METHOD OF ENABLING A USER TO DRAW A COMPONENT PART AS INPUT FOR SEARCHING COMPONENT PARTS IN A DATABASE

• US 20100100457A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imaginestics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jamie Tan, Karthik Ramani, Nainesh B. Rathod
• Inventors: Rathod, Nainesh B., Tan, Jamie, Ramani, Karthik
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method of receiving input image data for an image search engine includes providing a two-dimensional input image on a display screen, enabling a user to rotate the input image on the display screen about an axis that is non-perpendicular to a plane of the input image, and enabling the user to electronically draw modifications on the rotated input image.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. A method of providing an electronic commercial showplace, comprising the steps of:

providing a database (254) of image data associated with component parts;

extracting shape representations from three-dimensional models of vendors'"'"' component parts;

storing the shape representations in the database;

enabling a purchaser to enter image data onto a web site, the image data representing a component that the purchaser would like to buy;

searching the database for at least one shape representation matching the purchaser image data;

displaying a matching shape representation to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the vendor information being associated with the matching shape representation.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the image data is at least partially entered by electronic drawing of the component by the purchaser on a display screen (246).

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the vendor information facilitates a sale to the purchaser of a component part associated with the matching shape representation.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the vendor information includes at least one of:

a link (110) to a web site of the vendor;

an indication (112) of whether the component part is a stock part;

a text descriptor (108) of a component part associated with the matching shape representation;

a model number (108) of the component part; and

a web-based link (114) enabling the purchaser to download image files associated with the component part.

25. The method of claim 21 comprising the further steps of:

enabling the purchaser to electronically sketch modifications onto the displayed matching shape representation;

searching the database for second shape representation matching the modified shape representation;

displaying a matching second shape representation to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying second vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the second vendor information being associated with the matching second shape representation.

26. The method of claim 21 comprising the further steps of

enabling a user to rotate the displayed matching shape representation on the display screen about an axis that is non-perpendicular to a plane of the displayed matching shape representation;

enabling the purchaser to electronically sketch modifications onto the displayed matching shape representation;

searching the database for a second vendor shape representation matching the modified matching shape representation;

displaying the matching second vendor shape representation to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying second vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the second vendor information being associated with the matching second vendor shape representation.

27. (canceled)

28. A method of providing an electronic commercial showplace, comprising the steps of:

providing a database (254) of image data associated with component parts;

converting two-dimensional drawings of vendors'"'"' component parts to three-dimensional image data;

storing the three-dimensional image data in the database;

enabling a purchaser to enter image data onto a web site, the image data representing a component that the purchaser would like to buy;

searching the database for three-dimensional vendor image data matching the purchaser image data;

displaying a matching three-dimensional vendor image to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the vendor information being associated with the matching three-dimensional vendor image data.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the purchaser image data is at least partially entered by electronic drawing of the component by the purchaser on a display screen (246).

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the vendor information facilitates a sale to the purchaser of a component part associated with the matching three-dimensional vendor image data.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the vendor information includes at least one of:

a link (110) to a web site of the vendor;

an indication (112) of whether the component part is a stock part;

a text descriptor (108) of a component part associated with the matching three-dimensional vendor image data;

a model number (108) of the component part; and

a web-based link (114) enabling the purchaser to download image files associated with the component part.

35. The method of claim 28 comprising the further steps of:

enabling the purchaser to electronically sketch modifications onto the displayed matching three-dimensional vendor image data;

searching the database for second three-dimensional vendor image data matching the modified three-dimensional vendor image data;

displaying a matching second three-dimensional vendor image data to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying second vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the second vendor information being associated with the matching second three-dimensional vendor image data.

36. The method of claim 28 comprising the further steps of:

enabling a user to rotate the displayed matching three-dimensional vendor image on a display screen about an axis that is non-perpendicular to a plane of the displayed matching three-dimensional vendor image;

enabling the purchaser to electronically sketch modifications onto the displayed matching three-dimensional vendor image;

searching the database for second three-dimensional vendor image data matching the modified matching three-dimensional vendor image;

displaying a matching second three-dimensional vendor image to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying second vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the second vendor information being associated with the matching second three-dimensional vendor image data.

29. A method of providing an electronic commercial showplace, comprising the steps of:

providing a database (254) of image data associated with component parts;

compiling an index of part vendor web sites wherein the part vendors have granted permission to extract image data from the web sites;

extracting the image data from the vendor web sites;

uploading the image data to the database via a host web site, the uploaded image data being associated with component parts that are sold by the vendors;

enabling a purchaser to enter image data onto a web site, the image data representing a component that the purchaser would like to buy;

searching the database for vendor image data matching the purchaser image data;

displaying a matching vendor image to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the vendor information being associated with the matching vendor image data.

37. The method of claim 29 wherein the purchaser image data is at least partially entered by electronic drawing of the component by the purchaser on a display screen (246).

38. The method of claim 29 wherein the vendor information facilitates a sale to the purchaser of a component part associated with the matching vendor image data.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the vendor information includes at least one of:

a link (110) to a web site of the vendor;

an indication (112) of whether the component part is a stock part;

a text descriptor (108) of a component part associated with the matching vendor image data;

a model number (108) of the component part; and

a web-based link (114) enabling the purchaser to download image files associated with the component part.

40. The method of claim 29 comprising the further steps of:

enabling the purchaser to electronically sketch modifications onto the displayed matching vendor image data;

searching the database for second vendor image data matching the modified vendor image data;

displaying a matching second vendor image data to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying second vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the second vendor information being associated with the matching second vendor image data.

41. The method of claim 29 comprising the further steps of:

enabling a user to rotate the displayed matching vendor image on a display screen about an axis that is non-perpendicular to a plane of the displayed matching vendor image;

enabling the purchaser to electronically sketch modifications onto the displayed matching vendor image;

searching the database for second vendor image data matching the modified matching vendor image;

displaying a matching second vendor image to the purchaser on the web site; and

displaying second vendor information to the purchaser on the web site, the second vendor information being associated with the matching second vendor image data.

42. The method of claim 29 wherein the extracting step comprises extracting two-dimensional images from two-dimensional drawings of vendors'"'"' component parts.

43. The method of claim 29 wherein the searching step includes using a three-dimensional shape search engine (252) to search the database for at least one two-dimensional image matching the purchaser image data.

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)