System for creating customized patterns for apparel

• US 6,564,118 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Priscilla Swab
• Original Assignee: Priscilla Swab
• Inventors: Swab, Priscilla
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US09/750,633
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 700/131, 700/132, 700/130, 700/134
• US Class Current: 700/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention is a system allowing an individual to order a customized pattern of a garment at an affordable cost. The system comprises a central computer system located at a vendor site communicatively linked to at least one local customer computer station. The system further comprises an apparel design selecting and pattern drafting software program, which is specially created to control the sequential operation of the pattern ordering and drafting processes, operating within the central computer station. A customer who wishes to order a customized pattern can simply access the central computer system from a local station, and will then be guided by the software program via a menu dialogue to select a garment design and input the necessary and desired information to enable the program to adjust size and design features to the customer'"'"'s specifications. The customer has complete freedom of specifying a set of body measurements and garment features upon which a pattern will be drafted. The software program then executes the appropriate pattern drafting commands to create a pattern customized to the requests of the customer.

Claims

1. A system of creating customized patterns for selected apparel comprising:

a computer assembly including a processor unit, a storage unit, an input device and a display device;

a design database comprising a multiplicity of apparel design profiles, each of said design profiles including a plurality of garment features that forms the design of a garment, body dimensions required to draft a pattern for said garment, and commands for drafting said pattern for said garment; and

an apparel selecting and pattern creation program adaptable for execution within said processor unit and accessing said design database to control sequential operation of an apparel selecting and pattern drafting procedure, thereby allowing a customer to select a garment design, modify and/or substitute one or more garment features, input body measurements of a target individual, and order a pattern of said garment custom tailored to said body measurements of said target individual and including said modified and/or substituted garment features.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer assembly includes a central computer within which said processor is located, a remote computer station comprising said input and display devices, and a communication link connecting said remote computer station to said central computer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said communication link provides two-way information transfer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer assembly further includes a dialogue menu system accessible to said processor unit and including a multiplicity of different menu sheets for organizing information to be displayed to or requested from said customer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer assembly further includes a customer information database for storing information specified by said customer that is accessible by said apparel selecting and pattern drafting program to vary the operation of said apparel selecting and pattern drafting program for creating a pattern specific to said customer.

6. A method of creating a customized pattern of a selected design of a garment comprising:

providing a computer assembly, wherein said computer assembly includes a processor unit, a storage unit, an input device, a display device, and an output device;

providing a design database wherein said design database includes a multiplicity of apparel design profiles, each of said design profiles including a plurality of garment features that form one or more garment designs, body dimensions required to draft a pattern for said garments, and commands for drafting said pattern for said garments;

providing an apparel selecting and pattern drafting program adaptable for execution within said processor unit, wherein said apparel selecting and pattern drafting program accesses said design database to control sequential operation of an apparel selecting and pattern drafting procedure;

choosing a garment design;

modifying and/or substituting one or more of said garment features of said garment design to form a modified garment design;

providing body dimensions, said body dimensions including a set of critical measurements to allow a customized pattern of said modified garment design to be drafted;

analyzing the fit of said garment to be created from said pattern based on said body dimensions; and

drafting said pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing body dimensions further comprises providing a set of preferable measurements which allow said pattern to be individualized.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of selecting a fabric for said garment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said apparel selecting and pattern drafting program automatically adjusts the dimensions of said pattern based upon said fabric selection.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said output device prints said pattern on said fabric to permit easy matching of the pattern to said fabric.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said input device and said display device cooperate to permit modification of said pattern.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said modification comprises a drag and drop feature.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein said apparel selecting and pattern drafting program further comprises garment design limits to prevent the drafting of patterns that would result in aesthetically unpleasing garments.