U.S. patent application number 10/054164 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-23 for method and apparatus for selecting, modifying and superimposing one image on another.
Invention is credited to Knight, Kevin J..
Application Number | 20020062264 10/054164 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23903359 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020062264 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Knight, Kevin J. |
May 23, 2002 |
Method and apparatus for selecting, modifying and superimposing one
image on another
Abstract
A method of preparing a server is disclosed that supports a
client system to construct and preview a composite image. The
composite image comprises first and second images. The method of
this invention comprises the steps of constructing at the server
first and second libraries, inputting to the server data
representative of the sets of the first and second images, and
generating from the inputted set of first images a corresponding
set of templates. Each template bears a corresponding one of the
set of the first images. Next, the set of templates is loaded into
the first library. Then, the set of second images is loaded into
the second library. In one illustrated embodiment of this
invention, the first image represents a promotional product, the
second image represents a logo and the composite image is the logo
superimposed on the promotional product.
Inventors: |
Knight, Kevin J.; (Foothill
Ranch, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
R. Lewis Gable
Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
1133 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10036-6799
US
|
Family ID: |
23903359 |
Appl. No.: |
10/054164 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10054164 |
Jan 22, 2002 |
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09479284 |
Jan 6, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/087 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101; G06Q 30/0641 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06T 11/60 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/26 ;
705/27 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
I claim:
1. The method of operating a client system and a server to
construct a composite image, the components of the composite image
comprising first and second images, first and second libraries
being provided at the server to store respectively sets of the
first and second images, said method comprising the steps of: a)
establishing a communication session over a communication link
between the server and the client system; b) facilitating a user at
the client system during the course of said communication session
to select from the first library a selected one of said set of
first images; c) facilitating the user at the client system during
the course of said communication session to select from the second
library a selected one of said set of second images; d) accessing
at the server from the first and second libraries said selected
ones of said first and second images; e) superimposing at the
server said selected one second image on said selected one first
image to provide said composite image; and f) transmitting from the
server to the client system said composite image.
2. The method of operating a client system as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said selected one first image comprises a promotional
product, and said selected one second image comprises a logo, and
there is further included a step of displaying at the client system
said composite image as a logo superimposed on a promotional
product.
3. The method of operating a client system as claimed in claim 1,
wherein there is further included a step of creating a parameter
that defines a certain characteristic of at least one of said first
and second images.
4. The method of operating a client system as claimed in claim 3,
wherein said creating step creates a set of parameters that define
certain characteristics of said one image, and there is further
included the steps of creating a webpage that presents a set of
keys corresponding to said set of parameters, and transmitting said
webpage to the client server, whereby the user may click on a
desired one of said set of keys to select a corresponding one of
said set of parameters.
5. The method of operating a client system as claimed in claim 3,
wherein said parameter relates to the color of said first
image.
6. The method of operating a client system as claimed in claim 3,
wherein said first mentioned parameter defines the certain
characteristic of said first images, and there is further included
the step of creating a second parameter that defines a certain
characteristic of said second images.
7. The method of operating a client system as claimed in claim 6,
where the certain characteristic is color.
8. The method of preparing a server to support a client system to
construct a composite image, the component parts of said composite
image comprising first and second images, said method comprising
the steps of: a) constructing at the server first and second
libraries; b) inputting to the server data representative of sets
of said first and second images, each of said second images having
a periphery and data representative of the relative position of
first and second points, said first and second points lying on said
periphery of said second image; c) generating from said data
representative of said second images said set of said second
images, and loading said set of said second images into said second
library; and d) generating from said data representative of said
first images said set of said first images and loading said set of
first images into said first library.
9. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
said first image represents a promotional product, said second
image represents a logo and said composite image is said logo
superimposed on said promotional product.
10. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is further included a step of creating and storing in memory
a set of first parameters that defines a certain characteristic of
said set of said first images.
11. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 10,
wherein there is further included a step of creating and storing in
memory a set of second parameter that defines a certain
characteristic of said set of said second images.
12. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 11,
wherein said set of said first parameters define color.
13. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 12,
wherein said set of said second parameters define color.
14. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 11,
wherein said second parameter defines the relative size of said
second image as compared to the size of said first image.
15. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 10,
wherein there is further included a step of preparing a webpage
bearing a set of keys designed to be clicked on by a user at the
client system to select one of said set of first parameters to
define a corresponding characteristic of said first image.
16. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is further included the step of preparing a webpage bearing
indicia designed to be actuated by a user of the supported client
system to select one of said set of said second images and to embed
the selected second image into said webpage to be downloaded to and
displayed by the supported client system.
17. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 16,
wherein there is further included the steps of creating and storing
in memory a set of parameters that defines a certain characteristic
of said second image and of preparing a second webpage bearing
indicia designed to be actuated by the user of the supported client
system to select one of said set of said second parameters to
define that characteristic of said selected second image.
18. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 17,
wherein said parameter defines the particular color of said second
image.
19. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 17,
wherein there is further included the step of preparing a third
webpage bearing indicia designed to be actuated by the user of the
supported client system to select one of said set of said first
images and to embed said selected first image into said third
webpage to be transmitted to and displayed by the supported client
system.
20. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 19,
wherein there is further included the steps of creating and storing
in memory a set of second parameters that defines a certain
characteristic of said corresponding first images and of preparing
said third webpage to bear further indicia to be actuated by the
user of the supported client system to select one of said set of
first parameters to define that characteristic of the selected
first image.
21. A server adapted to support a client system to generate a
composite image, the component parts of said composite image
comprising first and second images, said server comprising: (a) a
programmed processor for receiving and responsive to data
representative of a set of said second images to generate a
corresponding set of templates, each template bearing a
corresponding one of said set of said second images; (b) a second
library for storing said set of templates; (c) a first library for
storing data representative of a set of said first images; and (d)
said programmed processor facilitating a communication session with
the supported client system to permit the user of the client system
to select one of said set of said first images and one of said set
of said second images, said programmed processor responsive to the
user selection of one of said set of said second images to access
from the second library that template said selected second image
and to the user selection of one of said set of said first images
to add said selected first image to said selected template.
22. The server adapted to support a client system as claimed in
claim 21, wherein there is further comprised a memory for storing
at least one webpage bearing indicia designed to be actuated by a
user of the supported client system to select a corresponding one
of said set of said second images, said programmed processor
responsive to the actuation of one of said indicia to select the
corresponding one of said set of said second images for embedding
said selected second image into said webpage to be transmitted to
and to be displayed by the supported client system.
23. The server adapted to support a client system as claimed in
claim 22, wherein said memory stores a set of parameters, each of
which defines a certain characteristic of said corresponding second
image and a second webpage bearing indicia designed to be actuated
by the user of the supported client system to select one of said
set of said parameters to define that characteristic of said
selected second image, and said programmed processor is programmed
to respond to the actuation of an indicia of said second webpage
corresponding to a selected one of said set of said parameters to
set that characteristic of said second image.
24. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is further included the step of formatting the data of said
first images as an array of pixel elements.
25. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is further included a step of configuring each of said second
images as a logo.
26. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is further included a step of configuring said second image
as a logo, and a step of configuring said first image as a
product.
27. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 24,
wherein there is included a plurality of said formatted second
images and there is included a step of storing said plurality of
said formatted second images in the second library.
28. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 24,
wherein there is further included the step of responding to the
positional data of said second image to represent said second image
as an array of pixels.
29. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 28, where
there is further included a step of merging said array of pixels
related to said second image, whereby said second image is
superimposed on said first image.
30. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 29,
wherein there is further included a step of configuring said second
image as a logo, and said first image as a product.
31. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, where
there is included a step of setting said first image to a default
color.
32. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 31,
wherein there is further included a step of setting said second
image to a default color.
33. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 32, there
is further included the step of providing first and second
parameters for setting said default colors of said first and second
images respectively.
34. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is included a step of disposing at least one placement hook
on said first image to facilitate the superimposing said second
image on said first image in a desired relationship to said first
image.
35. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 34,
wherein there is included a further step of representing said
second image as a logo and said first image as a product, whereby
said one placement hook may be used to position said logo on said
product.
36. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 8, wherein
there is further included the step of normalizing the dimensions of
said second image and storing said normalized second image in the
second library.
37. The method of preparing a server as claimed in claim 36,
wherein there are a plurality of said second images, said step of
normalizing normalizes the dimensions of each of said plurality of
said second images, and storing said plurality of said normalized
images in said second library.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to digital processing of a plurality
of images and, in particular, the superimposing of one image on
another. In one illustrative application of this invention, the
digital processing occurs in the context of the Internet and on a
web-site, which is accessible via a transmission link, the Internet
for example, typically by users employing a browser to select and
modify one or both of the sets of images before superimposing one
on another. In a further application, this invention may be used to
permit a customer from his/her browser to select and modify a first
image in the form of a logo or trademark of a company, a geographic
unit such as a country, city, state, etc., or a sports team, etc.,
and to superimpose that selected first image onto on a second image
of a promotional product such as luggage, apparel such as a hat,
writing instruments, electronic devices such as a radio and the
like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The internet comprises a vast number of computers and
computer networks that are interconnected through communication
links. The interconnected computers exchange information using
various services, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World
Wide Web ("WWW"). The WWW service allows a server computer system
(i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical Web pages of
information to a remote client computer system. The remote client
computer system can then display the Web pages. Each resource
(e.g., computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by
a Uniform Resource Locator ("URL"). To view a specific Web page, a
client computer system specifies the URL for that Web page in a
request (e.g. a HyperText Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") request). The
request is forwarded to the Web server that supports that Web page.
When the Web server receives the request, it sends that Web page to
the client computer system. When the client computer system
receives that Web page, it typically displays the Web page using a
browser. A browser is a special-purpose application program that
effects the requesting of Web pages and the displaying of Web
pages.
[0003] Currently, Web pages are typically defined using HyperText
Markup Language ("HTML"). HTML provides a standard set of tags that
define how a Web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to
the browser to display a Web page, the browser sends a request to
the server computer system to transfer to the client computer
system an HTML document that defines the Web page. When the
requested HTML document is received by the client computer system,
the browser displays the Web page as defined by the HTML document.
The HTML document contains various tags that control the displaying
of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document
may contain URLs of other Web pages available on that server
computer system or other server computer systems.
[0004] The World Wide Web is especially conducive to conducting
electronic commerce. Web Servers have been programmed to permit
vendors to provide a wide array products and services for sale over
the Internet. A user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse one
or more websites, which provide lists of products or services for
sale, much like a catalogue. A purchaser may preview these lists to
select a desired product or services to be purchased. When the user
has completed selecting the items to be purchased, the server
computer system then prompts the user to enter information to
complete the ordering of the selected items. This purchase
generally deals with how and where the selected items may be
delivered to the purchaser and how the purchaser will pay for the
selected items.
[0005] A service to be marketed over the Internet involves the
superimposing of one image on another to permit the prospective
purchaser to preview the composite image before buying. TOMAX
USA.com (www.tomaxusa.com/e-sample/) is an example of such a
service, where a second image of a logo of a business company or
athletic team for example may by superimposed on a first image in
the form of promotion merchandise such as a watch, clock,
calculators or other electronics. Initially, a second image logo is
forwarded to TOMAX. The logo may be in the form of a photograph,
e.g., a black and white color separated artwork of the logo, and,
in that form, would be forwarded by mail to TOMAX. Alternatively,
the logo may be scanned and converted to a digital signal, before
being formatted by Adobe Illustrator into an EPS format or by Adobe
PhotoShop; the formatted signals are transmitted to TOMAX USA.com.
If E-mailed, an indication of the PMS color also needs to be
transmitted to permit the logo to be reproduced at the processing
site in its precise colors. At the processing site, the received
image of the logo is converted back to a hard copy, before it is
assembled with the promotional product of interest and a photograph
of the logo superimposed on the product is taken. In turn, the
photograph is scanned and the converted, rasterized image is
transmitted as an E-mail attachment to the user's browser, where it
may be previewed. TOMAX USA indicates that the superimposing
process will require 60 hours or perhaps less, depending on
workload. In addition, a security code number is transmitted with
the superimposed image to the purchaser, while the superimposed
image is also uploaded to the website of TOMAX USA. The purchaser
may use that security code to access on line the superimposed image
from TOMAX USA's website. Similarly, the purchaser may give that
security code to another person, a customer of the purchaser for
example, whereby the customer may also view the superimposed image
from this website.
[0006] A drawback to the technique described above is that the
superimposing is performed photographically and, as a result,
requires a significant amount of time. Further, the TOMAX USA
process is not capable of adjusting the color of either the image
of the logo and/or the promotional product. Further, there is no
provision for changing the relative size of the logo with regard to
the product. It is appreciated that the size of the product may
vary; for example, the product may take the form of a piece of
luggage or a relatively small product such as a ball point pen. In
order to fit a logo on a particular product, it is necessary to
adjust the size of the logo to fit that of the product. Still
further, it is necessary to place the logo on the product in
accordance with the configuration and size of the product. In the
example of the ball point pen, the size of the logo is selected to
be relatively small, and the logo is oriented along the axis of the
pen. On the other hand if the logo is placed on luggage, the size
of the logo would normally be larger. The logo could be disposed in
a number of positions relative to the luggage, e.g., parallel to
its bottom surface or diagonally across a side surface, i.e., the
logo would be disposed to intersect the bottom surface at an angle.
In short, the above described website does not permit the purchaser
to adjust on line the relative size, color or location of the logo
with respect to the promotional product.
SUMMARY
[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to digitally
process and superimpose a second image on a first image and to
display the composite image, whereby a prospective purchaser can
preview the product bearing the logo represented by the composite
image.
[0008] It is one object of this invention to permit the purchaser
to change and view the color of the first image, e.g., a logo, and
the second image, e.g., a promotional product, before making a
selection of the color for these images from a selection of
colors.
[0009] It is a further object of this invention to permit the
purchaser to change the relative size of the first image with
respect to the second image and to preview these changes, before
finalizing the relative sizes of the first and second images.
[0010] It is a still further object of this invention to permit the
purchaser to change and preview the relative orientation of the
second image with respect to the first image, before finally
determining the relative orientation.
[0011] It is another object of this invention to permit on line
access to a website that is connected to the Internet, whereby the
purchaser may vary image parameters such as the color, the relative
size and the relative orientation of the images of the logo to the
promotional product, before finally setting these parameters.
[0012] In accordance with these and other objects of the invention,
this invention provides a method of preparing a server to support a
client system to construct and preview a composite image. The
composite image comprises first and second images. The method of
this invention comprises the steps of constructing at the server
first and second libraries, inputting to the server data
representative of sets of the first and second images, and
generating from the inputted set of first images a corresponding
set of templates. Each template beares a corresponding one of the
set of the first images. Next the set of templates is loaded into
the first library. Then, the set of second images is loaded into
the second library.
[0013] In one illustrative embodiment of this invention, the first
image represents a promotional product, the second image represents
a logo and the composite image is the logo superimposed on the
promotional product.
[0014] In a further aspect of this invention, the method of this
invention includes the step of creating and storing in memory a set
of first parameters that defines a certain characteristic of the
first image, and a set of second parameters that define a certain
characteristic of the second image. In an illustrated embodiment of
this invention, each of the first and second parameters defines a
particular color, and a further parameter defines the relative size
of the second image as compared to the first image.
[0015] In another aspect of this invention, the method of this
invention comprises the further step of preparing a first webpage
bearing indicia designed to be actuated by a user of the supported
client system to select one of the set of first images, embedding
the selected first image into the webpage to be downloaded to and
displayed by the supported client system, creating and storing in
memory a set of first parameters that define a certain
characteristic of the first image, and preparing a second webpage
bearing indicia designed to be actuated by the user of the
supported client system to select one of the set of first
parameters to define that characteristic of the selected first
image.
[0016] In a still further aspect of this invention, the method of
this invention comprises the steps of preparing a third webpage
bearing indicia designed to be actuated by the user of the
supported client system to select one of the set of second images,
of embedding the selected second image into the third webpage to be
downloaded to and displayed by the supported client system, of
creating and storing in memory a set of second parameters that
define a certain characteristic of the second image, and of
preparing the third webpage to bear further indicia to be actuated
by the user of the supported client system to select one of the set
of second parameters to define that characteristic of the selected
second image.
[0017] In a further aspect, the method of this invention permits a
client system to construct and preview a composite image, which
includes first and second images. First and second libraries are
provided at a server supporting the client system to store
respectively sets of the first and second images. The method is
carried out by the steps of establishing a communication session
over a communication link between the server and the client system,
and of facilitating a user at the client system during the course
of said communication session to select from the first library a
selected first image and to select from the second library a
selected second image. Then, a template is generated bearing the
selected first and second images, before the template is embedded
into a webpage. Finally, the webpage is downloaded to the client
system to display the composite image at the client system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The forgoing objects and advantages of the present invention
may be more readily understood by one skilled in the art with
reference being had to the following detailed description of a
preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings wherein like elements are designated by
identical reference numerals throughout the several views, and in
which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating how a
purchaser's browser and a server of the website to be accessed by
the purchaser's browser are connected to and by a communication
link to each other;
[0020] FIGS. 2A and 2B are flow diagrams, which are loaded on the
server system for respectively inputting and processing a variety
of logos to populate a logo library and a variety of promotional
products to populate a product library in a data base of the server
system shown in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIGS. 3A-F illustrate a series of screens or webpages that
appear on the purchaser's browser to respectively permit the
purchaser to preview and to select the various parameters of a logo
and the promotional product such as the color of each and the
relative size and orientation of the logo to the product; and
[0022] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram which illustrates the process by
which the purchaser uses his/her browser to access the website and
its server system as shown in FIG. 1, which hosts the computer
software for permitting the purchaser to select and configure the
logo on the promotional product in accordance with the teachings of
this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1,
there is shown an embodiment of this invention which permits a
purchaser or user, using his/her client system 10, to access a
server system 18 by exchanging messages over a communication link
16, which in one example of this invention may take the form of the
Internet. The client system 10 comprises a browser 12 and its
assigned client identifier, which is known as a "cookie". The
client identifier is stored in a file 14. Though only a single
client system 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated
that there would typically be a plurality of client systems 10,
which are connected to the communication link 16 and capable of
transmitting messages over the link 16 to the server system 18. In
one embodiment of this invention, the purchaser initiates on the
browser 12 a communication session with the server system 18 by
assigning and sending over the link 16 his/her client identifier to
the client system 18. From then on, the client system 10 includes
its client identifier with all messages sent to the server system
18 so that the server system 18 can identify the particular client
system 10 from which the message was sent.
[0024] The server system 18 comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, a web
server 18a, a data base server 18b, and a dynamic graphics server
18c. The server system 18 is front ended, as described above, in
that the purchaser can access the system 18 by sending requests
from the browser 12 via the communication link 16 to the web server
18a, while data in the form of images of the different promotional
products and logos are back ended, i.e., this data is input to the
server system 18 via a block 32. As will be described in detail
with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B, data reflective of the logo images
and the product images are obtained, formatted and input by the
block 32. The processing of block 32 is effected by the software
illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, as executed by a developer work
station processor (not shown) that may be positioned at any
convenient location, not necessarily at the site of the server
system 18 as shown in FIG. 1. Further, the logo data may be entered
by a purchaser on his/her client system 10 to be transmitted over
the communication link 16 to the web server 18a for processing.
Such use of the client server 10 permits a purchaser to have his or
her particular logo to be processed, e.g., superimposed on a
selected promotional product, in accordance with the teachings of
this invention.
[0025] This invention relates generally to superimposing a second
image onto a first image. In an illustrative embodiment of this
invention, the second image takes the form of a logo, a trademark
or any other image or visual message provided by the purchaser or
end user. The logo may refer to a commercial product, a geographic
location such as a city, a state or a nation, an athletic team or
the like. A logo is illustrated in FIGS. 3A, B, C, D and F, where
it is identified by a numeral 144; the logo 144 is superimposed on
a first image which, for example, may take the form of a
promotional product 142. Such a product 142 may take the form, for
example, of a cap 142a, a golf ball 142b, a cup 142c, a shirt 142d
or the like.
[0026] In turn, the web server 18a comprises a server engine 20,
and database 25 for storing a plurality of web pages 130a, b, c
etc. As is well know in the art, the server engine 20 processes the
purchaser messages from the browser 12 in the form of HTTP requests
to access web pages 130 identified by URLs and, in turn, transmits
the requested web p[ages 130 to the requesting system 10, where
they are displayed, e.g., on a CRT (not shown).
[0027] The database server 18b comprises a database 22 for storing
a client identifier/customer table, a customer database 26, an
order database 28 and a product/logo database 30. The customer
database 26 may contain for example customer information for
various purchases or potential purchasers. The customer information
includes purchaser-specific order information such as the name of
the customer and billing information. The order database 28 stores
an entry for each order that has not yet been transmitted to a
purchaser. The client identifier/purchaser table 22 contains a
mapping from each client identifier, which is a globally unique
identifier that uniquely identifies a client system 10, to the
purchaser last associated with that client system 10. The
product/logo data base 30 includes separate storage areas for
receiving respectively data reflective of the different promotional
products and logos which may be processed in accordance with this
invention. As will be illustrated in and described with respect to
FIGS. 3A-F, a second image of a purchaser selected logo 144 will be
superimposed onto a first image of a purchaser selected promotional
product 142, Though the database server 18b has been described in
FIG. 1 in terms of a plurality of distinct data bases 22, 26, 28
and 30, it would be appreciated by one skilled in the art that one
memory or another combination of memories could store this
data.
[0028] Still referring to FIG. 1, the dynamic graphics server 18c
comprises a product template memory 38, wherein a plurality of
templates, each carrying one first image of a promotional product
142, are stored, a logo template memory 40, wherein a plurality of
templates, each carrying one second image of a logo 144, are
stored, and a generator 42 which carries out the processing
identified by the numeral 160 as shown in FIG. 4 and, in particular
by the step 168 thereof. Note that both of the product/logo
database 30, and the product template memory 38 and the logo
template memory 40 are needed. The product/logo database 30 stores
the lists of all of the products and logo that the system 18 can
handle. As will be explained, pull down menus reflecting these
lists stored in the database 30 are provided to the user, whereby
he/she can select one of each of the products and the logos for
later processing, The template memories 38 and 40 are separately
needed in order to permit the processing and, in particular, the
superimposing of a logo image on a product image as will be
explained below.
[0029] Further as will be shown and explained with respect to the
flow diagram of FIG. 4, the programming for the client system 10
and the server system 18 permits the purchaser to set up a
communication session between the client system 10 and the sever
system 18, whereby the purchaser can communicate with the server
system 18 to preview a number of each of the logos 144 and the
promotional products 142, to control the selection of the color of
each of the logos 144 and products 142, and to control the relative
size and position of the logo 144 with respect to its promotional
product 142.
[0030] In FIG. 2A, there is shown a flow diagram of the steps of
the process, that was generally identified by the block 32 as shown
in FIG. 1, for inputting and formatting data indicative of the
second images. In particular, data representing a plurality of
second images reflective of different logos 144 may be so processed
in the block 32 and inputted to the database server 18b and, in
particular, to its database 30, wherein a data library of logos is
constructed. Thus, the purchaser may, as will be described, preview
and select one second image or logo 144 from this library to be
superimposed on the promotional product 142. The second or logo
image may be transmitted by different conduits to the site where
the processing 32 is performed by any of the well know computers
such as a Macintosh or Windows personal computer as programmed in
accordance with the process illustrated in FIG. 2A. Though the site
of the processing 32 may be in the vicinity of the server system 18
as shown in FIG. 1, it would be appreciated by one skilled in the
art that such a site may be disposed at a distance from the server
system 18 and the signals derived from the processing 32
transmitted thereto by any conventional means. For example, a hard
copy of a logo 144 could be mailed in step 52 to the processing
site, where at the hard copy is scanned in step 54 to input data in
a raster format. Alternatively, the logo data may be stored in a
diskette or ROM, which is delivered in step 56 to the processing
site. In a third embodiment, the logo data is Emailed in step 58
from the client's system 10 to the site of the processing 32.
[0031] Both the Emailed data and that carried by the diskette are
scanned in step 60 to remove possible viruses; if step 60 fails to
remove the virus, an error alarm is generated in step 62. The data
carried by the diskette is converted in step 66 to a raster format.
The rasterized data from steps 66 and 54 are applied to step 68,
which converts the rasterized data from both sources into
Encapsulated Post Script (EPS) data. EPS data is formatted in
mathematical terms, whereby the data can be readily scaled without
loss of resolution. As will be described, the logo data will be
scaled whereby the size of the logo 144 may selectively set by the
purchaser relative to the size of the promotional product 142. In
one illustrative embodiment, step 68 may be implemented by the
software marketed by Adobe under its trademark, "SteamLine". Step
68 converts the rasterized data outputted from the steps 54 and 66
into data, which defines the outline of each character in terms of
a series of lines. Each of these lines is a vector, which is
defined by a set of coordinates.
[0032] The EPS data derived from each of steps 68 and 64 are
further processed in step 70, which is a program that permits an
operator to edit the outline of the inputted character and to reset
the coordinates of the component lines accordingly. The rasterized
data outputted by the steps 54, 60 and 66 is a collection of a
fixed number of dots or pixels, whose image upon expansion
decreases in resolution. By contrast, the EPS data outputted by
step 70 is of a vector format, which mathematically defines the
image to permit its expansion without loss of resolution. Step 70
also scales the logo 144 to a common size, which may be confined by
a given figure of selected dimensions, e.g., a 3".times.3" square.
The problem is that the logos 144 to be inputted and formatted by
the process 32 come in all different sizes. In particular, step 70
reduces the logos 144 of different sizes to a common default size
and, in particular, determines the largest dimension of the logo
144 before the logo 144 is oriented so that its largest dimension
fits within the 3".times.3" square. In one illustrative embodiment
of this invention, step 70 may be implemented by the software
marketed by Adobe under its trademark "Illustrator".
[0033] Next, a flash template data file such as that marketed by
Macromedia is opened in step 74 for the logo data of the vector
formatted EPS data. In one illustrative embodiment, step 74 creates
26 templates, one for each letter of the alphabet, whereby all of
the logo images stored in one template begin with the letter that
was assigned to that template. For example, all of the images of
the logos 144 beginning with "A" are stored in the A template. In
turn, step 76 compiles the logo templates into a SWT format, which
is an executable format and is machine readable, i.e., is readily
read and understood by computers. Then in step 78, the template is
uploaded to the server system 18, as shown in FIG. 1, where the
logo templates, that were created in the processing 32, are
transmitted via a link 34b to the dynamic graphics server 18c,
wherein they are stored in the logo template memory 40 as shown in
FIG. 1. The logo template memory 40 may be considered a library of
the available logo or second images. Similarly, the name of the
logo 144 (which would not normally include the stylization of the
logo) is identified and translated by step 72 into the HTML to
permit the name to be incorporated into one of the web pages 24. In
particular, step 78 uploads to the web server 18a the logo name to
be included into a drop down panel, which bears the names of all of
the logos 144 kept in the library stored in the logo template
memory 40. A drop down panel of logo names may be displayed as will
be described below by clicking on a panel 152 of the page 130e as
shown in FIG. 3E.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 2B, there is shown a further part of
the process 32 that was shown generally in FIG. 1. In particular,
FIG. 2B illustrates the detailed steps of that process 32 for
inputting and formatting data indicative of the first image, e.g.,
one of a plurality of the promotional products 142 which may be
selected for processing. The product data is structured in an
illustrative embodiment of this invention as a template, in which
one of the first or product images is embedded. In turn, a
plurality of product templates are stored as a library of the
available promotional products memory 38, as shown in FIG. 1. The
first or promotional product 142 image may be transmitted by
different conduits to the site where the processing 32 is
performed. For example, a hard copy may be transmitted in step 92
to step 94, which scans the hard copy to output a raster image data
file which represents the first image. Alternatively, the actual
product 142 may be shipped in step 96 to the processing site, where
step 98 obtains the first image by digitally photographing the
product 142. In a still further embodiment, the first image of the
product 142 may be Emailed in step 100 to the processing site,
where step 102 scans the inputted image data to remove possible
viruses; if step 102 fails to remove the virus, an error alarm is
generated in step 104. The data outputted by each of the steps 94,
98 and 102 is applied to step 106, where the inputted data in
digital, rasterized format is edited by an operator in preparation
for inclusion into a flash template data file. In particular, the
step 106 permits an operator to redraw, erase or change or adjust
the color of the rasterized product image. The output of the
editing is a series of layers. The bottom most image corresponds to
the original unedited image. The uppers images are respectively a
record of the changes to the image's configuration, the erased
parts of the image and the color changes. Step 106 also permits the
first or product image to be normalized to a standard configuration
and size, e.g., a 400.times.400 pixel square. Finally, step 106
positions on the product image at least one "place holder" that
identifies that point or points on a promotional product where a
logo 144 may be positioned. With reference to FIGS. 3A, B, C, D and
E, each of the products 142a, b, c and d has a single place holder
for receiving a selected logo 142. In this example shown in FIG.
3E, the product 142 is a cap 142a and, typically, would include
only one place holder due to its size and configuration. When the
product 142 may accommodate a logo in more than one position, e.g.,
where the product 142 is luggage, more than one place holder may be
assigned to such a product 142. It is contemplated that present
invention may include the capability to permit the purchaser to
choose which of the available place holders where the selected logo
144 may be positioned relatively with respect to the promotional
product 142.
[0035] The edited data from step 106 is applied to step 108, which
translates the inputted rasterized data indicative of one of the
promotional products 142 into JPG formatted data which retains its
rasterized formatting and is interchangeable. As shown in FIG. 2B,
the JPG data file is created with a plurality of layers, one layer
for each of the colors in which a particular product is available.
For example as shown in FIG. 3E, a promotional product in the form
of a cap 142a is available in five colors, namely forest green,
black, ivory, khaki and navy blue. In that example, step 108 would
develop a JPG layer for each of these five colors. Next, a flash
template data file is opened in step 110 for each of the JPG layers
created in step 108. In step 112, an executable JPT template is
compiled for each of the flash template data layers, e.g., one for
each of the available colors.
[0036] In step 116, the rasterized image is converted into a
composite image of the cap 142a and a generic logo 144' such as
"Your Logo", which are GIF formatted and disposed as a featured
item on the web page 130b of FIG. 3B. In step 114, the image
rasterized data is converted to a JPG data format of a detailed
image that is to be inserted on page 103d as shown in FIG. 3D and
includes the product 142 with the generic logo 144', "Your Logo"
superimposed thereon and is similar to the menu web page 130b; in
particular, this composite image as shown in FIG. 3D is larger and
more detailed than that of the composite image appearing as the
featured item in the web page 130b of FIG. 3B. In step 118, the
digital rasterized image derived from any of the steps 102, 98 and
94 is translated in step 118 into the HTML language to permit the
product data to be imbedded into one of the pages 130, whereby an
image of the promotional product 142 would appear on the home page
130a of FIG. 3A, the featured items page 130b of FIG. 3B, a
detailed page 130d as shown in FIG. 3D, and the control panels 154
and 156 as shown on the InstaSample pages 130e and f of FIGS. 3E
and F respectively.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown the steps of the
process 160, whereby the purchaser may initiate from the browser 12
of his/her client system 10, as shown in FIG. 1, a communication
session or conversation between the client system 10 and the server
system 18, whereby the purchaser can select one of the available
promotional products 142 that are stored as a library in the
product template memory 38, the color of the selected product 142,
one of the available logos 144 that are stored as a library in the
logo template memory 40, the color of the selected logo 144 and the
relative size of the selected logo 144 with respect to the product
142. Starting in step 162, the purchaser logs on at his/her browser
12 to the website associated with the server system 18, whereby the
home page 130a, as shown in FIG. 3A, appears on a display (not
shown) of the browser 12. Next in step 164, the purchaser clicks on
the "featured item" link 136, whereby the featured items page 130b,
as shown in FIG. 3B, appears on the browser screen. The page 130b
bears a number of links 180-1, 180-2 . . . 180-n, which may be
clicked on by the purchaser to bring up images of the corresponding
items or promotional products 142, e.g., apparel, bags &
duffels, etc., known as "featured items". In the illustrative
embodiment of FIG. 3B, the purchaser has clicked on the link 180-1
and images of apparel, i.e., the cap 142a with the generic logo
144' superimposed thereon and a shirt 142d with the generic logo
144' superimposed thereon, are displayed. In turn, there is another
set of links 182-1 and 182-2. Links 182-1 and 182-2 are associated
with the cap 142a and the shirt 142d respectively. The purchaser
may then select one of displayed products 142 on page 130b by
clicking on that products links 182, whereby the web page 130e is
drawn up; as illustrated in FIG. 3E, the selected promotional
product 142, in this instance the cap 142a, is displayed without
any logo 144 in an enlarged and more detailed image of the cap 142a
than that shown in FIG. 3B.
[0038] At this stage of the process as shown in FIG. 3E, the image
of a logo 144 is absent and has not yet been selected or
superimposed on the cap 142a. Next in step 166, the purchaser makes
his/her choice of the logo 144. As shown in FIG. 3E, the web page
130e includes a panel 152, which in turn comprises a set of keys
152a-z. The purchaser cliques on one of the keys 152, which
corresponds to the first letter of the logo 144 to be selected and
a list of the logos beginning with the selected letter will appear
in the block 153. In turn, the purchaser may scroll through the
logos 144 appearing in the block 153 until the logo 144 of choice
appears; the purchaser then clicks on the selected logo 144
appearing in the block 153, whereby the selected logo 144, e.g.,
"PromoCity.com", will be superimposed on the cap 142a, as shown in
FIG. 3F.
[0039] Still in step 166, the purchaser may choose among the
available colors for the selected product 142, e.g., the cap 142a,
by clicking on a selected one of the plurality of keys 154a-e,
which correspond in one illustrative embodiment respectively to the
following colors: forest green, black, ivory, khaki and navy blue.
When the purchaser clicks on a particular key 154a-e, e.g., 154b,
the color of the cap 142a will be rendered as black. The purchaser
then selects the desired color of the logo 144 by actuating one of
the plurality of keys 156-1 to 156-120 within a box 156 of the web
page 130f, as shown in FIGS. 3E and F. It is apparent that the
number of colors available for the image of the logo 144, e.g. 120,
is much greater than the number of colors available for the
promotion product 142, e.g., 5. This typically is necessary,
because each logo 144, which corresponds to a particular entity,
will have a unique shade or intensity of color, and it is
contemplated that a wide variety of colors will be necessary to
provide the proper color to the logo 144 to match that color which
is normally associated that logo 144. For example, the trade dress
of Kodak includes a unique shade of an orange gold.
[0040] After the promotional product 142 has been selected by the
purchaser, the product's color, the logo 144, and the logo's color
have been selected by the purchaser, the process 160 moves to a
generator process 168, where a JPG file representative of the
second image superimposed on the first image, i.e., the logo image
superimposed on the product image, is generated. The software for
effecting the generator process 168 resides in a generator 42,
which as shown in FIG. 1 resides in the dynamic graphics generator
42. As will be explained below, the generator process 168 processes
the selected product and logo templates that were accessed from the
product and logo template memories 38 and 40 in steps 164 and 166,
as described above. First, the generator process 168 executes an
active server page (ASP) file which contains the color attributes
of the product 142 and the logo 144 and inserts the selected colors
for the selected product 142 and logo 144 into their respectively
accessed templates. At this stage, the product data is in a
rasterized format, while the logo data is in a vector format. Next,
the generator process 168 inserts the logo image data into the
product template. This insertion step effects the superimposing of
the logo image on the product image, and at the same time, adjusts
the relative position of the logo with respect to the product,
i.e., the logo is placed in the place holder that was affixed to
the product. The insertion step also causes the product and logo
images to be painted respectively with the selected colors, and the
size of the logo image to be adjusted with respect to that of the
product in accordance with a scaling factor. In one illustrative
embodiment, the scaling factor represents the degree or % of
downsizing from the full sized logo stored on its template.
Alternatively, the scaling factor could also represent an increase
in the size of that image stored on its template without departing
from the teachings of this invention. When the product 142 was
selected in step 164 as described above, the corresponding template
bearing that product 142 as was constructed in step 112 of FIG. 2B
is retrieved from its library in the product template memory 38 of
the graphic server 18c as shown in FIG. 1. When the logo 144 is
selected in step 166 above, its template bearing the logo in the
SWT data format is withdrawn from its library in the logo template
memory 40 and is applied to the template bearing the product
142.
[0041] ASP files instruct the server software as to which of the
selected logo colors and product colors have been chosen and to
execute the graphic server 18c based on software programming
contained in the generator 42 to paint the logo image and the
product image respectively with those colors that have been
previously selected. The ASP control panel files may be coded in a
number of different conventions to provide a wide variety of
colors. In one illustrative embodiment, a particular color may be
represented by the parameters R, G and B that represent
respectively the primary colors: red, green and blue. A numerical
value in the range of 0 to 255 that is representative of the
intensity of a color is assigned to each of the primary colors. In
an alternative embodiment that is often used in the printing
industry, a particular color is defined in terms of: cyan C,
magenta M, yellow Y and black K. Other standards that could be used
by this invention include the Pantone (Commercial) Standard or the
Web-Hex Standard, which involves a set of 6 alpha-numeric
characters. All color definitions may be converted to RGB. To
achieve a more precise rendering of colors on a cathode ray tube as
may be used with the browser 12, correction factors may be employed
with the above listed color coding conventions. The above described
and other color coding standards or conventions of color coding
could be used without departing from the teachings of this
invention. The ASP control panel files with the selected color
coding for the logo images is also included with the library of
logo templates stored in the logo template memory 40.
[0042] The completed product template includes the first or product
image, the place holder or other equivalent code that determines
where on the product image that the logo image has been placed, the
adjusted scaling factor that indicates the size of logo image
relative to that of the product image, and data from the ASP
control panel files that sets the color for each of the selected
product and logo images. The product image data, that is retained
on the template, is in a rasterized format, whereas the logo image
data inserted into this template is in a vector format. Next the
generator process copies the logo and product images, along with
their color data, product frame and the scaling factor, and merges
this data to a third file of a JPG format. In particular, the
product data of a JPG format, i.e., a raster format, merges with
the logo data of a SWT, i.e., vector data format, whereby the
superimposed logo data merges to a rasterized JPG file.
[0043] After the product template has been executed in step 168,
the resultant JPG file produced in step 168 to represent the
composite image is embedded into one of the webpages 24, as shown
in FIGS. 3A-F. Next in step 170, the page 130 bearing the
superimposed image embedded therein is returned to that client
system 10 which initiated the image selection and superimposing in
step 162. Typically, the returned page 130 is presented on a
display associated with the browser 12, whereby the purchaser may
preview the composite images of the logo 142 superimposed on the
product image 144, before purchasing the selected product 144. The
purchaser may print out in step 172 a copy of the superimposed
images, thereby providing the purchaser or end user with a physical
or hard copy of the superimposed images which may be readily given
to sales prospects. Thereafter, the image constructing session is
terminated in step 174.
[0044] Although the present invention has been described in terms
of various embodiments, it is not intended that the invention be
limited to these embodiments. Modification within the spirit of the
inventions will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For
example, the process of constructing a template may be readily
modified to permit the purchaser from his/her browser to adjust the
scaling factor, whereby the size of the logo image may be increased
or decreased under the control of the purchaser. Similarly, the
constructing process may be enhanced within the teachings of this
invention to permit the purchaser to selectively place the position
of the place holder on the product image and/or to set a plurality
of place holders on the product image, whereby the logo may be
placed in any of a number relative positions on the promotional
product under the control of the purchaser. Still further, the logo
image may be segmented and color values could be selected for each
of the established segments. In addition, a cookie that would
identify a particular customer and an indication of the previous
choices made by that purchase, e.g., the favorite color or colors
of that customer, may be stored in the customer database 26 as
shown in FIG. 1. The scope of the present invention is defined by
the claims that follow.
* * * * *