Interior design system and method

• US 7,661,959 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minutes Matter Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minutes Matter Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Green, Deborah A., Green, Edward O., Green, Casey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saadat; Cameron
• Application Number:
  US10/691,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,309 Days
• Field of Search: 434/72, 434/75, 434/79
• US Class Current: 434/75
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

An interior design system of the present disclosure can comprise a user interface configured to display a plurality of interior design components. The system may further comprise logic configured to receive a user selection of one of the components and display the selected component in the user interface. The logic may further be configured to receive a plurality of user inputs, via the user interface, the inputs related to characteristics of the selected component.

Claims

1. An interior design system for assisting users in designing window treatments, comprising:

memory for storing data defining images of a plurality of window treatment design components and a digital photograph of at least a building wall to be decorated, the digital photograph depicting at least one window within the wall; and

logic configured to receive an input selecting at least one of the window treatment design components and to display the digital photograph, the logic further configured to display, based on the input, an image of the at least one window treatment design component such that the image of the at least one window treatment design component is superimposed on the displayed photograph, wherein the logic is configured to display the digital photograph and the image of the at least one window treatment design component in a workshop of a graphical user interface, the logic further configured to automatically size the image of the at least one window treatment design component to scale within the workshop based on a dimension value indicative of a dimension for the at least one window treatment design component, and wherein the logic is configured to calculate, based on the dimension value, a cost associated with the at least one window treatment design component, the logic further configured to display a value indicative of the calculated cost, wherein the logic is configured to calculate the cost based on a plurality of values associated with the image of the at least one window treatment design component, the plurality of values including a value indicative of a finished length and a value indicative of an amount fabric estimated for a break.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to receive an input indicating a value for a distance from a first location to a second location within the workshop, the logic further configured to scale at least one dimension within the workshop based on the value.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the logic is configured to automatically position the at least one window treatment design component in said workshop based on the value.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the logic is configured to receive an input indicating a distance of a first object from a second object within the workshop, the logic further configured to scale the distance based on the value and to automatically position the second object within the workshop based on the scaled distance.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the logic is configured to display a graphical reference extending from a first object in the workshop to a second object within the workshop, the logic further configured to display a text field associated with the graphical reference, wherein logic is configured to scale a distance from the first object to the second object based on a value received via the text field and the value for the distance from the first location to the second location, and wherein the logic is configured to position the first object based on the scaled distance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical reference comprises an arrow.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to display a first graphical reference indicating a distance between a first object and a second object within the workshop, the logic configured to display a first text field associated with the first graphical reference and to receive, via the first text field, a value for the distance, wherein the logic is configured to calculate the dimension for the at least one window treatment design component based on the value received via the first text field and to display the calculated dimension in a second text field associated with a second graphical reference indicating the calculated dimension.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second graphical references comprises an arrow.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to receive a user input value for a distance from a first location within the workshop to the image of the at least one window treatment design component, the logic configured to scale the value and to automatically position the image of the at least one window treatment design component within the workshop based on the scaled value.

10. A computer-readable medium storing an executable program for assisting users in designing window treatments, comprising:

logic for storing data defining images of a plurality of window treatment design components;

logic for displaying a digital photograph of at least a building wall to be decorated, the digital photograph depicting at least one window within the wall;

logic for selecting, based on user input, at least one of the window treatment design components;

logic for displaying, based on the selecting logic, an image of the at least one window treatment design component such that the image of the at least one window treatment design component is superimposed on the displayed photograph;

logic for sizing the image of the at least one window treatment design component based on a scaled dimension; and

logic for calculating a cost associated with the at least one window treatment design component, wherein the calculated cost is based on a plurality of values associated with the image of the at least one window treatment design component, the plurality of values including a value indicative of a finished length and a value indicative of an estimated amount of fabric for a break.

11. An interior design method for designing window treatments, comprising the steps of:

storing in memory data defining images of a plurality of window treatment design components;

displaying, via a display device, a digital photograph of at least a building wall to be decorated, the digital photograph depicting at least one window within the wall;

selecting, based on user input, at least one of the window treatment design components;

displaying, via the display device and based on the selecting step, an image of the at least one window treatment design component such that the image of the at least one window treatment design component is superimposed on the displayed photograph;

calculating a cost associated with the at least one window treatment design component, wherein the calculated cost is based on a plurality of values associated with the image of the at least one window treatment design component, the plurality of values including a value indicative of a finished length and a value indicative of an estimated amount of fabric for a break; and

displaying, via the display device, the calculated cost.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step adjusting a size of the image of the at least one window treatment such that the image of the at least one window treatment appears to scale relative to the window in the displayed photograph.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of receiving a value for a distance between a first abject and a second object of the workshop, wherein the adjusting step is based on the value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying steps are performed such that the digital photograph and the image of the at least one window treatment are displayed within a workshop of a graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of receiving a user input indicating a value for a distance from a first location to a second location within the workshop, wherein the adjusting step is based on the value.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical reference indicative of a distance within the workshop;

displaying a text field associated with the graphical reference;

receiving a value via the text field; and

positioning the first object within the workshop based on the value received via the text field.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphical reference comprises an arrow.

18. An interior design system for assisting users in designing window treatments, comprising:

memory for storing data defining images of a plurality of window treatment design components and a digital photograph of at least a building wall to be decorated, the digital photograph depicting at least one window within the wall; and

logic configured to receive an input selecting at least one of the window treatment design components and to display the digital photograph, the logic further configured to display, based on the input, an image of the at least one window treatment design component such that the image of the at least one window treatment design component is superimposed on the displayed photograph, wherein the logic is configured to display the digital photograph and the image of the at least one window treatment design component in a workshop of a graphical user interface, the logic further configured to automatically size the image of the at least one window treatment design component to scale within the workshop based on a dimension value indicative of a dimension for the at least one window treatment design component, and wherein the logic is configured to calculate based on the dimension value, a cost associated with the at least one window treatment design component, the logic further configured to display a value indicative of the calculated cost, wherein the image of the at least one window treatment design component is associated with data for enabling the logic to calculate the cost, wherein the logic is configured to calculate the cost based on the data, and wherein the data indicates amounts to be calculated for fabric of each of the following group;

a hem, a break, a mounting allowance, a rod pocket, and a heading.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cost is based on labor cost associated with the at least one window treatment design component.