Patents by Inventor Hugh Fairman

Hugh Fairman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9123149
    Abstract: An expert color selection system that assists the user in selecting color combinations is disclosed. The expert system suggests combinations of colors that are harmonious with each other. The user may tune the level of harmony in the combination. The user may also select a color emotion for the color combination and set the emotion threshold. The suggested color combination can be used as interior or exterior paints and for color merchandise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Tak Fu Chong, Hugh Fairman
  • Patent number: 8976443
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of utilizing a digital micromirror device (DMD) to spectrally matching a standard or device-independent color. DMD can be fitted on an integrated chip and can provide more than one thousand (1,000) color primary channels for low metameric color matching producing a spectrally matched batch color. This represents a two orders of magnitude improvement in color matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Tak Fu Chong, Hugh Fairman
  • Publication number: 20140267367
    Abstract: An expert color selection system that assists the user in selecting color combinations is disclosed. The expert system suggests combinations of colors that are harmonious with each other. The user may tune the level of harmony in the combination. The user may also select a color emotion for the color combination and set the emotion threshold. The suggested color combination can be used as interior or exterior paints and for color merchandise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Tak Fu Chong, Hugh Fairman
  • Patent number: 8760462
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a unique color management method for calibrating and characterizing a light mixing system comprising a set of primary light modules emitting self-luminous color primaries, which may be intimately mixed to produce a batch color that matches a standard color. The radiant output of each self-luminous color primary, or channel, is modulated by a setting a light controller to a Digital-to-Analog-Conversion (“DAC”) value. In the event that the radiant output of the color primary channels is non-linearly proportioned to the DAC input values, it is useful to employ an innovative “iterative best-fit” method of simultaneously calculating admixtures of light from all color primaries that match a standard color. Otherwise, a matrix method based on matrix algebra may also be used to create a batch color that matches a standard color. A best fit tristimulus value method or best fit minimum RMSD can be used in conjunction with these spectral color matching methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Tak Fu Chong, Hugh Fairman
  • Patent number: 8733949
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a color display device that can be deployed at retail paint stores, kiosks, customers' offices or homes, airports, malls, etc. for rapid color and appearance prototyping. The color display device, which can be mobile, can display color under standardized lighting or simulated ambient lighting. The color display device can augment or replace a traditional paint chip rack or fan deck. The color display device can manipulate light sources additively and/or subtractively using an integrating light mixing capsule or chamber, special optics, mock objects and electronic control for color and appearance representation and for object illumination with desirable simulated ambient lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Chong, Michael Gutman, Carl Minchew, Hugh Fairman
  • Publication number: 20130155488
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of utilizing a digital micromirror device (DMD) to spectrally matching a standard or device-independent color. DMD can be fitted on an integrated chip and can provide more than one thousand (1,000) color primary channels for low metameric color matching producing a spectrally matched batch color. This represents a two orders of magnitude improvement in color matching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Tak Fu Chong, Hugh Fairman
  • Publication number: 20110273468
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a unique color management method for calibrating and characterizing a light mixing system comprising a set of primary light modules emitting self-luminous color primaries, which may be intimately mixed to produce a batch color that matches a standard color. The radiant output of each self-luminous color primary, or channel, is modulated by a setting a light controller to a Digital-to-Analog-Conversion (“DAC”) value. In the event that the radiant output of the color primary channels is non-linearly proportioned to the DAC input values, it is useful to employ an innovative “iterative best-fit” method of simultaneously calculating admixtures of light from all color primaries that match a standard color. Otherwise, a matrix method based on matrix algebra may also be used to create a batch color that matches a standard color. A best fit tristimulus value method or best fit minimum RMSD can be used in conjunction with these spectral color matching methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Columbia Insurance Company
    Inventors: Patrick Tak Fu Chong, Hugh Fairman
  • Publication number: 20100244700
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a color display device that can be deployed at retail paint stores, kiosks, customers' offices or homes, airports, malls, etc. for rapid color and appearance prototyping. The color display device, which can be mobile, can display color under standardized lighting or simulated ambient lighting. The color display device can augment or replace a traditional paint chip rack or fan deck. The color display device can manipulate light sources additively and/or subtractively using an integrating light mixing capsule or chamber, special optics, mock objects and electronic control for color and appearance representation and for object illumination with desirable simulated ambient lighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Patrick Chong, Michael Gutman, Carl Minchew, Hugh Fairman