Method and system of making digital image transfer thermoformed objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738027-B2
Application number	US-201715426764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 25, 2007
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A method and system is provided for forming a three-dimensional image and, more particularly, for making three-dimensional digital image transfer thermoformed objects on, e.g., generic molds. The system comprises a computer infrastructure operable to receive images of a subject.display the images, stitch together the images to form a single image, adjust portions of the images or single image to compensate for deformation during thermoforming of the single image, register the single image with points on a mold, and print the single image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:
receive images of a subject;
stitch together the images to form a single image;
compress portions of the single image to compensate for deformation during thermoforming of the single image;
register the single image on a mold;
store a matrix of the mold; and
print the registered single image by a dye sublimation printer.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes registration marks for orienting features of the single image.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the mold includes customized features.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein the customized features are captured by a pin sculpture device.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the portions of the single image are compressed to about 50% to 60%.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the images comprise a frontal view and side views.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the side views are taken at about a 30 degree angle from the frontal view.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising the at least one component operable to best-fit match the single image and the mold.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the dye sublimation printer is a linear transport type.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the single image is printed onto Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic sheets.

11. A system for thermoforming an image, comprising:
a computer infrastructure being operable to:
receive images of a subject;
stitch together the images to form a single image;
adjust portions of the single image to compensate for deformation during thermoforming of the single image;
register features of the single image on a mold;
store a matrix of the mold; and
print the registered single image by a dye sublimation printer.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computer infrastructure is configurable to adjust the portions of the single image by compression.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the compression comprises compressing the portions of the single image to about 50% to 60%.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the dye sublimation printer is a linear transport type.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the mold includes customized features.

16. A method for thermoforming an image, comprising:
receiving images of a subject;
stitching the images together to form a single image;
thermoforming the single image;
compressing the single image to compensate for deformation from the thermoforming;
registering features of the single image on a mold;
storing a matrix of the mold; and
printing the registered single image by a dye sublimation printer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the images comprise a frontal view and side views.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the stitching comprises stitching together the frontal view and the side views.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the side views are taken at about a 30 degree angle from the frontal view.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the compressing comprises compressing side portions of the single image to about 50% to 60%.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Simons Lyle S

Classifications

• H04N1/3872 Primary

  Repositioning or masking · CPC title

• H04N1/3876

  Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image · CPC title

• B29K2105/256

  Sheets, plates, blanks or films · CPC title

• G05B2219/35134

  3-D cad-cam · CPC title

• B29L2031/744

  Labels, badges, e.g. marker sleeves · CPC title