Patent Description:
Traditionally, the practice of putting pictures in a locket has been a cumbersome manual process that remained unchanged for decades. It involved finding a physical photograph that one might want to put into the locket, making copies of that photograph on printed media in various sizes, and then cutting the photograph on the media into what a user estimated was the proper size to fit in the locket. This often required further trimming of the photo to eventually reduce the sizing to fit the frame of the locket.

It would therefore be useful to facilitate the process of image selection and sizing for lockets and other jewelry into which images are framed.

The following documents may provide useful technical background to the present disclosure: <CIT> is directed to a system and method for the customization of fashion items including engraving of jewelry; and <CIT> is directed to a process for creating a metal insert for a locket and printing an image on said metal insert.

The present invention is defined by appended claim <NUM>. Optional features are defined in the appended dependent claims. Accordingly, a method is provided for selecting, sizing, and laying out an image to fit into a frame of a locket that is configured to display one or more images, the method includes selecting a locket style from a plurality of locket styles, selecting an image (which may be a quotation or other text), editing the selected image to fit in a desired manner in a virtual frame representative of and corresponding to a physical frame of the locket, and generating an image of a cutout layout of the edited images on printable media of a predetermined size. In one embodiment, a user may save, share (e.g., via email, text message, or social media), and/or print the generated cutout layout. If the user prints the cutout layout on media of the predetermined size, the user need only cutout the printed images following the layout and directly transfer the cut images to the frames of the physical locket corresponding to the selected style. Assuming the user cut the images along the lines in the layout, no further trimming should be necessary.

In one embodiment, selecting images includes selecting a digital image from a user's device or account. A user device may include a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. An account may be a user account of an online photosharing website or a social media platform on which photos are readily accessible to the user. In another embodiment, selecting images includes selecting a digital image from a digital library of images. In one embodiment, selecting images includes a user entering a quotation or other text. In one embodiment, selecting images includes a user selecting a quotation from a digital library of predetermined quotations.

In one embodiment, selecting an image includes generating user-directed queries related to at least one of lifestyle, passions, and interests, and receiving responses from the user to the user-directed queries. Based on the received responses, suggestions are generated for the user for at least one of text and images determined to appeal to the user for possible user selection.

One benefit of the method is that a user can draw from suggested images and text or upload images from image libraries on their own mobile devices or other online libraries and have the images printed in a retail store or elsewhere in the exact size necessary for the frame in a particular locket. Once the correctly sized images are cut, the locket can then be filled with the images. Another benefit is that whatever has been chosen by the user can then be stored and/or shared with friends and family via email, text messages, and social media, including deployed in association with a digital representation of the locket.

<FIG> illustrates a workflow <NUM> in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. At block <NUM> an image sizing tool is launched, such as, by way of example, opening a web browser window or computer application, as shown in <FIG>. At block <NUM> a user may select one design 200a of a plurality of jewelry designs <NUM> for which they wish to generate a sized image to fit. For example, a user may wish to generate a sized image to fit one of the lockets that they wish to purchase or have already purchased. As used herein, "fit" refers to being sized to be placed in the frame or other display area of a piece of jewelry, such as the frame of the locket 200a. At block <NUM>, once the user selects the locket 200a, the user selects indicia (e.g., a photo or text) to be sized for the frame(s) of the locket 200a. As used herein, "indicia" refers to any markings which may be graphically displayed in a display area (e.g., <NUM> or <NUM>) of the piece of jewelry (e.g., locket 200a), such as a frame of a locket. Thus, indicia may include graphical images such as photos, insignias, logos, astronomical signs, etc., as well as text in various formats and fonts.

In the example workflow <NUM> shown in <FIG>, a plurality of options are available for a user to select indicia. For example, as indicated in <FIG>, one method denoted as block <NUM> for selecting indicia is for a user to upload an image from a library of his or her own, which may be an album of digital photos available on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer of the user, or from an internet account of a user, which may include photo sharing services or social media platforms. Another option for selecting indicia, denoted as block <NUM>, is for a user to select indicia from libraries not under the control or organized by the user, which may online image or text libraries. Yet another option for selecting indicia, denoted as block <NUM>, is for a user to enter their own text, which, as shown in <FIG>, may be a quotation.

As shown in <FIG>, once the locket 200a is selected, a window <NUM> is displayed to a user that shows a virtual representation of the selected locket 200a, opened to show the frames and the display areas <NUM> and <NUM> of the locket for displaying the sized indicia 302a and 303a. As will be described further below, as the user progresses in selecting indicia to be located in the display areas <NUM> and <NUM>, a preview window <NUM> will be updated to reflect the user selections. A user may update his or her selections and go back to change the previewed image of the locket. The number of selected indicia is based on the number of display areas of the locket or jewelry design. For example, locket 200a is configured with two frames and, thus, two display areas <NUM> and <NUM> are shown in <FIG>. However, other jewelry designs may include more or fewer number of frames, which would alter the number of corresponding display areas in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows a user prompt to browse and upload an image file from their own library, which may be locally stored on a user device or on a networked location, such as a photosharing website or social media platform, such as Facebook® or Instagram®. A user may link an account and navigate to a desired image file and select it as is known in the art.

At block <NUM>, a user selecting the image may edit and resize the image. For example, as shown in <FIG>, upon selecting the user's desired image from his or her own library, the image will be shown with an overlaid stencil <NUM> which is shaped to be representative of the area <NUM> of locket 200a. Various editing controls are included for a user to scale the image larger or smaller, to rotate the image, and to convert the image from color to black and white and vice versa. In one embodiment where the user is using a touch screen interface, such as on a smart phone or a tablet computer, the user may use gestures to resize the image. For example, a user using a smart phone with a touch interface may use a finger pinching gesture to scale down an image and may use a finger swipe to move the image into alignment with the stencil <NUM>. <FIG> shows the result of a user moving the image and resizing the image so that a desired portion of the image is framed by the stencil <NUM>. Once the user is satisfied with the framed image in the stencil, a user may save the image at block <NUM>.

At block <NUM> a determination is made whether indicia has been selected for all display areas <NUM> and <NUM> of the jewelry (e.g., locket 200a). If indicia has not been selected for all display areas <NUM> and <NUM> of the jewelry (i.e., NO at block <NUM>), then the workflow moves to block <NUM>. Otherwise, the workflow moves to block <NUM>.

In the example described above, the locket 200a has two display areas <NUM> and <NUM> so the workflow returns to block <NUM>, whereupon a user is presented with the display shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the image 302a saved in block <NUM> is displayed in display area <NUM>. The user may repeat blocks <NUM> and <NUM> and save another image for display in area <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Once both images 302a and 303a are selected and saved, at block <NUM> a cutout layout is generated in another region <NUM> of the display. The cutout layout <NUM> shows a representation of a printable media (i.e., sheet of paper) overlaid with the saved images 302a and 303a and broken lines <NUM> for use as a cutting guide. At block <NUM>, a user may save, share (e.g., via email, text message, or social media), or print the generated cutout layout <NUM>. If the cutout layout <NUM> is printed on the printable media (e.g., paper) a user can use the printed broken lines as a cutting guide for cutting out the images 302a and 303a. If the user cuts the images 302a and 303a along the cutting lines, the images should fit exactly into the frames of the selected locket 200a without trimming.

Turning again to block <NUM>, <FIG> shows an example of an image gallery window <NUM> from which a user may select images <NUM>. The user may be able to select from one or more of a plurality of libraries <NUM> of images <NUM>. The images <NUM> in the image gallery may be stock images suggested based on data from a user's social media account as described in greater detail below.

In some social media platforms, such as Facebook®, information that the user has already input into their profile may be used to generate suggestions for the images <NUM>. For example, in the case of the Facebook® social media platform, "interest" data may be accessed from the Facebook® profile of the user to generate suggestions for the images <NUM>. In one example, a user may have input "interest" data into their profile, such as interests in skiing and yoga. As a result, the interest data for the user's profile may be used to suggest stock photos related to those interests, skiing and yoga.

Another type of information that the user may have input into Facebook® is "check-in/tagged location" data. For example, when a user posts or otherwise uploads a photo to their social media account, the user may tag the photo by specifying where the photo was taken and the subject or context of the photo. Also, in addition to tagging the photo, image recognition may be used to automatically identify the location of the photo from the context of the photo itself. If, for example, the user has posted a photo and tagged it as having been taken in New York, then the user's Facebook® profile may indicate that the user has visited New York. Accordingly, suggested photos <NUM> may be generated of New York to aid a user in creating a "Favorite Places" themed photo locket.

Yet another type of data used by some social media platforms is "friend" data, which includes a list of other social media account members who are connected to the user's account. Some social media platforms include relationship information for each "friend" in the friend list to identify the relationship between the user and the "friend". For example, some "friends" may be related by family ties, professional associations, religious association, and by educational affiliation, etc. By way of example to Facebook®, a user may have a plurality of "Facebook® Friends" and the identification of each friend may be used to generate the suggested photos <NUM> that may facilitate a user's selection of photos for display in a piece of jewelry, e.g., a locket. In one example, a user may wish to give a photo locket to one of their Facebook® friends and use a photo from the user's Facebook photos for personalizing the locket. The user may select the Facebook® friend from the list to be presented with photos from among the user's photos in which the Facebook® friend (the intended gift recipient) is tagged. As an alternative to tagging photos, image recognition may be used to identify friends in the friend list who are in non-tagged photos. In the case of tagged photos, the user can browse through the tagged photos and select any to use for display in the locket gift. Also, the user may select multiple Facebook® friends to be presented with photos in which the multiple friends are tagged. Also, the user can select the user along with one (or more) other Facebook® friend(s) in order to be presented with photos that are tagged with both the user (as the gift giver) and the other Facebook® friend (gift recipient) in order to select a photo for the locket that has both people in the photo.

<FIG> illustrates a user selection and editing of one image <NUM> shown in <FIG>.

Also, at block <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, a user can select quotations from a quotation or text gallery window <NUM> for use as indicia in the locket 200a. The user may be able to select from one or more of a plurality of libraries <NUM> of quotations or text. <FIG> illustrates a user selection and editing of one quotation <NUM> shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a locket designed with a combination of indicia from a quotation library selected in block <NUM> and from an image library selected in block <NUM>.

In addition to quotations or text from libraries, a user can enter his or her own text or quotation at block <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. A text window <NUM> is provided for user to input text <NUM>. The text <NUM> can be edited and formatted with various fonts, colors, and font sizes. A stencil <NUM> is shown in a preview window <NUM>. The stencil <NUM> represents the display areas <NUM> and <NUM> of the locket 200a. The input text <NUM> is repeated in the region bounded by the stencil <NUM> to show the user how the text <NUM> would appear in the locket.

<FIG> shows a workflow <NUM>' that may be used alone or in conjunction with the prior described workflow <NUM>, as one option to select indicia for the jewelry. Accordingly, in the workflow <NUM>' shown in <FIG>, like numbers are used to represent like elements of the workflow <NUM>. For example, before a user selects indicia in blocks <NUM> to <NUM>, a user may be queried at block <NUM>. For example, at block <NUM> user-directed queries related to at least one of lifestyle, passions, and interests are generated and responses to those queries are received from the user. By way of example and not limitation, queries can be directed to the following subjects: bucket list, athletes, travel, history, wedding, fashion, celebrities, food, architecture, sports, art/patterns/textures, tech/typography, animals/pets, gardening, landmarks, natural landmarks, movies/plays, interior design, health and fitness, photography, skylines (famous), quotes, goals, and mantras, zodiac signs, and ideas for unique materials (fabric, pressed flower, finger print).

Further, at block <NUM>, based on the received responses, suggested indicia are presented to the user. For example, based upon the user responses, text (e.g., quotations) and images (e.g., photographs) may be suggested that are determined to appeal to the user based on his or her lifestyle, passions, and interests. The suggested indicia may be organized and presented according the afore-mentioned example list of subj ects. At block <NUM> a user may optionally select one of the suggested indicia for editing at block <NUM> in the manner described above. If the user does not select one of the suggested indicia, then workflow continues to block <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an example of the computing system <NUM> that can be used to implement the workflows described herein. The computing system <NUM> can be an individual computer system or an arrangement of distributed computer systems. The computer system 1601A includes one or more analysis modules <NUM> (a program of computer-executable instructions and associated data) that can be configured to perform various tasks according to some embodiments, such as the tasks described above. To perform these various tasks, an analysis module <NUM> executes on one or more processors <NUM>, which is (or are) connected to one or more storage media <NUM>. The processor(s) <NUM> is (or are) also connected to a network interface <NUM> to allow the computer system 1601A to communicate over a data network <NUM> with one or more additional computer systems and/or computing systems, such as 1601B, 1601C, and/or 1601D. Note that computer systems 1601B, 1601C and/or 1601D may or may not share the same architecture as computer system 1601A, and may be located in different physical locations. Computer systems 1601B to 1601D may include personal computers, smart phones, and tablets, for example.

The processor <NUM> can include at least a microprocessor, microcontroller, processor module or subsystem, programmable integrated circuit, programmable gate array, digital signal processor (DSP), or another control or computing device.

The storage media <NUM> can be implemented as one or more non-transitory computer-readable or machine-readable storage media. Note that while in the embodiment of <FIG>, the storage media <NUM> is depicted as within computer system 1601A, in some embodiments, storage media <NUM> may be distributed within and/or across multiple internal and/or external enclosures of computing system 1601A and/or additional computing systems. Storage media <NUM> may include one or more different forms of memory including semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic or static random access memories (DRAMs or SRAMs), erasable and programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) and flash memories; magnetic disks such as fixed, floppy and removable disks; other magnetic media including tape; optical media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs); or other types of storage devices. Note that the computer-executable instructions and associated data of the analysis module(s) <NUM> can be provided on one computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium of the storage media <NUM>, or alternatively, can be provided on multiple computer-readable or machine-readable storage media distributed in a large system having possibly plural nodes. Such computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium or media is (are) considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture). The storage medium or media can be located either in the machine running the machine-readable instructions, or located at a remote site from which machine-readable instructions can be downloaded over a network for execution.

It should be appreciated that computing system <NUM> is only one example of a computing system, and that computing system <NUM> may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine additional components not depicted in the embodiment of <FIG>, and/or computing system <NUM> may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components depicted in <FIG>. The various components shown in <FIG> may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits.

Further, the operations of the workflow described above may be implemented by running one or more functional modules in information processing apparatus such as general purpose processors or application specific chips, such as ASICs, FPGAs, PLDs, SOCs, or other appropriate devices. These modules, combinations of these modules, and/or their combination with general hardware are all included within the scope of the disclosure.

<FIG> shows a graphical interface embodied as a window <NUM>, which may be presented to the user of the workflows and systems described above. With regard to the workflows <NUM> and <NUM>', although the window <NUM> may be preferably presented to the user prior to selecting a locket at blocks <NUM> in the workflows <NUM> and <NUM>', it will be appreciated that the window <NUM> may be presented to a user at any time throughout those workflows, such as in blocks <NUM> in the workflows <NUM> and <NUM>' or in block <NUM> in workflow <NUM>'. Also, the window <NUM> may be used independently of the workflows <NUM> and <NUM>' as a means of browsing images associated with a user, as described in greater detail below.

The window <NUM> shows one or more topics which may be relevant to the user and for which the user may have related photos that can be used in the jewelry described above. By way of example, window <NUM> includes topic windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, respectively labeled "Interests", "Places You've Been", and "People". Each of the respective topic windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> lists categories of interests, places, and people. In one embodiment, the categories in topic windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be populated from accessing a user's social media account (e.g., Facebook®) using an application program interface (API). Alternatively, or additionally, the categories in topic windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be populated by accessing a local repository of image data (e.g., a local hard drive connected to the user's device), or a user's networked storage location (i.e., a cloud storage account).

For example, a user opening the window <NUM> may be asked whether the user wishes to grant access to one or more of the user's social media accounts (e.g., Facebook®, Instagram®), from which a corresponding social media API can be used to access the user's account data. For example, the Facebook® API may be used to access user Facebook® account information to identify image files associated with the user's account that may be associated with any predefined categories in topic windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> or to dynamically generate the categories displayed in top windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> based on the user's account data.

For example, a user may have taken a recent trip to New York and posted photos taken in New York to the user's social media account. Thus, based on the geotag of the photos, or the location tag that the user manually input, they may be identified as related to the topic "Places You've Been" and the location "New York" may be displayed in the category in window <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

In one embodiment, the content of one or more photos in a user's social media account may be automatically tagged using an auto-tagging API, such as "imagga" from Imagga Technologies Ltd. Of Sofia, Bulgaria. In addition, predefined rules can be used to associate certain identified tags with related topic windows and categories. For example, a photo in the user's social media account may show the user on a sailboat at a dock in New York and the photo may be processed through an auto-tagging API that tags the example photo with the following tags: "boat"; "sailing"; "New York"; and "user face" through geotags and automatic image recognition. The tags "boat" and "sailing" may be associated by rule with the topic "interests" in topic window <NUM>, while the tag "New York" may be associated with the topic "Places You've Been" in topic window <NUM>. Therefore, in the case of the example photo just described, the categories "boat" and "sailing" will be displayed dynamically in topic window <NUM> and category "New York" will be displayed dynamically in topic window <NUM> based on the results of the auto-tagging API.

In one embodiment, a user may subsequently select (e.g., by mouse click or finger tap) on the categories in windows <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> as a way of linking to related tagged photos, which the user may then decide to select later to use with the j ewelry selected in the workflows described above. Thus, in the example where "New York" is displayed in the topic window <NUM>, a user may subsequently select "New York" to browse any images tagged as being associated New York. Thus, in at least one embodiment, window <NUM> may be accessed by a user to link and browse photos and images associated with the user organized along predetermined topics and categories.

Claim 1:
A computer-implemented method for formatting indicia sized for use with jewelry includes:
selecting a locket jewelry design from among a plurality of locket jewelry designs of different sizes and shapes;
accessing a user's social media account, the user's social media account having a plurality of digital images (302a, 303a; <NUM>);
selecting indicia for reproduction including selecting one of the plurality of digital images (302a, 303a; <NUM>);
editing the selected indicia to fit in a virtual display frame (<NUM>) representative of and corresponding to a physical frame (<NUM>, <NUM>) of a locket (200a) represented by the selected locket jewelry design; and
generating a cutout layout (<NUM>) of the edited indicia on a printable media of a predetermined size, which when printed, includes a reproduction of the selected indicia sized to fit the locket (200a) represented by the selected locket jewelry design.