Patents Assigned to Zazzle Inc.
  • Patent number: 10726875
    Abstract: An approach for defining, capturing, assembling, and displaying customized video content is provided. In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a server computer, a video frame sequence that includes one or more video frames; applying, by the server computer, one or more filters to the one or more video frames to generate a video data file that captures geometry of a customizable object depicted in the one or more video frames; generating, by the server computer, customization instructions for customizing appearance of the customizable object; transmitting, from the server computer to a client computer, the video data file and the customization instructions to cause the client computer to execute the customization instructions with respect to the video data file to render a customized object, and to overlay the customized object over the customizable object in the video frame sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10719862
    Abstract: A system and method for acquisition, characterization, and application of Manufacturing patterns to the automated production of the digital representation of these patterns as interactive media that gathers a customer's input, and subsequently produces physical product is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventors: Young Harvill, Robert I. Beaver, III
  • Patent number: 10580185
    Abstract: Techniques for generating and using digital markups on digital images are presented. In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving, at an electronic device, a digital layout image that represents a form of a product for manufacturing a reference product; generating a digital markup layout by overlaying the digital markup image over the digital layout image; based on the digital markup layout, generating one or more manufacturing files comprising digital data for manufacturing the reference product; receiving a digital reference image of the reference product manufactured based on the one or more manufacturing files; identifying one or more found markup regions in the digital reference image; based on the found markup regions, generating a geometry map and an interactive asset image; based on, at least in part, the geometry map, generating a customized product image by applying a user pattern to the interactive asset image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10553251
    Abstract: An approach for defining, capturing, assembling, and displaying customized video content is provided. In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a server computer, a video frame sequence that includes one or more video frames; applying, by the server computer, one or more filters to the one or more video frames to generate a video data file that captures geometry of a customizable object depicted in the one or more video frames; generating, by the server computer, customization instructions for customizing appearance of the customizable object; transmitting, from the server computer to a client computer, the video data file and the customization instructions to cause the client computer to execute the customization instructions with respect to the video data file to render a customized object, and to overlay the customized object over the customizable object in the video frame sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10507589
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing a substrate with a cut thermal film comprises obtaining an input digital image of a design to be transferred to the substrate; storing the input image in memory; rendering design elements of the design as a single output image; based upon a bleed size value, a maximum number of negative areas, a maximum number of positive areas, and attribute values: resizing the image to include a border for bleed; filling transparent areas of the image with the substrate attribute values; creating a cutting path; creating a mask image; inverting the mask image; modifying the mask image to adjust fill areas around details, to limit negative areas to be less than the maximum number of negative areas, and to limit positive areas to be less than the maximum number of positive areas; creating cutting path data in memory as a vector path outlining the mask image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10304108
    Abstract: A product image depicting a customizable product with one or more annotations is displayed. Each annotation of the one or more annotations identifies an attribute group location upon the customizable product that represents an attribute group comprising one or more attributes of the customizable product that may be customized. A selection of a particular attribute group location of the attribute group location identified by the one or more annotations is received. The particular attribute group location represents a particular attribute group. In response to receiving the selection, information relating to one or more attributes included in the particular attribute group is displayed. An attribute selection shape comprising a plurality of regions, each of which represent an attribute of the particular attribute group may be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Beaver, Siddharth Ananthakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10283165
    Abstract: An approach for defining, capturing, assembling, and displaying customized video content is provided. In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a server computer, a video frame sequence that includes one or more video frames; applying, by the server computer, one or more filters to the one or more video frames to generate a video data file that captures geometry of a customizable object depicted in the one or more video frames; generating, by the server computer, customization instructions for customizing appearance of the customizable object; transmitting, from the server computer to a client computer, the video data file and the customization instructions to cause the client computer to execute the customization instructions with respect to the video data file to render a customized object, and to overlay the customized object over the customizable object in the video frame sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10176617
    Abstract: Techniques for generating and using digital markups on digital images are presented. In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving, at an electronic device, a digital layout image that represents a form of a product for manufacturing a reference product; generating a digital markup layout by overlaying the digital markup image over the digital layout image; based on the digital markup layout, generating one or more manufacturing files comprising digital data for manufacturing the reference product; receiving a digital reference image of the reference product manufactured based on the one or more manufacturing files; identifying one or more found markup regions in the digital reference image; based on the found markup regions, generating a geometry map and an interactive asset image; based on, at least in part, the geometry map, generating a customized product image by applying a user pattern to the interactive asset image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10137590
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing a substrate with a cut thermal film comprises obtaining an input digital image of a design to be transferred to the substrate; storing the input image in memory; rendering design elements of the design as a single output image; based upon a bleed size value, a maximum number of negative areas, a maximum number of positive areas, and attribute values: resizing the image to include a border for bleed; filling transparent areas of the image with the substrate attribute values; creating a cutting path; creating a mask image; inverting the mask image; modifying the mask image to adjust fill areas around details, to limit negative areas to be less than the maximum number of negative areas, and to limit positive areas to be less than the maximum number of positive areas; creating cutting path data in memory as a vector path outlining the mask image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 10083517
    Abstract: An input image is partitioned into a plurality of image regions based on color and color differences. The partitioning comprises assigning a color difference value to plurality of locations within the input image. The partitioning further comprises assigning each of the plurality of locations to an image region of the plurality of image regions, where the assigning occurs according to a particular order. The particular order is based at least in part on color difference values associated with the plurality of locations. The input image may comprise markup. Data representing at least a particular portion of the markup in the input image based on the partitioning is identified. Data representing at least the portion of the markup may be used in a visualization of a customizable product or a manufacturing control associated with a customizable product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 9947076
    Abstract: A product modeling system and method are provided. On one embodiment, the product modeling system is used to model a piece of apparel, such as a shirt, with a design wherein the model with the design is used to display the piece of apparel with the design to a consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventors: Young Harvill, Minh Thai, Robert Irven Beaver, III
  • Patent number: 9905012
    Abstract: An input image is partitioned into a plurality of image regions based on color and color differences. The partitioning comprises assigning a color difference value to plurality of locations within the input image. The partitioning further comprises assigning each of the plurality of locations to an image region of the plurality of image regions, where the assigning occurs according to a particular order. The particular order is based at least in part on color difference values associated with the plurality of locations. The input image may comprise markup. Data representing at least a particular portion of the markup in the input image based on the partitioning is identified. Data representing at least the portion of the markup may be used in a visualization of a customizable product or a manufacturing control associated with a customizable product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 9852533
    Abstract: Techniques for generating and using digital markups on digital images are presented. In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving, at an electronic device, a digital layout image that represents a form of a product for manufacturing a reference product; generating a digital markup layout by overlaying the digital markup image over the digital layout image; based on the digital markup layout, generating one or more manufacturing files comprising digital data for manufacturing the reference product; receiving a digital reference image of the reference product manufactured based on the one or more manufacturing files; identifying one or more found markup regions in the digital reference image; based on the found markup regions, generating a geometry map and an interactive asset image; based on, at least in part, the geometry map, generating a customized product image by applying a user pattern to the interactive asset image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 9823642
    Abstract: A system and method for causing a specialized device to cut and weed a cut thermal transfer film is provided. In an embodiment, a service provider computer receives a request for one or more designs to be attached to a substrate. The service provider computer uses the design to generate additional instructions for a thermal transfer film cutting device that describe regions of the thermal transfer film to be cut to create the one or more designs, regions of the thermal transfer film to be cut to provide a registration means, and regions of the thermal transfer film to be attached to a receiving sheet. The service provider computer sends the additional instructions to the thermal transfer film cutting device which executes the instructions on a thermal transfer film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventor: Leslie Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 9702071
    Abstract: An embroidery system and method are provided in which a consumer can provide a design, such as images or text, have it converted into a digitized image and then used to generate customized embroidery that can be placed onto a product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventors: Young Harvill, Rich Bean, Robert Irven Beaver, III, Chris Vanrensburg
  • Patent number: 9530217
    Abstract: An input image is partitioned into a plurality of image regions based on color and color differences. The partitioning comprises assigning a color difference value to plurality of locations within the input image. The partitioning further comprises assigning each of the plurality of locations to an image region of the plurality of image regions, where the assigning occurs according to a particular order. The particular order is based at least in part on color difference values associated with the plurality of locations. The input image may comprise markup. Data representing at least a particular portion of the markup in the input image based on the partitioning is identified. Data representing at least the portion of the markup may be used in a visualization of a customizable product or a manufacturing control associated with a customizable product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Zazzle, Inc.
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 9477979
    Abstract: A product customization system and method are provided in which a consumer can insert user content, such as images or text, onto a product, such as a shoe, and then view the customized product before purchasing the customized product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventors: Leslie Young Harvill, Robert I. Beaver, III, Eric Dean Matson, E. Paul Salcedo, Eddie Nelson Caggiani
  • Patent number: 9436963
    Abstract: Techniques are described for visualizing a product at the actual location in the environment at which the product is to be used or displayed. An embodiment of the approaches described herein may be used in the context of a computer-based system that can receive and store digital images, receive a request to manufacture a custom framed product including an identification of an image to be framed and a type of mat and/or frame, and display a preview image of the custom framed product that simulates the actual appearance of the product as closely as possible. With such a system, the preview image may be highly realistic under idealized lighting and display conditions. A digital asset visualizing the custom product may be built using a data that maps nodes of a reference connectivity graph of a marker to nodes of a candidate connectivity graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Irven Beaver, III, Leslie Young Harvill, Richard Harold Bean
  • Patent number: 9400997
    Abstract: A product image depicting a customizable product with one or more annotations is displayed. Each annotation of the one or more annotations identifies an attribute group location upon the customizable product that represents an attribute group comprising one or more attributes of the customizable product that may be customized. A selection of a particular attribute group location of the attribute group location identified by the one or more annotations is received. The particular attribute group location represents a particular attribute group. In response to receiving the selection, information relating to one or more attributes included in the particular attribute group is displayed. An attribute selection shape comprising a plurality of regions, each of which represent an attribute of the particular attribute group may be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: ZAZZLE INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Beaver, Siddharth Ananthakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9384519
    Abstract: Techniques for extracting keys from digital images data are presented. In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a particular image; using a computer, determining a plurality of characteristics specific to contents of the particular image; using the computer, generating, based at least in part on the plurality of characteristics, a plurality of coefficients; generating a plurality of values by applying a particular function to the plurality of coefficients; selecting, from the plurality of values, a subset of values, each value in the subset satisfying a particular threshold requirement; based, at least in part on the subset of values, generating one or more keys, each of which uniquely encodes data included in the subset of values; generating and storing metadata that associates each of the one or more keys with the particular image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Zazzle Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Tripp, Jason Li