Automated paint mixing and verification system and methods
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsKevin Matthew Charles, Michael Lawerance Payne, Jimmie Russell Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system for automatically mixing and verifying paint is described. The system may include a kiosk configured to automatically add a paint of a second color to a paint container holding a first color of paint so as to produce a requested third color of paint. The system may further verify that the mixed paint color is the requested paint color using a laser to perform verification.
Claims20
A paint color mixing system, the system comprising:
- a processing device equipped with a processor;
- a paint container including an aperture, the paint container containing a paint of a first color;
- a self-service kiosk in communication with the processing device and including an interactive display, a nozzle and a laser, the kiosk configured to:
- support the paint container by inserting the nozzle into the aperture of the paint container;
- inject a paint of a second color into the paint container through the nozzle so as to attempt to produce a paint of a third color, the third color requested by a user via the interactive display;
- mix the paint of the second color with the paint of the first color in the paint container;
- project a transmission from the laser through the aperture into the paint container to determine a color of the mixed paint inside the paint container, the paint container remaining in a sealed condition during the transmission,
- wherein the processing device is configured to:
- verify programmatically whether the determined color of the mixed paint in the paint container is the same as the paint of the third color and,
- transmit a result of the verifying to the interactive display.
A paint color mixing method performed in a self-service paint mixing kiosk equipped with an interactive display, a nozzle and a laser, the method comprising:
- providing a paint container that includes an aperture and contains a paint of a first color;
- inserting the nozzle into the aperture of the paint container, the nozzle providing support for the paint container in the kiosk;
- injecting a paint of a second color into the paint container through the nozzle so as to attempt to produce a paint of a third color, the third color requested by a user via the interactive display;
- mixing the paint of the second color with the paint of the first color in the paint container;
- projecting a transmission from the laser through the aperture into the paint container to determine a color of the mixed paint inside the paint container, the paint container remaining in a sealed condition during the transmission;
- verifying, via a processing device in communication with the kiosk whether the determined color of the mixed paint in the paint container is the same as the paint of the third color;
- and
- transmitting a result of the verifying to the interactive display.
A paint color verification system, the system comprising:
- a processing device equipped with a processor;
- a paint container including an aperture, the paint container containing a paint;
- a structural device in communication with the processing device and including an interactive display, a nozzle and a laser, the structural device configured to:
- support the paint container by inserting the nozzle into the aperture of the paint container;
- and
- project a transmission from the laser through the aperture into the paint container to determine a color of the paint inside the paint container, the paint container remaining in a sealed condition during the transmission,
- wherein the processing device is configured to:
- receive a request to determine whether the color of the paint in the paint container is a first color;
- verify programmatically whether the determined color of the paint in the paint container is the same as the second color;
- and
- transmit the verification.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.