Apparel design system with bounded area for asset placement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11286614-B2
Application number	US-202016848813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A system allows a user to create new designs for apparel and preview these designs before manufacture. Software and lasers are used in finishing apparel to produce a desired wear pattern or other design. As the user designs apparel, the system provides feedback as to what designs can be used, such as avoiding technical constraints with their designs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a garment design tool that allows previewing on a computer screen of a garment base customized by a user with a finishing pattern, wherein the garment design tool includes
showing a first garment preview image on the computer screen comprising a garment base image for a garment base,
providing an option for the user to select a wear pattern from a menu of wear patterns, wherein each wear pattern is associated with a laser input file to be used by a laser to produce that wear pattern onto a garment,
after the wear pattern is selected, determining a first bounded area overlaid with the garment base image where the wear pattern may be placed,
showing a second garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected wear pattern within the first bounded area in combination with the garment base image, wherein the second garment preview image replaces the first garment preview image,
allowing the user to select the wear pattern and modify a position of the wear pattern relative to the garment base image only within the first bounded area, and
after the user modifies a positioning of the selected wear pattern relative to the garment base image within the first bounded area, showing a third garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected wear pattern in combination with the garment base image and the modified positioning of the wear pattern relative to the garment base image, wherein the third garment preview image replaces the second garment preview image;
providing a target garment corresponding to the garment base selected by the user; and
based on a laser input file associated with a selected wear pattern with modified positioning, using a laser to create a finishing pattern on an outer surface of the target garment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the garment previewing tool comprises:
providing an option for the user to select a garment feature,
after the garment feature is selected, determining a second bounded area overlaid with the garment base image where the garment feature may be placed,
showing a fourth garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected garment feature within the second bounded area in combination with the garment base image,
allowing the user to select the garment feature and modify a position of the selected garment feature relative to the garment base image only within the second bounded area, and
after the user modifies a positioning of the selected garment feature relative to the garment base image within the second bounded area, showing a fifth garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected garment feature in combination with the garment base image and the modified positioning of the selected garment feature relative to the garment base image.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the garment feature comprises at least one of a label, fastener, buckle, embellishment, embroidery, grommet, heat transfer pattern, lace, patch, printing, foil, ribbon, tab, rivet, sequin, pocket, thread, or zipper.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:
disallowing the user from modifying a positioning of the selected wear pattern to be outside of the first bounded area.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the target garment comprises a pair of jeans.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first bounded area comprises a rectangle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first bounded area comprises an irregular polygon.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first bounded area indicates where, based on a technical manufacturing constraint, that the wear pattern cannot be produced.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein when using the laser to create a finishing pattern, different laser levels are obtained by varying an output of the laser beam by altering a characteristic of the laser comprising at least one of a frequency, period, pulse width, power, duty cycle, or burning speed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the target garment is made of at least one of a twill material or a cotton twill material.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the garment base corresponds to a base fit fabric and the base fit fabric includes known characteristics regarding the suitability of the base fit fabric for finishing using the laser.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a method of manufacturing the target garment comprises:
assembling the target garment from fabric panels of a woven first material comprising a warp comprising indigo ring-dyed cotton yarn, wherein the fabric panels are sewn together using thread.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein based on the laser input file, the laser removes selected amounts of material from the surface of a material of the target garment at different pixel locations of the garment, and
for lighter pixel locations of the finishing pattern, a greater amount of the indigo ring-dyed cotton warp yarn is removed, while for darker pixel locations of the finishing pattern, a lesser amount of the indigo ring-dyed cotton warp yarn is removed.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second garment preview image comprises an image of the garment base with the selected wear pattern as the resulting target garment would appear after a postlaser wash.

15. A method comprising:
providing a garment design tool that allows previewing on a computer screen of a garment base customized by a user with a finishing pattern, wherein the garment design tool includes
showing a first garment preview image on the computer screen comprising a garment base image for a garment base,
providing an option for the user to select a wear pattern from a menu of wear patterns, wherein each wear pattern is associated with a laser input file to be used by a laser to produce that wear pattern onto a garment,
after the wear pattern is selected, determining a first bounded area overlaid with the garment base image where the wear pattern may be placed,
showing a second garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected wear pattern within the first bounded area in combination with the garment base image, wherein the second garment preview image replaces the first garment preview image,
allowing the user to select the wear pattern and modify a sizing of the wear pattern relative to the garment base image only within the first bounded area, and
after the user modifies a sizing of the selected wear pattern relative to the garment base image within the first bounded area, showing a third garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected wear pattern in combination with the garment base image and the modified sizing of the wear pattern relative to the garment base image, wherein the third garment preview image replaces the second garment preview image;
providing a target garment corresponding to the garment base selected by the user; and
based on a laser input file associated with a selected wear pattern with modified positioning, using a laser to create a finishing pattern on an outer surface of the target garment.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the garment previewing tool comprises:
providing an option for the user to select a garment feature,
after the garment feature is selected, determining a second bounded area overlaid with the garment base image where the garment feature may be placed,
showing a fourth garment preview image on the computer screen comprising the selected garment feature within the second bounded area in combination with the garment base image,
allowing the user to select the garment feature and modify a p

Assignees

• Strauss Levi & Co

Inventors

• Sights James Barton
• Schultz Jennifer
• Mahanty Debdulal
• Schultz Christopher
• Bell Benjamin

Classifications

• G06T19/20

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315 Primary

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• A41H3/08

  Patterns on the cloth, e.g. printed · CPC title