Abstract:
The invention relates to an easy to use color matching system and method designed to aid an individual in making desirable selections regarding color, such as for clothing, shoes, paint, furniture, window treatments, etc. It also preferably aids designers in matching colors to a standard color selection chart that may be downloaded or matched to a color meter reading.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a color match system, and in particular, a system and method for matching colors on clothing and home decor items, etc.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Color matching is an important element relative to the successful selection of clothing, home decor items, etc. Too often colors are incorrectly matched, leading to unattractive and sometimes hideous color combinations.  
         [0003]     When one piece of clothing, for example, has to be color coordinated with another clothing, i.e., a blouse with a skirt, a shirt with a suit, etc., people often physically compare the colors of the garments side by side to determine whether there&#39;s a good match. This may require the person to take a piece of clothing from home into the store and physically inspect the garments. It may also require the person to have a relatively good sense of color, as well as what looks good, which isn&#39;t always the case. In fact, in many situations, in addition to matching colors between garments, the wearer may also have to match the clothing selection with the wearer&#39;s skin, hair and/or eye color, in which case, the person making the decision not only has to match the garments, but also has to coordinate his or her personal traits with the clothing selection, which isn&#39;t always an easy task.  
         [0004]     Another example is in the home decor field, such as in the case of paint, furniture, carpeting, window treatments, etc. A house may come, for example, with a certain color, on the walls, carpeting, etc., and the owner may need to select materials with the appropriate colors for the furniture, drapes, blinds, etc., to match the existing home. In this respect, it is often difficult for the person to take a sample of the wall or carpeting to the store, and would otherwise be forced to take a sample swatch of material or paint back home from the store, in which case he would have to attempt to match the colors for himself, or else he would be forced to hire a home decorator to match the colors. Needless to say, the success of a home project, or the design of an entire home, in some cases, may depend on making the right color selections, wherein a mistake or failure could be embarrassing and costly to correct.  
         [0005]     What is needed, therefore, is an easy to use color matching system and method designed to aid an individual in making desirable selections regarding color, such as for clothing, shoes, paint, furniture, window treatments, etc. It also preferably aids designers in matching colors to a standard color selection chart that may be downloaded or matched to a color meter reading.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention preferably solves the following problems:  
         [0007]     First, it can accurately record the color of existing articles, such as clothing, paint, furniture, etc., so that the user can match the colors of the existing articles with colors of articles at a retail store or the like without having to carry the existing articles into the store.  
         [0008]     Second, it can check the color of an article, such as clothing, with respect to the colors that are ideal for the user&#39;s skin tone, hair color and eye color.  
         [0009]     Third, it can accurately record the color of an existing article at a retail store, so that it can be brought home and checked against an already existing color at home.  
         [0010]     Fourth, designers who work with colors can take a remote reading of the color of any article and compare it to a standardized color process, such a Pantone® color system, without having to take the article or pieces back to match.  
         [0011]     Fifth, the designer can check the progress of a remote project such as the painting or color decorating of a building, room, wall, furniture, artwork, advertising, etc., without having to physically be present to check the work in both locations.  
         [0012]     Sixth, the designer can coordinate the work over the phone or later after the readings have been taken in person.  
         [0013]     In general, the color matching system of the present invention comprises a hand-held device that has its own light-emitting source, that can be flashed, i.e., by pressing the “scan” button, onto the surface of a colored article, such as garment, paint, etc., to digitally record the color of the surface, by storing the red, yellow and blue values, as well as the light to dark values, associated with the color. These four indicators can record virtually any color in the spectrum, i.e., a rainbow.  
         [0014]     The present invention comprises at least the following improvements. In an embodiment designed for use by consumers, the hand-held device can be used to scan a first article, such as one that the user already owns, to record the color values of that article. In the preferred embodiment, the first article can then be assigned a number, and the name of the article can be stored in the device along with the number. For instance, a type or name of clothing, and the corresponding number, can be stored on a card in the hand held device, or, in a different embodiment, the information can be stored on a palm-sized computer or processor. A plurality of “first articles” can preferably be recorded and stored in this fashion.  
         [0015]     The user can then use the device in a different or remote location to determine whether the color of the first article, i.e., whose name and corresponding number are stored in the device, matches or is otherwise complementary with the color of the article located at the remote location, without having to bring along the first article. When the user scans an article of clothing that belongs to the user, for example, he or she can compare the color of the article that has been stored in the device, with the color of an article located at a retail establishment, wherein the device preferably tells the user whether the colors are a good match, i.e., whether they are the same color, complementary colors, or uncomplimentary colors. A complementary color is one that is different from the stored color, but would nevertheless go well with it. Conversely, the user can scan an article of clothing at a store and take the device back home to check it with an article of clothing at home.  
         [0016]     In the preferred embodiment, the user can also preferably enter his or her skin color, hair color, eye color and/or ethnicity, or any other personal trait that the system is designed to record. In such case, the invention preferably has a program stored within the device that has ideal color combinations for each series of parameters that the user has entered. The user can then scan an article and, in addition to being able to match it with an existing article, the device can determine whether the article is a good match for that user&#39;s personal traits, including skin, hair, and eye color, etc. The invention contemplates that this feature can also be provided as the sole feature of the device, if desired.  
         [0017]     The device also preferably has the ability to download a standard color chart, such as Pantone® or other color processing system, allowing for the individual using the device to immediately match the color readings from the desired article to the standard color in the system. This can help ensure proper color usage and to replicate the color later, using a standard color processing system, such as Pantone®.  
         [0018]     A simple version of the device preferably includes the scanner, an LCD screen that gives simple responses such as “match” “no match” “goes with your coloring,” etc., as well as the red, yellow, and blue values. The simple version can have one or more of the preferred features discussed above. For example, in one embodiment, the user&#39;s articles may be recorded on a card that is stored within the hand-held device. Two other cards can also be included in the device, i.e., a card of color swatches showing the user&#39;s ideal colors, and a card explaining the basic rules of clothing combinations, i.e., regarding pattern mixing, etc.  
         [0019]     A more elaborate version is contemplated where a person can scan a color from an article, and then record a picture of the article, which can be pulled up on a color screen, or transmitted to a central computer located at the user&#39;s home. The user may, in such case, have his or her entire inventory of articles stored on a site that can be accessed on the Internet. The user can then manipulate the information and compare it with items located at the retail store. In such case, a digital camera is preferably provided with the device.  
         [0020]     The present invention can also be used by professionals, such as designers, artists, etc., wherein all of the embodiments and features discussed above can be used to record, store and then later match colors using readings generated by the device. This can be done, for example, to match colors at a remote location—such as at an office or studio, without having to take the article along, to assist in the work of matching colors and designs.  
         [0021]     Based on the above, the main objects of the present invention are as follows:  
         [0022]     To provide a color matching device that allows a person to store and retrieve color information about articles such as clothing, home decor items or the like, so that a person can compare the stored color with the color of an article at a remote location, such as at a clothing or home improvement store.  
         [0023]     To provide a way for a person to determine if a particular color is attractive for his or her skin tone, hair color and eye color, etc.  
         [0024]     To provide a color-matching device that is compact and hand-held so that it can easily be carried in a pocket or purse.  
         [0025]     To provide a color-matching device that includes a plurality of writable surfaces for the user to record his or her articles, such as clothing items or the like, and index them with an assigned number.  
         [0026]     To provide an alternate color matching system wherein the printed inventory of stored items is recorded in a memory processor and can be seen on an LCD type screen.  
         [0027]     To provide an alternate embodiment wherein a digital camera is built into the device and a color display screen is provided that can show a picture of the actual article being matched. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the invention with the door closed;  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of the invention with the door open;  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows a flow chart of the personal trait feature of the invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  shows an individual using the invention on clothing;  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  shows the tip of the light emitting source;  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram of the processor; and  
         [0034]      FIG. 7  shows an alternate embodiment with a camera and image display feature. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the color-matching device of the present invention  100 . This embodiment has an on/off switch  42  that turns the unit on. The housing  44  preferably has a light-emitting, color-reading tip  46  that can be seen more clearly in  FIG. 5 . A tip is shown, although any type of light-emitting source can be provided. The term tip shall hereinafter be used to mean any type of light-emitting source.  
         [0036]     A white light source such as a xenon flash bulb or white LED or the like  60  is preferably provided on and located within the tip  46 . The light  60  is preferably activated when the “record”  2  or “match”  4  button is pressed. The source preferably emits a light  60  that scans the surface of the article upon which the tip  46  is applied.  
         [0037]     When the record  2  button is pressed, the device  100  records and stores in memory the color values or properties of the surface being scanned. When the match  4  button is pressed, as will be discussed, the device  100  attempts to make a match between an existing color or characteristic, such as one that has previously been scanned and stored in memory, and a new color of another article that is currently being scanned.  
         [0038]     To record the color of the article, such as a garment or the like, and store it in memory, the user preferably waves or presses the tip  46  of the housing  44  onto the surface as shown in  FIG. 4 . When pressing the record  2  button, the white light  60  preferably flashes and four photo diodes—red  62 , blue  64 , yellow  66 , gray scale  68 , shown in  FIG. 5 , receive the reflected light so that the strength of red, blue, yellow and gray scale are measured and converted into digital information and stored in the microprocessor  80  located inside the device  100 .  
         [0039]     Another set of buttons  30 ,  32 , which have up and down arrows, can also be used to cause the numeral shown in an LCD display  33  to change, either higher or lower. To record a color value for a particular article, and to later identify that article, the user preferably sets the number in display  33  first, i.e., for example “ 7 ”, which then will correspond to the name of the article that is to be scanned next. The user can identify and make a record of this article by writing the name of the article on writing surface  38 , along with the corresponding number that will be displayed on display  33  for that article.  
         [0040]     To record the color of the article designated as  7 , with the correct number in the display  33 , the user then points the tip  46  of device  100  and holds it against the article, as shown in  FIG. 4 , and presses the “record” button. The color values of the article designated in display  33  are then recorded and stored in memory in the microprocessor  80  of device  100 . The user can then continue to input additional information about additional articles in the same manner, assigning different names and numbers for each one, so that they can each be identified and scanned. Generally, the user can assign numbers to articles of clothing or other colored items such as wall color or furniture color and can then “flash” each item so that each item is numbered and identified by color index and stored in the hand held device  100 , wherein this information can be used for comparison purposes with other articles, such as in a remote location.  
         [0041]     To use the “item match” portion of the device  100 , the user preferably scrolls up or down on buttons  30 ,  32  to make the appropriate number selection on display  33  that matches the existing stored article to be matched or compared. Then the user approaches a new article such as a garment or the like and presses the “match” button  4  which causes the white light source  60  to flash and photo diodes  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  to read the color of the new article and to match it with the stored article&#39;s color values. If there is a good color match the green “yes”  54  light will go on. If the match is close but not perfect, the yellow  52  “maybe” light will go on. If there is a poor match, the red  50  “no” light will go on. If the color is complementary to the stored color, the blue  28  light will go on. Other colors and indications for different types of matches are also contemplated by the present invention. The user may erase stored items in memory by pushing the erase button  71 .  
         [0042]     Housing doors  26 ,  24  are preferably provided on the device  100 .  FIG. 1  shows the doors closed and  FIG. 2  shows the doors  24 ,  26  in the open position. Inside the doors, there are preferably a series of buttons and indicators, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Hinge  34  allows door  26  to open and close. Additional pages of written information can also be provided, wherein hinge  36  preferably allows the user to flip through a plurality of pages of information within the device  100 . Alternately, a more expensive version of the device  100  can include an electronic means for writing the article&#39;s information into the device. For example, a higher end version of the device  100  can include a (Palm type) device that would include an LCD screen where all names of articles and the like could be stored in memory along with their identification numbers.  
         [0043]     Preferably, the user can also install his or her personal color characteristics including hair color, eye color and skin color into the device  100 , so that the user can determine whether a particular color (to be scanned later) matches his or her personal color traits. The user does this by first pressing the “up”  6  or “down”  8  buttons and scrolling through the choices that appear in LCD display  22 , such as “hair”, “eye”, “skin tone”, etc. The user also preferably scrolls through the choices that appear on display  20 , which indicates the color to be associated with the hair, eyes, skin, etc. that is designated in display  22   
         [0044]     For example, display  22  can be set to “hair,” and display  20  can be set to “black,” indicating that the person who wants to use the device has “black hair.” When the correct information is displayed for that choice, the user can press the “set”  18  button to store the information in memory. The user can then continue to do this for every color choice, until all of the choices have been completed. The user can do this by pressing the “next”  16  button to advance to the next characteristic displayed on LCD display  22 , and so forth.  
         [0045]     Once all of the desired characteristics are set into memory in the microprocessor  80 , these personal color characteristics can be referenced for comparison purposes when scanning a new article at a remote location to determine whether the particular color is suitable for the user. In such case, the device  100  is adapted with preselected information relating to these color choices based on hair color, eye color, skin tone and the like, which are well known in the fashion industry, wherein the information has been pre-programmed into the microprocessor of the present color matching device  100 . This way, the user simply points the tip  46  of the device  100  on a new article, wherein one of three LED type lights will light up to indicate that the article color is either 1) very good in relation to the user&#39;s colors  10  (green light), 2) only OK in relation to the user&#39;s colors  12  (yellow light), or 3) is not good in relation to the user&#39;s colors  14  (red light). This can be made to operate automatically, or upon pressing a button (not shown) that turns this feature on. The user may erase stored items in memory by pushing the erase button  70 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 3  shows a block diagram of the personal color selection process.  FIG. 6  shows a block diagram of the inputs and outputs of the microprocessor  80 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment  200  of the device where a color display shows a picture of the article being matched, i.e., for which the information is being recorded and stored in memory. In this higher end version of the device  100 , a digital camera and a color display screen are preferably provided, so that the user can take a picture of the article to be recorded, and then actually see the article, such as an item of clothing or the like, that is to be matched.