Patent Application
20110101104
This invention is directed to designing and printing a label to be applied to an electronic device having a planar and/or a non-planar surface and a view screen, e.g., an iPod® electronic music player or other MP3 player, a personal digital assistant, or a cell phone.
This invention provides a method of creating and printing a label image for a label for an electronic device, such as a portable media player, a cell/smart phone, a handheld game console, a personal digital assistant, an e-book reader, a calculator, or any other similar or suitable object. The method is desirably implemented on a data processor through a software program including data processor-executable instructions, stored on a readable medium, for carrying out or performing the method of this invention.
The invention provides a printed label for an outer surface of the device. The label can be a self-adhesive label printed with a custom image. The portion of the printed image that would fall within or otherwise cover the view screen of the device is converted to an electronic image that can be downloaded and displayed on the device. The uploaded and displayed portion of the original image can provide a wallpaper or screensaver that, in combination with the printed label, results in full display of the original image on the labeled device. The method of this invention provides an essentially seamless decorative cover for the electronic device by displaying an image using a combination of the view screen and a printed label adhered on the device housing.
The invention uses a software program to combine an electronic image chosen by a user with a template having dimensions that correspond with a label for the electronic device. The template includes a window corresponding to the view screen of the device. The user positions the image as desired within the template, and the portion of the electronic image that falls within the window is removed or copied and converted to a new electronic image suitable for uploading to the device. The image is printed onto a label assembly including a label that corresponds to the template and the device. When the label is placed on the device and the portion of electronic image is displayed on the view screen of the device, the label and the electronic image can be essentially combined to create the original image.
The method of this invention includes: positioning an electronic image within a label template displayed in a graphical user interface by a data processor, the label template including a window corresponding to the view screen or feature of the electronic device; and printing at least a portion of the electronic image on a label corresponding to the label template. A portion of the image within the window can also be used to generate a new electronic image for displaying on the view screen of the device.
The method of another embodiment of this invention includes the steps of: displaying a label template selected by a user in a graphical user interface generated by a data processor, the label template including a boundary corresponding to a label for the electronic device and a window within the boundary corresponding to a view screen of the electronic device; accessing an electronic image with the graphical user interface; positioning the electronic image with the label template displayed in the graphical user interface; generating a view screen electronic image from a portion of the electronic image positioned within the window for upload to the electronic device and display on the view screen; and printing a portion of the electronic image that positioned between the boundary and the window on the label.
Another embodiment includes creating a plurality of view screen electronic images that can be displayed randomly or sequentially, and desirably in a repeating manner, on the view screen of the electronic device. Another embodiment includes displaying a video on the view screen of the electronic device that corresponds to a label for the body of the device.
The invention also includes software for labeling an electronic device. The software is formed of code stored on a recordable medium and for execution on a data processor. The software includes: instructions for combining a label template and an electronic image within a graphical user interface, the label template including a boundary and a window within the boundary; commands for generating a view screen electronic image by extracting a section of the electronic image positioned within the window within the graphical user interface for upload to the electronic device and display on the view screen; and commands for sending at least a portion of the electronic image bordered by the boundary to a printer in communication with the data processor for printing.
These and other objects and features of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
This invention provides a method for labeling an electronic device, such as, but not limited to, a portable media player, a cell phone, a handheld game console, a personal digital assistant, a gps unit, an e-book reader, a laptop, a netbook, a calculator, or any other similar or suitable object. The invention also includes software for implementing the method of this invention, either manually by the user, automatically by a data processor, or desirably with a combination of manual and automatic steps. The method and software can be used to label objects and devices with or without view screens, but in a preferred embodiment the invention provides a combination paper label and electronic image for decorating a device having a view screen. The invention will be described herein below with reference to an IPOD® media player which includes a body and a view screen.
Box 120 of
Box 130 represents a step of combining the label template and the electronic image. The image can be placed over the template, or the template can be placed over the image within a GUI. The outline of the template can be seen over or through the image, so that the user can position the image as desired with respect to the template. The image may be larger than the template, and can extend beyond the template or can be appropriately resized or scaled by the user. Conventional image editing tools, such as red eye reduction or color, brightness, and contrast controls can be provided through the software for the user to modify the image while combining the image with the template.
The portion of the image that is positioned within the view screen window of the template represents the portion of the image that can be displayed on the device view screen. Once the user has coordinated the image and the template to provide the desired placement for printing the label, the user actuates the actions illustrated by boxes 140 and 160.
After combining the electronic image with the label template in box 130, the method of this invention creates a view screen electronic image in box 140. The electronic image is created from the portion of the original image that is positioned by the user within the view screen window of the label template. The electronic image can be created by any suitable means. In one embodiment, the electronic image is created through a number of manual steps, such as manually cutting, copying, or otherwise saving the image portion within the template window. The image portion can be opened in another GUI or another program, manipulated if needed, and saved as an electronic image suitable for upload to the electronic device to be labeled. Desirably however, the creation of the uploadable view screen electronic image file is an automatic process that occurs upon the actuation by the user. The data processor desirably automatically removes or otherwise copies the image portion within the window and automatically creates a separate electronic image from the image portion. In one embodiment of the invention, the new view screen electronic image file is automatically sent to an upload queue within a software application used for uploading files to the electronic device. For example, the image portion for the IPOD® shown in
The printing of a label for the device occurs in box 160, either sequentially or simultaneously to the step in box 140. The portion within the template window is destined for upload to the device, and at least the remaining portion of the image between the template window and template outer boundary is to be printed on a label for the device. The entire image, or to save toner simply the portion of the image between the view screen window and the template border, is sent to a printer queue and printed on a label of label assembly. The label has a shape formed by die cuts or other tearable lines of separation that corresponds to the template and the device to be labeled. The label is printed with the image and when removed corresponds to all or a portion of the body of the device that houses the view screen. The label can be printed with conventional printing techniques, such as using a laser or ink jet printer.
Upon selecting a device from the selection menu 18, the GUI of
The GUI of
The user can manipulate the position of the image 30 with respect to the template 40, such as by dragging one of the image 30 or template 40 with respect to the other in the GUI. In this manner the user can align the label template 40 and the electronic image 30 as desired to create the desired label and view screen image. The electronic image 30 can be scaled in size, larger or smaller, with respect to the label template 40. The electronic image 30 can be edited prior to or subsequent to the combination with the label template 40. Editing can include, but is not limited to, adding pictures/clipart, adding text, adding or removing a background, cropping, removing elements, selective color change, noise removal, orientation, perspective correction, image distortion, merging, slicing and/or color adjustments. As mentioned above, the plurality of menus 24 can be used for displaying editing tools.
After combining the electronic image 30 with the label template 40 to the user's satisfaction, the user can use the software to create a view screen electronic image from the portion of the image 30 within template window 42. As discussed above, the creation of the view screen electronic image can be performed manually by framing, cutting or copying, and then saving the image portion within window 42. However, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, the view screen electronic image is created automatically by the software by the user actuating an icon, button, or other suitable means. The software creates an uploadable electronic image of just the image portion in window 42, and desirably automatically uploads the image to the device 10 or sends the new image to a separate application, such as the ITUNES application, for uploading to the electronic device 10. The software may provide the user with a choice of format for the new view screen electronic image, or may operate using a default image format established by the user.
In one embodiment of the invention, the image 30 is then automatically printed on a label corresponding to the label template 40 in the position shown in
The printed label can then be placed on and adhered to the device by the user, such as by using label assemblies and techniques disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/426,816 and 12/426,823, the label structures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The face sheet 52 is preferably, but not necessarily, constructed of any suitable paper, paper composite, non-metal and/or metal material that can be used to make pressure sensitive or self-adhesive labels. Such face materials may include, but are not limited to: smudgeproof stock, litho stock, cast coated stock, tag stock, fluorescent stock, foils, computer printable polyester, vinyl, satin cloth, Tyvek™ material, flexible plastic, book papers, photo quality papers and/or photo quality film. Furthermore, various portions of the face materials can be different colors, thereby resulting in different colored parts. Other suitable materials for constructing the sheet 52 include fabric, plastic, and metal foils. The adhesive coating covered by the back sheet is applied to the face sheet 52 in any suitable manner known to those skilled in the art. The face sheet 52 desirably has a printable surface on a side opposite the adhesive coating. The phrase “printable surface” relates to a surface of any type of matter upon which a person or machine can draw, print, color, paint, photocopy, write, emboss, or make any other type of mark or graphic. Laser printers, ink jet printers, impact printers, thermal transfer printers, direct thermal printers, or any other suitable graphic printing devices are preferred but not necessary for use with printing printable surfaces according to this invention. The face sheet can also be pre-printed by the manufacturer or retailer with graphics and/or test desirable to a consumer user. The printed surface can include any desirably image or text, or can be colored or include holographic images.
The label assembly 50 shown in
The label shape 60 includes additional shapes defined within the periphery by additional tearable lines of separation. The label shape 60 includes two circles 64 and 65 cut within only the face sheet 52 by tearable lines of separation 66 and 67, respectively, which coordinate to the click-wheel and button of the IPOD® player. A rectangular shape 68 is also cut within the face sheet 52 by a tearable line of separation 70 and corresponds to the view screen of the IPOD® player. The tearable lines of the face sheet 52 are shown in phantom in
Referring to
The removable panel 80 is divided into two sub-panels, which can assist in applying the label shape 60 to an object, for example, by allowing for only a portion of the removable panel 80 to be removed prior to a first adhesion of the label shape 60 to the object and the subsequent removal or a second panel for wrapping the additional portion of the label shape 60 around a different surface (e.g., a side and/or back surface) of the object. The label assembly 50 includes a registration structure, embodied in
Upon removing the panel portion 96, the device to be labeled can be aligned over the adhesive area that is under the panel portion 96 using the raised registration tabs 90. The label assembly 50 further includes optional alignment tabs 98 similar to tabs 90 and aligned with a portion of the label shape 60 and also one of raised or raisable above the back sheet.
Either the device to be labeled or the label assembly 50 is placed on a surface. The panel portion 96 is removed and the tabs 90 and 98 are raised. When the label assembly 50 is placed face sheet 52 down on the surface, the object is placed over the exposed adhesive material and kept in proper alignment using the tabs 90 and 98. The tabs 90 and 98 align the device over an exposed adhesive on the label shape 60 as the device is lowered onto the object. Once the label shape 60 is partially adhered to the object, the remaining portion of the removable panel 80 is removed, and the surrounding matrix is removed from the label shape 60. The label shape 60 can then be wrapped around the object.
In one embodiment of this invention, the device can be uploaded with two or more images for display on the view screen, where the images are different but both desirably coordinate or match the label on the device. The two different images can desirably work together to create a screen saver functionality for the view screen.
The alternating images on the view screen 14 can be used to create movement as well, such as clouds moving across the images discussed above, or the movement of the sun's rays. In an alternative embodiment of this invention, a video can be used to make the label and view screen image. For example, a frame from a video is used to create the electronic digital image for labeling the device and the view screen electronic image comprises a portion of the video that corresponds to view screen window 42. The portion of the video plays on the view screen and corresponds to the portion printed on the label.
Thus, the invention provides a method and software for use by a consumer user to design a custom label as a protective and decorative skin for an electronic or other device. The invention can be used to design and create label skins and/or view screen wallpaper or screen savers. The combination of the printed label and the view screen image can provide a coordinated and near-seamless decoration for an electronic device, one that can even fit under other plastic protective cases. Furthermore, the cost-effective and removable self-adhesive label allows a user to change labels and designs as desired.
It will be appreciated that details of the foregoing embodiments, given for purposes of illustration, are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention, which is defined in the following claims and all equivalents thereto. Further, it is recognized that many embodiments may be conceived that do not achieve all of the advantages of some embodiments, particularly of the preferred embodiments, yet the absence of a particular advantage shall not be construed to necessarily mean that such an embodiment is outside the scope of the present invention.
