Dynamic optimization of detailed flat design based on desired final structural attributes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9916399-B2
Application number	US-201414269543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2014
Priority date	May 5, 2014
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A method and system for creating a customized package design. Package design and preference information related to a shape of the package design is received. The preference information includes user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the package design. A detailed design is generated that incorporates the user-specified information and a detailed design file is generated and output. Generation of the detailed design includes identifying functional elements associated with the package that correspond to the user-specified information and altering at least one physical characteristic of the identified functional elements based upon the preference information, and incorporating the altered physical characteristic into the detailed design. A determination can be made as to whether the altered detailed design satisfies any constraints associated with the package being design, and the detailed design file can be updated accordingly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets, the method comprising:
by a processor:
receiving an indication of an initial package design;
receiving preference information related to a shape of the initial package design, the preference information comprising user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the initial package design;
generating a detailed design that incorporates implementation of the user-specified information, wherein the generating comprises:
automatically identifying a plurality of functional elements associated with the three-dimensional structure that correspond to the user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes,
for at least one of the identified functional elements, altering at least one physical characteristic based upon at least a portion of the preference information, wherein the altering comprises altering a tab and slot design associated with the initial package design,
incorporating the at least one altered physical characteristic into the detailed design,
determining whether the detailed design meets one or more constraint conditions associated with the initial package design,
if the detailed design meets the one or more constraint conditions, maintaining the at least one altered physical characteristic, and
if the detailed design does not meet the one or more constraint condition, omitting the at least one altered physical characteristic from the detailed design; and

generating a detailed design file based upon the detailed design; and
causing a package generation system to use the detailed design file to apply cut lines and fold lines to a substrate to yield a package with the functional elements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering a tab and slot design comprises:
determining a tab shape and size based upon the incorporated at least a portion of the preference information;
determining a desired tab and slot fit based upon the incorporated at least a portion of the preference information;
determining a slot size based upon the determined tab shape, size and desired tab and slot fit; and
determining a tab and slot spacing based upon the incorporated at least a portion of the preference information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the preference information further comprises receiving one or more relative importance weights for one or more of the structural attributes of the initial package design.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the detailed design comprises defining one or more functions for determining final product attributes based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generating a detailed design further comprises defining lower and upper limits for each input variable for the one or more functions, the lower and upper limits being defined based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising calculating a set of design points that incorporates a sum of the relative importance weights.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the set of design points are determined such that the package design satisfies any constraints associated with a type of package being designed.

8. A method comprising:
by a processor, causing to be displayed, on a display operably connected to the processor, a user interface related to a design of a three-dimensional structure, the user interface comprising:
a user-selectable area for altering one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of a package to be designed, and
a user-selectable area for altering one or more importance weights associated with each of the one or more structural attributes;
receiving an indication of an initial package design from a user accessing the user interface;

receiving preference information related to a shape of the initial package design from the user, the preference information comprising:
user-specified information related to the one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the initial package design and user-specified information related to one or more importance weights;

creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets by:
generating a detailed design that incorporates implementation of the user-specified information, wherein the generating comprises:
automatically identifying a plurality of functional elements associated with the three-dimensional structure that correspond to the user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes,
for at least one of the identified functional elements, altering at least one physical characteristic based upon at least a portion of the preference information, wherein the altering comprises altering a tab and slot design associated with the initial package design,
incorporating the at least one altered physical characteristic into the detailed design,
determining whether the detailed design meets one or more constraint conditions associated with the initial package design,
if the detailed design meets the one or more constraint conditions, maintaining the at least one altered physical characteristic in the detailed design, and
if the detailed design does not meet the one or more constraint conditions, omitting the at least one altered physical characteristic from the detailed design;

generating a detailed design file based upon the detailed design; and
causing a package generation system to use the detailed design file to apply cut lines and fold lines to a substrate to yield the package with the identified functional elements.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the preference information further comprises receiving one or more relative importance weights for one or more of the structural attributes of the initial package design.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the detailed design comprises defining one or more functions for determining final product attributes based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the generating a detailed design further comprises defining lower and upper limits for each input variable for the one or more functions, the lower and upper limits being defined based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising calculating a set of design points that incorporates a sum of the relative importance weights, wherein the set of design points are determined such that the package design satisfies any constraints associated with a type of package being designed.

13. A system for creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets, the system comprising:
a processor;
a package generation system comprising a cutting device and a device configured to impart

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Furst Michael R
• Rizzolo Charles Donahue
• Hannaway William J
• Morgana Stephen C
• Eschbach Reiner

Classifications

• G06F30/00 Primary

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• B65D5/0254

  with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by means of a tongue integral with one of the flaps · CPC title

• G06F2111/16

  Customisation or personalisation · CPC title

• G06F2111/04

  Constraint-based CAD · CPC title

• G06F2113/20

  Packaging, e.g. boxes or containers · CPC title