System and method for color paint selection and acquisition

1. A method of paint color recommendation for a color paint vendor comprising:

receiving, at a processor device, input data representing an initial paint color or pigment selection from a user;

receiving, at the processor device, further input data representing one or more of a user's perceptual/cognitive/environmental (P/C/E) context, a user's environmental context associated with an environment in which the selected initial paint color or pigment is to be applied to a surface thereof;

training, using a machine learning technique, a sparse regression model to received input data from multiple user's including each user's initial paint color or pigment selection data, a received user profile data, a received user context data, and a received environment measures data to generate a sparse matrix;

mapping, using the generated sparse matrix, said user's initial paint color or pigment selection and said received user context data including said received environment measures data to a pigments color space;

determining, based on said map, a color pigment or pigment mixture from said pigments color space for recommendation to the user; and

communicating data representing said color pigment or pigment mixture recommendation to a device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said context may include the user's cognitive context obtained from social network information, said method further comprising:

conducting a search in a social networking site or network infrastructure to obtain user context information comprising one or more of: the user's interest in art, design goods, music and reading material, and the user's purchase history of art and design goods, music and reading material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said color pigment or pigment mixture recommendation data specifies a unique combination of and amounts of paint colors and color pigments, said paint vendor using said specified color pigment recommendation data to mix a test supply of color paint of the recommended color pigment for said user, wherein said user applies said test supply of color paint of the recommended color pigment data to a surface within said environment, said method further comprising:

receiving from said user, at the processor device, a feedback data representing a degree of satisfaction that the recommended color pigment from said test supply and applied to the user environment has matched the user's initial paint color or pigment selection; and

updating said learned model with a positive or negative label based on said received user feedback data.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said updating said learned model comprises:

applying, in the model, a positive label to an output recommended color pigment or pigment mixture based on a received favorable user feedback data, associated with the received input initial paint color or pigment selection, and said one or more user P/C/E context data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said received user profile data comprises one or more of:

a gender, a socioeconomic status; an age of said user.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, at the processor device, user context data representing one or more of:

a picture or real-time image of a room or environment to be painted with said color paint and color pigment selection;

a result of an administered psychophysical assessment of the user's color perception to obtain components of the user's color perception; and

a measure associated with a feature of an environment in which the selected paint color is to be applied to a surface thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said received environment measures data comprises one or more of:

an ambient light level as recorded over a period of time of a room or environment to be painted with a color paint and color pigment selection; and

an amount and color of items to be located in said room or environment to be painted with a color paint and color pigment selection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mapping of said user's initial paint color or pigment selection, said received user context data including said received environment measures data to a pigments color space further comprises:

mapping one or more color components of the painted environment, a measure of the user's color perception, and components of the user's context to one or more of: a mixture of wavelengths corresponding to a desired color, a mixture of pigments corresponding to a desired wavelength of light sufficient to produce the desired color, and a base paint into which pigments are mixed.