Method and System for Virtual Decoration

• US 20070143082A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Degnan
• Original Assignee: Donald Degnan
• Inventors: Degnan, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating the decoration of an area, and particularly a surface such as a wall in a room, are provided. A user may view a virtual impression of the placement of selected artwork on a particular wall. The user provides an image of the area to be decorated, along with a reference scale associated with the area, to a server. The user views and selects an image of an artwork object from an available selection of artwork images, the artwork image having a corresponding size of the artwork object. The image of the artwork is scaled such that the ratio of the size of the artwork object and the size of the artwork image substantially corresponds to the ratio of the size of the area to be decorated and the size of the area image. The scaled artwork image is then overlayed on the area image and may be viewed by the user to provide a simulated image of the area and artwork.

Claims

1. A method for providing a simulation of an area to be decorated with at least one artwork item, the area to be decorated having an area dimension, the method comprising:

receiving a wall area image of the area to be decorated, said wall area image having a wall area image dimension;

calculating a wall area image scaling factor proportional to the area dimension and to said wall area image dimension;

providing a first artwork image of a first artwork item, said first artwork item having a first artwork item dimension and said first artwork image having a first artwork image dimension;

calculating a first artwork image scaling factor proportional to said first artwork item dimension and said first artwork image dimension;

resizing at least one of said wall area image and said first artwork image such that said wall area image scaling factor and said first artwork image scaling factor are substantially equal; and

displaying said first artwork image and said wall area image to provide a combined image simulating said first artwork item in the area to be decorated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating a wall area image scaling factor operation comprises:

identifying a scale reference mark in said wall area image;

determining a dimension associated with said scale reference mark;

determining an image dimension of said scale reference mark in said wall area image; and

calculating said wall area image scaling factor based on said dimension and said image dimension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resizing operation includes scaling said first artwork image such that said first artwork image scaling factor and said wall area image scaling factor are substantially equal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displaying operation includes placing said scaled first artwork image proximate said wall area image.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the displaying operation includes overlapping said scaled first artwork image onto said wall area image.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the displaying operation includes moving said scaled first artwork image within said wall area image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing a first artwork image operation comprises:

providing a plurality of artwork images of artwork items, said artwork images each having an artwork item dimension and an artwork image dimension; and

receiving a selection of said first artwork image from said plurality of artwork images; and

providing said first artwork image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the providing a plurality of artwork images operation comprises:

receiving a search request identifying one or more search criteria;

applying said search criteria to a set of artwork images to identify a subset of artwork images that meet said search criteria; and

providing said subset of artwork images.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said search criteria include at least one of an artwork dimension, an artwork color, an artwork decorative category, and an artwork cost.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second artwork image of a second artwork item, said second artwork item having a second artwork item dimension and said second artwork image having a second artwork image dimension;

calculating a second artwork image scaling factor proportional to said second artwork item dimension and said second artwork image dimension;

resizing at least one of said wall area image, said first artwork image, and said second artwork image such that said wall area image scaling factor, said first artwork image scaling factor, and said second artwork image scaling factor are substantially equal; and

displaying said first and second artwork images over said wall area image to provide a combined image simulating said first and second artwork items in the area to be decorated.

11. A system for viewing a simulation of at least one artwork in an area to be decorated having an area dimension, the system comprising:

a display module configured to scale an artwork image of the at least one artwork based on the area dimension, said display module further configured to create an overlayed image by overlapping the scaled artwork image on a wall area image of the area to be decorated;

a user interface module configured to receive the wall area image and the area dimension, said user interface module further configured to display the overlayed image;

a dé

cor query module configured to receive a dé

cor search criteria from said user interface module; and

a storage module configured to provide at least one artwork image to said display module according to the search criteria.

12. The system, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said display module comprises a scale calculation module operable to:

receive a wall area image dimension and the area dimension associated with said wall area image, receive an artwork image dimension and an artwork dimension associated with said artwork image, and

calculate a resizing factor that, when applied to said artwork image, provides a resized artwork image that is scaled according to said wall area image.

13. The system, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the storage module includes a communication module configured to send said search criteria to an artwork image database and receive artwork images from said artwork image database that meet said search criteria.

14. The system, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said search criteria include at least one of size, color, decorative category, and cost.

15. A method for transporting an image of an artwork object in an area to be decorated towards an interested entity, comprising:

conveying, over a portion of a computer network, an image that includes a plurality of pixels, a first subset of said plurality of pixels corresponding to an artwork image and a second subset of said plurality of pixels corresponding to a wall area image of the area to be decorated, wherein said first subset of pixels are determined based on said artwork image and a scaling factor of said artwork image relative to a scaling factor of said wall area image.

16. The method for transporting an image, as claimed in claim 15, wherein said first subset of pixels comprises pixels corresponding to two or more artwork images.

17. The method for transporting an image, as claimed in claim 15, wherein said first subset of pixels replace pixels of said wall area image in a location corresponding to a potential location of a piece of artwork within the area that is to be decorated.

18. The method for transporting an image, as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said first subset of pixels correspond to an area of an artwork image that is different than the area represented by each of the pixels in a digital image of the artwork that said artwork image is derived from.

19. The method for transporting an image, as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said second subset of pixels correspond to an area of said area to be decorated that is different than the area represented by each of the pixels in a previously provided wall area image of the area to be decorated.

20. A computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

accessing a wall area image of an area to be decorated, said wall area image having a wall area image scaling factor based on a dimension of said area to be decorated;

accessing an artwork image of an artwork item, said artwork image having an artwork image scaling factor based on a dimension of said artwork item;

resizing at least one of said wall area image and said artwork image such that said wall area image scaling factor and said artwork image scaling factor are substantially equal; and

displaying said artwork image and said wall area image to provide a combined image simulating said artwork item in said area to be decorated.

21. The computer readable medium, as claimed in claim 20, wherein said operations of resizing comprise:

resizing said artwork image such that said artwork image scaling factor and said wall area image scaling factor are substantially equal.

22. The computer readable medium, as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

accessing a second artwork image of a second artwork item, said second artwork image having a second artwork image scaling factor based on a dimension of said second artwork item;

resizing said second artwork image such that said second artwork image scaling factor and said wall area image scaling factor are substantially equal; and

displaying said artwork image, said second artwork image, and said wall area image to provide a combined image simulating said artwork item and said second artwork item in said area to be decorated.

23. The computer readable medium, as claimed in claim 20, wherein said wall area image scaling factor is based on a reference mark contained in said wall area image.