Web-based color quality control

Abstract

In order to improve the color quality control of paint coatings, a color quality control server is provided, which is configured to provide a software distribution model, i.e., software as a service (SaaS). With the color quality control server, the functionality provided to the user is to use a set of (web) services responsible for web-based color quality control running on a cloud infrastructure. These (web) services can be accessed from various client devices via a thin client interface, such as a web browser, a mobile application, or a desktop application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to color quality control. In particular, the present invention relates to a color quality control server, a color quality control system, a color quality control method, and a computer program element. Background Art

[0002] For example, the appearance of the coating quality requirements of the paint coating on the car body includes the color of the coating. Colorimeters, spectrophotometers and other special instruments are used to measure the color of the standard color and the test model, and automatically calculate the prominent differences. However, the use of any measuring device may require the installation of a separate driver to enable the use of the measuring device. In addition, the data can be stored locally for classification. Any changes can be shared via a separate file transfer. Summary of the invention

[0003] Improved color quality control of coatings may be required.

[0004] The objects of the invention are solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are contained in the dependent claims.It should be noted that the following described aspects of the invention also apply to the color quality control server, the color quality control system, the color quality control method and the computer program element.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a color quality control server is provided. The color quality control server includes a network server unit and a service providing unit having a computing subunit. The network server unit is configured to interface with a user via a web page and / or an application served by the network server unit, and a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided to the user by the web page and / or the application, so that the user can provide color measurement data to the service providing unit via the web page and / or the application. The computing subunit is configured to compare the color measurement data with the color reference data to classify the color measurement data, and output the comparison result via the GUI. The service providing unit further includes a data measurement subunit, which is configured to allow the user to access and trigger a color measurement device via the web page and / or the application to perform color measurement. The color measurement device is a universal serial bus (USB) device. The color quality control server is configured to interact with the USB device using a WebUSB application programming interface (API).

[0006] In other words, the color quality control server is configured to provide a software distribution model, i.e., software as a service (SaaS). With the color quality control server, the functionality provided to the user is to use a collection of (web) services responsible for, for example, web-based color quality control running on a cloud infrastructure. These (web) services are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface, such as a web browser, mobile application, or desktop application. The user does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application functions, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.

[0007] Therefore, the user does not need to meet any requirements, only need to install a web browser. In the example, the user can use the web browser to use the application and optionally perform measurements. In the example, the user can install a client on the user's device, which instructs the measurement device to follow a workflow to perform measurements.

[0008] USB is the de facto standard for wired peripherals. Most USB devices implement one of about a dozen standard "device classes" that specify a method by which a device can advertise the features it supports and the commands and data formats that use those features. Operating systems support such devices using "class drivers" provided by the operating system vendor. However, there are many devices that do not fit into one of the standardized device classes.

[0009] WebUSB is a solution available in a browser (e.g., Google Chrome) without installation or loading. Only the communication protocol with the device needs to be downloaded and used. WebUSB can be used on any device running, for example, Google Chrome or a Chromium-based browser (such as MS Edge). WebUSB allows independence from the operating system and can therefore be used in various systems (such as Android, Chrome OS, Linux, macOS, and Windows). The WebUSB API provides a method for securely exposing USB device services to the network. Therefore, color measurements can be performed using an external color measurement device connected to a mobile device, which can include any type of wireless device, such as a consumer electronic device, a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, a wearable computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, and / or any other similar physical computing device that can be connected to a communication network. This may be beneficial to color quality control because WebUSB provides a universal way to expose any USB device to a web browser, and can therefore be used to send USB commands (e.g., from a computing subunit) to a measurement device.

[0010] As will be discussed below, especially with regard to Figure 1 In the exemplary embodiment shown in , the GUI can use the Angular code base. Products obtained from the Angular code base (e.g., TypeScript code) can be executed in the browser and can therefore be visualized on every device where a browser is provided. Users can directly access custom cloud storage for data storage and sharing. Business logic is available via a representative state transfer (RESTful) web service, which can also be directly addressed by the robot application. The measuring device can be used by a local service that communicates with the GUI, or is addressed directly from the browser, without any additional requirements for local installation. Figure 4 An exemplary GUI is shown. Figure 5 An exemplary method for obtaining a customizable GUI is shown.

[0011] The network server unit can be a server that provides network services to facilitate system users to manage the services of the color quality control server. The network server unit can include one or more elements, processes and / or devices. In addition, the network server unit and the service providing unit can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and / or any combination of hardware, software and / or firmware. Therefore, for example, any one of the network server unit and the service providing unit can be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuits, logic circuits, programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) and / or field programmable logic devices (FPLDs).

[0012] In an example, the network server unit and the service providing unit may be implemented in the same machine.

[0013] In an example, the network server unit and the service providing unit may be locally installed distributions.

[0014] In an example, the application may include a desktop application and / or a mobile application.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the web server unit is further configured to interface with a user via a web page and / or an application to allow the user to define a tolerance level for classifying the color measurement data.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the service providing unit further comprises a device configuration subunit configured to access a configuration database storing configuration data of one or more color measurement devices. The device configuration subunit is further configured to provide configuration data to at least one color measurement device selected by a user for performing color measurement.

[0017] For example, the measuring device may include, for example, a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, and other special instruments. For example, the measuring device may include a robot-controlled measuring device.

[0018] Therefore, the use of these measurement devices does not require the installation of separate drivers to enable the use of the device. Changing the device type does not require the installation of new drivers. Instead, the measurement devices can be used by a local service that communicates with the GUI, or addressed directly from a browser, without any additional requirements for local installation.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the service providing unit further comprises a reference data interface, which is configured to access a reference database storing color reference data to provide the color reference data to the calculation subunit.

[0020] Color reference data provides standard colors for comparison with the colors of the test models.

[0021] Reference databases can be stored in a secure and decentralized manner. By authorizing access from any device, it can be guaranteed that the same standards are applied to the data independent of the user environment.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the service providing unit further comprises a measurement data interface configured to access a measurement database storing color measurement data to provide the color measurement data to the calculation subunit.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the color quality control server further comprises a data storage device configured to store at least one reference of entries in the configuration database, the measurement database, and the reference database by user.

[0024] In other words, data can be stored separately for each user. That is, each user can use all different configurations, different measurements and different references stored in the corresponding central database.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the GUI has an Angular code base, the product of which can be executed in a web browser.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the service providing unit further includes an authentication subunit configured as an interface through which a user can be authenticated to access a service requested by the user.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a color quality control system is provided. The color quality control system comprises a color measurement device according to the first aspect and any related examples, a client device and a color quality control server. The color measurement device is configured to perform color measurement. The client device is configured to communicate with the color quality control server to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user through a web page and / or an application served by the color quality control server, so that the user can classify color measurement data via the web page and / or the application.

[0028] In an example, the color quality control server may be implemented in a client device, such as a personal computer.

[0029] In an example, the color quality control server and the client device can communicate with each other via a network. In some examples, the network can be the Internet. Alternatively, the network can be any other type and number of networks. For example, the network can be implemented by several local area networks connected to a wide area network. Of course, the network can be implemented using any other configuration and topology, including any combination of wired networks, wireless networks, wide area networks, local area networks, etc.

[0030] In an example, a color quality control system may be implemented on cloud computing.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the color quality control system further comprises a cloud storage configured to store at least one of a configuration database, a measurement database, and a reference database.

[0032] Thus, instead of sharing data via file transfer, users can directly access customized cloud storage for data storage and sharing.

[0033] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a color quality control method is provided. The color quality control method comprises:

[0034] a) providing color measurement data to a color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims via a graphical user interface (GUI) provided by a web page and / or an application on a client device;

[0035] b) comparing, by a color quality control server, the color measurement data with the color reference data to classify the color measurement data; and

[0036] c) the color quality control server provides the comparison result to the user via the GUI,

[0037] wherein the client device can be connected to a color measurement device to obtain color measurement data, the color measurement device being accessed and triggered via a web page and / or an application, the color measurement device being a USB device; and

[0038] The color quality control server uses the WebUSB application programming interface API to interact with the USB device.

[0039] The WebUSB interface provided by a web browser or application is used to control color measurement devices. With the WebUSB interface, color measurements can be performed with external measurement devices without the need to previously install or download the "local module" required to control the measurement device and make a final evaluation of the measurement sample for color difference. In addition, WebUSB is a solution available in browsers (such as Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera) and does not require additional installation or loading. Only the communication protocol with the device needs to be downloaded and used. In addition, since WebUSB is a solution available in the browser, it can be used independently of the operating system.

[0040] The client device may be a mobile device. The term "mobile device" may include any type of wireless device, such as a consumer electronic device, a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, a wearable computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, and / or any other similar physical computing device capable of connecting to a communication network.

[0041] The WebUSB interface provided by a web browser or app on a mobile device can be used to control the color measurement device used to perform color measurements. Thanks to mobile measurement, the evaluation and classification of the measured samples can be directly accessed, even from remote locations. There is no need to first download the measurements to a Windows-based device.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, step a) further comprises the step of the network server unit interfacing with the client device via a web page and / or an application to allow the user to access the color measurement device via the web page and / or the application and trigger the color measurement device to perform color measurement.

[0043] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer program having a program code for executing the method according to the third aspect and any associated examples.

[0044] As used herein, the term "unit" or "subunit" may be software or hardware dedicated to running the software to provide the corresponding functions or services. Each unit or subunit may be part of, or include, an ASIC, an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable components that provide the described functions.

[0045] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from and be further elucidated with reference to the embodiments described by way of example in the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0047] Figure 1 A color quality control system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0048] Figure 2 A color quality control system according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0049] Figure 3 A flow chart illustrating a color quality control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0050] Figure 4 Example screenshots showing a GUI provided by a web page or application on a client device.

[0051] Figure 5 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for generating a customizable GUI layout is shown.

[0052] It should be noted that the figures are purely schematic and not drawn to scale. In the figures, elements corresponding to elements already described may have the same reference numerals. Examples, embodiments or optional features, whether or not indicated as non-limiting, should not be construed as limiting the invention as claimed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Figure 1 A color quality control system 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The color quality control system 200 includes a color quality control server 100. The color quality control server 100 includes a network server unit 110 and a service providing unit 120 having a computing subunit 130a.

[0054] The network server unit 110 is configured to interface with a user via a web page and / or an application served by the network server unit 110, and to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to the user through the web page and / or the application, so that the user can provide color measurement data to the service providing unit 120 via the web page and / or the application.

[0055] The network server unit 110 can be server software that can satisfy the requests of the World Wide Web clients or hardware dedicated to running the software. The network server can handle incoming network requests through HTTP and several other related protocols for communication between the network browser and the network server unit. For example, the network server unit 110 can be an Apache HTTP server.

[0056] The layout of the web page can use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or Bootstrap. In an example, the GUI can have an Angular code base, the product of which can be executed in a web browser. Therefore, it can be visualized on every device that provides a browser. The Angular framework can be used to create JavaScript and / or TypeScript code for the web page.

[0057] The calculation subunit 130 a is configured to compare the color measurement data with the color reference data to classify the color measurement data, and output a result of the comparison via the GUI.

[0058] The service providing unit 120 may be software or hardware specifically used to run the software to provide a service package. For example, the service providing unit may include a session service subunit 122, which is configured to route the user's request to each service provided by the corresponding subunit of the service providing unit 120. The session service subunit 122 may serve as a "proxy server" so that all communications with other subunits of the service providing unit 120 (including, for example, the authentication service subunit) are routed via the session service subunit 122. The communication between the web browser of the client device 10 and the session service subunit 122 may be implemented using a network socket, while the communication between the session service subunit 122 and other subunits of the service providing unit 120 may be implemented using HTTP / HTTPs. The session service subunit 122 may store session data. The session service subunit 122 may be multi-threaded, i.e., a thread pool for processing multiple client requests.

[0059] The calculation subunit 130a can be software or hardware dedicated to running the software, which is configured to calculate the significant difference between the reference color and the color of the paint coating of the car, for example. The result is reported to the session service subunit 122 and transmitted to the web browser of the client device 10.

[0060] In an example, the computing subunit 130 a may be provided in a tool box 130 storing a plurality of function units (FUs).

[0061] Thus, the color quality control server 100 is configured to provide color quality control depending on the device and platform. The color quality control server 100 can therefore provide software that does not need to be installed before use.

[0062] Optionally, the web server unit 110 may be further configured to interface with a user via a web page and / or application to allow the user to define a tolerance level for classifying the color measurement data. This additional input may be used to classify the sample.

[0063] Optionally, the service providing unit 120 may further include an authentication subunit 124, which is configured as an interface through which a user can authenticate to access the service requested by the user. The authentication subunit 124 can determine whether the user is authorized to access the functional unit (e.g., computing subunit) of the toolbox 130 to obtain the requested service using the authorization service. Verifying that the user is authorized to call the toolbox 130 may include verifying the user credentials received with the call to the functional unit of the toolbox 130 against a known user credential database. For example, the authorization service may compare the received user credentials with the known user credentials to determine a match. The user credentials may be a user name and an associated password, an authentication token, a license key, or another suitable authentication credential.

[0064] If it is determined that the user is not authorized to call a functional unit (eg, a computing subunit) of the toolbox, an error message is returned to the client device.

[0065] However, if it is determined that the user is authorized to call a functional unit (eg, a computing unit), the user's request is routed from the session server to a functional unit of the toolkit 130 to process the request.

[0066] Optionally, the service providing unit 120 may further include a device configuration subunit 130b, which is configured to access a configuration database storing configuration data of one or more color measurement devices. The device configuration subunit 130b may be configured to provide configuration data to at least one color measurement device selected by the user for performing color measurement. The device configuration subunit 130 may be another functional unit in the toolbox 130. In an example, the configuration database may be centrally stored in a data storage device of the service providing unit. In an example, the configuration database may be stored in a cloud data storage. Therefore, the user can access the measurement device without installing any driver.

[0067] The service providing unit 120 further includes a data measurement subunit 130c, which is configured to allow a user to access and trigger the color measurement device via a web page and / or an application to perform color measurement. For example, the communication between the web browser and the measurement device can be implemented using HTTP / HTTPs. The measurement device can be started using a configuration file generated by the web browser. The communication between the measurement device and the session service subunit 122 can be based on a network socket. Therefore, the user can directly access the measurement device triggered by the user from the browser. An interface for use by a robot can also be provided.

[0068] The color measurement device also includes a universal serial bus (USB) device. The color quality control server is further configured to interact with the USB device using a WebUSB application programming interface (API). If the user has access to the USB device, the user can use, for example, Firefox, Google Chrome, or Opera to perform USB measurements. Therefore, a byte stream of the selected measurement device can be obtained from the toolbox 130 using a USB connection. Data can also be sent asynchronously to the toolbox 130 to provide services requested by the user.

[0069] Thanks to mobile measurement, the evaluation and classification of the measured samples can be directly accessed, even from remote locations. There is no need to first download the measurements to a Windows-based device.

[0070] Optionally, the service providing unit 120 may further include a reference data interface configured to access a reference database storing color reference data to provide the color reference data to the calculation subunit. Optionally, the service providing unit 120 may further include a measurement data interface configured to access a measurement database storing color measurement data to provide the color measurement data to the calculation subunit. Optionally, the service providing unit 120 may further include a data storage device configured to store at least one reference of entries in the configuration database, the measurement database, and the reference database per user.

[0071] Thus, it can be guaranteed that the same standards are applied to the data independent of the user environment.

[0072] Optionally, the service providing unit 120 may further include a user data service subunit 126, which is configured to store session information. The user data service subunit 126 may enable the user to resume the session on other measurement devices. The session service subunit 122 may report any updates to the user GUI to the user data service subunit 126. If the user wishes to resume the session, the session service subunit 122 may request data from the user data service subunit 126.

[0073] A user may access the color quality control server 100 using a client device 10 , such as a smart phone 10 a , a personal computer 10 b , a tablet computer 10 c , a laptop computer 10 d , or other similar computing device.

[0074] Color measurement device 20 (such as Figure 2 ), such as a spectrophotometer, a robot-controlled measuring device, or other similar color measuring device, can be used to perform color measurements.

[0075] Optionally, the color quality control system 200 may further include a cloud storage (not shown) configured to store at least one of a configuration database, a measurement database, and a reference database. In this way, the color quality control system may support decentralized storage of data.

[0076] Figure 2 The color quality control system 200 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown. In this example, the color quality control system 200 is implemented in a client device (such as Figure 2 In other words, all services can be provided locally without communicating with a remote server. In this example, the communication between the sub-units of the service providing unit can use inter-process communication (IPC) instead of the Figure 1 This is achieved using HTTP / HTTPs as shown in .

[0077] A client (such as "localMeasurement.exe") can be installed on the client device. The user can click "startLocalMeasurement" to start the workflow executed by the client. The workflow example is as follows:

[0078] Start a web server unit at http: / / localhost:1234.

[0079] The web browser requests data from the web server unit via HTTP.

[0080] Is the measurement completed?

[0081] Send the result.

[0082] The measurement data is sent directly to the measurement database. The measurement data can also be sent to a web browser and then to the measurement database.

[0083] In other examples, the present disclosure can be implemented on cloud computing that supports distributed processing. Cloud computing is a service delivery model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be quickly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with service providers.

[0084] Cloud computing may include at least one of the following features:

[0085] On-demand self-service: Cloud consumers can automatically and unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed, without requiring manual interaction with the service provider.

[0086] Broad Network Access: Functionality is available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that facilitate use with heterogeneous thin-client or thick-client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

[0087] Resource pooling: The provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, dynamically allocating and reallocating different physical and virtual resources based on demand. There is a sense of location independence, as consumers generally have no control or knowledge of the exact location of the provided resources, but may be able to specify the location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or data center).

[0088] Metered services: Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource usage by leveraging metering capabilities at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency to both providers and consumers of the services used.

[0089] Figure 3 A flow chart showing a color quality control method 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In step 310, i.e., step a), color measurement data is provided to a color quality control server as described above via a graphical user interface (GUI) provided by a web page and / or an application on a client device. The client device can be connected to a color measurement device to obtain color measurement data, and the color measurement device is accessed and triggered via the web page and / or the application. The color measurement device is a USB device. The color quality control server uses a WebUSB API to interact with the USB device.

[0090] Optionally, step 310 may further include a step of the network server unit interfacing with the client device via a web page and / or an application to allow the user to access the color measurement device via the web page and / or the application and trigger the color measurement device to perform color measurement.

[0091] In step 320, ie step b), the color quality control server compares the color measurement data with the color reference data to classify the color measurement data.

[0092] In step 330, namely step c), the color quality control server provides the comparison result to the user via the GUI.

[0093] Figure 4 An example screenshot of a GUI 400 provided by a web page or application on a client device such as a mobile device is shown. The GUI includes a plurality of sub-areas 410 in which assigned data objects are displayed. A link button 420 is provided in each sub-area 410 for selecting a data object to be displayed in the sub-area 410. Figure 4 In the example shown in , an indicator 430 of the type of data object being allocated and displayed is provided in sub-area 410 .

[0094] A quick launch button bar 440 including a plurality of buttons 450 for activating different functions is positioned at the upper edge of the GUI. Figure 4 In the example shown in , the GUI includes eight sub-areas arranged in four columns. Although in this example, all sub-areas are commensurate, this is not mandatory. In addition, the number of sub-areas may vary by row and / or column.

[0095] In operation, a user may connect a color measurement device to a client device (e.g., a mobile phone, laptop, or PDA). The user may then access and trigger the color measurement device to perform color measurements by activating the measurement function via the quick launch button bar 440. The color measurement device may be controlled using a WebUSB interface provided by a web browser or application. Thus, color measurements may be performed using the selected color measurement device without the need to previously install or download a "local module" required to control the color measurement device. The use of WebUSB is also independent of the operating system.

[0096] Furthermore, the user may even access (web) services from a remote location through the GUI to obtain evaluation and classification of the measurement data. For example, the user may use the link button 420 in each sub-area 410 to select the data object (e.g., evaluation and classification of the measurement sample) to be displayed in the sub-area 410. It should be understood that the above operations may be performed in any suitable order, e.g., consecutively, simultaneously, or a combination thereof, subject to a specific order required, e.g., by an input / output relationship, where applicable.

[0097] Depending on the particular application and the information the user wants to examine, a large number of different and varying data objects may need to be displayed. It may be desirable to provide a computer-implemented method that allows the user to configure the GUI layout with maximum flexibility for maximum usability.

[0098] to this end, Figure 5 A flow chart 500 is shown illustrating some steps of a method for generating a customizable graphical user interface (GUI) layout for a dashboard software product.

[0099] In the context of the present disclosure, a dashboard software product is software that needs to display and control a large number of different and changing data objects. Examples include trading software applications, such as for trading stocks, bonds, options, currencies, commodities, etc.; software applications in the health sector for monitoring multiple vital parameters of patients, such as pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rhythm, brain waves, etc.; and tools for testing and / or monitoring machines; for example, engines that monitor and / or control exhaust parameters, pressure, liquid flow, gas flow, voltage, current, power, torque, temperature, speed, etc. In a specific example, the dashboard software is a colorimetry software product.

[0100] After starting 510, it is checked in step 520 whether there is an input from the user (via, for example, a keyboard, a computer mouse, a trackball or a touch screen) indicating that the process has been completed. If such an input is detected, the process moves to step 560.

[0101] Otherwise, when further input (eg a mouse click) is detected, a check 530 is performed whether the user has selected an available (sub)area on the display associated with the GUI and whether the (sub)area is to be split horizontally or vertically.

[0102] In an example, a (sub)region may be selected by navigating a cursor into the (sub)region. In a specific example using a computer mouse or trackball as an input device, the pointer may be moved into a (sub)region to select it. In another specific example using a touch screen as an input device, a (sub)region may be selected by touching the touch screen in the corresponding (sub)region.

[0103] In an example, a vertical or horizontal division may be selected by navigating the cursor into the (sub)region using a computer mouse (or trackball) and performing a left mouse click to select a horizontal division of the (sub)region or a right mouse click to select a vertical division of the (sub)region. Figure 5 In the example of , upon detecting a right mouse click, the (sub) region may be divided vertically 540 , and upon detecting a left mouse click, the (sub) region may be divided horizontally 550 .

[0104] In another example (not shown), a vertical or horizontal split can be selected by navigating the cursor into the (sub)region using a computer mouse (or trackball) and performing a right mouse click to select a horizontal split of the (sub)region or a left mouse click to select a vertical split of the (sub)region.

[0105] The process then moves back to step 520 to repeat the process until the required grid for the GUI has been obtained. This allows the use of a recursive algorithm to generate a flexible GUI. The algorithm allows the user to divide the GUI vertically and / or horizontally as required so that the display area can be divided into any sub-regions of aggregated quantity to locate any sub-window (e.g., chart, table, etc.) in these sub-regions. Click to insert a sub-region, which in turn provides the possibility of placing two new sub-regions, and the like. As long as the user continues to click (left / right), more sub-regions will be created. The last grid is composed of a plurality of rectangular sub-regions.

[0106] The GUI grid should be as flexible as possible and its generation should require minimal input from the user; the only information required is: start, horizontal / vertical divisions, end.

[0107] In one example of the method, the borders of each sub-region of the obtained grid can be moved to modify the grid, i.e., the sub-regions of the (completed) grid are modifiable in width and length. In a specific example, the borders of the sub-regions can be moved using a computer mouse (or trackball) by pointing and clicking on the border to select it and then dragging the pointer to the desired position.

[0108] After obtaining the desired grid or receiving an input indicating that the process has been completed, each sub-region of the obtained grid is assigned to at least one data object provided by the dashboard software in step 560. Once the grid generation has been completed, all sub-regions can be used to place data objects. Each and all sub-regions have a two-way information mechanism (with n+1 members in its chain, where n is the depth of the corresponding sub-region), which enables the developer to bundle all information about all sub-regions in one place and, on the other hand, send information to each sub-region in the sub-region from any desired location. In one example, an input button can be provided in each sub-region of the grid for selecting at least one data object to be assigned to and displayed in the corresponding sub-region. A single sub-region can be assigned to more than one data object and display more than one data object. Likewise, a single data object can be assigned to more than one sub-region and displayed in more than one sub-region.

[0109] The data object may be selected from the group consisting of numbers, text, symbols, tables, charts, and pictures. In another example, the data object may represent measurement data obtained by dashboard software (eg, a colorimetric software product).

[0110] In an example, the assigned data objects can be freely moved from one sub-area to another, e.g., by dragging and dropping. In another example, where a single sub-area is assigned to more than one data object, the order of the data objects displayed in the respective sub-areas can be freely changed, e.g., by a drag-and-drop mechanism, which moves the respective data objects to different positions in the list of data objects assigned to the respective sub-areas.

[0111] In an example, the completed grid may be persistent, ie, it may be transferred to another GUI or reloaded.

[0112] In an example, the method may further involve grouping at least two of the sub-regions, and highlighting the group of sub-regions with a common color.

[0113] In an example, in addition to the grid of sub-areas, the GUI may also include a quick launch button bar that can be fixed at any location at the edge of the display. In a specific example, the quick launch button bar can also float in and out of that location when it is not fixed. In another example, buttons that activate different functions can be added and removed from the quick launch button bar via drag and drop.

[0114] In the example, the GUI may include a standard header, a standard footer and two main components in terms of flexibility, namely a quick launch button bar and a custom grid, which includes views such as charts, tables and reports (etc.). The grid meets the need to design arbitrary rectangular sub-areas, in which different views can be placed, and the size of the sub-areas can be customized. Figure 4 Shows the use of Figure 5 An example of a flexible GUI generated by the method.

[0115] After step 560, the data object is displayed in the assigned sub-area in step 580. The at least one display may include a touch screen. The touch screen also serves as an input device.

[0116] The process then ends in step 600 .

[0117] The present technology may be implemented as a system, method, and / or computer program product. A computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or media) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to execute aspects of the present disclosure.

[0118] Computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by instruction execution devices. Computer readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer readable storage medium includes the following: portable computer floppy disk, hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, mechanical encoding device, such as a convex structure with instructions recorded in a punch card or groove, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer readable storage medium as used herein should not be interpreted as a transient signal itself, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagated by a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a light pulse by a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal sent by a wire.

[0119] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network). The network can include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions to be stored in a computer-readable storage medium in the corresponding computing / processing device.

[0120] The computer-readable program instructions for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​(including object-oriented programming languages, such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and traditional process programming languages, such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on a user's computer, partially on a user's computer, as an independent software package, partially on a user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., using an Internet service provider via the Internet). In some examples, electronic circuits including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs) may be executed by utilizing the state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuits so as to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

[0121] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each frame of the flowchart and / or block diagram, and the combination of frames in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0122] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a component for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which can guide the computer, programmable data processing device, and / or other equipment to operate in a specific manner, so that the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein includes an article of manufacture, which includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0123] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0124] The flowchart and block diagram in the figure illustrate the architecture, function and operation of the possible implementation of the system, method and computer program product according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a part of a module, segment or instruction, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box may not occur in the order marked in the figure. For example, depending on the functions involved, the two boxes shown in succession can actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or sometimes these boxes can be executed in reverse order. It will also be noted that each box of the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented by a system based on special-purpose hardware, which performs a specified function or action or performs a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0125] It must be noted that embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments are described with reference to method type claims, while other embodiments are described with reference to device type claims. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate from the above and following descriptions that, unless otherwise notified, any combination of features relating to different subject matters, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter, is also considered to be disclosed with the present application. However, all features may be combined together, thereby providing more synergistic effects than the simple sum of these features.

[0126] Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary rather than restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments may be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention by studying the drawings, the disclosure, and the dependent claims.

[0127] In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A color quality control server (100) for mobile color quality control of paint coatings, comprising: - a network server unit (110); as well as - a service providing unit (120) having a computing subunit (130a); wherein the network server unit is configured to interface with a client device via a web page and / or an application served by the network server unit, and provide a graphical user interface GUI to the client device via the web page and / or the application, so that the color measurement data of the paint coating is provided to the service providing unit via the web page and / or the application; wherein the calculation subunit is configured to compare the color measurement data of the paint coating with color reference data to classify the color measurement data of the paint coating, and output a result of the comparison via the GUI; wherein the service providing unit further comprises a data measurement subunit (130c), the data measurement subunit being configured to allow a user to access and trigger a color measurement device connected to the client device via the webpage and / or the application to perform color measurement without having to install or download a local module on the client device required to control the color measurement device in advance, the color measurement device being a universal serial bus (USB) device; and The color quality control server is configured to interact with the color measurement device using a WebUSB application programming interface API.

2. The color quality control server according to claim 1, in, The web server unit is further configured to interface with the client device via the web page and / or the application to allow the user to define a tolerance level for classifying the color measurement data.

3. The color quality control server according to claim 1 or 2, in, The service providing unit further includes a device configuration subunit (130b) configured to access a configuration database storing configuration data of one or more color measurement devices; and The device configuration subunit is further configured to provide the configuration data to at least one color measurement device selected by the user for performing color measurement.

4. A color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The service providing unit further comprises a reference data interface, wherein the reference data interface is configured to access a reference database storing the color reference data to provide the color reference data to the calculation subunit.

5. A color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The service providing unit further comprises a measurement data interface configured to access a measurement database storing the color measurement data to provide the color measurement data of the paint coating to the calculation subunit.

6. The color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - Data storage means configured to store at least one reference per user to entries in said configuration database, said measurement database, and said reference database.

7. A color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The GUI has an Angular code base, the product of which is executable in a web browser.

8. A color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The service providing unit further comprises an authentication subunit (124) configured as an interface through which the user can be authenticated to access the service requested by the user.

9. A color quality control system (200) for mobile color quality control of a paint coating, comprising: - a color measuring device (20); - client device (10); as well as - A color quality control server (100) according to any one of the preceding claims; wherein the color measurement device is configured to perform color measurement; The client device is configured to communicate with the color quality control server to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to the client device through a web page and / or an application served by the color quality control server, so that the color measurement data of the paint coating is classified via the web page and / or the application.

10. The color quality control system according to claim 9, further comprising: - A cloud storage configured to store at least one of the configuration database, the measurement database and the reference database.

11. A color quality control method (300) for color quality control of a paint coating, comprising: a) providing (310) color measurement data of the paint coating to a color quality control server according to any one of the preceding claims via a graphical user interface GUI provided by a web page and / or an application on a client device; b) comparing, by the color quality control server, the color measurement data of the paint coating with color reference data (320) to classify the color measurement data; and c) providing (330), by the color quality control server via the GUI, a result of the comparison to the client device, wherein the client device is connected to a color measurement device to obtain the color measurement data, the color measurement device is accessed and triggered via the web page and / or the application, and the color measurement device is a universal serial bus (USB) device; and The color quality control server interacts with the color measurement device using a WebUSB application programming interface API. Wherein, step a) further comprises: - the network server unit interfaces with the client device via the web page and / or the application to allow a user to access a color measurement device via the web page and / or the application on the client device and trigger the color measurement device to perform color measurement, without having to previously install or download a local module on the client device required to control the color measurement device.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer program with a program code for executing the method according to claim 11.

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