System and method for creating on-demand products

• US 9,542,069 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiFaktory Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MiFaktory Ltd.
• Inventors: Mulligan, Brennan, Zadorozhnyy, Oleksandr, Triebwasser, David, Stromberg, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): DURHAM, NATHAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/474,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 700130-132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

A method of creating three-dimensional products customized with user-selected images is described. The method includes storing definitions of products comprising components, receiving indication of selection by a user of a product, receiving indication of selection by a user of at least one image for printing on the product, receiving information regarding placement of the selected image on components of the product, preparing a two-dimensional representation of the components of the product with the image arranged thereon, and causing the printing of the two-dimensional representation on a material.

Claims

1. A method of creating a product with a printed graphic image thereon comprising:

storing, by a server system, definitions of a plurality of products, each product being composed of a plurality of components which are initially physically separate parts of the product that are subsequently joined together to form the product;

receiving, over a network, indication of selection by a user of a first product from the plurality of products;

receiving, over a network, indication of selection by a user of a graphic image for printing on the selected first product;

receiving, over a network, information regarding placement of the selected graphic image on individually selected components of the selected first product,

wherein the placement allows for the graphic image to span across and be printed on the individually selected components of the selected first product, the information received over the network including each of the individually selected components that the graphic image is desired to span across and be printed on;

preparing, by the server system, a two-dimensional representation of the components of the first product with the selected graphic image arranged on the individually selected components; and

causing the printing on a material of the two-dimensional representation of the components of the first product with the selected graphic image arranged on the individually selected components.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the definition of the selected first product comprises data regarding at least one cutting curve and data regarding at least one sewing curve for the plurality of components of the selected first product.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data regarding at least one cutting curve comprises data defining splines which define a non-self-intersecting closed polygon.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

cutting the material to form at least two components of the selected first product in accordance with the data regarding the at least one cutting curve; and

sewing the at least two components together in accordance with data regarding the at least one sewing curve.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data regarding at least one cutting curve and the data regarding at least one sewing curve comprise XML data defining splines.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the definition of the first product comprises data describing at least one visible printed area boundary.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional representation of the components of the first product with the graphic image arranged on the material comprises representations of at least two components with at least some of the same portion of the graphic image arranged thereon.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the server system, a three-dimensional rendering of the selected first product with the graphic image arranged thereon in accordance with the received information regarding placement of the selected graphic image; and

causing display of the three-dimensional rendering of the selected first product with the graphic image arranged thereon.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein preparing, by the server system, a two-dimensional representation of the plurality of components of the first product with the graphic image arranged thereon comprises:

distorting the graphic image in accordance with distortion modifier grid data.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

presenting a representation of the graphic image to a user with an overlaid representation of a grid;

receiving input from a user regarding modification of the location of at least one grid point of the grid;

modifying distortion modifier grid data responsive to the received input from a user regarding modification of the location of at least one grid point of the grid; and

storing the modified distortion modifier grid data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein each definition of each product of the plurality of products includes at least one three-dimensional model of the product.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product definition of the first product comprises data regarding at least two sizes of the product and further comprising:

preparing, by the server system, a second two-dimensional representation of the plurality of components of the first product with the selected graphic image arranged on the individually selected components at a second size.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a distortion matrix is applied to generate a three-dimensional model of the first product with the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising manufacturing the first product with the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components in response to receiving a manufacture command from the first user.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein having the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components comprises having only a portion of the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the placement allows for the graphic image to be placed on and be printed on an entire region of a component, the information received over the network including each of the plurality of components that the graphic image is desired to be placed on and printed on an entire region thereof.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein for a plurality of components which are joined by seams, the graphic image to be placed on and printed on the plurality of individually selected components traverse contiguous seams.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the placement allows for the graphic image to be placed on and be printed on an entire region of a component, the information received over the network including each of the plurality of components that the graphic image is desired to be placed on and printed on an entire region thereof.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein for a plurality of components which are joined by seams, the graphic image to be placed on and printed on the plurality of individually selected components traverse contiguous seams.

20. A system for manufacturing a customized product, the system comprising:

a print system for printing a two-dimensional graphic image on a material; and

a server system configured to;

store definitions of a plurality of products, each product being composed of a plurality of components which are initially physically separate parts of the product that are subsequently joined together to form the product;

receive, over a network, indication of selection by a user of a first product from the plurality of products;

receive, over a network, indication of selection by a user of a graphic image for printing on the selected first product;

receive, over a network, information regarding placement of the selected graphic image on individually selected components of the selected first product,

wherein the placement allows for the graphic image to span across and be printed on the individually selected components of the selected first product, the information received over the network including each of the individually selected components that the graphic image is desired to span across and be printed on;

prepare a two-dimensional representation of the components of the first product with the selected graphic image arranged on the individually selected components; and

cause the printing on the material of the two-dimensional representation of the components of the first product with the selected graphic image arranged on the individually selected components on the print system.

21. The system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a cutting system for cutting the material to form at least two components of the selected first product in accordance with the data regarding the at least one cutting curve associated with the definition of the first product; and

a sewing system for sewing the at least two components together in accordance with data regarding the at least one sewing curve associated with the definition of the first product.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the server system is further configured to:

present a representation of the graphic image to a user with an overlaid representation of a grid;

receive input from a user regarding modification of the location of at least one grid point of the grid;

modify distortion modifier grid data responsive to the received input from a user regarding modification of the location of at least one grid point of the grid;

store the modified distortion modifier grid data; and

distort the graphic image in accordance with distortion modifier grid data.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein each definition of each product of the plurality of products includes at least one three-dimensional model of the product and wherein the server system is further configured to:

generate a three-dimensional rendering of the selected first product with the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components in accordance with the received information regarding placement of the selected graphic image; and

cause display of the three-dimensional rendering of the selected first product with the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components.

24. The system according to claim 20, wherein the two-dimensional representation of the components of the first product with the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components on the material comprises representations of at least two components with at least some of the same portion of the graphic image arranged on the individually selected components.