On-demand production of electronic device accessories
An on-demand production system for accessories for use with electronic devices is configured to generate digital templates defining the design of the accessories and provide the digital templates to retail or other locations. The retail or other locations may receive access to the digital templates automatically and/or electronically within a week, a day, or even minutes, of the digital template being created. When a customer requests an accessory, the digital template may be accessed. Using an electronic production machine and a supply of stock material, the accessory can be cut, formed, printed, or otherwise produced based on instructions or designs of the digital template. The electronic production machine may automatically read the digital template to automate the production at a retail location. The electronic production machine may produce the accessory on-demand, and production of the accessory may be completed within two hours, or potentially within ten minutes, of a request.
1. A method for on-demand creation of a protective film, comprising:
prior to or within a day of a product launch date of a particular electronic device:
receiving the particular electronic device at a provider location;
creating a digital cutting template identifying a size, shape, or configuration of an accessory, artwork, or other decorative effects for the particular electronic device;
storing the digital cutting template as computer-executable instructions in a database of existing digital templates; and
within a day of the product launch date of the particular electronic device, making the digital cutting template immediately available from the provider location to a plurality of different retail stores remote from the provider location, each retail store of the plurality of different retail stores having an electronic production machine;
receiving the digital cutting template defining the protective film at the retail store; and
while a customer remains at the retail store and waits for the protective film:
receiving an order for a protective film for the particular electronic device from the customer;
immediately after receiving the order and based on information received, retrieving the digital cutting template from the database of existing digital templates;
accessing the digital cutting template, or instructions corresponding thereto, with the electronic production machine;
introducing a sheet of stock material from a supply of stock materials into a feed system of the electronic cutting machine, the supply of stock materials including a plurality of different sizes of sheets of stock material, each sheet of stock material of the supply of stock materials comprising a plurality of layers, including a transparent protective layer, an adhesive on a surface of the transparent protective layer, and a removable backing layer positioned over the transparent protective layer and secured to the adhesive;
using the electronic production machine to a produce the protective film as defined by the digital cutting template from the sheet of stock material on demand; and
providing the protective film to the customer.
2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the digital cutting template includes receiving the digital cutting template without making a request for the digital cutting template.
3. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the digital cutting template includes accessing the digital cutting template from cloud-based or local storage.
4. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the electronic production machine includes one or more cutting tools for cutting film materials.
5. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the particular electronic device is a newly released electronic device, and the digital cutting template is received within one day of release of the particular electronic device.
6. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the digital cutting template.
7. The method recited in claim 6 , wherein storing the digital cutting template includes storing the digital cutting template on a storage device on the electronic production machine.
8. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the electronic production machine is located at a retail store.
9. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the digital cutting template is received by a computing device connected to the electronic production machine.
10. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the order comprises receiving information including one or more of:
a date the protective film was produced;
a time the protective film was produced;
a location where the protective film was produced; or
who requested production of the protective film by the electronic production machine.
11. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the digital cutting template comprises receiving an encrypted digital cutting template, and the method further includes:
decrypting the encrypted digital cutting template prior to use of the digital cutting template by the electronic production machine.
12. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the digital cutting template comprises receiving the digital cutting template at a kiosk, and wherein using the electronic production machine comprises using an electronic production machine of the kiosk.
13. The method recited in claim 12 , wherein the kiosk is a self-serve kiosk.
14. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein using the electronic production machine to a produce the protective film as defined by the digital cutting template includes:
cutting the protective film from the sheet of stock material and in a shape defined by the digital cutting template.
15. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting production of the protective film by the electronic production machine in response to a consumer request;
wherein a time between requesting production of the protective film and completion of producing the protective film is less than one hour.
16. An electronic production system, comprising:
a provider, including:
a provider system on which a digital cutting template for a protective film for a particular electronic device is developed prior to or within a day of a product launch date of the particular electronic device, the digital cutting template identifying a size, shape, or configuration of an accessory, artwork, or other decorative effects for the particular electronic device to be used in automatedly cutting the protective film;
digital template storage in communication with the provider system, the digital template storage storing the digital cutting template for the protective film for the particular electronic device; and
within a day of the product launch date of the particular electronic device, making the digital cutting template immediately available from the provider location to a plurality of different retail stores located remotely from the provider;
an electronic communication network;
a supply of stock materials, the supply of stock materials including a plurality of different sizes of sheets of stock material, each sheet of stock material of the supply of stock materials comprising a plurality of layers, including a transparent protective layer, an adhesive on a surface of the transparent protective layer, and a removable backing layer positioned over the transparent protective layer and secured to the adhesive;
an on-demand cutter at a retail store of the plurality of different retail stores, in communication with the digital template storage by way of the electronic communication network, the on-demand cutter including:
a housing;
one or more production elements linked to the housing;
a feed system that feeds the sheet of stock material through at least a portion of the housing and to the one or more production elements;
a network interface for receiving the digital cutting templates for the protective film from the digital template storage of the provider, over the electronic communication network;
a processing component that:
receives an order for a customer for the protective film for the particular electronic device from the retail store where the housing, the one or more production elements and/or the feed system are located; and
uses the digital cutting template to cause the one or more production elements to cut the sheet of stock material specific to the particular electronic device immediately upon receipt of the order from the customer to define the protective film from the sheet of stock material, while the customer waits at the retail store from which the order was placed and at which the protective film will be cut; and
one or more cutting elements that define the protective film on demand immediately following placement of the order, while the customer remains at the retail store from which the order was placed.
17. The electronic production system recited in claim 16 , wherein the network interface is embedded within the housing.
18. The electronic production system recited in claim 16 , wherein the electronic production machine is part of a kiosk that includes:
a database storing a plurality of digital cutting templates; and
a user interface system for selecting the protective film for production using one or more of the digital cutting templates, and requesting production of the protective film using the one or more production elements.
19. The electronic production system recited in claim 18 , the one or more production elements including:
a printer for printing graphics, text or other embellishments on the supply of stock materials.