Light-based protractor and use thereof for detection of color associated with physical coatings

1. A method for angle detection and coating analysis comprising:

receiving with a digital camera a first image of a light-based protractor positioned adjacent to or on a physical coating surface;

parsing, with a computer processor, the first image to identify the light-based protractor positioned adjacent to or on the physical coating surface;

identifying a particular angular indication being displayed by the light-based protractor;

mapping the particular angular indication to a particular viewing angle at which the digital camera captured the first image with respect to the light-based protractor;

parsing, with a processor, the first image to identify a target color of the physical coating surface;

parsing, with the computer processor, the first image to identify one or more target coating texture characteristics of the physical coating surface;

accessing, within a coating database, one or more coatings associated the target color, wherein each of the one or more coatings is associated with data structures that indicate angle-specific proposed coating texture characteristics at the particular viewing angle;

identifying, within the coating database, a proposed coating that comprises a proposed color that matches the target color and proposed coating characteristics that match the one or more target coating texture characteristics; and

displaying, on a user interface, the proposed coating.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein mapping the particular angular indication to the particular viewing angle further comprises:

identifying a first angular indication displayed by the light-based protractor at a current viewing angle; and

changing a viewing position relative to the physical coating surface until the light-based protractor displays the particular angular indication that is associated with the particular viewing angle.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light-based protractor comprises an optical element constructed of an optically interactive component, the optically interactive component comprising angle-dependent properties responsive to light.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the optically interactive component comprises a diffraction grating.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light-based protractor is configured to be handheld.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a second desired viewing angle with respect to the physical coating surface;

identifying a second angular indication displayed by the light-based protractor at the second desired viewing angle;

receiving with the digital camera a second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface;

determining, with a computer processor, that the second angular indication is being displayed by the light-based protractor; and

storing the second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to the physical coating surface within a database.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein a first image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface is a first frame of a digital video and the second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface is a second frame of the digital video.

8. A computer system for angle detection and coating analysis comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the computer system to perform at least the following:

receive with a digital camera a first image of a light-based protractor positioned adjacent to or on a physical coating surface;

parse, with a computer processor, the first image to identify the light-based protractor positioned adjacent to or on the physical coating surface;

identify a particular angular indication being displayed by the light-based protractor;

map the particular angular indication to a particular viewing angle at which the digital camera captured the first image with respect to the light-based protractor;

parse, with a processor, the first image to identify a target color of the physical coating surface;

parse, with the computer processor, the first image to identify one or more target coating texture characteristics of the physical coating surface;

access, within a coating database, one or more coatings associated the target color, wherein each of the one or more coatings is associated with data structures that indicate angle-specific proposed coating texture characteristics at the particular viewing angle;

identify, within the coating database, a proposed coating that comprises a proposed color that matches the target color and proposed coating characteristics that match the one or more target coating texture characteristics; and

display, on a user interface, the proposed coating.

9. The computer system as recited in claim 8 , wherein mapping the particular angular indication to the particular viewing angle further comprises:

identifying a first angular indication displayed by the light-based protractor at a current viewing angle; and

changing a viewing position relative to the physical coating surface until the light-based protractor displays the particular angular indication that is associated with the particular viewing angle.

10. The computer system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the light-based protractor comprises an optical element constructed of an optically interactive component, the optically interactive component comprising angle-dependent properties responsive to light.

11. The computer system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the optically interactive component comprises a diffraction grating.

12. The computer system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the light-based protractor is configured to be handheld.

13. The computer system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to:

identify a second desired viewing angle with respect to the physical coating surface;

identify a second angular indication displayed by the light-based protractor at the second desired viewing angle;

receive with the digital camera a second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface;

determine, with a computer processor, that the second angular indication is being displayed by the light-based protractor; and

store the second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to the physical coating surface within a database.

14. The computer system as recited in claim 13 , wherein a first image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface is a first frame of a digital video and the second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface is a second frame of the digital video.

15. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for angle detection and coating analysis, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

receiving with a digital camera a first image of a light-based protractor positioned adjacent to or on a physical coating surface;

parsing, with a computer processor, the first image to identify the light-based protractor positioned adjacent to or on the physical coating surface;

identifying a particular angular indication being displayed by the light-based protractor;

mapping the particular angular indication to a particular viewing angle at which the digital camera captured the first image with respect to the light-based protractor;

parsing, with a processor, the first image to identify a target color of the physical coating surface;

parsing, with the computer processor, the first image to identify one or more target coating texture characteristics of the physical coating surface;

accessing, within a coating database, one or more coatings associated the target color, wherein each of the one or more coatings is associated with data structures that indicate angle-specific proposed coating texture characteristics at the particular viewing angle;

identifying, within the coating database, a proposed coating that comprises a proposed color that matches the target color and proposed coating characteristics that match the one or more target coating texture characteristics; and

displaying, on a user interface, the proposed coating.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein mapping the particular angular indication to the particular viewing angle further comprises:

identifying a first angular indication displayed by the light-based protractor at a current viewing angle; and

changing a viewing position relative to the physical coating surface until the light-based protractor displays the particular angular indication that is associated with the particular viewing angle.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the light-based protractor comprises an optical element constructed of an optically interactive component, the optically interactive component comprising angle-dependent properties responsive to light.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 17 , wherein the optically interactive component comprises a diffraction grating.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the light-based protractor is configured to be handheld.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:

identifying a second desired viewing angle with respect to the physical coating surface;

identifying a second angular indication displayed by the light-based protractor at the second desired viewing angle;

receiving with the digital camera a second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to or on the physical coating surface;

determining, with a computer processor, that the second angular indication is being displayed by the light-based protractor; and

storing the second image of the light-based protractor adjacent to the physical coating surface within a database.