Methods and apparatuses for generating composite images

• US 20010031102A1
• Filed: 01/10/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vision IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Branders Corporation
• Inventors: Lunetta, Larry, Jones, Eliott
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/284
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for generating composite images are disclosed. A first image is selected via a Web interface presented on a browser and a second image is selected via a Web interface presented on the browser. The second image is positioned relative to the first image to generate relative positioning information. The selection of the first image and the second image and the relative positioning information is communicated to a sever via a network and a composite image is generated at the server. The composite image is communicated from the server to the browser via the network.

Claims

1. A method for generating a composite image including:

presenting a first image via a Web interface presented on a browser;

presenting a second image via a Web interface presented on the browser;

communicating a selection of the first image and the second image to a server via a network;

automatically generating a composite image of the first image and the second image at the server; and

communicating the composite image from the server to the browser via the network.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein the first image is a product image.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein the second image is a decorative image including any one of a group of images including a logo image and a text image.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein the composite image includes the second image placed in a default position on the first image.

5. The method of

claim 1

further including:

positioning the second image relative to the first image via a Web interface presented on the browser to generate relative positioning information;

communicating the relative positioning information to the server via the network; and

automatically generating the composite image of the first image and the second image at the server according to the relative positioning information.

6. The method of

claim 5

wherein the positioning of the second image relative to the first image further includes selecting a location on a positioning grid via a Web interface presented on the browser, the selection generating the relative positioning information.

7. The method of

claim 1

wherein the composite image further includes filtering to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with a filter selection.

8. The method of

claim 1

further including:

selecting a filter via a Web interface presented on the browser, the selection of the filter generating a filtering information;

communicating the filtering information to the server via the network;

automatically generating the composite image at the server according to the filtering information to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with the filter.

9. The method of

claim 8

wherein the filter selection is embroidery.

10. The method of

claim 9

further including automatically calculating a number of stitches.

11. The method of

claim 8

wherein the filter selection is silk-screening.

12. The method of

claim 1

wherein the composite image further includes warping to simulate curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

13. The method of

claim 12

wherein the warping is determined according to a warp ratio.

14. The method of

claim 12

wherein the warping simulates spherical curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

15. The method of

claim 12

wherein the warping simulates cylindrical curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

16. The method of

claim 1

wherein the composite image is associated with information in a database, the associated information in the database being communicated together with the composite image from the server to the browser via the network as a photo sample.

17. The method of

claim 16

wherein the photo sample is sent via network to a specified e-mail address.

18. The method of

claim 16

wherein a URL, containing the photo sample is sent via network to a specified e-mail address.

19. The method of

claim 16

wherein a user zooms in to the photo sample.

20. The method of

claim 16

wherein a user zooms out of the photo sample.

21. A network-based method for generating a composite image, the method including:

receiving a first image and a second image at a server from a browser responsive to a user-selection of the first image and the second image;

automatically generating a composite image of the first image and the second image at the server; and

communicating the composite image from the server to the browser via a network.

22. The network-based method of

claim 21

wherein the first image is a product image.

23. The network-based method of

claim 21

wherein the second image is a decorative image including any one of a group of images including a logo image and a text image.

24. The network-based method of

claim 21

wherein the composite image includes the second image placed in a default position on the first image.

25. The network-based method of

claim 21

including receiving a relative positioning information from the browser via the network and automatically generating the composite image of the first image and the second image at the server according to the relative positioning information.

26. The network-based method of

claim 21

wherein the composite image includes filtering to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with a filter selection.

27. The network-based method of

claim 21

including receiving a filtering information from a client via the network and automatically generating the composite image at the server according to the filtering information to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with a filter selection.

28. The network-based method of

claim 21

wherein the composite image further includes warping to simulate curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

29. The network-based method of

claim 28

wherein the warping is determined according to a warp ratio.

30. The network-based method of

claim 28

wherein the warping simulates spherical curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

31. The network-based method of

claim 28

wherein the warping simulates cylindrical curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

32. The network-based method of

claim 21

wherein the composite image is associated with information in a database to generate a photo sample.

33. The network-based method of

claim 32

wherein the photo sample is transmitted via the network to a specified e-mail address.

34. A network-based method for generating a composite image, the method including:

presenting a first image for user selection via a first Web interface presented on a browser;

uploading a second image;

communicating a selection of the first image and the second image to a server via a network;

receiving a composite image of the first image and the second image from the server at the browser via the network; and

displaying the composite image via a second Web interface presented on the browser.

35. The network-based method of

claim 34

wherein the first image is a product image.

36. The network-based method of

claim 34

wherein the second image is a decorative image including any one of a group of images including a logo image and a text image.

37. The network-based method of

claim 34

wherein the composite image includes second image placed in a default position on the first image.

38. The network-based method of

claim 34

further including:

positioning the second image relative to the first image via a Web interface presented on the browser to generate a relative positioning information;

communicating the relative positioning information to the server via the network;

receiving the composite image of the first image and the second image from the server to the browser, the composite image generated according to the relative positioning information; and

displaying the composite image at the browser.

39. The network-based method of

claim 38

wherein positioning of the second image relative to the first image further includes selecting a location on a positioning grid via a Web interface presented on the browser, the selection generating the relative positioning information.

40. The network-based method of

claim 34

wherein the composite image further includes filtering to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with a filter selection.

41. The network-based method of

claim 34

wherein the composite image further includes warping to simulate curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

42. A network-based method for generating a composite image, the method including:

presenting a first image for user selection via a first Web interface presented on a browser;

presenting a second image for user selection via a second Web interface presented on the browser;

communicating a selection of the first image and the second image to a server via a network;

receiving a composite image of the first image and the second image from the server at the browser via the network; and

displaying the composite image via a third Web interface presented on the browser.

43. The network-based method of

claim 42

wherein the first image is a product image.

44. The network-based method of

claim 42

wherein the second image is a decorative image including any one of a group of images including a logo image and a text image.

45. The network-based method of

claim 42

wherein the composite image includes second image placed in a default position on the first image.

46. The network-based method of

claim 42

further including:

positioning the second image relative to the first image via a Web interface presented on the browser to generate a relative positioning information;

communicating the relative positioning information to the server via the network;

receiving the composite image of the first image and the second image from the server to the browser, the composite image generated according to the relative positioning information, and

displaying the composite image at the browser.

47. The network-based method of

claim 46

wherein positioning of the second image relative to the first image further includes selecting a location on a positioning grid via a Web interface presented on the browser, the selection generating the relative positioning information.

48. The network-based method of

claim 42

wherein the composite image further includes filtering to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with a filter selection.

49. The network-based method of

claim 42

wherein the composite image further includes warping to simulate curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

50. An apparatus for generating a composite image including:

a first image database, the first image database to store at least one first image file;

a second image database, said second image database to store at least one second image file;

a server to receive a user selection of the first image file and the second image file and to generate a composite image of a first image and a second image wherein the second image is positioned relative to the first image.

51. The apparatus of

claim 50

wherein the first image is a product image.

52. The apparatus of

claim 50

wherein the second image is a decorative image including any one of a group of images including a logo image and a text image.

53. The apparatus of

claim 50

wherein the server is further configured to generate the composite image according to a filtering information to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with the filtering information.

54. The apparatus of

claim 50

wherein the server is further configured to generate the composite image according to a warping information to simulate curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

55. The apparatus of

claim 50

wherein the server is further configured to generate a photo sample.

56. The apparatus of

claim 50

wherein the server is further configured to transmit the photo sample via the network to a specified e-mail address.

57. An apparatus for generating a composite image including:

means for presenting a first image via a Web interface presented on a browser;

means for presenting a second image via a Web interface presented on the browser;

means for communicating a selection of the first image and the second image to a server via a network;

means for automatically generating a composite image of the first image and the second image at the server; and

means for communicating the composite image from the server to the browser via the network.

58. The apparatus of

claim 57

wherein the first image is a product image.

59. The apparatus of

claim 57

wherein the second image is a decorative image including any one of a group of images including a logo image and a text image.

60. The apparatus of

claim 57

wherein the means for automatically generating a composite image are further configured to generate the composite image according to a filtering information to simulate an appearance of the second image as applied to the first image according to a manufacturing process associated with the filtering information.

61. The apparatus of

claim 57

wherein the means for automatically generating a composite image are further configured to generate the composite image according to a warping information to simulate curvature of the second image as applied to the first image.

62. The apparatus of

claim 57

wherein the means for automatically generating a composite image are further configured to generate a photo sample.

63. The apparatus of

claim 57

wherein the means for automatically generating a composite image are further configured to transmit the photo sample via the network to a specified e-mail address.

64. A method for generating a composite image including:

presenting a first image via a Web interface presented on a browser;

presenting a second image via a Web interface presented on the browser;

communicating a selection of the first image and the second image to a server via a network;

automatically generating a composite image of the first image and the second image at the server;

automatically calculating an embroidery price of the composite image, the embroidery price comprising an estimated price for the application of a design represented by the second image to a product represented by the first image; and

communicating the composite image along with the calculated embroidery price from the server to the browser via the network.

65. The method of

claim 64

wherein the automatically calculating the embroidery price includes calculating the second image area.

66. The method of

claim 65

wherein the automatically calculating the embroidery price of the composite image further includes multiplying the second image area by an average number of stitches in a predefined area.

67. The method of

claim 66

wherein the average number of stitches in the predefined area is stored in a product image file.

68. The method of

claim 66

wherein the average number of stitches in the predefined area is modifiable by a user.

69. The method of

claim 65

wherein the automatically calculating of the embroidery price of the composite image further includes utilizing an embroidery price of a number of stitches in a predefined area.