Systems and methods for collecting body measurements, virtually simulating models of actual and target body shapes, ascertaining garment size fitting, and processing garment orders

• US 7,905,028 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Myron D. Gerber
• Original Assignee: William A. Ward
• Inventors: Sieber, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Guadalupe-McCall; Yaritza
• Application Number:
  US12/248,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 33511-512, 33/2.R, 33 4- 5, 33/3.C, 33/11, 33 14- 16, 33/230.9, 33755-756, 337/59, 335/551
• US Class Current: 33/512
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 1/02 Devices for taking measurements on the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/1004 Measuring tapes without casings

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for obtaining coordinated body measurements of an individual using a measuring device having a belt with a first scale of measurement indicia and a strip with a second scale of measurement indicia. Also provided are a method and system of virtually rendering a simulated model of an actual body shape and a target body shape of an individual. Methods and systems of size fitting garments and processing garment orders are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of size fitting and processing garment orders, comprising:

storing personal contact information and body measurements of multiple garment end users in a first database, the body measurements comprising first and second measurements obtained with a measurement device comprising a belt having a first scale of first measurement indicia and a strap having a second scale of second measurement indicia, the strap attached to the belt, the first measurement having been obtained from the belt placed at a first position on an individual garment end user and the second measurement having been obtained from the strap while the belt is maintained at the first position, at least the first measurement comprising a body measurement;

storing garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a garment product provider in a second database, the garment pattern specifications ascertained from actual measurements of patterns of standard fit sizes of the garment items;

receiving from a garment shopper an order for a garment item selected from the multiple garment items, and the personal contact information of an individual garment end user of the multiple garment end users for whom the selected garment item is to be purchased;

comparing the body measurements of the individual garment end user, including at least the first measurement, to the pattern specifications of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item; and

automatically selecting for the garment shopper one of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically placing an order of the selected standard fit size of the selected garment item for the garment shopper.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the garment shopper and the garment end user are the same person.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first measurement comprises a circumferential body measurement and the second measurement comprises a distance to a fixed reference point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first measurement comprises a circumferential measurement of a first body part and the second measurement comprises a length measurement of a second body part.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the garment end users to access and update their respective body measurements in the first database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing of garment pattern specifications comprises storing in the second database respective garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a plurality of garment product providers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second databases are the same.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said storing of personal contact information and body measurements further comprises storing personal fit preferences of the multiple garment end users; and

said comparing comprises comparing the body measurements and the personal fit preferences of the individual garment end user with acceptable tolerances of the actual measurements of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the belt comprises a flexible belt body capable of being encircled about a body part of an individual, the belt body comprising first and second ends and opposite first and second belt faces, the first belt face comprising the first scale of the first measurement indicia for providing at least one member selected from the group consisting of length and circumference measurements;

the strap comprises a flexible strap body with opposite first and second strap faces, at least one of the first and second faces comprising the second scale of the second measurement indicia for providing at least one member selected from the group consisting of length and circumference measurements; and

the first end of the belt comprises a bracket with an aperture through which the belt body passes, the second end of the belt comprising a locking member having a size that is larger than the aperture such that the second end cannot pass through the aperture, whereby the belt is formed as a first closed loop.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the strap comprises a flexible strap body capable of being encircled about a body part of an individual, the strap body comprising first and second ends and opposite first and second strap faces, the first strap face comprising the second scale of the second measurement indicia for providing length measurements; and

the first end of the strap comprises a bracket with an aperture through which the strap body passes, the second end comprising a locking member having a size that is larger than the aperture such that the second end cannot pass through the aperture, whereby the strap is formed as a closed loop.

12. A system comprising software and hardware for implementing a method of size fitting garments, the system configured to:

store personal contact information and body measurements of multiple garment end users in a first database, the body measurements comprising first and second measurements obtained with a measurement device comprising a belt having a first scale of first measurement indicia and a strap having a second scale of second measurement indicia, the strap attached to the belt, wherein the first measurement having been obtained from the belt placed at a first position on an individual garment end user and the second measurement having been obtained from the strap while the belt is maintained at the first position, at least the first measurement comprising a body measurement;

store garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a garment product provider in a second database, the garment pattern specifications ascertained from actual measurements of patterns of standard fit sizes of the garment items;

receive from a garment shopper an order for a garment item selected from the multiple garment items and the personal contact information of an individual garment end user of the multiple garment end users for whom the selected garment item is to be purchased;

compare the body measurements of the individual garment end user, including at least the first measurement, to the pattern specifications of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item; and

automatically select for the garment shopper one of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item based on the comparison.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is further configured to:

automatically place an order of the selected standard fit size of the selected garment item for the garment shopper.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is further configured to permit the garment end users to access and update their respective body measurements in the first database.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein respective garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a plurality of garment product providers are stored in the second database.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second databases are the same.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is further configured to:

store personal fit preferences of the multiple garment end users; and

compare the body measurements and the personal fit preferences of the individual garment end user with acceptable tolerances of the actual measurements of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the belt comprises a flexible belt body capable of being encircled about a body part of an individual, the belt body comprising first and second ends and opposite first and second belt faces, the first belt face comprising the first scale of the first measurement indicia for providing at least one of member selected from the group consisting of length and circumference measurements;

the strap comprises a flexible strap body with opposite first and second strap faces, at least one of the first and second faces comprising the second scale of the second measurement indicia for providing at least one of member selected from the group consisting of length and circumference measurements; and

the first end of the belt comprises a bracket with an aperture through which the belt body passes, the second end of the belt comprising a locking member having a size that is larger than the aperture such that the second end cannot pass through the aperture, whereby the belt is formed as a first closed loop.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the strap comprises a flexible strap body capable of being encircled about a body part of an individual, the strap body comprising first and second ends and opposite first and second strap faces, the first strap face comprising the second scale of the second measurement indicia for providing length measurements; and

the first end of the strap comprises a bracket with an aperture through which the strap body passes, the second end comprising a locking member having a size that is larger than the aperture such that the second end cannot pass through the aperture, whereby the strap is formed as a closed loop.

20. A system for implementing a method of size fitting garments, the system comprising:

a first database storing personal contact information and body measurements of multiple garment end users in a first database, the body measurements comprising first and second measurements obtained with a measurement device comprising a belt having a first scale of first measurement indicia and a strap having a second scale of second measurement indicia, the strap attached to the belt, wherein the first measurement having been obtained from the belt placed at a first position on an individual garment end user and the second measurement having been obtained from the strap while the belt is maintained at the first position, at least the first measurement comprising a body measurement;

a second database storing garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a garment product provider in a second database, the garment pattern specifications ascertained from actual measurements of patterns of standard fit sizes of the garment items; and

a server for

receiving a garment shopper an order for a garment item selected from the multiple garment items and the personal contact information of an individual garment end user of the multiple garment end users for whom the selected garment item is to be purchased,

comparing the body measurements of the individual garment end user, including at least the first measurement, to the pattern specifications of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item, and

automatically selecting for the garment shopper one of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item based on the comparison.

21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of size fitting and processing garment orders, the method comprising:

storing personal contact information and body measurements of multiple garment end users in a first database, the body measurements comprising first and second measurements obtained with a measurement device comprising a belt having a first scale of first measurement indicia and a strap having a second scale of second measurement indicia, the strap attached to the belt, the first measurement having been obtained from the belt placed at a first position on an individual garment end user and the second measurement having been obtained from the strap while the belt is maintained at the first position, at least the first measurement comprising a body measurement;

storing garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a garment product provider in a second database, the garment pattern specifications ascertained from actual measurements of patterns of standard fit sizes of the garment items;

receiving from a garment shopper an order for a garment item selected from the multiple garment items, and the personal contact information of an individual garment end user of the multiple garment end users for whom the selected garment item is to be purchased;

comparing the body measurements of the individual garment end user, including at least the first measurement, to the pattern specifications of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item; and

automatically selecting for the garment shopper one of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item based on the comparison.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable medium contains further instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

automatically place an order of the selected standard fit size of the selected garment item for the garment shopper.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable medium contains further instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to permit the garment end users to access and update their respective body measurements in the first database.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein respective garment pattern specifications of multiple garment items offered by a plurality of garment product providers are stored in the second database.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable medium contains further instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

store personal fit preferences of the multiple garment end users; and

compare the body measurements and the personal fit preferences of the individual garment end user with acceptable tolerances of the actual measurements of the standard fit sizes of the selected garment item.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein:

the belt comprises a flexible belt body capable of being encircled about a body part of an individual, the belt body comprising first and second ends and opposite first and second belt faces, the first belt face comprising the first scale of the first measurement indicia for providing at least one member selected from the group consisting of length and circumference measurements; and

the strap comprises a flexible strap body with opposite first and second strap faces, at least one of the first and second faces comprising the second scale of the second measurement indicia for providing at least one member selected from the group consisting of length and circumference measurements, and

the first end of the belt comprises a bracket with an aperture through which the belt body passes, the second end of the belt comprising a locking member having a size that is larger than the aperture such that the second end cannot pass through the aperture, whereby the belt is formed as a first closed loop.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein:

the strap comprises a flexible strap body capable of being encircled about a body part of an individual, the strap body comprising first and second ends and opposite first and second strap faces, the first strap face comprising the second scale of the second measurement indicia for providing length measurements; and

the first end of the strap comprises a bracket with an aperture through which the strap body passes, the second end comprising a locking member having a size that is larger than the aperture such that the second end cannot pass through the aperture, whereby the strap is formed as a closed loop.