Garment design and fabric printing system utilizing digitally encoded design cards

[0002] The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus and, in particular, discloses a garment design and printing system.

[0003] The present invention further relates to the creation of fabrics and garments utilising automated apparatuses.

[0004] A number of creative judgements are made when any garment is created. Firstly, there is the shape and styling of the garment and additionally, there are the fabric colours and style. Often, a fashion designer will try many different alternatives and may even attempt to draw the final fashion product before creating the finished garment.

[0005] Such a process is generally unsatisfactory in providing a rapid and flexible turn around of the garments and also not providing rapid opportunities to judge the final appearance of a fashion product on a person.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an. alternative form for analysing the look of garments and for their creation. A further object of the present invention is to provide for automatic fabric creation.

[0007] In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a garment creation system comprising:

[0008] a series of input tokens for inputting to a camera device for manipulation. of a sensed image for outputting on a display device depicting a garment constructed of fabric having characteristics of said sensed image;

[0009] a camera device adapted to read said input tokens and sense an image and manipulate said image in accordance with a read input token so as to produce said output image; and a display device adapted to display said output image.

[0010] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates the basic operation of an Artcam device;

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a series of Artcards for use with the preferred embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the algorithm utilised by the preferred embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the outputting of printed fabrics produced in accordance with the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a camera device for use in the invention; and

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic block diagram of main electronic components of the camera device.

[0017] The preferred embodiment is preferably implemented through suitable programming of a hand held camera device such as that described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/113,060 entitled “Digital Instant Printing Camera with Image Processing Capability” filed concurrently herewith by the present applicant the content of which is hereby specifically incorporated by cross reference.

[0018] The aforementioned patent specification discloses a camera system, hereinafter known as an “Artcam” type camera, wherein sensed images can be directly printed out by an Artcam portable camera unit. Further, the aforementioned specification discloses means and methods for performing various manipulations on images captured by the camera sensing device leading to the production of various effects in an output image. The manipulations are disclosed to be highly flexible in nature and can be implemented through the insertion into the Artcam of cards having encoded thereon various instructions for the manipulation of images, the cards hereinafter being known as Artcards. The Artcam further has significant onboard processing power provided by an Artcam Central Processor unit (ACP) which is connected to a memory device for the storage of important data and images.

[0019] The aforementioned patent specification discloses an Artcam system as indicated 1 in FIG. 1. The Artcam system 1 relies on an Artcam 2 which takes an Artcard 3 as an input. The Artcard 3 includes encoded information for manipulation of an image scene 4 so as to produce an output photo 5 which contains substantial manipulation in accordance with the encoded instructions of Artcard 3. The Artcards 3 are designed to be extremely inexpensive and contain on one surface the encoding information and on the other surface a depiction of the likely effect which will be produced by the Artcard 3 when inserted in Artcam 2.

[0020] “The camera 2 includes a full color display 44 for displaying the image 4 sensed by the sensor 42. An unmanipulated image can be printed out from the camera 2 to provide photo 5 by means of a button 46. Instead, when the Artcard 3 is inserted into the camera 2 to provide a manipulated or distorted version of the sensed image 4, if it is desired to make a hard copy version of the sensed image, a button 48 is pressed to print the photo 5.

[0021] Also, it is to be noted that the distorted image can, if desired, be displayed on the display 44 in order to give an indication of the image. produced as a result of distortion by the Artcard 3.

[0022] The Artcard 3 is inserted in an Artcard reader 50 in a side of the camera 2. As described above, the Artcard 3, upon insertion, results in the image 4 being distorted in the same manner as the distortion depicted on a surface of the Artcard 3.

[0023] The camera 2 includes a number of other control buttons 52 and 54 in addition to a simple LCD display 56. The display 56 displays information including the number of prints left on an internal print roll of the camera 2. Where the camera 2 is to be used in a conventional fashion, different output formats can be selected by a CHP switch 58 arranged on top of the camera 2.

[0024] Referring now to FIG. 6, a schematic view of internal hardware of the camera 2 is shown. The hardware is based around an Artcam central processing unit (ACP) 60.

[0025] The ACP 60 is preferably implemented as a complex, high speed, CMOS system on-a-chip. The functions provided by the ACP 60 include:

[0026] 1. Control and digitisation of the area image sensor 42.

[0027] 2. Area image sensor compensation, reformatting and image enhancement.

[0028] 3. Memory interface and management to a memory store 62.

[0029] 4. Interface, control and analog to digital conversion of an Artcard reader linear image sensor 64 which is provided for the reading of data from the Artcards 3.

[0030] 5. Extraction of the raw Artcard data from the digitised and encoded Artcard image.

[0031] 6. Reed-Solomon error detection and correction of the Artcard encoded data. The encoded surface of the Artcard 3 includes information on how to process an image to produce the effects displayed on the image distorted surface of the Artcard. This information is in the form of a script, hereinafter known as a “Vark script”. The Vark script is utilised by an interpreter running within the ACP 60 to produce the desired effect.

[0032] 7. Interpretation of the Vark script on the Artcard 3.

[0033] 8. Performing image processing operations as specified by the Vark script.

[0034] 9. Controlling various motors 66, 68, 70 and 72 for the paper transport, Artcard driver, zoom lens and auto focus respectively.

[0035] 10. Controlling a guillotine actuator 74 for the operation of a guillotine 76 for the cutting of photographs 5 from a print roll 78.

[0036] 11. Half-toning of the image data for printing.

[0037] 12. Providing the print data to a printhead 80 at the appropriate times.

[0038] 13. Controlling the printhead 80.

[0039] 14. Controlling the ink pressure feed to the printhead 80.

[0040] 15. Controlling an optional flash unit 82.

[0041] 16. Reading and acting on various sensors in the camera 2 including an Artcard insertion sensor 84.

[0042] 17. Reading and acting on the user interface buttons 46, 52 and 54.

[0043] 18. Controlling the LCD 56.

[0044] 19. Providing viewfinder and preview images to the display 44.

[0045] 20. Control of the system power consumption, including the ACP power consumption, via a power management circuit 86.

[0046] 21. Providing external communications to the garment printer 34 (FIG. 4) via a USB port 88.

[0047] 22. Reading and storing information in a print roll authentication chip 90.

[0048] 23. Reading and storing information in a camera 2 authentication chip 92.

[0049] 24. Communicating with an optional mini keyboard 94 for text modification.

[0050] The Artcard 3 is a program storage medium for the camera 2. As noted previously, the programs for the camera 2 are in the form of Vark scripts. Vark is an image processing language especially developed for the camera 2. Each Artcard 3 contains one Vark script and thereby defines one image processing or manipulating style. Preferably, the Vark language is highly image processing specific. By being so specific, the amount of storage required to store the details on the Artcard 3 is substantially reduced. Further, the ease with which new programs can be created, including enhanced effects, is also substantially increased. The language includes facilities for handling many image processing functions including image warping via a warp map, convolution, color look up tables, posterising an image, adding noise to an image, image enhancement filters, painting algorithms, brush jittering and manipulation edge detection filters, tiling, illumination via light sources, bump maps, text, face detection and object detection attributes, fonts—including three dimensional fonts, and arbitrary complexity pre-rendered icons.

[0051] Hence, by utilizing the language constructs as defined by the created language, new effects on arbitrary images can be created and constructed for inexpensive storage on the Artcards 3. As described above, one of the surfaces of each Artcard 3 contains a depiction of the effect which would be obtained by using that particular Artcard.

[0052] Each Artcard 3 is a piece of thin white plastics with the same format as a credit card and which is reasonably robust. The Artcard 3 is printed on both sides using a high resolution inkjet printer. The inkjet printer technology is the same as that used in the camera 2 having a resolution of 1600 dpi. A major benefit of the Artcard 3 is its low manufacturing costs. The Artcards can be manufactured at high speeds as a web of film. The web is printed simultaneously on both sides using a “pagewidth” color inkjet printer. The web is then cut into individual cards. On one face of the card is printed a human readable representation of the effect the Artcard 3 will have on the sensed image. On the opposed surface of the card an array of dots is printed which is decoded into the Vark script that defines the image processing sequence. The print area is approximately 80 millimetres×50 millimetres, giving a total of 15,876,000 dots. This array of dots represents at least 1.89 megabytes of data. To achieve high reliability, extensive error detection and correction is incorporated in the array of dots. This allows a substantial portion of the card to be defaced, worn, creased or dirtied with no effect on data integrity. The data coding used is Reed-Solomon coding, with half the data devoted to error correction. Accordingly, this allows the storage of 967 kilobytes of error corrected data on each Artcard 3.

[0053] In accordance with the method of the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a large number of Artcards 3 are prepared and distributed in packs 10. Each pack 10 relates to clothing wear of a specific size and includes images eg. 11 of models having clothing apparel 12 on to which an image captured by the camera will be mapped. The mapping can be for different items of apparel on different Artcards 3. One form of mapping algorithm is as illustrated 20 in FIG. 3 wherein the input image 4 is first warped at step 21 utilising a warp map which maps the image to a repeating tiling pattern that produces attractive warping effects.

[0054] Of course, many other forms of algorithms could be provided for producing an attractive form of material with the algorithm being provided on Artcard 3 (FIG. 1).

[0055] Next, a second warp can be provided at step 2 for warping the output of first warp map onto the specific model image in the Artcard. Therefore, wrap step 22 will be Artcard specific. The result can then be output at 23 for printing as an Artcam photo 5. Hence, a user is able to point a Artcam 2 at a desired image 4 and produce Artcam photo 5 which has a manipulated version of the image based upon an item of fashion apparel or garment. This process can be continued until a desirable result is produced.

[0056] Next, as indicated in FIG. 4, when a final selection of fabric has been made, the Artcam 2 is connected 3 by its USB port to a fabric printer 34 which comprises an ink jet fabric printer and associated drive controller electronics etc. Either the Artcam 2 or the ink jet printer 34 can be programmed to print out on fabric 35 the garment pieces eg. 36 having on the surface 37 thereof the original warped image so as to produce a garment corresponding to that depicted by the representation on the Artcard 3.

[0057] The output fabric can include tab portions eg. 38 for alignment and border regions eg. 39 in addition to instructions 40 for joining the garment pieces together. Preferably, the output program includes providing for warp matching of border regions so as to present a continuous appearance on the garment cross seams. Additionally, a user interface could be provided for utilising the same Artcard with many different output sizes so as to taken into account different shaped bodies. By utilisation of Artcam technology, a system can be provided for customised production of garments and rapid depiction of the likely results by means of utilisation of the Artcam device 2.

[0058] It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiment without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

[0059] The embodiments of the invention use an ink jet printer type device. Of course many different devices could be used. However presently popular ink jet printing technologies are unlikely to be suitable.

[0060] The most significant problem with thermal inkjet is power consumption. This is approximately 100 times that required for high speed, and stems from the energy-inefficient means of drop ejection. This involves the rapid boiling of water to produce a vapor bubble which expels the ink. Water has a very high heat capacity, and must be superheated in thermal inkjet applications. This leads to an efficiency of around 0.02%, from electricity input to drop momentum (and increased surface area) out.

[0061] The most significant problem with piezoelectric inkjet is size and cost. Piezoelectric crystals have a very small deflection at reasonable drive voltages, and therefore require a large area for each nozzle. Also, each piezoelectric actuator must be connected to its drive circuit on a separate substrate. This is not a significant problem at the current limit of around 300 nozzles per printhead, but is a major impediment to the fabrication of pagewidth printheads with 19,200 nozzles.

[0062] Ideally, the inkjet technologies used meet the stringent requirements of in-camera digital color printing and other high quality, high speed, low cost printing applications. To meet the requirements of digital photography, new inkjet technologies have been created. The target features include:

[0063] low power (less than 10 Watts)

[0064] high resolution capability (1,600 dpi or more)

[0065] photographic quality output

[0066] low manufacturing cost

[0067] small size (pagewidth times minimum cross section)

[0068] high speed (<2 seconds per page).

[0069] All of these features can be met or exceeded by the inkjet systems described below with differing levels of difficulty. Forty five different inkjet technologies have been developed by the Assignee to give a wide range of choices for high volume manufacture. These technologies form part of separate applications assigned to the present Assignee as set out in the list under the heading CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.

[0070] The inkjet designs shown here are suitable for a wide range of digital printing systems, from battery powered one-time use digital cameras, through to desktop and network printers, and through to commercial printing systems

[0071] For ease of manufacture using standard process equipment, the printhead is designed to be a monolithic 0.5 micron CMOS chip with MEMS post processing. For color photographic applications, the printhead is 100 mm long, with a width which depends upon the inkjet type. The smallest printhead designed is IJ38, which is 0.35 mm wide, giving a chip area of 35 square mm. The printheads each contain 19,200 nozzles plus data and control circuitry.

[0072] Ink is supplied to the back of the printhead by injection molded plastic ink channels. The molding requires 50 micron features, which can be created using a lithographically micromachined insert in a standard injection molding tool. Ink flows through holes etched through the wafer to the nozzle chambers fabricated on the front surface of the wafer. The printhead is connected to the camera circuitry by tape automated bonding.

[0073] The following co-pending US patent applications, identified by their US patent application serial numbers (USSN), were filed simultaneously to the present application on Jul. 10, 1998, and are hereby incorporated by cross-reference.

[0074] The present invention is useful in the field of digital printing, in particular, ink jet printing. A number of patent applications in this field were filed simultaneously and incorporated by cross reference. Eleven important characteristics of the fundamental operation of individual inkjet nozzles have been identified. These characteristics are largely orthogonal, and so can be elucidated as an eleven dimensional matrix. Most of the eleven axes of this matrix include entries developed by the present assignee.

[0075] The following tables form the axes of an eleven dimensional table of inkjet types.

[0076] Actuator mechanism (18 types)

[0077] Basic operation mode (7 types)

[0078] Auxiliary mechanism (8 types)

[0079] Actuator amplification or modification method (17 types)

[0080] Actuator motion (19 types)

[0081] Nozzle refill method (4 types)

[0082] Method of restricting back-flow through inlet (10 types)

[0083] Nozzle clearing method (9 types)

[0084] Nozzle plate construction (9 types)

[0085] Drop ejection direction (5 types)

[0086] Ink type (7 types)

[0087] The complete eleven dimensional table represented by these axes contains 36.9 billion possible configurations of inkjet nozzle. While not all of the possible combinations result in a viable inkjet technology, many million configurations are viable. It is clearly impractical to elucidate all of the possible configurations. Instead, certain inkjet types have been investigated in detail. Forty-five such inkjet types were filed simultaneously to the present application.

[0088] Other inkjet configurations can readily be derived from these forty five examples by substituting alternative configurations along one or more of the 11 axes. Most of the forty five examples can be made into inkjet printheads with characteristics superior to any currently available inkjet technology.

[0089] Where there are prior art examples known to the inventor, one or more of these examples are listed in the examples column of the tables below. The simultaneously filed patent applications by the present applicant are listed by USSN numbers. In some cases, a print technology may be listed more than once in a table, where it shares characteristics with more than one entry.

[0090] Suitable applications include: Home printers, Office network printers, Short run digital printers, Commercial print systems, Fabric printers, Pocket printers, Internet WWW printers, Video printers, Medical imaging, Wide format printers, Notebook PC printers, Fax machines, Industrial printing systems, Photocopiers, Photographic minilabs etc.

[0091] The information associated with the aforementioned 11 dimensional matrix are set out in the following tables.