Interior design using rapid prototyping

1 . A method for producing a model of an interior configuration of at least one three-dimensional object within a three-dimensional interior space, the method comprising:

accepting at least one interior space input data set, the at least one interior space input data set including interior space data representing at least a portion of the three-dimensional interior space;

providing the interior space data to at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create an interior space item including a cavity, the cavity at least partially constituting a model of the three-dimensional interior space;

accepting at least one object input data set, the at least one object input data set including object data representing at least the at least one three-dimensional object; and

providing the object data to the at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create at least one object item, the at least one object item at least partially constituting a model of the at least one three-dimensional object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the object data to the at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create the at least one object item is for creating the at least one object item within the cavity of the interior space item.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the providing the object data to the at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create the at least one object item is for creating the at least one object item outside the cavity of the interior space item;

the providing the interior space data to the at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create the interior space item is for creating the interior space item having an opening into the cavity dimensioned to allow insertion of the at least one object item into the cavity; and

further including inserting the at least one object item into the cavity through the opening.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

creating the interior space item; and

creating the at least one object item.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further including moving the at least one object item within the cavity.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one object item includes a magnetic material, and wherein the moving the at least one object item is performed using at least one magnet.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the moving the at least one object item within the cavity includes moving the at least one object item to a specified position within the cavity.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the moving the at least one object item within the cavity includes moving the at least one object item to a specified orientation within the cavity.

9 . The method of claim 4 , further including:

inserting an optical sensing device within the cavity; and

changing at least one of a position or an orientation of the optical sensing device.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further including storing optical data from the optical sensing device.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further including displaying optical data from the optical sensing device.

12 . A system for producing a model of an interior configuration of at least one three-dimensional object within a three-dimensional interior space, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operably couplable to the processor;

software stored in the memory and adapted

to accept at least one interior space input data set, the at least one interior space input data set including interior space data representing at least the interior space,

to accept at least one object input data set, the at least one object input data set including object data representing at least the at least one three-dimensional object,

to provide the interior space data to at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create an interior space item including a cavity at least partially constituting a model of the three-dimensional interior space, and

to provide the object data to the at least one rapid prototyping apparatus to create at least one object item, the at least one object item at least partially constituting a model of the at least one three-dimensional object.

13 . A method of providing an interior design service, the method comprising providing the system of claim 12 , for use by a user.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the providing includes assisting the user in the use of the system.

15 . An article comprising:

an interior space item including a cavity, the cavity at least partially constituting a model of an interior space, the cavity shaped by at least one rapid prototyping apparatus according to interior space data representing at least a portion of the interior space; and

at least one object item, the at least one object item at least partially constituting a model of at least one three-dimensional object within the interior space, the at least one object item shaped by the at least one rapid prototyping apparatus according to object data representing the at least one three-dimensional object, the at least one object item at least partially resident within the cavity.

16 . A method for producing a model of an interior configuration of at least one three-dimensional object within a three-dimensional interior space, the method comprising:

receiving interior space data for a rapid prototyping apparatus, the interior space data structured to create an interior space item including a cavity, the cavity at least partially constituting a model of the three-dimensional interior space; and

receiving object data for the rapid prototyping apparatus, the object data structured to create at least one object item, the at least one object item at least partially constituting a model of the at least one three-dimensional object.

17 . A rapid prototyping system, the system comprising:

circuitry for receiving interior space data for a rapid prototyping apparatus, the interior space data structured to create an interior space item including a cavity, the cavity at least partially constituting a model of the three-dimensional interior space; and

circuitry for receiving object data for the rapid prototyping apparatus, the object data structured to create at least one object item, the at least one object item at least partially constituting a model of the at least one three-dimensional object.

18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

the rapid prototyping apparatus including at least one of a rapid prototyping material reservoir, a rapid prototyping formation chamber, a rapid prototyping material injection device, a rapid prototyping extrusion device, a rapid prototyping molding device, a rapid prototyping heat device, a rapid prototyping light device, or a rapid prototyping pressure device; and

the rapid prototyping apparatus operably couplable with at least one of said circuitry for receiving interior space data for the rapid prototyping apparatus or said circuitry for receiving object data for the rapid prototyping apparatus.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said circuitry for receiving interior space data for a rapid prototyping apparatus further comprises:

circuitry selected from an electrical-circuitry group including electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program, electrical circuitry having a memory device, or electrical circuitry having a communications device.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said circuitry for receiving object data for the rapid prototyping apparatus further comprises:

circuitry selected from an electrical-circuitry group including electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program, electrical circuitry having a memory device, or electrical circuitry having a communications device.

21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the model further comprises: at least one partially-to-scale model.

22 . A system for use in design of a space, comprising:

computer storage media configured to store digital representations of items configured to fit within the space;

a user interface configured to receive user selections of one or more of the items;

a fabrication device operative to receive the digital representations of the user selected items and responsive to the received digital representations to produce three dimensional objects representative of the items;

a placement device configured to place the produced three dimensional objects in the space; and

an imaging system aligned to capture a representation of the space and the three dimensional items placed in the space.

23 . The system of claim 22 further including a display responsive to the captured representation to present a representation of the space and the three dimensional items placed in the space.

24 . The system of claim 22 wherein the fabrication device is a rapid prototyping device.

25 . The system of claim 22 further including a transmission device operative to transmit data corresponding to the captured representation.

26 . The system of claim 22 further including a 'storage device configured to store data corresponding to the captured representation.

27 . The system of claim 22 wherein the imaging system is operative to capture a sequence of representations of the items placed in the space.

28 . The system of claim 27 further including a storage device configured to store data sets, corresponding to the captured sequence of representation.

29 . The system of claim 22 further including a moving device operative to change positions of the items placed in the space.

30 . The system of claim 29 further including a user interface for receiving user position selections, the moving device is responsive to the user position selections to move the items to positions corresponding to the user position selections.

31 . The system of claim 27 further including a storage device configured to store data sets, corresponding to the captured sequence of representation.

32 . The system of claim 22 further including a moving device operative to change positions of the items placed in the space.