Automated image processing

• US 7,489,324 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimpress Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies Limited (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Royal, Eliza H., Hanechak, Brian D., Dulaney, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOOD JOHNSON, MOTILEWA
• Application Number:
  US11/073,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 345/667
• US Class Current: 345/667
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Automated electronic document design systems and methods for appropriately sizing and positioning uploaded user images into predefined image areas in a product design being created in a Web environment. For an image that is not to be cropped when incorporated into the design, the image is sized to fit within the selected image area and positioned in the image area according to a predefined anchor location. The aspect ratio of the original image is maintained. For an image that is available for cropping when incorporated into the design, the image is sized and cropped to create a version of the image that fills the image container.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for incorporating an uploaded image into a product design, the method comprising:

using one or more computing systems to perform the following steps;

providing a product design for displaying to a user, the design displaying to the user an image area having a predetermined position and predetermined first and second dimensions in the design and intended to contain an uploaded image,

in response to a request of a first type of incorporation of an uploaded image into the image area, creating a resized image by automatically resizing the uploaded image such that the resized image retains the aspect ratio of the uploaded image such that one of the dimensions of the resized image is equal to the corresponding dimension of the area and the other dimension of the resized image is equal to or smaller than the corresponding other dimension of the area, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the resized image into the product design such that the resized image appears within the image area,

in response to a request of a second type of incorporation of an uploaded image into an image area in the design, resizing and cropping the uploaded image to create an image version that is the same size as the image area, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the image version into the product design such that the image version appears within the area, and

providing the revised product design for displaying to the user,

wherein the image area is one of a plurality of image area types and wherein the requested type of incorporation is determined by the type of the image area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image area has at least one associated anchor point for use in positioning the design image within the area.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the user to reposition either of the resized image and the reduced version within the image area.

4. A computer-implemented method for incorporating an uploaded image into a product design, the method comprising:

using one or more computing systems to perform the following steps;

providing a product design for displaying to a user, the design displaying to the user an image area having a predetermined position and predetermined first and second dimensions in the design and intended to contain an uploaded image,

if request of a first type of incorporation of an uploaded image into the image area is received, creating a resized image by automatically resizing the uploaded image such that the resized image retains the aspect ratio of the uploaded image, one of the dimensions of the resized image is equal to the corresponding dimension of the area, and the other dimension of the resized image is equal to or smaller than the corresponding other dimension of the area, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the resized image into the product design such that the resized image appears within the image area,

if request of a second type of incorporation of an uploaded image into an image area in the design is received;

resizing and cropping the uploaded image to create an image version that is the same size as the image area; and

revising the product design by automatically incorporating the image version into the product design such that the image version appears within the area,

providing the revised product design for displaying to the user, and

wherein the image is one of a plurality of image types and wherein the requested type of incorporation is determined by the image type of the selected image.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising allowing the user to reposition the resized image at least partially outside the image area.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising allowing the user to resize and reposition the resized image within the product design.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising allowing the user to reposition the resized image within the image area.

8. A computer-implemented method for incorporating an uploaded image into a product design, the method comprising:

using one or more computing systems to perform the following steps;

providing a product design for displaying to a user, the design displaying to the user an image area having a predetermined position and predetermined first and second dimensions in the design and intended to contain an uploaded image,

if request of a first type of incorporation of an uploaded image into the image area in the design is received, creating a resized image by automatically resizing the uploaded image such that the resized image retains the aspect ratio of the uploaded image, one of the dimensions of the resized image is equal to the corresponding dimension of the area, and the other dimension of the resized image is equal to or smaller than the corresponding other dimension of the area, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the resized image into the product design such that the resized image appears within the area,

if request of a second type of incorporation of an uploaded image into an image area in the design is received, resizing and cropping the uploaded image to create an image version that is the same size as the image area, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the image version into the product design such that the image version appears within the area,

providing the revised product design for displaying to the user,

wherein the requested type of incorporation is selected by the user at the time of image selection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the resizing performed upon receipt of the second type of incorporation is performed automatically such that one of the dimensions of the design image is substantially equal to the corresponding dimension of the area and the other dimension of the design image is equal to or larger than the corresponding other dimension of the area.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the resizing is performed manually by the user.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining if the resolution of the resized image meets a predetermined minimum resolution requirement and, if not, creating a reduced image that retains the aspect ratio of the uploaded image and meets the minimum resolution requirement, and revising the product design by incorporating the reduced image into the image area.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to reposition either of the resized image and the reduced image at least partially outside the image area.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing the user to reposition the resized image within the image area.

14. The method of claim 8 hither comprising allowing the user to perform at least one of repositioning the resized image within the image area of the first type and repositioning the image version within the image area of the second type.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising allowing the user to perform at least one of repositioning the resized image at least partially outside the image area of the first type and repositioning the image version at least partially outside the image area of the second type.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising allowing the user to resize and reposition either of the resized image and image version anywhere within the product design.

17. A computer-implemented product design method comprising:

using one or more computing systems to perform the following steps;

providing a product design for displaying to a used, the design containing and displaying to the user at least one image area of a first type and at least one image area of a second type, each image area having a predetermined position and predetermined first and second dimensions in the design and intended to contain an uploaded image

if the user requests incorporation of an uploaded image into an image area of the first type, creating a resized image by automatically resizing the uploaded image such that the resized image retains the aspect ratio of the uploaded image, one of the dimensions of the resized image is equal to the corresponding dimension of the image area of the first type, and the other dimension of the resized image is equal to or smaller than the corresponding other dimension of the image area of the first type, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the resized image into the product design such that the resized image is positioned within the image area of the first type,

if the user requests incorporation of an uploaded image into an image area of the second type, resizing and cropping the uploaded image to create an image version that is the same size as the image area of the second type, and revising the product design by automatically incorporating the image version into the product design such that the image version is positioned within the image area of the second type, and

providing the revised product design for displaying to the user

wherein the image area is one of a plurality of image area types and wherein the requested type of incorporation is determined by the type of the image area.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising allowing the user to perform at least one of repositioning the resized image within the image area of the first type and repositioning the image version within the image area of the second type.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising allowing the user to perform at least one of repositioning the resized image at least partially outside the image area of the first type and repositioning the image version at least partially outside the image area of the second type.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising allowing the user to resize and reposition either of the resized image and image version anywhere within the product design.