Measurement system and method

• US 7,293,368 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frank Faulk, Richard C. Cope
• Original Assignee: Frank Faulk, Richard C. Cope
• Inventors: Cope, Richard C., Faulk, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton; Christopher W
• Application Number:
  US11/242,267
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 337/58, 33/1.F, 334/94, 337/59, 337/60, 331/94, 334/74
• US Class Current: 33/758
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for accurately recording measurements of a window and producing accurate window treatments. A reference strip is provided having measurement indicia thereon, such as a checkerboard pattern of squares of predetermined sizes. The reference strip may be placed proximate a window and photographed. The size of the window may be accurately determined from the resulting photograph using the associated reference strip. The window may also be measured and the measurements stored as biographic data and associated with the photograph to form an accurate and verifiable window biography. The biography may be provided to another party, such as a treatment manufacturer, who verifies the measurements of the biographic data using photograph and produces a suitable window treatment according to the measurements.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a reference strip adapted to provide for the measurement of an object from an image of the object and the reference strip, said reference strip adapted for being placed on a surface near the object to be measured, said reference strip having measurement indicia thereon, said measurement indicia comprising a checkerboard pattern.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of number indicia representing a predetermined distance from an end of the reference strip.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer adapted for attaching said reference strip to a surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a removable layer, said removable layer atop the adhesive layer such that when said removable layer is removed said adhesive layer is exposed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a blank portion is provided adjacent said measurement indicia so that a first reference strip may be provided atop a second reference strip without obscuring the measurement indicia.

6. A method of providing window treatments, comprising:

placing a reference tool proximate a window;

recording an image of the window and the reference tool; and

generating a biography of the window, said biography including the image and associated biographical data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said reference tool comprises a reference strip.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said reference strip comprises a strip of material having measurement indicia thereon, said measurement indicia comprising a plurality of geometric shapes of predetermined size arranged in a predetermined pattern.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said reference indicia comprises a plurality of squares arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of generating a proposed window treatment solution based upon said biography.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of generating a proposed window treatment solution comprises providing a template to said image.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing said proposed window treatment solution to a customer for approval.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising manufacturing a window treatment in accordance with said proposed window treatment solution.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of generating a proposed window treatment solution comprises manipulating the image.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising manufacturing a treatment in accordance with said biography.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of recording an image of the window and the reference tool comprises photographing the window and reference tool.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein said biographic data includes at least one measurement of the window.

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising verifying the biographic data using the image.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of verifying the biographic data using the image comprises determining the size of the window using the reference strip in the image.

20. A method of determining the size of an object from an image, comprising:

placing a reference strip proximate an object;

recording an image of the object and the reference strip;

obtaining biographic data about the object;

generating a biography of the object; and

providing the biography to a party for the construction of an item associated with the object.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising, determining the size of the object by measuring the object using the reference strip in the image.

22. A method of manufacturing a window treatment, comprising:

receiving a biography of a window, said biography comprising;

an image of the window and a reference strip proximate the window, and biographical data associated with the window; and

generating a proposed window treatment solution from the biography.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising manufacturing a window treatment in accordance with the proposed window treatment solution.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising installing the window treatment.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing the proposed window treatment solution to a customer for approval.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising verifying a measurement of said biographical data using the reference tool of the image.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said biographical data comprises at least one measurement of the window.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising placing an L-shaped fixture adjacent said window so that said image includes said L-shaped fixture.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein said generating a proposed window treatment solution from the biography comprises lifting an image of the reference strip from the image and scaling the proposed window treatment solution from the image of the reference strip.

30. A method of manufacturing a window treatment, comprising:

generating a biography of a window, said biography comprising;

an image of the window and a reference strip proximate the window, and biographical data associated with the window; and

providing the biography to a party.

31. A window biography, comprising:

an image showing a window and a reference strip proximate the window; and

biographic data associated with the window.

32. The window biography of claim 31, wherein said image is stored on a computer readable medium.