Clothing and model image generation, combination, display, and selection

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to arranging items of clothing to obtain photoimages of the clothing worn by mannequins and display of the photoimages of the items of clothing in a composite image as if worn by a model. For example, the composite image may be used in on-line or other remote or automated-assisted shopping to allow a shopper to see how an item of clothing will look on a composite image of an image of a model having physical measurements the same as or close to those of the shopper and an as-worn photoimage of the clothing on a mannequin also having similar physical measurements to the shopper. Embodiments of the invention further relate to a system that has databases of images of models and as-worn clothing items arranged on the portions of mannequins for a wide variety of physical measurements.

1 . A method comprising: 
 storing in a clothing photoimage database a plurality of clothing photoimages of a plurality of mannequins each having a first portion having a first clothing size and a second portion having a different second clothing size, the mannequins dressed with a plurality of first clothing items and a plurality of second clothing items;    storing in a model database a plurality of model images of a plurality of models each having a first portion having the first clothing size and a second portion having the second clothing size;    using the stored clothing photoimages and the stored model images to generate a combined image which includes a clothing photoimage having a predetermined first and second clothing size combined with a model image having the predetermined first and second clothing size.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said storing in a clothing photoimage database includes arranging the first and second clothing items on the mannequins in an as-worn fit to appear as if the first and second clothing items are worn by a person having the same first and second clothing size as the mannequin.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 enabling selection and display of a composite image comprising at least one photoimage of at least one selected clothing item of the first and second clothing items from the as-worn clothing photoimage database combined with at least one photoimage of at least one section of a selected model image from the model image database so that clothing item appears as-worn by the model.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one photoimage of at least one selected clothing item includes a photoimage of one of the first and second clothing items having a clothing size according to a size of the corresponding portion of the model that appears to be dressed with the selected clothing item.  
     
     
         5 . A method comprising: 
 posing a plurality of models or mannequins on a plurality of mounts in front of a corresponding plurality of backgrounds of a carousel;    taking a first photoimage of a first clothing item worn by a first model or mannequin on a first mount from an orientation with respect to a first background;    rotating the carousel;    taking a second photoimage of a second clothing item worn by a second model or mannequin on a second mount from the orientation with respect to a second background.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein taking the first and second photoimage include taking the first photoimage of a model in a pose and taking a second photoimage of a mannequin in the pose.  
     
     
         7 . A method comprising: 
 displaying a photoimage of a first clothing sized first clothing item on a first portion of a mannequin having a first portion size that corresponds to the first clothing size and a second clothing sized second clothing item on a second portion of the mannequin having a second portion size that corresponds to the second clothing size;    displaying a photoimage of one of a head portion, a neck portion, and a foot portion of a human model with the photoimage of the first sized first clothing item and the second sized second clothing item so that the photoimage of the first sized first clothing item and the second sized second clothing item appear as-worn by the model.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising displaying a photoimage of a third clothing item combined with the photoimage of the first and second clothing items.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein displaying includes displaying and rotating a three dimensional (3D) image.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising displaying a 180 degree mirror display of the 3D image of the first and second clothing items.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a first side to couple to a mannequin first portion having a first outer surface dimension,    a second side to couple to a mannequin second portion having a second outer surface dimension, and    a transitional outer surface disposed between the first side and the second side, the outer surface having a dimension to form an outer surface transition between the first outer surface dimension and the second outer dimension of the mannequin.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the transitional outer surface includes one of a linear, a curved, a smooth, and a graded shaped surface.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus comprises a generally disc shape having a first extension extending from the first side to extend into a cavity of the mannequin first portion and a second extension extending from the second side to extend into a cavity of the mannequin second portion.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a first mannequin portion having a first clothing sized outer surface dimension coupled to the first side;    a second mannequin portion having a different second clothing sized outer surface dimension coupled to the second side.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first mannequin portion includes a shape of an upper half of a human being, and the second mannequin portion includes shape of a lower half of a human being.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a generally planar surface having an axis and a mechanism allowing the generally planar surface to rotate with respect to the axis;    a plurality backgrounds coupled to the generally planar surface;    a plurality of mounts on which to mount a plurality of models or mannequins coupled to the generally planar surface, each mount adjacent to a corresponding background and comprising an axis and a mechanism allowing the mount to rotate with respect to the axis to a plurality of rotational positions to pose each model or mannequin in a plurality of orientations with respect to the corresponding background.    
     
     
         17 . A system comprising: 
 a first digital database having a plurality of as-worn photoimages of a plurality of first clothing sized first clothing items worn by a plurality of first portions of a plurality of mannequins having first portion sizes that corresponds to the first clothing sizes and a plurality of different second clothing sized second clothing items as worn by a plurality of second portions of the mannequins having second portion sizes that corresponds to the second clothing sizes;    a second digital database having a plurality of generic images of clothing items;    a network interface;    a computer to respond to a request from a user from the network interface to obtain all or portions of the generic image catalogue and to select an as-worn photoimage of an item of clothing selected by the user according to clothing size data provided by the user via the network interface.    
     
     
         18 . A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising: 
 matching a person's physical data relevant to clothing fit to a model image within a model image database;    receiving from a user a command to display a composite clothing image including: 
 a) at least one section of the model image and  
 b) at least one clothing item selected by the user from a catalogue in an as-worn photoimage of the clothing item worn by a portion of a mannequin, wherein the clothing item selected has a clothing sized based on the physical data designated by the user;  
   receiving from the user a request to purchase a selected clothing item.    
     
     
         19 . The machine readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the model image database comprises a plurality of composite model images formed from a plurality of portions of models having a plurality of different portion sizes.  
     
     
         20 . The machine readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising instructions to cause prompting a user to enter the physical data or to designate the use of previously entered physical data relevant to clothing fit.  
     
     
         21 . The machine readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising instructions to cause displaying of the composite clothing image.