Systems and methods for multi-flux color matching

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, with a spectrophotometer, spectral reflectance light reflected from a plurality of pigments present in a collection of coatings;

generating, using a processor, a set of calibration data relating to the plurality of pigments that are present in the collection of coatings, wherein generating includes:

converting at least a portion of the spectral reflectance light received by the spectrophotometer into spectral reflectance data;

converting the measured spectral reflectance data to internal reflectance data for use with a color matching calculation by using Saunderson conversion, wherein at least one of Fresnel coefficients K1, K2, or a combination thereof is varied by angle, wavelength, and concentration to yield multiple sets of internal reflectance data;

calculating multiple sets of absorption/reflectance data from the corresponding calculated multiple sets of internal reflectance data using a color matching calculation;

calculating a plurality of concentrations of a non-standard pigment;

plotting a relationship between the concentrations and the calculated absorption/reflectance data for each combination of K1 and K2 at a given angle and wavelength;

fitting the plotted data to identify a set of absorption/reflectance data corresponding to a set of K1 and K2 values; and

determining a correlation of the concentrations and each of the K1 and K2 values determined by the fitting of the plotted data;

determining, using the processor, a coating formulation of a target coating based on the correlation; and

creating a mixture in response to the determined coating formulation of the target coating.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting the coating formulation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the correlation is a best fit correlation.

4. A system, comprising:

a spectrophotometer programmed to receive spectral reflectance light reflected from a plurality of pigments present in a collection of coatings;

a user interface; and

a processor in communication with the user interface and programmed to:

generate a set of calibration data relating to the plurality of pigments that are present in the collection of coatings, wherein generating includes:

converting at least a portion of the spectral reflectance light received by the spectrophotometer into spectral reflectance data;

converting the measured spectral reflectance data to internal reflectance data for use with a color matching calculation by using Saunderson conversion, wherein at least one of Fresnel coefficients K1, K2, or a combination thereof is varied by angle, wavelength, and concentration to yield multiple sets of internal reflectance data;

calculating multiple sets of absorption/reflectance data from the corresponding calculated multiple sets of internal reflectance data using a color matching calculation;

calculating a plurality of concentrations of a non-standard pigment;

plotting a relationship between the concentrations and the calculated absorption/reflectance data for each combination of K1 and K2 at a given angle and wavelength;

fitting the plotted data to identify a set of absorption/reflectance data corresponding to a set of K1 and K2 values; and

determining a correlation of the concentrations and each of the K1 and K2 values determined by the fitting the plotted data;

determine a coating formulation of a target coating based on the correlation; and

creating a mixture in response to the determined coating formulation of the target coating.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a spectrophotometer in communication with the processor.

6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a database in communication with the processor.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further programmed to output the coating formulation.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving spectral reflectance light reflected from a plurality of pigments present in a collection of coatings;

means for generating a set of calibration data relating to a plurality of pigments that are present in a collection of coatings, wherein the means for generating includes:

means for converting the received spectral reflectance light into spectral reflectance data;

means for converting the measured spectral reflectance data to internal reflectance data for use with a color matching calculation by using Saunderson conversion, wherein at least one of Fresnel coefficients K1, K2, or a combination thereof is varied by angle, wavelength, and concentration to yield multiple sets of internal reflectance data;

means for calculating multiple sets of absorption/reflectance data from the corresponding calculated multiple sets of internal reflectance data using a color matching calculation;

means for calculating a plurality of concentrations of a non-standard pigment;

means for plotting a relationship between the concentrations and the calculated absorption/reflectance data for each combination of K1 and K2 at a given angle and wavelength;

means for fitting the plotted data to identify a set of absorption/reflectance data corresponding to a set of K1 and K2 values;

means for determining a correlation of the concentrations and each of the K1 and K2 values determined by the fitting of the plotted data;

means for determining, using the processor, a coating formulation of a target coating based on the correlation; and

creating a mixture in response to the determined coating formulation of the target coating.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising means for outputting the coating formulation.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the correlation is a best fit correlation.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including software for causing a processor to:

cause a spectrophotometer to receive spectral reflectance light reflected from a plurality of pigments present in a collection of coatings;

generate a set of calibration data relating to the plurality of pigments that are present in the collection of coatings, wherein generating includes:

converting at least a portion of the spectral reflectance light received by the spectrophotometer into spectral reflectance data;

converting the measured spectral reflectance data to internal reflectance data for use with a color matching calculation by using Saunderson conversion, wherein at least one of Fresnel coefficients K1, K2, or a combination thereof is varied by angle, wavelength, and concentration to yield multiple sets of internal reflectance data;

calculating multiple sets of absorption/reflectance data from the corresponding calculated multiple sets of internal reflectance data using a color matching calculation;

calculating a plurality of concentrations of a non-standard pigment;

plotting a relationship between the concentrations and the calculated absorption/reflectance data for each combination of K1 and K2 at a given angle and wavelength;

fitting the plotted data to identify a set of absorption/reflectance data corresponding to a set of K1 and K2 values; and

determining a correlation of the concentrations and each of the K1 and K2 values determined by the fitting of the plotted data;

determine a coating formulation of a target coating based on the correlation; and

create a mixture in response to the determined coating formulation of the target coating.