Method and system for custom tailoring and retail sale of clothing

• US 9,655,395 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massi Miliano Ltd., Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Massi Miliano Ltd.
• Inventors: Kruusmaa, Maarja, Aabloo, Alvo, Abels, Artur, Leinus, Roman, Haldre, Heikki, Pllin, Paul, Hindpere, Ene
• Primary Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US12/562,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 1/00 Measuring aids or methods
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 5/01 with means for adjustment, e.g. of height
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 8/00 Dummies, busts or the like, e.g. for displaying garments tailors' dummies A41H5/00; artificial limbs A61F; dolls in general A63H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Demonstrating a piece of real clothing to a customer to facilitate a trying-on and purchasing process includes: obtaining a set of data, representing the customer'"'"'s body configuration, determining from the set of data a first standardized size for a piece of clothing that is a close match to the customer'"'"'s body configuration, putting a first piece of real clothing with the first standardized size on a real mannequin with measurements corresponding to the set of data representing the customer'"'"'s body configuration, obtaining a first image or set of images showing the first piece of clothing on the real mannequin; and presenting to the customer the first image or set of images showing the first piece of real clothing.

Claims

1. A method for demonstrating a piece of actual clothing to a customer to facilitate trying-on and purchasing processes, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of data, by a computer, representing customer'"'"'s body configuration;

determining, by the computer, from said set of data, a first standardized size for said piece of actual clothing that is a closest match to customer'"'"'s body configuration;

putting a first piece of actual clothing with said first standardized size on a mechanical mannequin with measurements corresponding to said set of customer'"'"'s body configuration, the mechanical mannequin including a first body portion, a first motor, a second body portion, and a second motor, the first body portion being adjustable to the measurements via the first motor independent of the second body portion, the second body portion being adjustable to the measurements via the second motor independent of the first body portion;

obtaining a first set of images showing said first piece of actual clothing on said mechanical mannequin as adjusted via at least one of the first motor or the second motor; and

presenting to the customer said first set of images via a communications network showing said first piece of actual clothing on said mechanical mannequin.

2. The method as in claim 1, comprising mechanically adjusting the size of said mechanical mannequin.

3. The method as in claim 2, comprising mechanically adjusting the size of said mechanical mannequin using computer controllable means.

4. The method as in claim 3, comprising adjusting the shape of said mechanical mannequin to represent the body type of the customer.

5. The method as in claim 4, comprising moving at least one region of said mechanical mannequin in a manner characteristic to a human being at the time of wearing or trying on process.

6. The method as in claim 5, comprising adjusting chest measurements and the shape of at least one shoulder of said mechanical mannequin.

7. The method as in claim 6, comprising adjusting neck measurements of said mechanical mannequin.

8. The method as in claim 7, further comprising:

putting on said mechanical mannequin a second piece of actual clothing that is one standardized size smaller than said first standardized size;

obtaining a second set of images demonstrating said second piece of actual clothing; and

presenting to the customer said second set of images showing said second piece of actual clothing on said mechanical mannequin.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising:

putting on said mechanical mannequin a third piece of actual clothing that is one standardized size larger than said first standardized size;

obtaining a third set of images demonstrating said third piece of actual clothing; and

presenting to the customer said third set of images representing said third piece of actual clothing.

10. The method as in claim 9, comprising providing the customer with a fourth set of images showing said piece of actual clothing as envisioned by the designer of said actual piece of clothing.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein said first, second, third and fourth set of images are presented side by side.

12. The method as in claim 11, comprising taking said images by videographic means.

16. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first body portion or the second body portion is adjustable in at least three directions.

13. A method of designing designer clothing on a computer controllable mechanically adjustable mechanical mannequin, said method comprising:

putting a piece of actual clothing on said mechanical mannequin, the mechanical mannequin including a first body portion, a first motor, a second body portion, and a second motor, the first body portion being adjustable via the first motor independent of the second body portion, the second body portion being adjustable via the second motor independent of the first body portion;

computing, by a computing device, a standardized size of a customer of the piece of clothing; and

automatically adjusting at least one of the first body portion or the second body portion of said mechanical mannequin via at least one of the first motor or the second motor to a pre-set standardized size to enable the customer to evaluate the fit of the piece of actual clothing for said pre-set standardized size.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said method further includes putting on multiple additional pieces of clothing of the same type having different standardized sizes on said mechanical mannequin that has been automatically adjusted to enable the customer to evaluate which of the sizes of the different pieces of clothing fits best.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein putting on different pieces of actual clothing of the same type on said mechanical mannequin that has been automatically adjusted includes putting on (i) a second piece of actual clothing that is one standardized size larger than the computed standardized size and (ii) a third piece of actual clothing that is one standardized size smaller than the computed standardized size.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first body portion or the second body portion is adjustable in at least three directions.