selection process for future customers.
  • PCV Benjamin Moore® Paints' Personal Color Viewer TM
  • the PCV software displays on a computer screen a number of standard interior rooms with furniture, e.g., living room, dining room, bedrooms kitchen and bathroom, as well as the exteriors of a dwelling.
  • the buyers can change the colors of the room, including ceiling, trim and upper and lower walls, at will to project the colors to the entire room.
  • digital images of the buyers' own dwellings can be manipulated by the PCV software to display the desired colors.
  • paint selection software is that the images are typically displayed on computer screens, which are limited to combinations of three RGB primary colors (red, green and blue), or four CMYK primary colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) for common inkjet and laser printers. Only a limited number of colors can be displayed and viewed, when only three or four primary colors are used. Similarly, a fan deck can only display several thousands of colors, while more than ten thousand paint colors are available.
  • RGB primary colors red, green and blue
  • CMYK primary colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black
  • Another drawback of the paint selection software is that often a single color cannot be repeated from one computer screen to another computer screen, unless rigorous calibration procedures are conducted. One color often appears differently on different monitors. Even if a particular computer screen is properly calibrated and the limited color gamut can be displayed, the desired color cannot be printed because conventional inkjet printers do not have the capability to print colors accurately and to print colors that don't change under different illuminants or ambient/background lighting.
  • Paint selection software, printed merchandise and physical color chip fan decks cannot control the ambient light when paint colors are viewed by the consumers. It is known that colors can look different under different ambient illuminations, i.e., to a consumer, a particular color can look one way under one ambient light and look differently under a different ambient light. This phenomenon is known as "color inconstancy,” when a single color is considered and “metamerism,” when two or more colors are considered, discussed further below.
  • Known ways to control color inconstancy and metamerism for color chips and fan decks include providing stringent quality control to their manufacturing process and to select combinations of color pigments and resins for use in the manufacturing of color chips and fan decks that are similar to combinations of color pigments and resins used in paints.
  • Color inconstancy is the change in color perception of a single physical color under different ambient lights or illuminants.
  • Light sources are often identified by two important parameters: correlated color temperature (CCT) and spectral power distribution.
  • CCT is the temperature of the Planckian radiator (black body), whose perceived color most closely resembles that of the given light source at the same brightness and under specified viewing conditions. For example, some fluorescent daylight lamps have a CCT of 6500K.
  • the given light source has a chromaticity identical to a chromaticity point at the Planckian radiator locus on the CIE chromaticity diagram, that light source has the same Color Temperature (CT) in unit of Kelvin as that of the Planckian locus chromaticity point.
  • CT Color Temperature
  • CIE Illuminant A has a CT of 2856K.
  • the spectral power distribution, SPD is a measure of the amount of energy emitted by the light source at each wavelength in the visible spectrum. This information is usually reported at 1, 2, 5, 10 or 20 nanometer intervals.
  • a color observed outdoors is illuminated by the sun with a wide range of CCT and SPD from sunrise to sunset.
  • Indoor illumination or artificial light is rarely as bright as natural sunlight and differs considerably in SPD and may also differ in CCT. Illumination is an important factor in viewing colors, and the brightness of the environment, as well as the CCT and SPD, have a measurable effect on colors perceived by people.
  • SRF spectral reflectance factors
  • both may appear the same as the intended paint color or the paint color standard color under one illuminant, they may appear as different colors or non-matching colors, or different shades of the same color, under a different illuminant. More particularly, in natural daylight, both the paint chip and painted wall appear to be the same shade of green. However, when viewed under incandescent light, while the paint on the wall may still appear green, the paint chip color could appear as a different shade of green. Accordingly, consumers appreciate the need for paint selection tools that exhibit minimal metamerism in reference to colors or paints.
  • Inkjet printers use dye-based inks and pigment-based to print on papers.
  • Dye-based inks can mix as they are being printed and are absorbed into the papers leaving very little ink on the surface of the papers.
  • Dye-based inks can provide a large color gamut, but are susceptible to color fading.
  • a number of inkjet manufacturers have produced pigment-based inks in order to address the color fading issue, and pigment-based inks are durable.
  • Pigment-based inks comprise solid color pigments suspended in resin similar to architectural coatings and paints, and the solid color pigments, which can be organic and/or inorganic, are not absorbed into the papers, but are deposited on top of the papers and held to the papers by the resin.
  • Pigment-based and dye-based inks have different optical reflective properties depending on the wavelengths of the illuminating lights. In other words, these inks can reflect different illuminating lights differently. Hence, a combination of pigment-based inks or dye-based inks used to produce colors can reflect one illuminating light similarly, i.e ., appear to be the same color, but reflect another illuminating light differently, i.e. , appear to be different color.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus and methodology for creating color samples or color merchandise on-demand for customers at any location and provides the customers with color merchandise containing accurate, constant, low-metameric colors compared to the intended standard paint color or paint color standard.
  • the present invention provides a methodology that provides the customers and other decision makers the ability to make decisions, such as purchase decisions and other selections, based solely on non-verbal and non-textual, non-symbolic or non-hieroglyphic prints on a substrate.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inventive color selection station
  • Figure 2A is a color photograph, which shows a small standard brown color paint chip placed on a large brown color paint chip printed by a conventional inkjet print process
  • Figure 2B is a color photograph, which shows a small standard brown color paint chip placed on a large brown color paint chip printed by a low metameric inkjet print process
  • Figure 3 is a color photograph depicting, which shows a series of standard color paint chips, a series of color paint chips printed by a conventional inkjet print process, and a series of color paint chips printed by a low metameric inkjet print process;
  • Figure 4A is a color photograph depicting, which shows a series of standard color paint chips
  • Figure 4B is a color photograph depicting, which shows a series of color paint chips printed by a conventional inkjet print process
  • Figure 4C is a color photograph depicting, which shows a series of color paint chips printed by a low metameric inkjet print process.
  • Figure 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing an inventive interface/translation system; Figures 5A and 5B show the portions of the flowchart discussed in Figure 5 .
  • the present invention provides an apparatus and methodology for creating color samples or color merchandise on-demand for customers at any location and provides the customers with color merchandise containing accurate, constant, low metameric colors compared to the intended standard paint color or standard color.
  • the apparatus can be a color selection station 10, shown in Figure 1 , where consumers/customers may view and select colors from pre-manufactured merchandise, such as paint chips or customized color merchandise shown in Figures 2A-2B , 3 and 4A-4C and described below.
  • Color selection station 10 can also prepare merchandise on demand from the consumers by printing the merchandise selected by the consumers.
  • color merchandise or merchandise include but are not limited to strip chips with two or more colors on one strip and typically three, four or seven colors; fan decks which comprise a collection of strip chips; color cards which exhibit color samples, images, and suggested color combinations; large color samples typically about 12 inches by about 12 inches or larger; small color chips typically about 1 square inch up to 8 inches by 8 inches; layout boards that combine graphical imagery with color samples on a single panel; and collections of the previously listed items bound together in the form of books, fan decks, or pre-packaged materials.
  • a preferred printer is an inkjet printer that can print the many hundreds or thousands of paint colors accurately, constantly and with low metamerism compared to the intended standard paint color.
  • Suitable inkjet printers include both pigment-based printers and dye-based printers that have the capability to print a color that appears substantially the same as the intended paint color or the paint color standard under multiple illuminants.
  • Low metameric printing, and methodologies for judging and accepting the printed merchandise are discussed in detail in the commonly-owned, co-pending U.S. patent application entitled “Method for Managing Metamerism of Color Merchandise” (docket no. BJM-045) filed on even date herewith.
  • the present invention also provides a methodology that provides the customers and other decision makers the ability to make decisions, such as purchase decisions and other selections, based solely on non-verbal and non-graphical prints without texts or symbols on a substrate.
  • information contained on papers or computer monitors or other substrates is processed by readers when it is in a written language, including modem and ancient languages, or in symbols, such as mathematical symbols.
  • readers never before have the readers been able to view a representation of a color printed on papers, i.e., non-verbal and non-textual without texts or symbols, with sufficient accuracy, constancy and low metamerism that the readers can make decisions, such as purchasing, rating or ranking, about that color without specialized standardized lighting without referring to another source.
  • CSS 10 comprises a number of components, including computer or television monitor 12, which can be a high resolution flat RGB screen. Monitor 12 is connected to a computer or central processing unit (CPU) positioned within the cabinetry of CSS 10.
  • the computer is sized and dimensioned to run or operate one or more color selection software or color viewing software, such as the PCV® discussed above, or similar software.
  • Other color selection software or color viewing software such as the Wall of Inspiration, previously tested at Benjamin Moore's Janovic Store in New York, NY and described in " The Wall of Inspiration: A Computer Aided Color Selection System," by S. Berrier, C. Shimizu, P. Chong, D. Colucci and G.
  • CSS 10 may also have screen 14 that preferably uses five or more primary light sources, or multiple color LED primary light sources to mix/combine to produce a uniform and accurate color.
  • Screen 14 is the display of a light mixing system disclosed in international published patent application no. WO 2006/076211 . This light-mixing system comprises a plurality of primary lights, which can be 5, 7 and up to 11 or more primary lights.
  • this light mixing system can display a wider color gamut than a conventional RGB monitor, as discussed in publication WO 2006/076211 .
  • the light mixing system has a system of fixed and movable baffles that thoroughly mix the primary lights into a diffused, uniform light, which is then displayed on screen 14.
  • Screen 14 can display the same uniform color over a large area to allow consumers to view a large sample of the selected color. Textures can be added to screen 14 to represent the sheen of the paint, e.g., flat, eggshell, semi-gloss and gloss. Screen 14 can be any size to convey to the viewer how a color would look when painted on a large surface.
  • Light box screen 14 can be replaced by a three-dimensional light box, where the primary lights sources, including LEDs, halogens, incandescent and fluorescent lights are mixed in a light mixing chamber with a central baffle before being projected on to a flat or curve surface (similar to screen 14) located spaced apart from the mixing chamber.
  • the flat or curve surface can also have texture to represent sheen.
  • Such light box with the light mixing chamber is disclosed in commonly owned international patent application serial no. PCT/US08/088011 and filed on December 22, 2008 .
  • the light mixing chamber can include an ambient illuminant, such as day light, fluorescent light, incandescent light or a standard D50 light source mixed with the displayed light.
  • At least a large portion and preferably all of the color chip merchandise can be replaced by a print-on-demand aspect of the present invention using accurate, constant and low metameric inkjet printers, discussed above.
  • This inventive feature is illustrated in Figures 2A-2B , 3 and 4A-4C, discussed below.
  • One conventional way of preparing color merchandise is to prepare a layout from a design template, or a custom design. Such templates may include an architect's rendition of a building or dwelling with a recommended color scheme. The completed template can be printed with conventional printing means. Thereafter, the architect or designer cuts color chips of the recommended color scheme and adheres them on the template so that the customers or clients can view the recommended colors accurately, since conventional printing means cannot print colors accurately.
  • An example of this technique is shown in Figure 4A . This methodology is time consuming, especially when the consumer or designer selects a large number of colors or the chosen colors span across multiple palettes or color libraries, as illustrated in Figure 4A .
  • Suitable ink jet printers include, preferably, the Epson® Stylus Pro 7900 or 9900 (commercially available from Epson America, Inc., Long Beach, CA), the Hewlett-Packard Photosmart® Pro B9180 or Designjet® Z-2100 and Z-310 (commercially available from Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, CA), or the Canon imagePROGRAF® IPF5000 (commercially available from Canon U.S.A., Inc. of Lake Success, New York).
  • Epson® Stylus Pro 7900 or 9900 commercially available from Epson America, Inc., Long Beach, CA
  • the Hewlett-Packard Photosmart® Pro B9180 or Designjet® Z-2100 and Z-310 commercially available from Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, CA
  • Canon imagePROGRAF® IPF5000 commercially available from Canon U.S.A., Inc. of Lake Success, New York.
  • a less desired, conventional way of preparing color merchandise is to print the entire template with a conventional inkjet or laserjet printer. This is not desirable because the recommended colors cannot be represented adequately by conventional printing methods. Consumers cannot make any color judgments or decisions based on these incorrectly printed colors. Samples of color merchandise printed with conventional printing means are best shown in Figures 2A and 4B .
  • CSS 10 utilizes an interface/translation system 20 that substitutes the color information from one or more color palettes, such as RGB, CMYK, CMYK + orange + green (CMYKOG), or any color systems/conventions or color space used to describe paint colors at an area or a pixel with an index value or location on a color lookup table (CLUT or LUT) that can be referenced by color printers.
  • the color printers or more specifically their driver programs use the index value to locate on the CLUT the information and instructions necessary for the printer to produce the correct color at that area or pixel.
  • interface system 20 translates or transforms the spectral information or colorimetric information associated with the multiple thousand paint colors in any color space to a CLUT index value that can be recognized by color printers.
  • Color lookup tables are commonly used to minimize the amount of memory space required to describe a color document that is sent to a color printer.
  • a document is divided into pixels, i.e., a two dimensional table where each cell contains the color information of the corresponding pixel.
  • each pixel instead of having each pixel containing its own R, G, B values, which would require 24 bits, each pixel carries an 8-bit value index value that points to a location in the CLUT that contains the color information. See e.g. , definition of "color lookup table” or "color palette” at The Free Dictionary at http://encypedia.thefreedictionary.com/color%20palette . See also, A. Balaji, et al. "Hierarchical Compression of Color Look Up Tables," 15th Color Imaging Conference Final Program and Proceedings, at pp. 261-266 (2007 ) and U.S. patent number 5,483,360 .
  • the CLUT table usable with interface system 20 also contains values related to the spectral information or colorimetric information associated with the multiple thousand paint colors and instructions to print with low metamerism. More specifically, the values in the CLUT table correspond to the R, G, and B colored ink values or C, M, Y and K colored ink values or C, M, Y, K, O and G colored ink values that can be recognized by color printers.
  • the CLUT table values may also contain instructions to dispense precise amounts of the designated inks to achieve low metamerism.
  • a non-limiting, exemplary interface system 20 is shown in Figures 5 and 5A-B , and can be operated by CSS 10's CPU.
  • the CPU may also run other programs or software, e.g. , color selection software, at the same time or in background mode, described below.
  • Interface system 20 interacts with the users by displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) shown at reference number 22.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • Interface system 20 provides the users at least three options: to print color swatches 24, to replace color pixels 26 or to exit 28. These options can be offered sequentially as shown in Figure 5 , or can be offered simultaneously.
  • interface system 20 allows the users to select one or more colors from one or more color palettes, color libraries or color collections at step 30 using any of the color selection tools discussed above. For example, Benjamin Moore's (BM) color palettes or collections can be offered. The present invention is not limited to any particular color palettes or collections.
  • BM Benjamin Moore's
  • one color swatch can be printed for each selected color.
  • the users can define the geometrical or dimensional characteristics of each swatch. All the swatches may have the same dimension and shape; however, interface system 20 has the ability to let the users define the dimensions and shape of each swatch. Indentifying information for each color can also be selected to be printed with the colors at step 32.
  • this identifying information does not play a part in the users' color decision making process; it merely identifies the color name, color number or other information associated with the colors selected by the decision making process.
  • the users would take the printed colors home or to other dwellings or structures where new paints would be applied. The users would then choose from the printed colors the paint colors that would be purchased and applied to the walls, ceilings, etc. This identifying information would assist with the purchasing process. Alternatively, the identifying information can be omitted and the selected colors can be identified by a spectrophotometer.
  • Color swatch CLUT printing process 34 comprises step 36 of setting up a print configuration using the earlier user-defined settings, step 38 of opening a new print document and step 40 of starting at the first selected color.
  • the data for each color from the color palettes or color collections, e.g., BM color palettes is loaded at step 42, a bitmap memory, for example, 1 pixel by 1 pixel, is created at step 44, and the CLUT index number for the current color from the color palettes or color collections, e.g., BM palettes, is loaded at step 46.
  • step 48 the data for each color is replaced by the CLUT index number, and a flag is switched to the ON position to alert the printer's driver program that it needs to lookup in the CLUT for instructions to print with low metamerism for that pixel.
  • the bitmap memory is then adjusted or stretched to the color swatch size earlier defined by the users at step 50. Step 50 may be omitted if in step 42, the bitmap memory is defined to be the color swatch size; however, all the pixels in the swatch's area would need to be processed.
  • the color name and color number may be added to the bitmap memory at step 52.
  • the color swatch bitmap is then added to the print document at the location selected earlier by the user at step 54. Steps 42-54 are repeated for each color selected to be printed as shown by decision point 56 and step 58. Thereafter, the print document is closed at step 60 and the print document is sent to the printer at step 62.
  • the users can select a different color merchandise to print.
  • the users can select a pre-existing image to process at step 64.
  • the image can be one of the photographs or artworks professionally created and stored in the CPU.
  • interface system 20 can perform the color pixel CLUT index replacement process on the selected image at step 66.
  • a print configuration is setup and a new print document is opened at step 70 to load the selected image into memory at step 72.
  • Interface system 20 may prompt the users to point to the image's first color pixel or area at step 74 or may automatically point to the image's first color pixel or area.
  • the modified image is added to the print document at step 88. The print document is then closed at step 90 and the image is printed
  • color pixel CLUT index replacement step 26 is to allow the users to upload digital photographs or digitized photographs to the CPU to monitor 12. Such photographs can be pictures of the interior of rooms to be painted or the exterior of a dwelling of a building to be painted. Interface system 20 then allows the users to choose a certain surface to be painted, e.g ., a wall, a window, a molding, etc., by a computer mouse or computer stylus, for example, at step 74. The chosen surface then can be colored by a BM color or a color from any palette or collection. This process is repeated until all the surfaces to be painted are colored on monitor 12. The modified photograph is then printed in accordance with the process described in Figure 5A or 5B accurately and with low metamerism. The users can take printed photographs of their home, where the walls and ceilings are accurately painted with new paint colors and low metamerism. These photographs may also include the users' furniture, which can assist with the process of choosing new paint colors.
  • Figure 2A is a photograph of a large inkjet print (it A shows a specimen measured about 17 inches by 22 inches partially cut and folded) of a brown color in a convention manner, which has the designation of color number 049 and color name "Twilight Dreams" in the Benjamin Moore palettes.
  • a smaller color chip standard is positioned on this large print to show how this color 049 should look. It can be clearly seen that the conventionally printed color does not resemble the color chip standard under a combination of daylight and fluorescent light sources, when the photograph was taken. All of the photographs in the present specification were taken under similar light sources.
  • Figure 2B is a photograph of a similar size inkjet print (it shows a specimen measured about 17 inches by 22 inches partially cut and folded) of the same brown color in accordance with the present invention with a similar color chip standard positioned thereon at a similar location. Under the same light sources, the inventive inkjet print on demand and the color standard match.
  • Figure 3 is a photograph of three color merchandise, namely strip chips, that should be showing the same colors under the same light sources.
  • the middle strip chips are premade and represent the color standards.
  • the strip chips on the left side are made in accordance to the present invention and the strip chips on the right side are made in a conventional manner. It can be seen that the inventive strip chips match the standard strip chips under the same light sources, while the conventional strip chips do not.
  • FIG 4B is a photograph of the same color merchandise produced in a conventional manner
  • Figure 4C is a photograph of the same color merchandise produced in accordance with the present invention. It can be seen that the inventive color merchandise match the color standard under the light sources, while the conventional color merchandise don't. (these show specimen measured about 17 inches by 22 inches partially cut and folded)
  • CSS 10 can print color chips of any convenient size and can print a sample up to 48 inches wide. After a color merchandise is prepared and dried, the consumer may hold it up against screen 14 to double check whether the color(s) of the merchandise matches the displayed color(s) on screen 14.
  • CSS 10 can be optionally enclosed and can be equipped with various ambient illuminants so that the color merchandise can be checked for color constancy and color metamerism before the consumer leaves CSS 10 to try the color merchandise at home.
  • CSS 10 can be illuminated with various light sources, including but not limited to daylight, natural light, incandescent and halogen lighting. Suitable such light sources are available as the Benjamin Moore Retail Lighting System from Benjamin Moore & Co. of Montvale and Flanders, New Jersey.
  • Another advantage of the present invention is that the inventory of dried color chips is greatly reduced and preferably eliminated.
  • Dried color chip inventory is replaced by an inventory of primary inks, which can be as low as four primaries.
  • the reduced inventory requirement allows paint manufacturers to reduce the size of CSS 10 and to deploy CSS 10 as kiosks in paint stores, shopping malls, airports, parking lots and building supply stores.
  • the inks are transformed by the present invention into accurate, constant, low metameric colors and color merchandise to reduce inventory of pre-made or pre-manufactured color merchandise.
  • p ins and/or p vis represents the percentage of color standard-color merchandise pairs that pass the instrumental test and p vis represents the percentage of color standard-color merchandise pairs that pass the visual test. If the value of p ins and/or p vis is below an optimal value or if p ins and p vis do not correlate well, then one modifies the first acceptance criterion, the second acceptance criterion, or both criteria until a balance is achieved between the acceptance criteria values and p ins and p vis .
  • an instrumental test a visual test, or both are used to evaluate the acceptability of color match between a set of plural color standards and inkjet printed color merchandise under a plurality of illuminants.
  • Instrumental tests utilize a CPU, color measurement device or like computational instrument to calculate the value of one or more mathematical expressions suitable for evaluating the degree of color difference and metamerism.
  • Visual tests utilize a panel of observers (e.g., three or more observers) to ascertain the effects of metamerism.
  • Either the instrumental or visual tests can be singly used to assess the acceptability of a color match.
  • the combination of both the instrumental and visual means provide a greater degree of confidence that assessment of metamerism is accurate and that an acceptable level of tolerance has been established.
  • the number (n total ) of total color standard and color merchandise pairs can be in an order of magnitude equivalent to about 10 1 , preferably about 10 2 , more preferably about 10 3 , e.g., about 30, or about 300, or about 3000 color standard-color merchandise pairs.
  • the illuminants can be a balanced illuminant, CIE Illuminants D65, CWF/F2 and A, and optionally F11.
  • the balanced illuminant comprises a plurality of illuminants having different CCTs and the balanced illuminant has an effective CCT between about 4200 K and 4600 K, and more preferably CCT between about 4300 K and 4500 K.
  • Standard illuminants with a defined spectral power distribution have been recommended by the CIE and adopted by many industries.
  • the CIE D illuminants (D50, D55, D65 and D75) represent different phases of "average" daylight, with respective correlated color temperatures of 5000, 5500, 6504 and 7500 K.
  • the illuminant D65 representing average noon daylight, is a commonly-used standard illuminant and can be used in the present invention to assess color difference values.
  • Other suitable illuminants include, without limitation, CIE Illuminant A, CIE Illuminant CWF ("Cool White Fluorescent")/F2, and CIE Illuminant F11.
  • CIE Illuminant A (CCT 2856 K) represents incandescent light sources such as household tungsten filament lamps.
  • CIE Illuminant CWF/F2 (CCT 4100 K) represents cool white fluorescent light sources.
  • CIE Illuminant F 11 (CCT 4000 K) represents TL84, narrow band tri-phosphorous fluorescent light sources.
  • Instrumental means utilize one or more mathematical expressions including those described in a paper by F. H. Imai, M. R. Rosen, and R. S. Berns, entitled “Comparative Study of Metrics for Spectral Match Quality,” Proc. CGIV 2002: The First European Conference on Colour in Graphics, Image and Vision, 492-496 (2002 ).
  • the Imai et al. paper discloses that CIE color difference equations, spectral curve difference equations (e.g., root mean square equations), metamerism indices, and weighted root mean square equations are all suitable for evaluating the degree of metamerism.
  • instrumental means utilize CIE color difference equations to ascertain the effects of metamerism.
  • Color difference ( ⁇ E ) is defined as the distance between two colors in a color space such as CIELAB.
  • the value of ⁇ E is calculated using a color difference formula, such as, preferably the CIEDE2000 color difference formula for a 10° standard observer.
  • the CIEDE2000 color difference formula is set forth in G. Sharma, W. Wu, and E. Dalal, "The CIEDE2000 Color-Difference Formula: Implementation Notes, Supplementary Test Data, and Mathematical Observations," Color Res. Appl. 30: pp. 21-30, Feb. 2005 .
  • CIEDE2000 color difference values are calculated by a methodology that transforms measured CIELAB values into CIE L*C*h (lightness, chroma, hue) color space values.
  • the CIEDE2000 color difference equation comprises weighting factors k L , k C , and k H for the metric lightness difference, metric chroma difference and the metric hue difference, which in the present invention are 1, 1, 1, respectively.
  • Other suitable color difference equations include the CIELUV, CIELAB and the CIE94 color difference equations.
  • ⁇ E for the same plural illuminants used in step 40 above, i.e., at least three, preferably at least four, more preferably at least five illuminants.
  • the average ⁇ E (CIEDE2000) value should be less than about 1.0, preferably less than about 0.7, and more preferably less than about 0.4.
  • the maximum DE 2000 value should be less than about 1.5, preferably less than about 1.4, and more preferably less than about 1.0.
  • Visual means can also be used to assess the color difference for the total number (n total ) of color standard-color merchandise pairs under at least three, more preferably at least four, and most preferably at least five illuminant simulators.
  • the visual assessment may be conducted in any suitably controlled manner.
  • color standards are comprised on a set of mid-grey card masks (e.g., 17" X 22") that are layered over color merchandise prints.
  • the masks have semi-circular holes in the card that allow equal areas of color standard and color merchandise to be visible.
  • the layered sets of masks and prints should be observed under light sources that emulate illuminants such as Balanced Illuminant, CIE Illuminant D65, CIE Illuminant A, CIE Illuminant CWF/F2, and optionally F 11.
  • Such simulators are commercially available as light booths, e.g., the Benjamin Moore Retail Lighting System, commercially available from Benjamin Moore & Co. of Montvale, New Jersey; or the GLE-M® color matching luminaries series, commercially available from GTI Graphic Technology, Inc. of Newburgh, New York; or the Judge II-S® viewing booth from X-Rite, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  • the layered sets of masks and prints are observed by a panel comprising individuals, who have normal color vision and are trained in color discrimination.
  • the panel comprises three, preferably five, more preferably seven individuals.
  • Panelists may make perceptibility and/or acceptability judgments. Perceptibility judgments simply require a panelist to determine whether or not there is any visual color difference between the standard and merchandise, whereas acceptability judgments require panelists to determine whether the visual color difference is acceptable.
  • each panelist makes an acceptability judgment. The panelist decides if (i) there is no visual color difference and the color standard-color merchandise are an acceptable match (a "pass” judgment), or (ii) there is a small visual color difference but the color standard-color merchandise are still an acceptable match (a "marginal pass” judgment), or (iii) there is a visual color difference that is unacceptable (a "fail” judgment).
  • each color sample- color standard pair there are 4 or 5 determinations corresponding to the number of light sources specified.
  • Each panelist may make independent determinations which are later reconciled or the panel may work as a group to make a consensus determination for each observation.
  • those color sample-color standard pairs that "pass" under all 4 or 5 light sources are deemed to be acceptable colors.
  • the percentage acceptable colors varies for four light sources (e.g., about 85%, preferably about 90%, more preferably about 95% pass/marginal judgments) and five light sources (e.g., about 50%, preferably about 55%, more preferably about 60% pass/marginal judgments).
  • the number of light sources is much less important than the actual selected light sources utilized.
  • the spectral quality of the selected light source(s) will impact on the percentage acceptable colors.
  • the use of F11 will affect the percentage acceptable colors much more than the use of F2.
  • a light source with a very jagged SPD plus radiance at limited narrow band wavelengths, such as F11 will render color matching more challenging.
  • An inverse relationship has been observed between the acceptance criteria and the percentage of acceptable colors. Acceptable colors are defined as those for which the color sample and the color standard meet acceptability criteria under all illuminants or light sources.
  • n ins and n ins are the number of color standard - color merchandise pairs that respectively pass instrumental and visual assessments.
  • a balance is preferably achieved to insure that the colors that pass the acceptability requirements meet the customer's needs and expectations but to also insure that a sufficient number of acceptable colors is available to provide a suitable range of color samples. If the acceptance criteria are too tight then there will be too few acceptable colors, if the acceptance criteria are too loose then the colors may be unacceptably metameric.
  • the combination of ink compositions selected to correspond to the spectral reflectance factor of each color standard can be based on the spectral reflectance factor of each ink in the combination.
  • the color merchandise represents non-textual printing with no symbols that is sufficiently accurate in its representation of colors that the viewers/decision makers are capable of making a decision, a selection of whether a color or colors are acceptable, without the necessity of edification or explanation by texts or symbols.
  • An example of this color merchandise is shown in FIG. 3 .
  • a printer produces a color
  • that printed color is too inaccurate to represent the true color.
  • the viewer must refer to pre-manufactured color merchandise, such as color chips of varying sizes or wet paint samples for a representation of true colors.
  • the printer can produce texts that convey information sufficient for the reader to make a decision, it cannot produce non-textual, non-symbolic, non hieroglyphic prints that a viewer can rely on.
  • the low metameric, color constant printer system discussed above provides accurate printed colors that accurately represent true colors under various illuminants.
  • the printer can be replaced with other color merchandise, such as wet paint samples, conventional color paint chips stored within a vending-type machine, which would need to be serviced and have its inventory maintained.
  • the vending machine may take on a number of forms.
  • the device consists of a user interface portion having a navigation screen, an enclosed storage portion housing color samples, a dispensing mechanism, and optionally a display surface to allow customers to view colors on a large swath of surface, similar to screen 14, under one or more ambient light conditions.
  • the user interface portion of the vending device may comprise a computer screen with a mouse and keyboard apparatus for navigation purposes. It may also comprise a touch-sensitive screen for navigation purposes. Alternatively, the user interface portion may be purely mechanical.
  • the user interface can be computer screen 12 controlled by its CPU, as discussed above, and the color selection process can be any one of the color selection or color viewing software discussed above.
  • the user may select a desired paint color, as discussed above, and obtain a sample of the paint.
  • CSS 10 comprises a storage portion having premixed paint precursors and a variety of pigments covering the range of paint colors available for selection by the user.
  • the paint sample may be formulated by CSS 10 by combining a number of the paint precursors and the appropriate pigment and dispensed in wet form.
  • the paint sample may be formulated by the vending device by combining a number of the paint precursors and the appropriate pigment and subsequently applying the paint sample to a surface, such as cardstock or a material approximating a wall. The painted surface may then be cured or dried before it is dispensed to the customer.
  • Patent No. 6,221,145 teaches premixed paint components that may be stored at a point-of-sale location and combined to create any number of paints having different finishes, i.e ., flat, matte, satin, eggshell, semi-gloss and high-gloss, and any number of hues.

Landscapes

  • Spectrometry And Color Measurement (AREA)

Claims (24)

  1. Appareil de sélection de couleur comprenant :
    une unité de traitement centrale exécutant un programme de sélection de couleur,
    un moniteur connecté à l'unité de traitement centrale affichant une pluralité de couleurs, dans lequel chaque couleur affichée correspond à un standard de couleur, et caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend
    un système d'interface exécuté par l'unité de traitement centrale pour transformer une valeur de couleur des couleurs affichées en une valeur d'indice de table de consultation de couleur, et
    une imprimante connectée à l'unité de traitement centrale afin d'imprimer une ou plusieurs des couleurs affichées en utilisant la valeur d'indice de table de consultation de couleur, dans lequel les couleurs imprimées sont sensiblement similaires aux standards de couleur correspondants, de telle sorte qu'une différence de couleur mesurée moyenne (ΔE) pour un observateur à 10° entre les couleurs imprimées et leurs standards de couleur correspondants est inférieure à environ 1,0 unité CIEDE2000 pour au moins deux illuminants ambiants.
  2. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon la revendication 1, dans lequel une majorité d'un panel d'observateurs estime que les couleurs imprimées et les standards de couleur correspondants coïncidant de façon acceptable sous lesdits illuminants ambiants.
  3. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon la revendication 1. ou 2, dans lequel la ΔE moyenne est inférieure à environ 0,7 unité CIEDE2000, ou dans lequel la ΔE moyenne est inférieure à environ 0,4 unité CIEDE2000.
  4. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 1 à 3, dans lequel une ΔE maximale pour un observateur à 10° entre la couleur imprimée et le standard de couleur est inférieure à environ 1,5 unité CIEDE2000 pour lesdits illuminants ambiants.
  5. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon la revendication 4, dans lequel une ΔE maximale pour un observateur à 10° entre la couleur imprimée et le standard de couleur est inférieure à environ 1,4 unité CIEDE2000, ou dans lequel une ΔE maximale pour un observateur à 10° entre la couleur imprimée et le standard de couleur est inférieure à environ 1,0 unité CIEDE2000.
  6. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, dans lequel lesdits illuminants comprennent au moins trois illuminants ambiants, ou dans lequel lesdits illuminants comprennent au moins quatre illuminants ambiants, ou dans lequel lesdits illuminants comprennent au moins cinq illuminants ambiants.
  7. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 1 à 6, dans lequel un desdits illuminants est un illuminant harmonieux comprenant une pluralité d'illuminants présentant différentes températures de couleur proximale (CCT pour « Correlated Color Temperatures ») et dans lequel l'illuminant harmonieux a une CCT efficace entre environ 4 200 °K et 4 600 °K.
  8. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon la revendication 7, dans lequel ladite CCT efficace est entre environ 4 300 °K et 4 500 °K.
  9. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 1 à 8, dans lequel les couleurs imprimées forment une marchandise de couleur.
  10. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 1 à 9, dans lequel l'imprimante utilise une pluralité d'encres à base de pigment pour produire les couleurs imprimées.
  11. Appareil de sélection de couleur selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 1 à 10, dans lequel les standards de couleur comprennent des couleurs de peinture ou des éclats de peinture.
  12. Procédé de production d'une marchandise de couleur faiblement métamère, comprenant les étapes :
    a. de sélection d'un ou plusieurs standard(s) de couleur,
    b. de fourniture d'une imprimante qui utilise une pluralité d'encres
    b. de remplacement d'informations spectrales ou colorimétriques associées aux un ou plusieurs standard(s) de couleur par une ou plusieurs valeur(s) d'indice de table de consultation de couleur correspondantes contenant des instructions pour distribuer des quantités d'encres pour réaliser un métamérisme faible, dans lequel l'imprimante utilise les valeurs d'indice de table de consultation de couleur pour imprimer une ou plusieurs couleur(s) imprimée(s),
    d. de transformation desdites encres en une ou plusieurs couleur(s) imprimée(s) en les imprimant sur un substrat, dans lequel les couleurs imprimées sont sensiblement similaires aux standards de couleur correspondants, de telle sorte qu'une différence de couleur mesurée moyenne (ΔE) pour un observateur standard à 10° entre les couleurs imprimées et leurs standards de couleur correspondants est inférieure à environ 1,0 unité CIEDE2000 pour au moins deux illuminants ambiants.
  13. Procédé selon la revendication 12, dans lequel une majorité d'un panel d'observateurs estime que les couleurs imprimées et les standards de couleur correspondants coïncident de façon acceptable sous lesdits illuminants ambiants.
  14. Procédé selon la revendication 12 ou 13, dans lequel la ΔE moyenne est inférieure à environ 0,7 unité CIEDE2000, ou dans lequel la ΔE moyenne est inférieure à environ 0,4 unité CIEDE2000.
  15. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 14, dans lequel une ΔE maximale pour un observateur à 10° entre la couleur imprimée et le standard de couleur est inférieure à environ 1,5 unité CIEDE2000 pour lesdits illuminants ambiants.
  16. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 15, dans lequel lesdits illuminants comprennent au moins trois illuminants ambiants, ou dans lequel lesdits illuminants comprennent au moins quatre illuminants ambiants.
  17. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 16, dans lequel un desdits illuminants est un illuminant harmonieux comprenant une pluralité d'illuminants présentant différentes températures de couleur proximale (CCT) et dans lequel l'illuminant harmonieux a une CCT efficace entre environ 4 200 °K et 4 600 °K.
  18. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 17, dans lequel les couleurs imprimées forment une marchandise de couleur.
  19. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 18, dans lequel les encres comprennent des encres à base de pigment.
  20. procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 19, dans lequel les standards de couleur comprennent des couleurs de peinture ou des éclats de peinture.
  21. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 20, comprenant en outre l'étape d'affichage des couleurs sélectionnées.
  22. Procédé selon la revendication 18, dans lequel la marchandise de couleur est choisie parmi un groupe consistant en des éclats en bande avec deux ou plusieurs couleurs sur une bande ; des éclats en bande avec jusqu'à sept couleurs ; des nuanciers en éventail qui comprennent un ensemble d'éclats en bande ; des cartes de couleur qui affichent des échantillons de couleur, des images, et des combinaisons de couleurs sélectionnées ; de grands échantillons de couleur présentant des dimensions d'environ 12 pouces par environ 12 pouces ou plus ; de petits éclats de couleur présentant des dimensions d'environ 1 pouce par 1 pouce à environ 8 pouces par 8 pouces ; des planches d'épure qui combinent une imagerie graphique avec des échantillons de couleur sur un seul panneau ; et des combinaisons et sous-combinaisons de ces derniers sous forme volante ou reliées sous la forme de livres, nuanciers en éventail ou matériaux préconditionnés.
  23. Procédé selon l'une quelconque ou plusieurs des revendications 12 à 22, comprenant en outre l'étape de fourniture d'un outil de sélection de couleur.
  24. Procédé selon la revendication 13, dans lequel au moins environ 85 % des observateurs estiment que les couleurs imprimées et les standards de couleur correspondants coïncident de façon acceptable sous quatre illuminants ambiants, ou dans lequel plus d'environ 50 % des observateurs estiment que les couleurs imprimées et les standards de couleur correspondants coïncident de façon acceptable sous cinq illuminants ambiants.
EP10004713.3A 2010-05-04 2010-05-04 Appareil et procédé de distribution de marchandises de couleur Active EP2384904B1 (fr)

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Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2010100568A2 (fr) * 2009-03-03 2010-09-10 Benjamin Moore & Co. Procédé de gestion du métamérisme d'une marchandise colorée

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0024862A3 (fr) * 1979-09-04 1981-03-25 Harold Charles Taylor Appareil vidéo de visualisation de plages juxtaposées de couleurs selectionnées
DE3200292C2 (de) * 1981-02-17 1983-12-08 Applied Color Systems, Inc., 08540 Princeton, N.J. Verfahren zur Übermittlung einer Farbinformation und zur Herstellung eines einer vorgegebenen Farbe entsprechenden Farbstoffansatzes
US5483360A (en) 1994-06-06 1996-01-09 Xerox Corporation Color printer calibration with blended look up tables
US6221145B1 (en) 1998-12-23 2001-04-24 Coating Management Systems, Inc. Method of producing and aqueous paint composition from a plurality of premixed components
WO2006076211A2 (fr) 2005-01-10 2006-07-20 Columbia Insurance Company Systeme et procede de representation sur des surfaces de couleurs vraies dependant d'un dispositif et d'obtention de peintures et d'enduits correspondant aux couleurs vraies
DE102006061286A1 (de) * 2006-01-07 2007-08-16 Torsten Pankratz Anordnung und Vorrichtung zur Farbenauswahl

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2010100568A2 (fr) * 2009-03-03 2010-09-10 Benjamin Moore & Co. Procédé de gestion du métamérisme d'une marchandise colorée

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