IP Library Granted Patent US 8,587,601
Granted Patent B1
US 8,587,601 · App. 12/348,906 · Granted Nov 19, 2013

Sharing of three dimensional objects

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,587,601
App. No.
12/348,906
Granted
Nov 19, 2013
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method and apparatus comprising a design tool to enable the design of a three dimensional object including a plurality of faces and a plurality of vertices. The apparatus further comprising a skinner to generate a two dimensional image file including the plurality of faces from the three dimensional object, and a communications tool to send the two dimensional image file and associated structure data to a recipient using a messaging protocol. The apparatus further comprising a builder to utilize a received two dimensional image file and associated structure data to generate a received three dimensional object.

Claims (36)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a design tool to enable a user to generate a customized skin for a three dimensional object;

a skinner to reduce the three dimensional object to a two-dimensional object representing a surface of the three dimensional object, and associated structure data defining a structure of the three dimensional object, wherein the associated structure data includes an identification of a shape associated with the three dimensional object;

a communications tool to send the two dimensional object and associated structure data to a recipient using a messaging protocol; and

a builder to utilize the received two dimensional object and the associated structure data to generate a received three dimensional object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two dimensional image file includes a subset of the skin, the subskin including an area that was edited by a user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the metadata further includes location data for the subskin.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional object is a platonic object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the messaging protocol comprises a photograph sharing tool built into a mobile device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the messaging protocol comprises multimedia messaging system (MMS) messaging.

7. A mobile cellular telephone device comprising:

a photo sharing framework designed to enable users to share photographs over a cellular telephone network;

a customized 3D object design/share tool, an output of the customized 3D object design/share tool designed to be sent via the photo sharing framework, the customized 3D object design/share tool including a skinner to generate a two dimensional image representing a surface of a customized three-dimensional object, and associated structure data defining a structure of the customized three-dimensional object, from the customized 3D object, the associated structure data defines a structure of the 3D object, including identification of a shape associated with the 3D object; and

a communications tool to enable sending of the two dimensional image and the associated structure data using the photo sharing framework.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 , further comprising:

a subskin logic to generate a subset of the skin as a reduced size two dimensional image, the subskin including an area that was edited by a user, and the subskin sent by the communications tool.

9. The mobile device of claim 7 , further comprising:

a subskin logic to generate a subset of the skin as a reduced size two dimensional image, and further to add to the metadata location data for the subskin.

10. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the three dimensional object is a platonic object.

11. A customized 3D object tool for use on a mobile device to create and share 3-dimensional objects, the tool comprising:

a skinner to reduce the 3D object to an image file of a two-dimensional object representing a surface of the 3D object, the image file including metadata defining structure, the metadata including an identification of a shape associated with the three dimensional object;

a 3D object creator to enable a user to design a 3D object, selecting from a plurality of available shapes;

a sharing tool to send the image file and the metadata to a recipient, the sharing tool utilizing a common photo sharing mechanism on the mobile device, without requiring server infrastructure.

12. The tool of claim 11 , further comprising:

a subskin logic to generate a subset of the skin as a reduced size two dimensional image, the subskin including an area that was edited by a user, and the subskin sent by the communications tool.

13. The mobile device of claim 11 , further comprising metadata sent with the two dimensional image, the metadata defining a structure of the three dimensional object.

14. A method comprising:

generating a flat two-dimensional image of a 3D object, the flat image including a plurality of faces of the 3D object;

enabling a user to design a customized 3D object utilizing the flat image; and

sending the flat image and associated structure data defining the structure of the 3D object with a common photo sharing mechanism, to enable a user to share the customized 3D object with others;

wherein the associated structure data defines a structure of the 3D object, including identification of a shape associated with the 3D object.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

generating an updated flat image, the updated flat image including a portion of the flat image that was altered by the user's design, the updated flat image sent with the common photo sharing mechanism.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

enclosing structure data with the flat image.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the structure data is enclosed as metadata attached to the flat image.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2025
From: DP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: TEMPUR WORLD, LLC
Reel/Frame 072940/0723 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2009
From: KAHN, PHILIPPE; KINSOLVING, ARTHUR; WALLACKER, ANDREW THOMAS
To: DP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 022066/0452 →