EP1914595A1

EP1914595A1 - Method and apparatus for product design evaluation

Info

Publication number: EP1914595A1
Application number: EP07118619A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daniel Pieter Saakes
Original assignee: Technische Universiteit Delft
Current assignee: Technische Universiteit Delft
Priority date: 2006-10-16
Filing date: 2007-10-16
Publication date: 2008-04-23
Also published as: NL2000277C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for product design evaluation that comprises
- providing a model of a product design to be developed, and
- with the aid of light beams projecting a material and/or pattern or a colour image onto the model, wherein the model is placed on a worktop and that during the projection of the image onto the model backlighting is provided to illuminate the model from a side towards which the light beams are directed, so as to visualize the model with the image to be projected thereon in the form in which it is placed on the worktop, without the image formation suffering distraction caused by background participation.

Description

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for product design evaluation. In this context, evaluation is also to be understood as exploration, which means that it is possible to assess the product design in an interactive manner.
The article "Material light: exploring expressive materials" of 21 October 2005, Pers Ubiquit Comput (2006) 10: 144-147, relates to such a method and apparatus for product design evaluation, wherein a model of a product design to be developed is provided, which model is placed on a transparent table. Subsequently, with the aid of light beams, an image of a material and/or pattern or colour is projected onto the model in order to form an image of the product design as it might look in reality. The term 'pattern' also includes the use of, possibly, a logo or brand name as well as a representation of a label. The model itself is usually of a light colour or white.
To carry out this method, a projector is used that derives the images from data stored in a computer memory such as materials, patterns and colour images that have been obtained, for example, photographically or artificially by means of computer generation.
From the British patent application GB-A-227.072 a method and apparatus are known wherein simultaneously various photographic images of designs are projected onto a screen for evaluation, and wherein the photographic images used may have a luminosity that is attuned to each image.
The drawback of the known method and apparatus is that the setup to be used is in fact a setup on laboratory scale, which is not portable. As a consequence, the known method and apparatus are very much tied to the location of the setup where the evaluation assessment can be performed.
The object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus that are not tied to the location of the setup, allowing the evaluation assessment to be simply moved to locations better suited to the availability of members forming the evaluation team or to accommodate other reasons that could make it desirable for the evaluation location to be flexible.
The method and apparatus characterized in accordance with the invention are specified in one or several of the appended claims.
In a first aspect of the invention, the characterizing feature of the method is that the model is positioned on a worktop and that during the projection of the image onto the model backlighting is provided to illuminate the model from a side towards which the light beams are directed, so as to visualize the model with the image projected thereon in the form in which it is placed on the worktop, without the image formation suffering distraction caused by background participation. The invention is based on the insight that the image projected onto the model does not continue into the background of the model but, owing to the backlighting, falls away. This affords the advantage that to realise the desired projection on the model, no information is required concerning the model's position or shape.
The projection, at least a final portion of its path ending at the model, is preferably carried out with light beams that pass substantially over and along the worktop.
This horizontal projection of the images onto the model forms the basis for the flexible setup that characterizes the apparatus according to the invention.
In accordance with the inventive idea, the apparatus for carrying out a method of product design evaluation, which is performed using a projector for the illumination of a model of a product design to be developed, and is provided with a control organ for the projector, wherein the projector is designed for providing light beams that form images of a material and/or pattern or colour for the model that are to be evaluated, is characterized in that a source for backlighting is provided illuminating the model from a side towards which the light beams are directed, such that the model with the image projected thereon can be observed in the form in which it is placed on the worktop without the image formation suffering distraction caused by background participation.
It should be noted, that the control organ for the projector, usually embodied as computer, may be provided with images of the materials, patterns, or colours to be projected in the manner known from the prior art.
In a further aspect of the invention providing much flexibility and diverse possibilities with respect to the model embodiments to be evaluated, the apparatus is characterized in that the control organ for the projector is information-receptively coupled with an information source that may or may not be positioned at a distance and, for example, coupled via internet and selected from the group comprising a digital data carrier, a computer, a camera. The advantage of using a camera is that with this camera an image to be projected onto the model can be recorded, so that with the aid of the control organ and the projector simply any desired image may be projected onto the model. The fact that the image is instantaneously projected from the camera onto the model makes a large degree of flexibility possible and a very intuitive evaluation.
Hereinafter the invention will be further elucidated by way of an exemplary embodiment without limiting the appended claims, and with reference to the drawing.
The drawing shows an object or model 2 placed on a worktable 1, serving as example for the product design evaluation.
To this end the model 2 is illuminated with a projector 3, which in the case illustrated is suspended from the table 1 by means of a fastening construction 5, and which via a mirror 4 projects a material and/or pattern or colour image onto the model 2. The use of the mirror 4 achieves that only the model 2 is visible on the worktop and elements such as the projector that distract from the image formation, can remain outside the picture. In relation to the projector 3 and the table 1, the mirror 4 is positioned such that the projection of the image onto the model 2, at least the portion ending at the model 2 and passing over the worktop 1, occurs with light beams that substantially pass above and over the worktop 1. Attention is drawn to the fact that a source 10 for backlighting is provided, which illuminates the model 2 from the side towards which the light beams are directed.
The figure further shows that the projector 3 is coupled with a control organ 9, usually in the form of a computer. In a further aspect of the invention, this computer 9 is information-receptively coupled with a camera 6, which camera is mounted on either another or the same table by means of a swivel arm 7, and with which an image may be obtained from a sample material 8, whose texture, the pattern or the colour is projected onto the model 2 via the computer 9 and with the aid of the projector 3.
To the person skilled in the art it is obvious that the method and apparatus described above may be embodied in many variations and that this method and apparatus may be applied with great flexibility and in any suitable location.

Claims

A method for product design evaluation, that comprises
- providing a model (2) of a product design to be developed, and

- with the aid of light beams projecting a material and/or pattern or a colour image onto the model (2), characterised in that the model (2) is positioned on a worktop (1) and that during the projection of the image onto the model (2) backlighting is provided to illuminate the model (2) from a side towards which the light beams are directed, so as to visualize the model (2) with the image projected thereon in the form in which it is placed on the worktop (1), without the image formation suffering distraction caused by background participation.
An apparatus for carrying out a method of product design evaluation, comprising a projector (3) for the illumination of a model (2) of a product design to be developed, and a control organ (9) for the projector (3), wherein the projector (3) is designed for providing light beams that form images of a material and/or pattern or colour for the model (2) and which are to be evaluated, characterized in that a source (10) for backlighting is provided illuminating the model (2) from a side towards which the light beams are directed, such that the model (2) with the image projected thereon can be observed in the form in which it is placed on the worktop (1) without the image formation suffering distraction caused by background participation.
An apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that the control organ (9) for the projector (3) is information-receptively coupled with an information source that may or may not be positioned at a distance and is selected from the group comprising digital data carrier, computer, camera.
An apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the control organ (9) for the projector (3) is information-receptively coupled with a camera, with which an image to be projected onto the model can be recorded.
An apparatus according to one of the claims 2-4, characterised in that the projector (3) is positioned underneath a worktop (1) with the model (2) being placed on the worktop (1), and in that a mirror (4) is provided for directing the light beams from the projector towards the model (2).