Granted Patent B2

US 9,916,399 · App. 14/269,543 · Granted Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

Claims (82)

1. A method of creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets, the method comprising:

by a processor:

receiving an indication of an initial package design;

receiving preference information related to a shape of the initial package design, the preference information comprising user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the initial package design;

generating a detailed design that incorporates implementation of the user-specified information, wherein the generating comprises:

automatically identifying a plurality of functional elements associated with the three-dimensional structure that correspond to the user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes,

for at least one of the identified functional elements, altering at least one physical characteristic based upon at least a portion of the preference information, wherein the altering comprises altering a tab and slot design associated with the initial package design,

incorporating the at least one altered physical characteristic into the detailed design,

determining whether the detailed design meets one or more constraint conditions associated with the initial package design,

if the detailed design meets the one or more constraint conditions, maintaining the at least one altered physical characteristic, and

if the detailed design does not meet the one or more constraint condition, omitting the at least one altered physical characteristic from the detailed design; and

generating a detailed design file based upon the detailed design; and

causing a package generation system to use the detailed design file to apply cut lines and fold lines to a substrate to yield a package with the functional elements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering a tab and slot design comprises:

determining a tab shape and size based upon the incorporated at least a portion of the preference information;

determining a desired tab and slot fit based upon the incorporated at least a portion of the preference information;

determining a slot size based upon the determined tab shape, size and desired tab and slot fit; and

determining a tab and slot spacing based upon the incorporated at least a portion of the preference information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the preference information further comprises receiving one or more relative importance weights for one or more of the structural attributes of the initial package design.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the detailed design comprises defining one or more functions for determining final product attributes based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generating a detailed design further comprises defining lower and upper limits for each input variable for the one or more functions, the lower and upper limits being defined based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising calculating a set of design points that incorporates a sum of the relative importance weights.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the set of design points are determined such that the package design satisfies any constraints associated with a type of package being designed.

8. A method comprising:

by a processor, causing to be displayed, on a display operably connected to the processor, a user interface related to a design of a three-dimensional structure, the user interface comprising:

a user-selectable area for altering one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of a package to be designed, and

a user-selectable area for altering one or more importance weights associated with each of the one or more structural attributes;

receiving an indication of an initial package design from a user accessing the user interface;

receiving preference information related to a shape of the initial package design from the user, the preference information comprising:

user-specified information related to the one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the initial package design and user-specified information related to one or more importance weights;

creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets by:

generating a detailed design that incorporates implementation of the user-specified information, wherein the generating comprises:

automatically identifying a plurality of functional elements associated with the three-dimensional structure that correspond to the user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes,

for at least one of the identified functional elements, altering at least one physical characteristic based upon at least a portion of the preference information, wherein the altering comprises altering a tab and slot design associated with the initial package design,

incorporating the at least one altered physical characteristic into the detailed design,

determining whether the detailed design meets one or more constraint conditions associated with the initial package design,

if the detailed design meets the one or more constraint conditions, maintaining the at least one altered physical characteristic in the detailed design, and

if the detailed design does not meet the one or more constraint conditions, omitting the at least one altered physical characteristic from the detailed design;

generating a detailed design file based upon the detailed design; and

causing a package generation system to use the detailed design file to apply cut lines and fold lines to a substrate to yield the package with the identified functional elements.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the preference information further comprises receiving one or more relative importance weights for one or more of the structural attributes of the initial package design.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the detailed design comprises defining one or more functions for determining final product attributes based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the generating a detailed design further comprises defining lower and upper limits for each input variable for the one or more functions, the lower and upper limits being defined based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising calculating a set of design points that incorporates a sum of the relative importance weights, wherein the set of design points are determined such that the package design satisfies any constraints associated with a type of package being designed.

13. A system for creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets, the system comprising:

a processor;

a package generation system comprising a cutting device and a device configured to impart a crease; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to:

receive an indication of an initial package design,

receive preference information related to a shape of the initial package design, the preference information comprising user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the initial package design,

generate a detailed design that incorporates implementation of the user-specified information, wherein the one or more programming instructions for generating the detailed design further comprise one or more instructions for causing the processor to:

automatically identify a plurality of functional elements associated with the three-dimensional structure that correspond to the user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes,

for at least one of the identified functional elements, alter at least one physical characteristic based upon at least a portion of the preference information, wherein the altering comprises altering a tab and slot design associated with the initial package design,

incorporate the at least one altered physical characteristic into the detailed design,

determine whether the detailed design meets one or more constraint conditions associated with the initial package design,

if the detailed design meets the one or more constraint conditions, maintain the at least one altered physical characteristic, and

if the detailed design does not meet the one or more constraint condition, omit the at least one altered physical characteristic from the detailed design, and

generate a detailed design file based upon the detailed design, wherein the detailed design file contains instructions configured to cause the package generation system to use the detailed design file to apply cut lines and fold lines to a substrate to yield a package with the identified functional elements.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to receive the preference information further comprises one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to receive one or more relative importance weights for one or more of the structural attributes of the initial package design.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to generate the detailed design comprise one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to define one or more functions for determining final product attributes based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to generate a detailed design further comprise one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to define lower and upper limits for each input variable for the one or more functions, the lower and upper limits being defined based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to calculate a set of design points that incorporates a sum of the relative importance weights.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the set of design points are determined such that the package design satisfies any constraints associated with a type of package being designed.

19. A method of creating a package design comprising a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional structure having a plurality of facets, the method comprising:

by a processor:

receiving an indication of an initial package design;

receiving preference information related to a shape of the initial package design, the preference information comprising:

user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the initial package design, and

one or more relative importance weights for one or more of the structural attributes of the initial package design;

generating a detailed design that incorporates implementation of the user-specified information, wherein the generating comprises:

automatically identifying a plurality of functional elements associated with the three-dimensional structure that correspond to the user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes,

for at least one of the identified functional elements, altering at least one physical characteristic based upon at least a portion of the preference information,

incorporating the at least one altered physical characteristic into the detailed design,

determining whether the detailed design meets one or more constraint conditions associated with the initial package design,

if the detailed design meets the one or more constraint conditions, maintaining the at least one altered physical characteristic, and

if the detailed design does not meet the one or more constraint condition, omitting the at least one altered physical characteristic from the detailed design; and

generating a detailed design file based upon the detailed design by:

defining one or more functions for determining final product attributes based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights, and

defining lower and upper limits for each input variable for the one or more functions, the lower and upper limits being defined based upon at least one of the user-specified information related to one or more finishing levels and the user-specified input information defining one or more relative importance weights; and

causing a package generation system to use the detailed design file to apply cut lines and fold lines to a substrate to yield a package with the functional elements.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising calculating a set of design points that incorporates a sum of the relative importance weights.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the set of design points are determined such that the package design satisfies any constraints associated with a type of package being designed.

Assignments (11)