Augmented Reality Design System

• US 20110205242A1
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Friesen, David Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/16 Cloth

Abstract

An augmented reality design system is disclosed. The augmented reality design system allows a user to create a design for an article in real time using a proxy. The system can be configured using a head mounted display for displaying at least one virtual design element over a proxy located in a real-world environment. The system can also be configured using a projector that projects at least one virtual design element onto a proxy located in the real world.

Claims

1. A method of designing an article, comprising the steps of:

viewing a proxy on a display device, the proxy existing in a real-world environment;

contacting the proxy with an interacting device to create a virtual design for the article; and

wherein the virtual design is displayed on the display device so as to appear to be a part of the proxy.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the article is an article of footwear.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the proxy is a footwear last.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the proxy is an article of footwear.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a head mounted display that is worn by a user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a video monitor associated with a computing device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further includes a step of manufacturing the article using the virtual design.

8. A method of designing an article, comprising the steps of:

contacting a portion of a proxy with an interacting device to create a virtual design for the article;

projecting the virtual design onto the proxy; and

wherein the virtual design is projected onto the proxy so as to appear to be a part of the proxy.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a projecting device is used to project the virtual design onto the proxy.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the projecting device is a video projector.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the proxy is a mannequin.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the article is an article of clothing.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the article is a shirt.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the article is a pair of pants.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes a step of manufacturing the article using the virtual design.

16. A method of designing an article, comprising the steps of:

viewing a proxy on a display device, the proxy existing in a real-world environment and wherein a portion of the proxy has a first color;

contacting the portion of the proxy with an interacting device; and

thereby modifying the apparent color of the proxy as seen on the display device so that the color of the portion is changed from the first color to a second color that is different from the first color.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of modifying the apparent color of the proxy as seen on the display device comprises a step of creating a virtual design element corresponding to the portion of the proxy and wherein the virtual design element has the second color.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the proxy has the approximate shape of a human body.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the article is an article of clothing.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the article is a hat.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the article is a glove.

22. A method of designing an article, comprising the steps of:

selecting a color from a virtual color palette associated with a proxy, the proxy existing in a real-world environment and wherein a portion of the proxy has a first color;

contacting the portion of a proxy with an interacting device;

projecting a second color onto the portion of the proxy substantially immediately after the interacting device has contacted the portion; and

thereby changing the apparent color of the portion.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the proxy has the approximate shape of a foot.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the article is an article of footwear.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the interacting device is a stylus.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the interacting device is pen shaped.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the portion of the proxy corresponds to an upper of the article of footwear.

28. A method of designing an article, comprising the steps of:

viewing a proxy on a display device, the proxy existing in a real-world environment;

contacting the proxy with an interacting device;

displaying the virtual line on the display device substantially immediately after contacting the proxy with the interacting device; and

wherein the virtual line is displayed on the display device so as to appear to be a part of the proxy.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the virtual line is applied directly to a surface of the proxy.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the virtual line is a curved line that corresponds to the contours of the proxy.

31. The method according to claim 28, wherein the virtual line is nonlinear.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein a thickness of the virtual line can be modified.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein two or more virtual lines are applied to the proxy.

34. The method according to claim 28, wherein a virtual graphic is applied to the proxy using the interacting device.

35. A method of designing an article, comprising the steps of:

contacting a proxy with an interacting device;

projecting a virtual line onto the proxy substantially immediately after the interacting device has contacted the proxy; and

wherein the virtual line is projected onto the proxy so as to appear to be a part of the proxy.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the virtual line is projected directly onto a surface of the proxy.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the virtual line has a shape that corresponds to a shape of the proxy.

38. The method according to claim 35, wherein the virtual line has a curved shape.

39. The method according to claim 35, wherein the virtual line has a linear shape.

40. The method according to claim 35, wherein the virtual line has a nonlinear shape.

41. The method according to claim 35, wherein multiple virtual lines are projected onto to the proxy.

42. An augmented reality design system, comprising:

an imaging device for receiving images from a real-world environment;

an interacting device for interacting with a proxy in the real world environment;

a computing device capable of generating virtual images;

a display device for viewing at least one virtual image superimposed onto the proxy;

a virtual menu that may be displayed on the display device, wherein the virtual menu is associated with a location in the real world environment and wherein a user can interact with the virtual menu by placing the interacting device in the location; and

wherein the virtual menu can be used to apply a virtual design element to the proxy.

43. The design system according to claim 42, wherein the virtual menu includes a color palette.

44. The design system according to claim 42, wherein the virtual menu includes a drawing tool.

45. The design system according to claim 42, wherein the virtual menu includes a letter tool.

46. The design system according to claim 42, wherein the virtual menu includes a virtual graphic.

47. The design system according to claim 42, wherein the virtual menu includes an eraser tool.

48. The design system according to claim 42, wherein the virtual menu includes a selection tool.

49. An augmented reality design system, comprising:

an imaging device for receiving images from a real-world environment;

an interacting device for interacting with a proxy in the real world environment;

a computing device capable of generating virtual images;

a projecting device for projecting at least one virtual image onto the proxy;

a virtual menu that may be projected onto a location in the real-world environment and wherein a user can interact with the virtual menu by placing the interacting device in the location; and

wherein the virtual menu can be used to apply a virtual design element to the proxy.

50. The design system according to claim 49, wherein the virtual design element is a virtual line.

51. The design system according to claim 49, wherein the virtual design element corresponds to a color.

52. The design system according to claim 49, wherein the virtual design element is a virtual graphic.