Granted Patent B2

US 11,182,712 · App. 15/511,198 · Granted Nov 23, 2021

Inventors: Jeffrey D. Bipes (Shoreview, MN); William S. Daniel (McKinney, TX); Steven S. Bloomberg (Ft. Worth, TX); Richard C. Cahill (Port Orange, FL)

Assignee: THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY

G06Q10/06315G01C11/00G06Q10/06G06Q30/0611G06Q50/08G06T7/41G06T7/536G06T7/62G06K9/00577G06T2200/08

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A method for determining coating requirements with one or more computer-based systems having one or more processors and one or more data storage devices, the method comprising:

receiving image files of a structure captured by a camera to the data storage device(s);

analyzing, with the one or more processors, pixel arrangements in the received image files to identify common pixels or pixel groups between surfaces of the structure shown in the received image files and computationally orient the surfaces shown in the received image files relative to each other to generate oriented image files;

determining, with the one or more processors, an x-y-z coordinate location for each pixel in the oriented image files;

rendering, with the one or more processors, a three-dimensional digital model of the structure based on the x-y-z coordinate locations for each pixel in the oriented image files;

analyzing, with the one or more processor(s), the three-dimensional digital model of the structure to identify one or more surfaces of the structure to be coated and to remove obstructing details from the identified surfaces of the structure to be coated;

determining, with the one or more processor(s), a surface area for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated;

storing, by the one or more data storage device(s), a baseline surface coverage representative of a surface area that can be covered by a given amount of paint for each of a plurality of paint types;

storing, by the one or more data storage device(s), an upward or a downward usage variation from the baseline surface coverage for each of a plurality of features, wherein the upward or downward usage variation for each of the plurality of features includes a percent increase or decrease in the surface area that can be covered by the given amount of paint, and wherein the plurality of features includes a paint color, a surface material type, a surface porosity, a paint applicator type, a number of coats to be applied, and a final texture of the surface after painting;

determining, with the one or more processor(s), coating application information for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated, wherein the coating application information includes the paint type and one or more of the plurality of features for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated;

calculating, with the one or more processor(s), a coverage factor for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated, the coverage factor calculated based on, the baseline surface coverage associated with the received paint type for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated and the upward or downward usage variation from the baseline surface coverage associated with each of the one or more of the plurality of features in the received coating application information;

calculating, with the one or more processor(s), a coating amount for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the coverage factor and the surface area of each of the one or more surfaces to be coated; and

communicating the calculated coating amounts for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating application information further comprises a final surface texture, user efficiency information, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:

calculating, with the one or more processor(s), labor requirements for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the calculated surface area and the received coating application information; and

communicating the calculated labor requirements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating application information comprises a surface material type, and wherein the method further comprises:

comparing, with the one or more processor(s), pixel color data of one or more of the received image files to pixel color data in a material image database stored on the one or more data storage device(s);

identifying, with the one or more processor(s), a match between the compared pixel color data;

identifying, with the one or more processor(s), a surface material in the material image database for matched pixel color data; and

selecting the identified surface material as the surface material type.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating application information further includes painter efficiency information, the method further comprising:

receiving feedback information to the one or more data storage device(s);

updating, with the one or more processor(s), painter efficiency information based on the received feedback information; and

storing the updated painter efficiency information on the one or more data storage device(s).

6. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:

identifying, with the one or more processor(s), a surface texture for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the received image files; and

comparing, with the one or more processor(s), the surface texture to a final surface texture.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating application information comprises a surface color generated based on the received image files, and a selected paint color, and wherein the method further comprises comparing the surface color and the selected paint color.

8. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising displaying the calculated coating amount on a display screen of the computer-based system(s).

9. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:

calculating, with the one or more processor(s), a labor factor for the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the received coating application information; and

calculating, with the one or more processor(s), a labor requirement for the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the calculated labor factor and the determined surface area.

10. A computer-based system for determining coating requirements, the computer-based system comprising:

one or more data storage devices configured to receive image files of a structure captured by a camera and to receive coating application information;

the one or more data storage devices further configured to store a baseline surface coverage representative of a surface area that can be covered by a given amount of paint for each of a plurality of paint types representative of a surface area that can be covered by a given amount of paint, and to store an upward or a downward usage variation from the baseline surface coverage for each of a plurality of features, wherein the upward or downward usage variation for each of the plurality of features includes a percent increase or decrease in the surface area that can be covered by the given amount of paint, and wherein the plurality of features includes a paint color, a surface material type, a surface porosity, a paint applicator type, a number of coats to be applied, and a final texture of the surface after painting;

one or more processors; and

a processing module stored on the one or more data storage device(s), the processing module configured to be operated by the processor(s) to:

analyze pixel arrangements in the received image files to identify common pixels or pixel groups between surfaces of the structure shown in the received image files and computationally orient the surfaces shown in the received image files relative to each other to generate oriented image files;

determining an x-y-z coordinate location for each pixel in the oriented image files;

render a three-dimensional digital model of the structure based on the x-y-z coordinate locations for each pixel in the oriented image files;

analyze, with the one or more processor(s), the three-dimensional digital model of the structure to identify one or more surfaces of the structure to be coated and to remove obstructing details from the identified surfaces of the structure to be coated;

determine, with the one or more processor(s), a surface area for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated;

determine, with the one or more processor(s), coating application information for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated, wherein the coating application information includes the paint type and one or more of the plurality of features;

calculate, with the one or more processors, a coverage factor for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated, the coverage factor calculated based on the baseline surface coverage associated with the received paint type for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated and the upward or downward usage variation from the baseline surface coverage associated with each of the one or more of the plurality of features in the received coating application information;

calculate, with the one or more processors, a coating amount for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the coverage factor and the surface area of each of the one or more surfaces to be coated; and

communicate, for display on a user interface, the calculated coating amounts for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated.

11. The computer-based system of claim 10 , further comprising feedback information data stored on the data storage device(s).

12. The computer-based system of claim 10 , wherein the processing module is further configured to be operated by the one or more processor(s) to calculate a labor requirement for each of the one or more surfaces to be coated based on the calculated surface area and the received coating application information.

13. The computer-based system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a network center having a first portion of the data storage device(s) and a first portion of the one or more processor(s); and

one or more mobile devices collectively having a second portion of the data storage device(s) and a second portion of the one or more processor(s).

Assignments (8)