Abstract:
A Web-based method for identifying matching or comparable siding materials for use in construction repair, remodeling and the like. The method employs an online computer network such as the Internet to provide access to a database of siding materials organized by siding profile and grain information—including such information not only for currently available products but for discontinued products—from different siding manufacturers. When performing a search for siding matching a given sample, a user accesses the database, selects a desired profile based on visual similarity between the sample and images of siding profiles stored in the database, and then selects a desired grain type based on visual similarity between the sample and images of siding of various grain types for the selected profile. The database preferably also contains a color specimen for each siding profile and grain type for visual comparison of color.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/281,878, filed Apr. 5, 2001, which provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to methods for locating suitable construction materials for repair or remodeling purposes, and more particularly to methods for identifying matching or comparable residential siding, e.g., vinyl and aluminum siding, for repair or remodeling purposes. 
     Each year more than three billion square feet of vinyl siding are sold in the United States, according to the Vinyl Siding Institute, and most if not all of this material, once installed, bears no specific identification such as manufacturer name, model number, etc., the type of information that would be extremely useful to have in case of a need for replacement such as in the event of storm damage. Unfortunately, due to the lack of such information on the siding itself, insurance adjusters and repair personnel frequently encounter substantial difficulties in locating suitable replacement siding. If no similar siding can be located, a small amount of damage can cause an entire house to be resided. 
     Exterior siding comes in dozens of profiles, each in a broad array of grain styles. Grain styles are typically unique to the manufacturer and each product series. Finding a matching material for a remodeling or repair project presents an owner, remodeler, or insurance adjuster with a difficult task. For anyone in need of additional siding material, the first step is always to identify the manufacturer of the current product. Up until now, this process has been one of store-to-store material comparison that can take days or even weeks to complete. The problem is compounded if the unidentified siding that is the subject of the search has been discontinued or is otherwise no longer available. There is a need for a substitute for such frustrating and often fruitless research. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a Web-based method for identifying matching or comparable siding materials for use in construction repair, remodeling and the like. The method employs an online computer network such as the Internet to provide access to a database of siding materials organized by siding profile and grain information—including such information not only for currently available products but for discontinued products—from different siding manufacturers. When performing a search for siding matching a given sample, a user accesses the database, selects a desired profile based on visual similarity between the sample and images of siding profiles stored in the database, and then selects a desired grain type based on visual similarity between the sample and images of siding of various grain types for the selected profile. The database preferably also contains a color image for each siding profile and grain type for visual comparison of color. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, a user can visually compare vinyl, aluminum or steel sidings across manufacturing lines and then easily identify a given siding as either currently available or as a discontinued product. Once availability of similar material has been determined, siding selection and purchasing decisions can be completed. Once an available siding has been selected, a Web site will provide the siding manufacturer&#39;s contact information, siding specifications, supplier contact phone numbers and web site. If a discontinued siding is selected, the user will be directed to grain patterns similar to the pattern of the discontinued siding. For the insurance industry, knowing that a similar material is currently available is an important consideration in the settlement of a claim involving damaged siding. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a flow chart of the operating program for a Web site according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an example of a screen display associated with a home page suitable for use with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a siding type selection screen suitable for use with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an example of a profile selection screen suitable for use with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an example of a grain type selection screen suitable for use with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the categorization of grain types and subsets thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an example of a screen display showing search results under certain criteria according to the flow chart of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is an example of a screen display showing product specifications and color along with vendor information for a product selected from those displayed in the search results. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
       FIG. 1  is an overall flow chart for an embodiment of the present invention in which visual product identification is accomplished using a database containing siding product information which is accessible via the Internet. It will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the Internet as presently known, and in that regard it should be noted that, unless indicated otherwise, references to a Web-based system or method are intended to comprehend other forms of online computer networks. The database, which may be created using Oracle database language, preferably contains a high-resolution digital photograph and other pertinent information as described herein for every model of siding—including currently available and discontinued siding—from every siding manufacturer or supplier in the United States and Canada. 
     The flow chart depicts the logical arrangement of a Web site, identified by the domain name SidingMatch.com in this example, where the database described herein may be accessed. A computer server (not shown) is programmed to provide all the functionality for the Web site as described herein, using Web Objects language from Apple Computer along with the following software/standards: Flash from Macromedia, Java, JavaScript, and HTML. The Web site is provided with a graphical user interface (GUI) including a home page in a conventional manner, and the home page may include conventional menu items such as those identified by reference numeral  5  by which the user may connect to other pages on the Web site in a known manner such as by clicking a mouse after moving the cursor to a desired icon on the screen. Such menu items as well as other possible user selections are shown in  FIG. 2  as one example of a screen display associated with a home page suitable for use with the present invention. 
     Block  10  in the flow chart of  FIG. 1  is a step in the Web site control program in which the user is shown a set of siding materials, e.g., vinyl, aluminum and steel, and prompted to select a siding type of interest. An example screen for this step of the process is shown in  FIG. 3 . The user may have a physical sample or a photograph of siding to be replaced, and at this step of the process selects the material type corresponding to the sample. The control program for the Web site preferably enables such selection and all other user selections to be made by mouse action as indicated above. 
     The server is further programmed to prompt the user at step  12  to select a siding profile from among, for example, 48 different profiles. This step of the process is further illustrated by the sample screen of  FIG. 4 , which shows a number of different sizes and profiles for the selected material type, which in this example is vinyl. It will be understood that an “x” in a box in the drawing represents an image not shown but that the image for all beaded profiles is the same as those shown, and likewise that the image for all board and batten profiles is the same as those shown. The database preferably contains such information for every model of siding, whether currently available or discontinued. 
     Step  14  is an optional step mainly applicable in cases where the color of the siding sample to be identified is not a common color and where the user may therefore expect a relatively small number of associated siding products. The Web site software includes a provision for a set of color rainbows to be presented on screen in step  16 , each rainbow including the colors in a different portion of the color spectrum, whereby the user&#39;s selection of siding products may be narrowed to those in a desired color range. Seven color ranges and corresponding rainbows are presently preferred. If the user elects the color sort of step  14 , this narrowing process is performed without regard to grain type. 
     In step  18  of the control program, the user is presented with the option of selecting a cove size, a dimension applicable to a particular siding profile known as Dutch Lap. The cove sizes are preferably grouped into ranges corresponding to the height of the cove or groove in the siding. 
     The next step of the process is step  20 , in which, as illustrated by the example screen of  FIG. 5 , the control program prompts the user to select a grain type for the siding sample in question. Referring to  FIG. 6 , all available and discontinued siding materials are preferably divided into groups  40  by grain type, e.g., 12 generic grain types as shown in the drawing. Although not shown in  FIG. 5 , a high quality black-and-white image is preferably displayed for each grain type for comparison with the siding sample.  FIG. 6  shows two examples of such an image for the grain type designated by the number 1 (“smooth/near smooth”) in  FIG. 5 . Each grain type is divided in 3 to 5 subsets of similar grains, as indicated by reference numeral  42  in  FIG. 6 , and within each subset all matches (pairs or more) that are close enough to be considered visually equal are listed as equals or matching grains  44  for the user&#39;s information in case the user&#39;s selection is identified as discontinued. 
     In step  22 , illustrated by  FIG. 7 , the search results under the above-described criteria are displayed and the user is prompted to select an image from among the displayed results, whereupon the system displays product specifications and colors along with vendor information as indicated in  FIG. 8 . The following information is collected for each siding material in the database according to one embodiment of the present invention:
         System-specific product number   Manufacturer&#39;s name and product number, and contact information   Text description of product series and size   Availability (available or discontinued)   If discontinued, date discontinued and salver information   Material type vinyl, steel or aluminum   System-specific grain number, grain number subset and matching grain number sub-subset   Profile description (double 4″ Single 8″ Triple 3″ etc.)   Panel height, length and projection   Comments on unique features (text)       

     The user is given the option at this point to resort the selections by comparables (step  24 ), i.e., to limit the search results to siding that has been categorized in the database as comparable to the currently displayed selection. The user may switch between close-up and full-view images of the selected product, in step  26 . The full view suitably shows an approximately 8″ sample of each siding material with a ruler in the view for scale, and a suitable close-up is a 4× close-up of the above image with a ruler scale. The database may also include an actual-size image approximately 2.5″×3″ for each siding sample. 
     The currently available and discontinued colors for the selected siding are displayed on the screen for review (step  28 ) as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , thereby allowing and the system is programmed to allow the user to limit the results to a selected color at this point in the process (step  30 ). This step of the process may include the same type of color rainbows as described above to facilitate limiting the number of selections by color range as opposed to individual colors. 
     Each siding material in the database has an associated color number and percent tint. The color number may be established automatically using a Pantone Color Cue color meter, a handheld spectro-colorimeter preprogrammed with Pantone Matching System Color data. Once the color number is selected for a particular product to be included in the database, the correct tint for the product is determined manually, by visual inspection with the aid of Pantone color tints, which are commercially available in the form of printed color strips or cards each having nine tints per color, from 10% to 80%. The process of obtaining the color number and tint percentage for each product to be included in the database is preferably performed under daylight conditions. This information is then translated, in ADOBE Illustrator for example, to a set of corresponding HTML and RGB color values, examples of which are provided in the following table: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Color 
                 Pantone 
                 tint 
                 HTML 
                 R 
                 G 
                 B 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 White 
                 4545 
                 10% 
                 FDFCF7 
                 253 
                 252 
                 247 
               
               
                 Antique Ivory 
                 7499 
                 70% 
                 FFF6E0 
                 255 
                 246 
                 224 
               
               
                 Irish Linen 
                 4525 
                 20% 
                 F6F2E1 
                 246 
                 242 
                 225 
               
               
                 Clipper Grey 
                 415 
                 40% 
                 D5D5CB 
                 213 
                 213 
                 203 
               
               
                 Sierra 
                 4505 
                 50% 
                 D0C17B 
                 208 
                 193 
                 123 
               
               
                 Country Almond 
                 145 
                 20% 
                 EDDAB6 
                 237 
                 218 
                 182 
               
               
                 Estate Grey 
                 418 
                 60% 
                 898B72 
                 137 
                 139 
                 114 
               
               
                 Terra Clay 
                 147 
                 60% 
                 A88D3E 
                 168 
                 141 
                 62 
               
               
                 Autumn Ash 
                 7504 
                 60% 
                 D89F4B 
                 216 
                 159 
                 75 
               
               
                 Sage 
                 5743 
                 70% 
                 54622D 
                 84 
                 98 
                 45 
               
               
                 Desert 
                 457 
                 20% 
                 F1E9BE 
                 241 
                 233 
                 190 
               
               
                 Storm 
                 7533 
                 80% 
                 6C6C6C 
                 108 
                 108 
                 108 
               
               
                 Horizon Blue 
                 2965 
                 40% 
                 7289A1 
                 114 
                 137 
                 161 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The HTML color code is used to display the color on the Web, and is most useful in conjunction with computer monitors which display true color. It is contemplated that the user&#39;s computer is provided, if necessary, with color correction software enabling the monitor to accurately display the color. In cases where a user computer is not so equipped, the color as displayed on the user&#39;s screen is useful for preliminary identification purposes, and the color identification may be completed with the aid of a color chip corresponding to the color selected on the Web site, such color chip being ordered by the user from the Web site owner or an agent or distributor thereof. Alternatively in such cases, the Web site may specify a corresponding color on a widely available color chart, such as a Sherwin Williams color ring, which the user may then use for a final visual color comparison. 
     Similar siding colors are grouped together, in seven color ranges as alluded to above, and in each group the products with the same Pantone color value and tint percentage are considered the same in color, i.e., an exact color match. This allows the user to find similar as well as exact color matches of the siding in its present condition as compared to the color of the siding when it was new. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system preferably also includes methods  32  for making payments, such as by credit card or by access code, e.g., for a corporate account, as well as closing steps  34  for viewing and printing product information. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only preferred embodiments has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.