US 8,300,062 B2 · Method, system and computer program for using a suggestive modeling interface

Abstract

A method, computer system and computer program is provided for using a suggestive modeling interface. The method consists of a method of a computer-implemented rendering of sketches, the method comprising the steps of: (1) a user activating a sketching application; (2) in response, the sketching application displaying on a screen a suggestive modeling interface; (3) the sketching application importing a sketch to the suggestive modeling interface; and (4) the sketching application retrieving from a database one or more suggestions based on the sketch. The method is operable to allow a user interactively using the sketching application to create a drawing that is guided by the imported sketch by selectively using one or more image guided drawing tools provided by the sketching application. The present invention is well-suited for three-dimensional modeling applications.

Drawings

Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO

Drawings

Claims23

Dependent claims

A system for modeling based upon a sketch, comprising;

(a) a computer;
(b) a database linked to the computer, said database being operable to store the following as one or more images:
one or more stored images;
at least one image of previously used geometry;
and at least one previous drawing selected by a user and stored as an image of previously used geometry;
and
(c) a computer application linked to the computer, the computer application being operable to provide a sketching application, wherein:
(i) the sketching application is operable to present to a user a suggestive modeling interface, the suggestive modeling interface being operable to:
(A) infer characteristics of a drawing and characteristics of a currently drawn curve as inferred characteristics, said inferred characteristics including intersections and straightness of the drawing or currently drawn curve, and said suggestive modeling interface further being operable to provide suggestions of subsequent possible geometry that is similar geometry that can be used in the drawing without the need to draw the geometry, said suggestions being based upon the inferred characteristics;
and
(B) assist the user in producing a drawing based on:
sketching input from the user;
and one or more aspects of one or more images obtained from the database;
and
(ii) the suggestive modeling interface includes or is linked to a matching operator for:
(A) accessing one or more images from the database dynamically based on one or more of the following:
one or more inferred characteristics to determine subsequent possible geometry based on a current state of the drawing or a currently drawn curve;
similar geometry based on the current state of the drawing or the currently drawn curve;
and a curve signature based on the current state of the drawing or the currently drawn curve;
and
(B) accessing one or more images from the database iteratively in accordance with the current state of the drawing or the currently drawn curve, said accessed one or more images representing one or more of the following:
exact matches, inferred subsequent possible geometry, or substantially similar matches to the current state of the drawing;
and augmenting basic suggestions of similar geometry within more complex suggestions of similar geometry;
(iii) the suggestive modeling interface is operable to permit a user to select one or more of the images accessed from the database as suggestions of images of similar geometry and thereby integrate the one or more suggestion images into the drawing;
and
(iv) the sketching application being operable to:
(A) to continuously present to the user one or more images from the database based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing including any currently drawn curve, in accordance with the suggestive modeling interface as the user continues drawing;
and
(B) to permit the user to select one or more drawings and to store said selected one or more drawings to the database to be used as images of previously used geometry by the suggestive modeling interface.

26 more elements

A non-transitory computer program product for use on a computer, the non-transitory computer program product comprising:

(a) a computer useable medium;
and
(b) computer readable program code recorded or storable in the computer useable medium, the computer readable program code defining a sketching application that is operable to:
(i) present to a user a suggestive modeling interface, the suggestive modeling interface being operable to assist the user in producing a drawing based on:
sketching input from the user;
and one or more aspects of one or more images obtained from a database, said one or more images being stored in said database and including one or more stored images and one or more images of previously used geometry;
(ii) utilize a matching operator linked to the suggestive modeling interface to:
(A) infer characteristics of the drawing and characteristics of a currently drawn curve as inferred characteristics, said inferred characteristics including intersections and straightness of the drawing or currently drawn curve, and said suggestive modeling interface further being operable to dynamically and iteratively provide access to one or more images from the database based on the inferred characteristics as suggestions of subsequent possible geometry that is similar geometry to a current state of the drawing or a currently drawn curve that can be used in the drawing without the need to draw the geometry;
and
(B) access one or more images from the database dynamically and iteratively based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing or a currently drawn curve, whereby the one or more images represent one or more of the following:
exact matches or substantially similar matches to one or more of the following:
the current state of the drawing, the currently drawn curve, and a curve signature of the currently drawn curve;
or augmenting of basic suggestions of similar geometry within more complex suggestions of similar geometry;
(iii) permit a user to select:
(A) one or more of the images accessed from the database as suggestions of images of similar geometry and thereby integrate the one or more suggestion images into the drawing;
and
(B) one or more drawings and to store said selected one or more drawings to the database to be used as images of previously used geometry by the suggestive modeling interface;
and
(iv) continuously present to the user one or more images from the database based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing in accordance with the suggestive modeling interface as the user continues drawing.

16 more elements

A method of sketch rendering, comprising the steps of:

(a) activating a sketching application linked to a computer and a database, the sketching application being operable to present a suggestive modeling interface;
(b) presenting to a user the suggestive modeling interface, the suggestive modeling interface being operable to:
(i) assist the user in producing a drawing based on:
sketching input from the user;
and one or more aspects of one or more images obtained from the database, said one or more images being stored in said database and including one or more stored images and one or more images of previously used geometry;
and
(ii) applying a matching operator linked to the suggestive modeling interface to access one or more images from the database dynamically and iteratively based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing or a currently drawn curve, said one or more images representing one or more of the following:
exact matches or substantially similar matches to one or more of the following:
the current state of the drawing, the currently drawn curve, and a curve signature of the currently drawn curve;
and augmenting of basic suggestions of similar geometry within more complex suggestions of similar geometry;
(iv) the modelling interface inferring characteristics of the drawing and characteristics of the currently drawn curve as inferred characteristics, said inferred characteristics including intersections and straightness of the drawing or currently drawn curve, and dynamically and iteratively providing access to one or more images from the database based on the inferred characteristics as suggestions of subsequent possible geometry that is similar geometry to a current state of the drawing or a currently drawn curve that can be used in the drawing without the need to draw the geometry;
(c) permitting a user to select:
(i) one or more of the images accessed from the database as suggestions of images of similar geometry and to integrate the one or more suggestion images into the drawing;
and
(ii) one or more drawings and storing said selected one or more drawings to the database to be used as images of previously used geometry by the suggestive modeling interface;
and
(d) utilizing the sketching application to continuously present to the user one or more images from the database based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing in accordance with the suggestive modeling interface as the user continues drawing.

14 more elements

A method for suggesting design components utilizing a sketching application, comprising the steps of:

(a) importing a sketch to the sketching application to produce a drawing;
(b) applying a matching operator linked to a suggestive modeling interface in accordance with the sketching application, the matching operator being operable to access one or more images from a database dynamically based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing, said one or more images being stored in said database and including one or more stored images and one or more images of previously used geometry;
(c) applying the matching operator dynamically to iteratively access suggestions of images of similar geometry based on the current state of the drawing, said one or more images being exact matches or substantially similar matches to the current state of the drawing and further applying the matching operator to access the modelling interface and to undertake the steps of:
(A) inferring characteristics of the drawing, said inferred characteristics including intersections and straightness of the drawing or currently drawn curve, and dynamically and iteratively providing access one or more images from the database based on the inferred characteristics as suggestions of subsequent possible geometry that is similar geometry to a current state of the drawing that can be used in the drawing without the need to draw the geometry;
and
(B) augmenting basic suggestions of similar geometry within more complex suggestions of similar geometry of the accessed one or more images;
(d) permitting a user to select:
one or more of the images accessed from the database as suggestions of images of similar geometry and to integrate the one or more suggestion images into the drawing;
and one or more drawings and storing said selected one or more drawings to the database to be used as images of previously used geometry by the suggestive modeling interface;
and
(e) applying the matching operator to continuously present to the user one or more images from the database based on similar geometry to a current state of the drawing as the user continues drawing.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description7,130 words

Summary1,814 words

#This invention relates generally to methods, computer programs, and systems for computer modeling. This invention relates more particularly to an image guided pen-based method, system, computer program, and a related interface, for the creation of computer-implemented renderings of sketches. This invention further relates to a method of promoting goods or services by associating the vendors of goods or services with the computer program of the present invention.

#Current digital three-dimensional modeling software, including gesture based interfaces, predictive and suggestive interfaces, recognition systems, image understanding, constraint based systems, and curve creation techniques, enable the creation and manipulation of extremely sophisticated geometric objects, and has been widely adopted by practitioners in industry. Such software programs include: Pro/ENGINEER™, SolidWorks™, and AutoCAD™. However, as illustrated below, there are disadvantages in using such prior art technologies for the purpose of three-dimensional sketching for effective and easy integration into paper/pencil based sketching processes involved in many creative processes.

#The user interfaces for these three-dimensional modelers, however, are typically quite complex, relying on the standard WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointing devices) interaction metaphor to perform all tasks, typically using a mouse and keyboard as the primary input devices.

Brief description of the drawings14 figures

#A detailed description of the preferred embodiments is provided herein below by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates a resource diagram of the system of the present invention, in one particular embodiment thereof.

#FIG. 2 is a resource diagram illustrating the resources of the computer program of the present invention, in one particular embodiment thereof.

Detailed description4,993 words

#In the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

#The system of the present invention, in one aspect thereof, is best understood as a computer-implemented system for rendering sketches. FIG. 1 illustrates a representative embodiment of the system that includes a computer 10, which computer generally consists of a personal computer including a lap top or table PC, provided that they have a suitable graphics card (not shown) and suitable graphics acceleration to process graphics as described below. The computer is preferably linked to a database 11. The primary input device is a pen 12 on a digitizing tablet 14 such as a WACOM™ tablet. The pen 12 preferably has a barrel button with two click actions—forward, backward, and an active eraser end. Loaded on the computer 10 is the computer application 16 of the present invention, which is the computer program aspect of the present invention. The computer application 16 consists of a special application three-dimensional modeling tool, programmed in a manner that is known, to include the functions described in this disclosure. The method of the present invention is particularized throughout the disclosure, and certain aspects of the method are summarized below under the heading “Business Method”.

#As illustrated, for example, in FIG. 2, the computer application 16, in a particular embodiment thereof, includes a sketching application 17 and a translator 19. The sketching application 17 provides the suggestive modeling interface 18 that enables users to access the functions of the sketching application 17. The operations of the sketching application 17 are described below as functions embodied by the suggestive modeling interface 18 for the sake of illustration of the invention in operation. The sketching application 17 is best understood as incorporating certain features common to the three-dimensional model creations packages such as AutoCAD™ and others. The translator 19 is operable to convert drawing files for processing by the sketching application 17 as explained below, and also to convert drawings created by operation of the sketching application 17 into common file formats used by available three-dimensional model creation packages.

Facts

Application

11/405,469Filed 18 Apr 2006

Published

US 2006/0250393 A19 Nov 2006

Granted

30 Oct 2012

Term ended

14 Jul 2026

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 87 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification6 codes

G06T 11/23
Drawing from basic elements: using straight lines or curves
G06F 3/04845
For the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a…:…
G06T 19/20
Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics: editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or…
G06T 2219/2021
Indexing scheme for editing of 3D models: shape modification

Method, system and computer program for using a suggestive modeling interface

Life of this patent

Method, system and computer program for using a suggestive modeling interface

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims23

Description7,130 words

Drawings

Classification6 codes

Life of this patent

Description7,130 words