Method and system to promote the incorporation of unused substrate areas into ornamental packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155605-B2
Application number	US-201213669826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2012
Priority date	Nov 6, 2012
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A package generation system allows a user to add an ornamental structure to a package flat by receiving a package design file containing data representing package characteristics. The system uses the package design file to identify a two-dimensional layout of the package. The system identifies: (i) a first area of a substrate that will form a two-dimensional flat of a package; (ii) an unused area of the substrate that will not form part of the package; and (iii) an ornamental structure that is attachable to a facet of the package and which fits within a portion of the unused area adjacent to the facet. The system then outputs a representation of the ornamental structure to a user. Examples of ornamental structures include a ribbon, a detachable coupon, or an ornamental face. The system may create the package after the user selects an offered ornamental structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
by a processor:
receiving a package design file containing data representing a plurality of facets and a plurality of dimensions for a package;
identifying, from the package design file, a two-dimensional layout of the package;
identifying a first area of a substrate to be used to form a two-dimensional flat of the package;
identifying an unused area of the substrate that will not form part of the package;
applying one or more rules to identify an ornamental structure that is attachable to a facet of the package and which fits within a portion of the unused area adjacent to the facet; and
outputting a representation of the ornamental structure to a user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via a user interface, a user selection of the ornamental structure; and
updating the package design file to include data that adds the ornamental structure to the package.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that one or more characteristics of the package, the ornamental structure, or the substrate satisfy one or more criteria for automatic addition to the package; and
automatically, without any requirement for user input, updating the package design file to include data that adds the ornamental structure to the package.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the processor:
accessing a data set of available substrates;
identifying, from the data set, the smallest substrate on which the two-dimensional layout will fit; and
selecting the identified substrate as the substrate from which the package will be cut.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the ornamental structure comprises:
accessing a data set of candidate ornamental structures, wherein each of the candidate ornamental structures comprises one or more requirements; and
for each candidate ornamental structure, determining whether a characteristic of the unused area satisfies the one or more requirements, and only identifying a candidate ornamental structure as the identified ornamental structure if the characteristic satisfies the one or more requirements.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more requirements comprise a size requirement, and the characteristic comprises a dimension of the unused area that corresponds to the size requirement.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising dynamically defining a dimension of the ornamental structure based on the dimension of the unused area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified ornamental structure comprises a ribbon, a detachable coupon, or an ornamental face.

9. A package definition system, comprising:
a data storage facility containing data corresponding to a plurality of ornamental structures;
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium containing programming instructions that, when executed, instruct the processor to:
receive a package design file containing data representing a plurality of facets and a plurality of dimensions for a package;
identify, from the package design file, a two-dimensional layout of the package;
identify a first area of a substrate to be used to form a two-dimensional flat of the package;
identify an unused area of the substrate that will not form part of the package;
access the data storage facility and applying one or more rules to identify an ornamental structure that is attachable to a facet of the package and which fits within a portion of the unused area adjacent to the facet; and
update the package design file to include the ornamental structure.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional programming instructions that, when executed, instruct the processor to:
receive, via a user interface, a user selection of the ornamental element; and
update the package design file to include data that adds the ornamental structure to the package.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional programming instructions that, when executed, instruct the processor to:
determine that one or more characteristics of the package, the ornamental structure, or the substrate satisfy one or more criteria for automatic addition to the package; and
automatically, without any requirement for user input, update the package design file to include data that adds the ornamental structure to the package.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising additional programming instructions that, when executed, instruct the processor to:
access a data set of available substrates;
identify, from the data set, the smallest substrate on which the two-dimensional layout will fit; and
select the identified substrate as the substrate from which the package will be cut.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed, instruct the processor to identify the ornamental structure comprise instructions to:
access a data set of candidate ornamental structures, wherein each of the candidate ornamental structures comprises one or more requirements; and
for each candidate ornamental structure, determine whether a characteristic of the unused area satisfies the one or more requirements, and only identify a candidate ornamental structure as the identified ornamental structure if the characteristic satisfies the one or more requirements.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the one or more requirements comprise a size requirement, and the characteristic comprises a dimension of the unused area that corresponds to the size requirement; and
the programming instructions further comprise additional instructions that, when executed, instruct the processor to dynamically define a dimension of the ornamental structure based on the dimension of the unused area.

15. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a package generation device comprising a print device, cutting device, and creasing device configured to apply a rule set to the package design file and modify the substrate to yield a package flat with the package and its ornamental structure.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the identified ornamental structure comprises a ribbon, a detachable coupon, or an ornamental face.

17. A method, comprising:
receiving a package design file containing data representing a plurality of facets and a plurality of dimensions for a package;
by a processor, identifying from the package design file, a two-dimensional layout of the package;
by the processor, identifying a first area of a substrate to be used to form a two-dimensional flat of the package;
by the processor, identifying an unused area of the substrate that will not form part of the package;
by the processor, applying one or more rules to identify an ornamental structure that is attachable to a facet of the package and which fits within a portion of the unused area adjacent to the facet; and
outputting a representation of the ornamental structure to a user;
receiving, via a user interface, a user selection of the ornamental structure;
by the processor, updating the package design file to include data that adds the ornamental element to the package;
applying, by a package generation device, a rule set to the package design file to generate the two-dimensional flat comprising the package with the ornamental structure.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, by the processor accessing a data set of available substrates;
identifying, from the data set, the smallest substrate on which the two-dimensional layout will fit; and
selecting the identified substrate

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Morgana Stephen C
• Eschbach Reiner

Classifications

• B65D5/425 Primary

  Decoration elements · CPC title