System and method for visualizing vehicles with accessories

• US 6,339,763 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Macro Systems, Inc. (ICF International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EyeVelocity, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moran, Brian, Boone, Jared, Divine, Jeff, Young, Marla, McCloud, Debra, Goetz, Nancy
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSSI, JEFFREY A
• Application Number:
  US09/369,483
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 345/435, 345/302, 345/113, 345/634, 345/629, 703/8
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A visualization system for enabling a user to select a vehicle and to overlay images of various user-selected accessories onto an image of the vehicle to cause a computer to display an image of the desired combination includes a database that stores digitized images of various vehicles and accessories. The accessories can be photographed separately from the vehicle, so that it is not necessary to photograph an accessorized vehicle for each one of the potentially thousands of vehicle/accessory combinations. The database correlates accessories and colors, with prices and other data, to the relevant vehicles. An Internet user can access the database over the Internet to select a vehicle with user-defined accessories, and then a composite image of the vehicle with accessories is presented to the user. Or, a salesperson in a dealership can access a local database of vehicles/accessories to display, on a monitor in the showroom, a composite photograph of a vehicle with a buyer-defined suite of accessories, such that the buyer can visualize the desired vehicle/accessory combination even if an actual vehicle with the desired accessory suite is not on the lot.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing a vehicle or an accessory combination, comprising the acts of:

photographing at least one vehicle to render a vehicle photograph;

photographing one or more accessories separately from the vehicle to render each accessory photograph, the one or more accessories each being intended for use on at least the vehicle and being positioned on a rack in a position on the rack corresponding to the intended position of the one or more accessories on the vehicle;

digitally storing the photographs;

accessing the digitally stored photographs; and

in response to a user-defined accessory combination, superimposing each accessory photograph onto the vehicle photograph on a computer display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of correlating at least one vehicle coordinate to a location on a photograph area, such that the accessory is positioned on the rack in accordance with the correlating act.

3. A computer-implemented method for promoting the selling of a vehicle or an accessory combination, comprising the acts of:

receiving, from a buyer at a vehicle dealership, a user-defined accessory combination including at least one vehicle, at least one color thereof, and one or more accessories related thereto, the one or more accessories each being selected from a group of accessories numbering greater than eight different kinds and related to the vehicle;

accessing a database located at the vehicle dealership to retrieve therefrom digital photographs representative of the vehicle and the one or more accessories;

causing each photograph of the one or more accessories to be presented on a computer display located at the vehicle dealership;

causing the photograph of the vehicle to be presented on the computer display along with each photograph of the one or more accessories, to promote a sale of the vehicle with the one or more accessories;

photographing the vehicle to render a vehicle photograph;

photographing at least one accessory separately from the vehicle to render an accessory photograph;

digitally storing the photographs in the database located at the dealership;

selecting a color from a database of colors associated with the vehicle;

causing the vehicle photograph to be characterized by the color;

rendering plural digital photographs of respective accessories, all being associate with the vehicle; and

positioning the accessory on a rack in a position on the rack corresponding to the intended position of the accessory on the vehicle, prior to photographing the accessory.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the act of correlating at least one vehicle coordinate to a location on a photograph area, such that the accessory is positioned on the rack in accordance with the correlating act.

5. A computer-implemented method for permitting a user of a wide area computer network to visualize a vehicle having a user-defined accessory combination, comprising the acts of:

storing digital photographs as a file in a file system or other database accessible to the user via the wide area network, the photographs including at least one vehicle photograph and one or more accessory photographs, the photographs being associated with at least one respective vehicle identification;

layering each digital photograph file into layers, each layer corresponding to an available color of at least one vehicle or one or more accessories;

coloring each layer corresponding to the corresponding available color of the at least one vehicle or the one or more accessories;

saving each colored layer as at least one vehicle file or as one or more accessory files in the file system or other database;

receiving the user-defined accessory combination at a computer associated with the database; and

in response to the user-defined accessory combination, superimposing each accessory photograph stored in the one or more accessory files onto the vehicle photograph stored in the at least one vehicle file such that a display of the vehicle with the one or more accessories can be presented on a monitor of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the act of selecting a color from a database of colors associated with the vehicle, and causing the vehicle photograph to be characterized by the color.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the act of rendering plural digital photographs of respective accessories, all being associated with the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of different kinds of accessories is greater than eight.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the act of positioning the accessory on a rack in a position on the rack corresponding to the intended position of the accessory on a vehicle, prior to photographing the accessory.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the act of correlating at least one vehicle coordinate to a location on a photograph area, such that the accessory is positioned on the rack in accordance with the correlating act.

11. A computer program device comprising:

a computer program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus; and

a program means on the program storage device and including instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus for performing method acts for promoting the selling a vehicle or an accessory combination, the method acts comprising;

receiving, from a buyer at a vehicle dealership, a user-defined accessory combination including at least one vehicle, at least one color thereof, and one or more accessories related thereto, the one or more accessories each being selected from a group of accessories numbering greater than eight different kinds and related to the vehicle;

accessing a database located at the vehicle dealership to retrieve therefrom digital photographs representative of the vehicle and the one or more accessories.

causing each photograph of the one or more accessories to be presented on a computer display located at the vehicle dealership; and

causing the photograph of the vehicle to be presented on the computer display along with each photograph of the one or more accessories,

wherein the method acts further comprise positioning the accessory on a rack in a position on the rack corresponding to the intended position of the accessory on the vehicle, prior to photographing the accessory.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method acts further comprise correlating at least one vehicle coordinate to a location on a photograph area, such that the accessory is positioned on the rack in accordance with the correlating act.

13. A computer program device comprising:

a computer program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus; and

a program means on the program storage device and including instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus for performing method acts for permitting a user of a wide area computer network to visualize a vehicle having a user-defined accessory combination, the method acts comprising;

storing digital photographs as a file in a file system or other database accessible to the user via the wide area network, the photographs including at least one vehicle photograph and one or more accessory photographs, the photographs being associated with at least one respective vehicle identification;

layering each digital photograph file into layers, each layer corresponding to an available color of at least one vehicle or one or more accessories;

coloring each layer corresponding to the corresponding available color of the at least one vehicle or the one or more accessories;

saving each colored layer as at least one vehicle file or as one or more accessory files in the file system or other database;

receiving the user-defined accessory combination at a computer associated with the database; and

in response to the user-defined accessory combination, superimposing each accessory photograph stored in the one or more accessory files onto the vehicle photograph stored in the at least one vehicle file such that a display of the vehicle with the one or more accessories can be presented on a monitor of the user.

14. The computer product of claim 13, wherein the method acts further comprise rendering plural digital photographs of respective accessories, all being associated with the vehicle, wherein the number of different kinds of accessories is greater than eight.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method acts further comprise:

positioning the accessory on a rack in a position on the rack corresponding to the intended position of the accessory on a vehicle, prior to photographing the accessory; and

correlating at least one vehicle coordinate to a location on a photograph area, such that the accessory is positioned on the rack in accordance with the correlating act.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, in combination with a computer system.