Waste Plastic Color Prediction Using Pigment and Material Features

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing color matching prediction techniques fail to accurately predict the color of plastic materials containing waste plastic due to the non-applicability of the simple pigment addition rule.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus and method that utilizes a prediction model to learn and predict the relationship between pigment information, features of waste plastic, and color information, enabling accurate color matching predictions for plastic materials containing waste plastic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the simple pigment addition rule is used for color matching prediction, then the process is simple and fast, but the prediction accuracy is insufficient for plastic materials containing waste plastic

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprediction process efficiencyVSAvoidcolor prediction accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the prediction model from simple pigment addition to a machine learning-based model that incorporates waste plastic features. The prediction model learns complex non-linear relationships between pigment composition, waste plastic characteristics, and resulting color, enabling accurate predictions for recycled plastic materials where the simple addition rule fails.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If a prediction model learning mutual relationships among pigment information, waste plastic features, and color information is used, then the color prediction accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor prediction accuracyVSAvoidprediction system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/simplified calculation approach (pigment addition rule) with an intelligent system based on machine learning. The prediction model automatically learns and captures complex relationships between multiple variables, substituting manual or formula-based methods with an adaptive computational system that improves accuracy without requiring complex manual interventions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If the simple pigment addition rule is used, then the device complexity is low, but the prediction accuracy for waste plastic materials deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprediction system complexityVSAvoidcolor matching reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The prediction model performs self-learning from training data to automatically adapt to the complex interactions between pigments and waste plastic materials. By using the machine learning approach, the system self-adjusts its parameters and relationships without requiring complex external calibration or manual intervention, achieving reliable predictions for waste plastic materials while maintaining reasonable system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250356531A1Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium
Publication Date: 2025.11.20 NEC CORP
  • US20250356531A1 patent drawing
  • US20250356531A1 patent drawing
  • US20250356531A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Provided is an information processing apparatus capable of suitably carrying out a color matching prediction with respect to a plastic material which includes waste plastic. The information processing apparatus includes: an acquiring means for acquiring one of pieces of information which are color information and pigment information, and features of waste plastic; and a predicting means for predicting the other one of the pieces of information from information acquired by the acquiring means, with use of a prediction model which has learned a mutual relationship among pigment information, features of waste plastic, and color information.