WO2004096579A1

WO2004096579A1 - Selection system

Info

Publication number: WO2004096579A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/002626
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Paul Scouller; Christopher Hugh Delafield
Original assignee: Omnova Wallcovering (Uk) Limited; Omnova Solutions, Inc.
Priority date: 2003-04-28
Filing date: 2003-06-19
Publication date: 2004-11-11
Also published as: AU2003241052A1; AU2003241052A8

Abstract

A catalog (20) of decorative sheet covering materials, the catalog comprising: a memory (21) storing data indicating the propensity of each of a set of coverings to create each of one or more psychological effects on an observer; a receiver unit (22) arranged to receive from a user an input indicating one or more of the psychological effects; and a selector unit arranged to select a subject of the coverings for which the stored data indicate they have a propensity to create the indicated psychological effect(s).

Description

SELECTION SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to decorative sheet covering materials, and in particular to means for facilitating the selection of appropriate covering materials for specific applications.

Background of the Invention

Introduction

There is a very large market for covering materials such as wall papers, curtains and upholstery fabric. Coverings are used in a wide variety of room types - old, characterful, modem, large (such as a function room), small (such as an office or a room in a residential home), or narrow (such as a corridor), to list a few. Each application where a covering- material is used will have individual requirements which may be specified by a person decorating the room or may be a result of the shape, size or character of the room.

Covering materials may be used by individuals wishing to decorate their homes, or by interior designers contracted to decorate rooms within offices, hotels, hospitals, homes or other buildings. Home decorator's selection of wall covering

Individual home decorators who have no background in design are likely to choose colors and styles that are neutral since they may not be able to imagine the effect that would be created by bolder options. To avoid the risk of making a selection that does not create an appropriate or desirable effect, they will often choose simple, indistinct colors and styles, even though for a given application a bright color or an unusual pattern or texture might produce better results in terms of a desired effect.

Designer's selection of wall covering

As an example, an interior designer may be given the task of selecting a wall covering for the reception area of a hotel. The walls to be covered may have a large area, and the space may be away from windows and therefore not naturally lit. The designer may wish to make the space seem lighter and more airy, in addition to appearing elegant and stylish, with a view to making the reception area appeal to all of the hotel's guests. He may also wish to make the reception area feel relaxing for guests.

The designer would then need to select an appropriate wall covering which could perform these functions. He might decide that paint is inappropriate for this purpose since it is relatively cheap (and may thus not seem to guests to be elegant), and large areas of wall covered in a single color can look bland. Consequently, the designer may consider sheet wall coverings such as wall papers or vinyl. These offer patterns and textures in addition to color, and may appear more stylish. The designer would attempt to choose a style of sheet wall covering whose combination of color(s), texture and pattern could induce a feeling of relaxation in people in the reception area, and would appear elegant and unobtrusive.

The task of choosing an appropriate wall covering, once the criteria have been decided, would then lie with the designer. The designer would rely on his knowledge and experience to select a combination of features that would create the desired effects, and may then peruse brochures or binders from wall covering manufacturers to find a covering having those features.

Emotional effects of color

It is known that color has an important link to people's emotional states. A designer may know, for example, that a warm-colored room can have a calming effect on the people in it. Discussions of effects produced by colors can be found at www.colormatters.com. Color consultants are also becoming popular. An example of a color consultancy service can be found at www.colorcom.com.

Interior designer's use of color

An interior designer, who will typically have much experience in selecting colors and styles of coverings, may opt for dramatic or unusual designs or colors. A designer will typically be able to develop an accurate mental image of how a room will look once decoration is completed, and this skill coupled with experience will mean that bold choices of covering materials can be used successfully to create a desired effect. Difficulty of selecting

It is a disadvantage of present systems for displaying and marketing ranges of covering materials that the large numbers of various colors, textures and patterns of the coverings make it difficult for buyers to select a covering that matches their criteria. As mentioned above, for sheet wall coverings brochures or binders are typically used to display samples of wall coverings. The different coverings within a binder may be arranged according to design. However, a large selection can be confusing and overwhelming for a person who does not have a clear idea of the type of covering he or she is looking for.

Difficulty of searching for wall coverings having specific criteria

In addition, it would be unhelpful for a person looking for, say, a blue wall paper within a particular price range if the samples within a binder were ordered according to pattern, or some other feature, as is often the case. If the sample range of a manufacturer is large then the brochures or binders are difficult to use.

Similarly, for an individual looking for a particular durability of wall covering and one that would create a professional, reliable atmosphere, for example, it would not be helpful to him for a binder to be organized by color or price if these factors were not important to him. The decorator would need to peruse an entire binder before being in a position to select the most appropriate covering. Disadvantages for manufacturers

There is also a difficulty for manufacturers of wall coverings in obtaining a clear overview of the range of products offered by them. It is very easy for a company to produce styles that are very similar to one another in pattern or texture or color without being aware that there is overlap in the range.

Aims of the present invention

It is an aim of the present invention to assist individuals and designers in choosing decorative sheet covering materials that are suitable for their respective applications.

As has been discussed above, clear linlcs have been shown between color and emotional state. However, effects produced by different patterns and textures, for example of wall coverings, have not yet been fully exploited. It is desirable that links between pattern and texture and a person's emotional state should be capable of being purposefully used, even by laymen, to create a desired atmosphere in a room.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a catalog of decorative sheet covering materials, the catalog comprising: a memory storing data indicating the propensity of each of a set of coverings to create each of one or more psychological effects on an observer; a receiver unit arranged to receive from a user an input indicating one or more of the psychological effects; and a selector unit arranged to select a subset of the coverings for which the stored data indicate they have a propensity to create the indicated psychological effect(s).

The catalog could suitably be an electronic product identification and/or indexing tool.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of selecting a subset from a set of decorative sheet covering materials, the method comprising; for each of the set of coverings, storing in a catalog data indicating the propensity of the respective covering to create each of one or more psychological effects on an observer; receiving from a user an input indicating one or more of the psychological effects; and selecting a subset of the coverings for which the stored data indicate they have a propensity to create the indicated psychological effect(s).

Brief Description of Drawings

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a flow chart showing the steps of a method for outputting a list of products; and

Figure 2 shows a representation of a system, for selecting appropriate products;

Figure 3 shows a catalog according to the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings.

The steps of Figure 1 represent a method for selecting a subset of sheet wall coverings from a set. The set may correspond to a complete range of sheet wall coverings offered by a manufacturer.

Choice of wall covering by customer

A customer wishing to use the method to assist him in selecting a covering material for a particular application can be assumed to have a view of the type of covering he is looking for. Depending on the type of customer, the clarity of this view will vary. For example, if the customer is a professional specifier, such as an architect or a designer, then the view of the desired product is likely to be clear, whereas if the customer is an individual looking for a covering for a private residence, he may not have a clear idea of what he wants. The method shown in Figure 1 can be used to help customers to clarify their views of what they require.

Category definition

In the present example, sheet wall coverings will be considered. In the first step, sho n as step 10, categories are defined as will be explained below, for example by a manufacturer of sheet wall coverings. In the following description, examples of features and effects will be given. These are listed merely for the purpose of explaining the present invention and should not be considered to be limiting.

A manufacturer may define the following categories:

End use situation

Price class

Functionalities

Look

Feel

Color.

End use situations are the applications or locations where sheet wall coverings are to be applied. Price class is a range of prices per unit area of sheet wall coverings. Functionalities are the fimctional features of the wall coverings. Looks are the aesthetic effects of a wall covering. Feels are the emotional or psychological effects produced by a wall covering. Color is the color of a wall covering in the case of a single color, unpatterned wall covering, or the base color or majority color of a wall covering in the case of a patterned wall covering. The color may be described specifically or generally.

Within each category, sub-categories may then be defined. For example, in the end use situation category, the following sub-categories may be used:

Offices Individual offices Meeting rooms Canteens / staff rooms Hotels and guest-houses

Bedrooms Corridors Reception areas Dining areas, and so on.

The price class category is simple to sub-divide. As an example, each price class may be defined to correspond to a sheet wall covering costing within a certain range of prices per unit area.

Under "functionalities", such headings as

Narrow width Wide width Basic durability High durability Write on/wipe off

may be used. For example, a high durability covering would be appropriate for an application such as a high-traffic corridor, and a write on/wipe off covering would be useful in a conference room. The "look" category can be sub-divided into a set of looks that users may wish to search for. Examples of looks are:

Dramatic

Classic

Contemporary-modern

Minimalist

Homestyle

Arabian

Mediterranean

Neutral

High tech.

The "feel" category can be sub-divided into a set of feels that users may wish to search for. The feels correspond to psychological effects or feelings that may be developed in a person in a room where such a wall covering has been applied. Examples of feels are:

Tranquil (calming)

Safe, dependable and trustworthy

Inspirational and creative

Powerful and dynamic

Active, alive and energetic

Feminine

Comfortable and relaxing Light and airy Cool and refreshing

For instance, a person decorating a conference room or reception area of an office regularly visited by clients may wish to give the room or area a safe/dependable feel.

The color category may be divided as shown below, with headings of color groups, and sub-headings of more specific colors:

Blue

Cyan

Deep

Aqua

Dark turquoise

Light

Cobalt

Analysis of manufacturer's products

Once a series of categories has been defined and sub-divided, each product manufactured by the manufacturer can be analysed. This step is shown in Figure 1 as 11. The manufacturer (in this example) can decide, possibly with the assistance of a psychologist who is able to judge the psychological effect of each wall covering, which headings within each category apply to each sheet wall covering. For example, it might be determined by a psychologist that a simple, bold floral pattern with a distinctive raised texture can have an inspirational effect on people in a room covered with such a wall covering. In addition, the effect of the colors of each wall covering should be considered.

As a result of the analysis, ratings (say on a scale of 1 to 10) can be given to each sheet wall covering for each category and/or sub-category. Alternatively, and in the preferred embodiment, a simple "yes" or "no" can be listed against each category for each covering, representing whether or not the covering is believed to have a certain effect or benefit.

In the example where ratings are used, the floral wall covering given as an example above may score the following ratings within the "looks" category:

Dramatic 7

Classic 1 Contemporary-modern 5

Minimalist 0

Homestyle 8

Arabian 0

Mediterranean 2

Neutral 2

High tech 0.

Within the "feels" category it might score as follows: Tranquil (calming) 0

Safe, dependable and trustworthy 3

Inspirational and creative 8

Powerful and dynamic 6

Active, alive and energetic 5

Feminine 8

Comfortable and relaxing 6

Light and airy 3

Cool and refreshing 0.

Compilation of information

When each sheet wall covering has been rated as described above, the information can be compiled into a database and stored. This is illustrated at 12 in Figure 1.

Customer input

In order for the system of the present invention to ascertain the requirements or desires of individual customers, it is necessary that the customers are able to enter their requirements. However, as mentioned above, in many cases the customers will not have a clear picture of the type of sheet wall covering that they desire. In one embodiment of the invention, the customer is asked a number of questions by the system, and the customer^'s answers to the questions are received by the system as an input specifying the requirements of the customer. The questions would preferably be posed via a computer system which can display the questions, and which is preferably capable of receiving and analysing the answers.

If the questions are carefully worded, then they can assist the customer in defining the look, style, color etc. that he or she is looking for. The questions could suitably vary according to the type of customer in such a way that a designer might be asked specific questions and a customer buying wall coverings for home use might be asked more general questions plirased in a manner easily understood by those lacking experience of decorating. The step of asking questions is shown as 13 in Figure 1. In addition to the text of the questions, graphics images could also be displayed to customers to give examples for the purpose of claiifying to customers the meanings of terms used in the questions.

An example of a series of questions which might be posed to a customer looking for a sheet wall covering for his own living room is shown in table 1. These will now be explained.

Question 1 is to determine the type of customer. In this example of a home decorator, the first box would be marked. On receiving the answer, the system would then display question 2 which is specific to home decorating. The step of receiving the input from the customer is shown as 14 in figure 1.

Software is preferably used to analyse a customer's answers and specify subsequent questions. In the event that the customer is, say, a designer, question 2 could ask what type of building the wall covering is to be applied in, for example: office, home, hotel and so on. The answers given to questions 3 and 4 can be used to limit the range of sheet wall coverings searched m response to the questions. The customer in the example may require a yellow wall covering to co-ordinate with flirniture in the living room, but may not wish to set a limit on the price of the product. He would then leave the box m question 4 blank.

Questions 5 and 6 are intended to help the customer to imagine the effect that he would like in his living room. By posing questions such as these, which the customer would probably not have considered before, the customer is enabled to articulate a desired look and feel of the room that he is decorating. Of course, many more sub- categories may be defined. Those listed below are merely by way of example.

Table 1

1 ) Mark the box that applies to you

□ Home decorator α Interior designer

D Architect α Other

2) Where is the wall covering to be applied"?

D Living room

□ Dining room

α Kitchen α Bathroom π Hall/landing D Utility room

D Adult bedroom

□ Child's bedroom

D Playroom

D Study

D Other

3) Is there a particular color you are looking for?

4) If you would like to specify a price range, please give a pπce code below

D

5) Mark the box that most closely defines the atmosphere you would like in the room

D Tranquil (calming)

D Safe, dependable and trustworthy

D Inspirational and creative

G Powerful and dynamic

D Active, alive and energetic

D Feminine

D Comfortable and relaxing

D Light and airy

D Cool and refreshing

6) Which, if any, of the following looks would you like to create'' (Mark any that appl )

□ Dramatic

G Classic

D Contemporary-modern G Minimalist

D Homestyle

D Arabian

D Mediterranean

G Neutral

G High tech

Searching of database

Once all the questions have been answered, the software of the system could perform a search of the database of products and features, and consequently select a series of sheet wall coverings that best match the specifications entered by the customer. The comparison or searching step is shown as 15 in Figure 1. Suitably, the series of ratings for each wall covering offered by the manufacturer could be compared with the indications received by the system of the type of wall covering required by the customer. The answers given by the customer could suitably be used to produce a series of ratings as described above indicating the relevance of each sub-category to the customer's requirements. These ratings could then be compared with the ratings of the sheet wall coverings.

Outputting of results

The results of the search could then be outputted to the customer in some way. This is step 16 of Figure 1. For example, a screen could show a list detailing the product name, reference number and price of each wall covering, and preferably a picture or description of the wall covering. Alternatively, the reference numbers alone could be shown, and the customer could then refer to a binder containing samples of every sheet wall covering offered by the manufacturer to view the wall coverings matching his requirements.

Customer benefits

The results of the search might produce wall coverings which the customer would not have considered looking at before using the method described above, but which are appealing to him. The customer could confidently choose a bolder style or color than he would previously have considered because the system can offer reassurance that the listed products will create the atmosphere that the customer desires.

A variation to the above method could be used as follows. Separate series of questions could be available depending on whether a customer wishes to choose a sheet wall covering by means of specifying traditional physical criteria (such as color, price, pattern (e.g. damask or geometrical) and finish (e.g. metallic, matt)) or by specifying the look and feel that he wishes to produce. For example, if a customer knows that he wants a light green, striped, matt wall paper with a particular cost per unit area, then he would not want to answer questions relating to the look and feel to be created. In this case, he could specify to the selection system that he wishes only to use physical criteria to produce the list of matching products.

A summary of the system of the above-described embodiment is shown in Figure 2. The product range 1 is the starting point for the manufacturer, who then creates categories and defines the properties and effects 4 of each sheet wall covering in the range. A database 2 can then be created. A user of the system can input criteria for a sheet wall covering and these criteria are analysed and compared 5 with the information in the database 2. As a result of the comparison 5, a list 3 of wall coverings appropriate to the user's requirements can be output from the system.

The system could suitably be made available via the Internet for easy access by customers. Alternatively or in addition, software for performing the method of the invention could be made available on a CD intended for professional design or decorating firms or home users.

Figure 3 shows a catalog 20 comprising a memory 21, a receiver unit 22 and a selector unit 23. The memory 21 stores data indicating the capability of each of a series of sheet wall coverings of producing each of a series of psychological effects, such as "looks" and "feels", and other details such as price and technical benefits of the wall coverings, as described above. In use, the receiver unit 22 receives input 24 from a user indicating one or more of the effects that the user desires. The selector 23 then compares the user input with the stored data and selects a subset of the series of sheet wall coverings that are determined to be capable of producing the desired effects. Optionally, the catalog can output 25 the results of the selection to the user.

While the described example relates specifically to wall coverings, it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the present invention can be applied to any type or types of decorative sheet covering material. The applicant draws attention to the fact that the present invention may include any feature or combination of features disclosed herein, without limitation to the scope of any definitions set out above. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A catalog of decorative sheet covering materials, the catalog comprising: a memory storing data indicating the propensity of each of a set of coverings to create each of one or more psychological effects on an observer; a receiver unit arranged to receive from a user an input indicating one or more of the psychological effects; and a selector unit arranged to select a subset of the coverings for which the stored data indicate they have a propensity to create the indicated psychological effect(s).

2. A catalog according to claim 1 further comprising: an output unit arranged to output to the user details of the subset of coverings.

3. A catalog according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising: data indicating the price of each of the set of coverings; a receiver unit arranged to receive from a user an input indicating a price or price range; and a selector unit arranged to select a subset of the coverings for which the stored data indicate a price matching the price or price range input by the user.

4. A catalog according to any preceding claim further comprising: data indicating technical features of each of the set of coverings; a receiver unit arranged to receive from a user an input indicating one or more technical features; and a selector unit arranged to select a subset of the coverings for which the stored data indicate one or more of the said one or more technical features.

5. A method of selecting a subset from a set of decorative sheet covering materials, the method comprising; for each of the set of coverings, storing in a catalog data indicating the propensity of the respective covering to create each of one or more psychological effects on an observer; receiving from a user an input indicating one or more of the psychological effects; and selecting a subset of the coverings for which the stored data indicate they have a propensity to create the indicated psychological effect(s).

6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of outputting to the user details of the subset of coverings.

7. A database comprising indications of the propensity of each of a set of coverings to create each of one or more psychological effects.

8. A system that assists a user in selecting a decorative product; the system comprising: a product database having product information arranged by a plurality of categories; an input device that allows the user to identify at least one desired psychological effect characteristic of a decorative product: a microprocessor capable of accessing and searching the product database to identify decorative products that match the desired characteristic provided by the user and an output device that supplies the decorative products identified by the microprocessor to the user.

9. A method of selecting a decorative product comprising the steps of: providing a product database of a group of available decorative products that have been classified by psychological effect characteristics; inputting a desired characteristic into a microprocessor; accessing and searching the product database to identify matching database entries that match the desired characteristic; and providing the matching database entries to the user.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the matching database entries are provided graphically on a video screen.

11. A method according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the matching database entries are provided graphically on a video screen in a simulated environment.

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 1 1 wherein the decorative products are classified into function categories.

13. A method according to any of claims 9 to 12 wherein scores are assigned to inputted characteristics, and scored inputted characteristics are compared to the product database.

14. A method according to any of claims 9 to 13 further comprising the step of asking questions to gather the desired psychological effect characteristic based on a customer's view of a decorating project.

15. An interactive decorative item product catalog; comprising: a database having a group of decorative items searchable by psychological effect characteristic; an input device adapted to gather customer preferences through a series of questions related to the decorative products; means to search the searchable database for items based on input received from customer; and an output device that provides results of search to customer.

16. A catalog according to claim 15 flirther comprising means for diminishing an output list based on further questions and input data.

17. A method for assisting a customer in selecting a decorative item for a room; the method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying what type of decorative item the customer is searching for by asking the customer to input the answer into a input device;

(b) identifying the intended location for the decorative item by asking the customer to input the answer into the input device;

(c) identifying the customer's view of the decorative item by asking the customer a series of questions related to predefined product categories and asking the customer to input the answers into the input device;

(d) comparing the answers inputted by the customer to data in a searchable product database; the searchable product database including product information categorized and scored by criteria related to the questions asked to obtain the customer's view of the decorative item;

(e) identifying the products in the database that most closely match the customer's answers; and

(f) identifying these products to the customer.

18. A method for allowing a customer to identify a range of decorative products for a given decorating project; the method comprising the steps of: providing a searchable database of products wherein the products are categorized into a plurality of feature and effect categories and wherein each product is scored within each category; obtaining selection criteria data from the customer for each feature and effect category; and comparing the selection criteria data to the database to identify a range of decorative products that meet the customer's criteria.