Systems and methods for paint match simulation

1. A system for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of an article, said system comprising:

a first processor;

a display device;

a second processor connected to the first processor;

one or more data input devices;

a first database containing interrelated repair formulas, color characteristics, and appearance characteristics;

a second database containing identification information of at least one article, a three-dimensional model of the at least one article or a three-dimensional mapping of a geometry of at least a part of a surface of the at least one article, wherein the article comprises a vehicle; and

a computer program product that is accessible to the first processor and/or the second processor and performs a computing process comprising the steps of:

retrieving one or more preliminary matching formulas from the interrelated repair formulas of the first database based on signals received from the one or more data input devices;

selecting the one article or the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of the one article from the second database and receiving a marked section of the surface of the article, wherein the marked section of the surface of the article is a body panel of the vehicle, wherein the body panel has a specific shape and three-dimensional geometry;

generating individual matching images containing the marked section and an unmarked section adjacent to the marked section, wherein the individual matching images are generated in the marked section based on the color characteristics, the appearance characteristics, and the one article or the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of the one article selected from the second database and interrelated to each of the one or more preliminary matching formulas; and

displaying the individual matching images on the display device, wherein displaying the individual matching images comprises rendering a true three-dimensional model of the marked section.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a 3D-scanner configured to acquire the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of at least the part of the surface of the article and to transmit said geometry to the second database.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing process further comprises the steps of:

identifying a repair area of the article and displaying the individual matching images on the display device with the identified repair area adopting the one or more preliminary matching formulas.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:

a color measuring device functionally coupled to the second processor for obtaining color data of the article, wherein the obtained color data represent the target coating of the article, and

an appearance measuring device functionally coupled to the second processor for obtaining appearance data of the article,

wherein the computing process further comprises the steps of:

receiving the color data; and

receiving the appearance data;

wherein the individual matching images are generated in the unmarked section of the article based on the target coating, and based on the appearance data.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein displaying the individual matching images comprises displaying the marked section with a matching coating and displaying the unmarked section with the target coating; the method further comprising comparing the matching coating to the target coating on the true three-dimensional model of the marked section.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the appearance measuring device comprises an imaging device.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing process further comprises the steps of:

indicating a blend region on the surface of the article;

rendering a color blend from the repair area to the color data of the article obtained by the color measuring device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second processor and the first processor are located remote from each other.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing process comprises the step of rotating the article on the display device and rendering the individual matching images from different viewing angles.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional model of the at least one article is partitioned into multiple segments; and

wherein the computing process comprises the step of selecting one segment of the multiple segments and applying the one or more preliminary matching formulas to the selected segment.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing process comprises the step of applying different lighting conditions to the individual matching images.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein rotating the article comprises rotating the article up and down, and rotating the article right and left.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is connected to the first processor via a wired or wireless network.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the display device is selected from a digital display device, an optical display device, a print display device, or a combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data input devices are selected from a digital input device, an optical input device, an electromagnetic input device, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as realistic matching image.

17. A method that is carried out by one or more processors for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of an article, said method comprising:

retrieving, by the one or more processors, one or more preliminary matching formulas from a multitude of repair formulas from a first memory storing a first database, wherein the first database comprises interrelated repair formulas, color characteristics, and appearance characteristics;

selecting, by the one or more processors, one article or a three-dimensional mapping of a geometry of one article from a second memory storing a second database and marking a part of a surface of the article as a marked section, wherein the second database contains identification information of at least the one article, a three-dimensional model of the at least one article or the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of at least the part of the surface of the at least one article, and wherein the article comprises a vehicle;

generating, by the one or more processors, individual matching images containing the marked section and an unmarked section adjacent to the marked section, wherein the individual matching images are generated in the marked section based on the color characteristics, the appearance characteristics, and the one article or the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of the one article selected from the second database; and

displaying the individual matching images on a display device, wherein displaying the individual matching images comprises displaying a true three-dimensional geometry of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of:

acquiring the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of at least the part of the surface of the article and transmitting said geometry to the second database.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of:

obtaining color data of the article, wherein the obtained color data represent the target coating of the article;

generating the individual matching images in the unmarked section of the article based on the target coating.

20. A system for computing one or more images indicating one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of an article, said system comprising:

a first processor configured to receive input signals from at least one data input device;

a memory that stores a first database containing interrelated repair formulas, color characteristics, and appearance characteristics;

the memory storing a second database containing identification information of at least one article, a three-dimensional model of the at least one article or a three-dimensional mapping of a geometry of at least a part of a surface of the at least one article; and

a computer program product that is accessible to the first processor and performs a computing process comprising:

retrieving one or more preliminary matching formulas from the interrelated repair formulas of the first database based on the input signals;

selecting the one article or the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of the one article from the second database and receiving a marked section of the surface of the article;

generating individual matching images containing the marked section and an unmarked section adjacent to the marked section, wherein the individual matching images are generated in the marked section based on the color characteristics, the appearance characteristics, and the one article or the three-dimensional mapping of the geometry of the one article selected from the second database and interrelated to each of the one or more preliminary matching formulas; and

transmitting the individual matching images for being displayed on a display device.