Online personalized apparel design and sales technology with associated manufacturing and fulfillment techniques and processes

• US 20050289018A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MyGarb, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MyGarb, Inc.
• Inventors: Sullivan, Sean, Sullivan, Paul, Sullivan, Todd, Camlibel, Lavent, M., Gerardo Arturo Alas, Risbridger, Richard, Cortez, Elmer Antonio Morales
• Application Number:
  US11/147,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for the customized and personalized design of school, team, club, class and event branded apparel and merchandise online via dealer, client-branded and business-to-business websites without minimum orders. The invention further comprises customized design ordering, order fulfillment, image text positioning, image curing, image cutting, and pixilation methods.

Claims

1. A system for the customized design of apparel and merchandise, said system comprising:

(a) a website for the customization of apparel and merchandise image designs;

(b) a user accessing the website remotely through an internet connection;

(c) at least one screen interface on the website for the customization of apparel and merchandise image designs by the user;

(d) a library comprising a database containing a plurality of pre-designed images;

(e) at least one design tab on the at least one screen interface for selection by the user for the creation of customized design;

(f) at least one design layer included within the at least one screen interface;

(g) a host database providing storage of data pertaining to the customized apparel and merchandise designs; and

(h) a remote database providing storage of data pertaining to the customized apparel and merchandise designs;

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the website may be a client-branded website for the design customization of team, organization, school or university apparel and products.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the website may be a business-to-business website for the design customization of apparel and merchandise.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one screen interface includes text formatting options.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one design tab provides access to basic design, advanced design, product selection, product assembly, art selection, addition of product to check out cart, and purchase.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one design layer provides access to logos, team position, title, class year, and ready-made suggestions.

7. A system for the customized design of apparel and merchandise, said system comprising:

(a) a website for the customization of apparel and merchandise image designs;

(b) a user accessing the website remotely through an internet connection;

(c) at least one screen interface on the website for the customization of apparel and merchandise image designs by the user;

(d) at least one design tab on the at least one screen interface for selection by the user for the creation of customized design;

(e) at least one design layer included within the at least one screen interface;

(f) a remote server having images of user-customized images for uploading;

(g) a host database for the storage of data pertaining to the customized apparel and merchandise designs; and

(h) a remote database for the storage of data pertaining to the customized apparel and merchandise designs;

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the website may be a client-branded website for the design customization of team, organization, school or university apparel and merchandise.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the website may be a business-to-business website for the design customization of apparel and merchandise.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one screen interface includes text formatting options.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one design tab may be for basic design, advanced design, product selection, product assembly, art selection, addition of product to check out cart, and purchase.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one design layer may be for logos, team position, title, class year, and ready-made suggestions.

13. A system for the fulfillment of customized design apparel and merchandise orders, said system comprising:

(a) at least one record of an order of a customized product design;

(b) an order queue for the linking of at least one order record;

(c) a web-ready image of the customized product design;

(d) a URL link of the web-ready image;

(e) a host database having at least one order record;

(f) a remote database having at least one order record; and

(g) a processing batch having at least one order record.

14. A method for the customized design of apparel and merchandise, said method comprising:

(h) accessing of a website for the customized design of apparel and merchandise by the user;

(i) selecting a desired product for customized design;

(j) selecting an image template from a designated database library;

(k) optionally uploading an image from a remote server;

(l) selecting a design layer;

(m) adding text to the selected or uploaded image template or image to create a customized design product;

(n) accepting the customized design product;

(O) displaying the at least one view of the customized design product; and

(p) ordering the customized design product.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the desired products are apparel comprising t-shirts, sweatshirts, crew neck shirts and camisoles.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the desired products are merchandise comprising coffee mugs, bags, mouse pads, towels, water bottles, stickers, coffee mugs, and cards.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one view of the customized design product may be views of the front and back of the product.

18. A method for the fulfillment of customized design apparel and merchandise orders, said method comprising:

(a) verifying ordering information provided by a user for the purchase of a customized product design;

(b) sending a record of an order to a host database;

(c) linking the order record into an order queue;

(d) preparing a web-ready image of the customized product design;

(e) uploading the web-ready image to a host database;

(f) creating a URL link to the web-ready image;

(g) embedding the URL link into an electronic mail message;

(h) sending the electronic mail message to the user;

(i) retrieving the order record from the order queue;

(j) sending the order record to at least one remote database;

(k) directing the order record to a file server;

(l) placing the order into a processing batch;

(m) completing processing of the batch; and

(n) shipping the order to the user.

19. A method for positioning image text on customized apparel and merchandise designs, said method comprising:

(a) enlarging customized product images and text to substantially occupy a printing area;

(b) adding subsequent customized product images and text to the printing area; and

(c) proportionately downsizing the previously added customized product images and text to accommodate the subsequently added customized product images and text in the printing area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the customized product images are of apparel or merchandise designs.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the printing area may be of variable dimensions.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the proportional downsizing may include resizing and repositioning of the customized product images and text.

23. A method for the pixilation of customized apparel and merchandise designs, said method comprising:

(a) adding a substantially box-shaped border to at least one customized product design image to create at least one contoured image;

(b) displaying the at least one contoured image in at least one layer;

(c) maintaining the quality of the at least one contoured image within the at least one layer; and

(d) optionally dithering the at least one contoured image.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the customized product images are of apparel or merchandise designs.

25. A method for the fulfillment of customized design apparel and merchandise orders, said method comprising:

(a) generating and downloading an order file;

(b) generating and downloading customized product design images associated with an order file;

(c) generating order reports;

(d) sending the order reports to a designated location;

(e) performing an error check of the order reports;

(f) assigning at least one order file to a batch;

(g) classifying the at least one order file by priority;

(h) sending the electronic mail message to the user;

(i) auditing the customized product design images;

(j) printing the customized product design images;

(k) performing a first scan of the customized product design images;

(l) preparing transport documents for the shipping of a completed customized product design;

(m) curing the customized product design images;

(n) cutting the customized product design images;

(o) transferring the customized product design image to a user-selected product to create the completed customized product design;

(p) optionally adding hand tags to the completed customized product design; and

(q) performing a process quality control.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the customized product images are of apparel or merchandise designs.