GB2466652A - Animating product packaging emphasising product code - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of generating an animation showing packaging for a consumer product plays and displaying a stock animation 701 for each packet type in which the package rotates from a primary position to show a sequence of relevant orientations. It is also receives an edit command during the playing of the stock animation to stop the animation 702 when an orientation showing a product code is displayed. The method also modifies a viewing position to emphasize the location of the product code. New viewing co-ordinates are recorded after the modifying step 703 and the viewing position is interpolated 704 from the stopped orientation of the stock animation to the modified orientation to produce an emphasized animation. The method combines the edited stock animation with the emphasized animation to produce a specific product-code animation 705. The product may be a medicinal drug.

Description

Animation for Consuming Products The present invention relates to generating animations showing packaging of consumer products. The present invention also relates to the production of three-dimensional image data representing packages for medical products having specified configurations intended for particular markets and including non-prominent product codes.

Computer animation techniques have been known for some time but are generally deployed within a studio with a view to producing a finished animation. It has been ralised that animation techniques could be used within other commercial environments but problems exist in terms of generating animations with modest overheads and deploying the animations for multiple local use.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of generating an animation showing packaging for a consumer product. The method is characterised by playing and displaying a stock animation for each packet type in which the package rotates from a primary position to show a sequence of relevant orientations. An edit command is received during the playing of the stock animation to stop the animation when an orientation showing the product code is displayed. A camera position is modified to emphasise the location of the product code and camera co-ordinates are recorded after this modifying step. Camera movement is interpolated from the stocked orientation of the stock animation to the modified orientation to produce an emphasised animation and the edited stock animation is combined with the emphasised animation to produce a specific . 25 product-code animation. S...

The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows an environment for the distribution of three-dimensional :. image data; Figure 2 shows operations performed within the graphics studio identified in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows procedures for performing a texture mapping process, identified in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a graphical user interface for manipulating three-dimensional objects; Figure 5 shows the interface of Figure 4 after manipulation; Figure 6 shows the interface of Figures 4 and 5 after further manipulations have been made; Figure 7 identifies operations performed at the update station shown in Figure 1; Figure 8 illustrates a graphical user interface for viewing a packet; Figure 9 shows the interface of Figure 8 with the packet in an alternative configuration; Figure 10 shows the packet of Figure 9 in an alternative configuration; Figure 11 illustrates further modifications to the packet of Figure 10; Figure 12 shows a protocol diagram illustrating communications between a server and a user; Figure 13 shows data displayed at the user's browser; Figure 14 shows a browser of Figure 13 with an alternative view; Figure 15 shows a browser of Figure 14 with an alternative view; and Figure 16 shows a browser of Figure 15 in an alternative view.

Figure 1 An environment for the distribution of three-dimensional image data is illustrated in Figure 1. A graphics studio 101 produces 3D animation data and reproduces two-dimensional texture data. This allows the texture data to be texture mapped onto three-dimensional models so as to produce three-dimensional computer generated images of packages for consumer products, including medical products such as tablets restrained by blister packs.

:. 30 Producers 102, 103, 104 of the medical products include systems 105 for updating machine-readable data identifying currently available legitimate medical products (the legitimacy of which tends to vary between countries) so that this information may be made available to users. Consequently, the producers also include a distribution system 106 having a network connection to a plurality of users.

In a preferred embodiment the environment may be deployed to assist customs officers at country and/or state boundaries in their task of identifying counterfeit goods and, similarly, assisting them in terms of rapidly sanctioning the ongoing transportation of legitimate goods.

It is appreciated that a high level of security is required within the environment of Figure 1 to ensure that data supplied to users 107 to 114 correctly identifies legitimate products. In a preferred embodiment, it is only possible for artwork and computer models to be created at the graphics studio 101. Original artwork is produced by the producers 102 to 104 in the form used for printing the actual packages used for product distribution. However, the producers do not produce the machine-readable variants of this artwork for use by users 107 to 114.

New artwork is agreed between the graphics studio and the producers such that it may then be uploaded to the update stations 105. At the update stations 105 new artwork may be loaded onto the system in the form of three-dimensional models and animations etc. Operatives are required to enter user names and passwords and in an embodiment, such passwords must be re-entered after a period of connection which may be as little as five minutes.

Furthermore, additional security measures may be required such as swipe cards or fingerprint readers etc. The products include specific product codes and these codes will confirm, for example, that a particular drug (for example) and a particular S...

concentration and in a particular packet type configuration may be deployed within a particular geographical region. When packages are being examined S...

by customs for example, a preferred aspect of the embodiment takes :. 30 measures to ensure that the correct product code can be identified even when the packaging is unfamiliar and even when the packaging is printed in a non-local language. Thus, by allowing customs officers as users to quickly identify these product codes, the time taken for the officer to make a determination as to whether the product is legitimate or not is substantially reduced.

Having updated machine-readable data of product configurations, this data is not immediately made available for distribution throughout the network.

In order for distribution to be achieved, it is necessary for a second operative to select the amended data at their respective distribution station 106. At this stage, new data may be selected for distribution to users but it is not possible to introduce new data from external sources. Thus, at a distribution station 106 it is only possible to make a selection from data updated at the update station 105.

Figure 2 Operations performed at the graphics studio 101 are illustrated in Figure 2. At step 201 a product is selected and at step 202 a three-dimensional model is created.

At step 203 an artwork texture is created, typically derived from the artwork applied to carton blanks, when in two-dimensional form.

The three-dimensional image of the carton is produced by a texture mapping process 204 and having modelled the three-dimensionality and texture of the carton, it is then possible to create a stock animation at step 205.

The stock animation is used to facilitate the identification of product codes. In a preferred embodiment, the stock animation rotates a model through a sufficient number of orientations such that all faces at some stage become visible. At the respective update station 105 it is possible to stop the animation **. 25 at a selected point and then take further measures in order to enhance the visibility of the product code.

At step 206 the artwork and models produced at the graphic studio 101 S...

are uploaded to their respective producer 102 to 104 whereafter a question is asked as to whether another product is to be modelled.

Figure 3 Procedures 204 for performing the texture mapping are illustrated in Figure 3. A three-dimensional model has been produced at step 202 or read from storage. This effectively defines a wire frame for a package and the three-dimensional data essentially defines the position of vertices. An artist at the graphics studio 101 also receives the artwork texture created at 203 which is essentially a flat video image defined by colour pixels. However, when used as an originating image for a texture map, the individual elements are referred to as texels 303. A texture map 304 defines how texels 403 are used to convey properties to the surface of the three-dimensional model 301.

Surfaces of model 301 are constructed from a plurality of smaller polygons, such as polygon 305. Polygon 305 is positioned in three-dimensional space by defining the position of its vertices. In addition, the surface of polygon 205 has properties, such as colour and transparency.

These properties are defined by the texture 302 and as such the properties within polygon 305 will be determined with reference to a plurality of texels within the texture 302.

The procedure performed, as defined by the texture map 304, seeks to achieve photo-realism such that a rendering operation needs to interpolate between texels contained within a preferred area so as to achieve an appropriate mixing while taking account of effects due to perspective. Thus, a rendering operation 305 builds pixels, such as pixel 306 within an image frame 307 by making reference to the properties of the polygons, such as polygon 305, while making appropriate interpolations of values derived from the texels *.,, 25 303.

Figure 4 A graphical user interface is illustrated in Figure 4 configured to manipulate the three-dimensional object including its texture.

Within the graphical user interface 401 buttons 402, 403, 404, 405 and 406 are provided. These operate as toggles in that an activation of each effectively deactivates the previously activated button.

Activation of first button 402 causes rotation of the displayed object 407.

After activating button 402, movement of a mouse (or similar manual device) in a vertical direction effects rotation about an x axis with similar movement in the horizontal direction effecting rotation about the y axis.

Activation of button 403 provides for translation of the displayed object 407. Thus, on this occasion movement of the mouse results in a similar movement of the object 407.

The activation of button 404 provides for movement of the object in the z direction, that is to say towards or away from the viewer. The object therefore appears larger or smaller.

The activation of button 405 provides a similar effect of enlarging the object 407 but this time by changing the viewing angle of the notional camera.

Thus, the activation of button 405 effects an enlargement of the object 407 whereas the activation of button 406 provides the reverse effect of widening the camera angle. Finally, button 408 deactivates any of the previously activated functions.

By the activation of buttons 402 to 406 t is possible to effect any movement of the object 407 within the interface. While a photo-realistic effect is desirable, for this particular application the definition to the three-dimensional object is sufficient to provide good reproduction on visual display units. As is known in the art, for a given degree of processing power the definition is such as to provide a good quality image while allowing the aforesaid manipulations to be performed in real-time. Consequently, it is possible for movements to be recorded and then played back so as to create an animation.

In accordance with step 205, the preferred embodiment calls for a stock *::::* animation to be generated in which the object 407 is rotated so as present each face (in the example shown each of the six faces) prominently to a * *** 30 viewer.

*: In the example shown a front face 411, a side face 412 and a top face 413 are visible to the viewer. A slight rotation about the y axis followed by a slight rotation about the x axis would bring face 407 clearly into view. Thus, it would be possible for the stock animation to be paused at this point so as to allow closer inspection of entities present on face 407.

Figure 5 Figure 5 shows the graphical user interface of Figure 4 in which further manipulations have been performed so as to rotate the object 407 about the y axis such that face 412 is still visible but previously obscured face 501 is now prominent. Again, if face 501 were to be shown and emphasised the stock animation could be stopped at this point.

Figure 6 The graphical user interface of Figures 4 and 5 is also shown in Figure 6. This shows another point in the stock animation in which a rotation about the x axis has occurred such that faces 412 and 501 are visible but face 601 is prominent. Thus, again, if an element on face 601 were to be emphasised the stock animation could be stopped at this position.

The orientation shown in Figure 4 may be considered as a primary position in which face 411 may be considered as the notional front of the packet, that is to say the face that would tend to be on display when stored in a cabinet for example or when initially viewed by a consumer. Thus, when a customs officer for example picks up a packet of tablets this primary position would tend to be the natural starting point for viewing the packet. However, it is highly unlikely that this front face would be used for including codes relating to the content of the packet, their authenticity and their intended destination.

Consequently, an aspect of the present invention provides for an animated sequence to be shown to the customs officer. S...

The animated sequence is prepared, preferably, at update stations 105 by playing and displaying a stock animation generated and supplied by the graphics studio 101. The stock animation, available for each packet type, rotates the packet from a primary position (possible that shown in Figure 4) to show a sequence of relevant orientations. Thus, in an embodiment, the stock animation rotates packet objects sufficiently so as to present each of the available faces (six in the embodiment) in a prominent position.

The playing of the stock animation allows staff at the update station to generate an edit command, received by a processor, during the playing of the stock animation so as to stop the animation when an orientation showing a product code is displayed. After stopping the animation, a viewing position is modified to emphasise the location of the product code. The new viewing co-ordinates are recorded after the modifying step. Thus, the system is aware of viewing co-ordinates at the edit point, when the stock animation was stopped and the system is also aware of viewing co-ordinates at the completion of the modifying step. In order to complete the animation, viewing positions are interpolated from the stopped orientation of the stock animation to the modified orientation to produce an emphasised animation. The edited stock animation is then combined with the emphasised animation to produce a specific product code animation.

Thus, the provision of the stock animation, generated at the graphics studio 101, allows sophisticated animations to be produced at update stations 105 by making relatively modest changes within the environment defined by the graphical user interface. Thus, the sophisticated animation produced by the graphics studio 101 may be redeployed many times to produce new specific product code animations for any changes made to the position of product codes on the packets. I...

Figure7 Operations performed at update station 105 are detailed in Figure 7. At step 701 the stock animation is played and at step 702 a stop command is received from an operator when the packet has rotated to the appropriate : orientation.

*..: 30 At step 703 the new position is received by the system by the operator making manual adjustments using the graphical user interface.

At step 704 an interpolation is performed to produce the emphasised animation. The emphasised animation is then combined with the edited stock animation to produce the product code animation at step 705.

Figure 8 A graphical user interface displayed to an operator at an update station is shown in Figure 8. The operator plays the appropriate stock animation such that rotations occur from that shown in Figure 4, to that shown in Figure 5 and finally to that shown in Figure 6. In this example, the operator has determined that the code on the packet is present on face 601.

Figure 9 Rotated packet 407 is shown in Figure 9 in which face 601 is now prominent. As shown in Figure 9, face 601 includes a product code 901 and it is the intention of the operator at update station 105 to emphasise the position of this product code such that it becomes clearly visible at user stations 107 to 114. In order to do this, the operator modifies a viewing position to emphasise the location of the product code.

Figure 10 As shown in Figure 10, a modification has been performed upon the image shown in Figure 9 in which the viewing angle of the camera has been modified or the object has been brought closer to the position of the camera, possibly by the use of button 404. Face 601 therefore appears larger and, at the discretion of the operator at update station 105, it is possible that other parts of the object may no longer be in view, such as the back of surfaces 501 * 25 and 412. As a result of this enlargement the code 901 appears larger and in some circumstances this may be considered enough in order to identify the position of the code.

Figure 11 A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 11. In addition to enlarging code 901 the location of the product code is also emphasised by the introduction of a graphical entity. Preferably, this graphical entity encloses the location of the code and in a preferred embodiment it takes the form of a circle 1101, possibly a red circle which in a preferred embodiment is shown being drawn or animated in some other way to bring it to the attention of the user.

Thus, from viewing the packet in what may be considered its normal orientation, that is to say the primary position showing the front of the packet, the finished product code animation in a preferred embodiment goes through rotations so as to bring the appropriate face to the front of the view, it then undergoes an enlargement and possible a translation in order to place the appropriate face centrally and enlarged to the view of the user, whereafter an additional graphical element, preferably a drawn red circle appears around the code thereby clearly bringing it to the attention of the user in a relatively short time interval.

In a further preferred aspect of the present invention data is made available to the distribution stations 106 which in turn communicate with users 107 to 114. In this embodiment, the distribution stations 106 provide an apparatus for processing three-dimensional image data representing a package for a medical product having a specified configuration intended for a particular market and including a non-prominent product code. Each user 107 to 114 is provided with a browser device which may take the form of a mobile personal computer preferably ruggerdised and possibly including a touch screen for example. In alternative embodiments the system could be deployed using mobile telephony equipment with the telephony equipment having the capability to browse and thereby communicate with the distribution stations.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the browser devices convey a product : 30 designation to a server such that it may then receive and display data received from the server. A server is preferably configured to generate a three-dimensional animation showing the product being rotated from a primary position to a position making the product code visible whereafter measures are taken to intensify the location of the product code.

Figure 12 A protocol diagram in illustrated in Figure 12 showing the interaction between the distributor/server 106 and a typical user, say user 107. At step 1201 a login operation is performed resulting in initial data being returned as illustrated at 1202. This initial data presents a first screen from which a selection may be made either by entering a specific pioduct name or by identifying a manufacturer and performing a browsing operation etc. Thus, several interactions may occur between the user and the server to identify a product but eventually a specific product designation will be identified and conveyed to the server as illustrated by 1204.

Having identified the product, availability is returned as shown at 1205.

Thus, having identified a particular product (pharmaceutical) for a particular market, the system will identify variants available, in terms of specific pack sizes, along with the available concentrations of the drug. Thus, if a particular pack size at a particular concentration is not identified as being available for a particular market, an alert may be raised at this point without taking any further action given that the consignment is clearly incorrect and therefore could be counterfeit.

Assuming the product is available in the form present, a user may select further information in the form of an animation whereafter at step 1207 the ::::. animation data is returned thereby allowing the animation to be shown at the user's terminal.

As previously described, this allows a user to see clearly, by means of the animation, where codes are present within the packet itself, as illustrated in :. Figure 11. Thus, if these codes do not match up with the consignment :**:; destination, an alert message may be returned back to the server as illustrated at 1208.

Figure 13 After receiving product availability data, as illustrated at 1205, the data is displayed at the browser as illustrated in Figure 13.

As shown in Figure 13 a graphical representation of the product is shown at 1301. This is a static thumbnail image of a typical packet for holding the drugs in question.

In the interface, additional information is provided in region 1302 which identifies other names for the drug, the manufacturer and the country of manufacture. To the right, a button 1303 allows a previous screen to be viewed and a button 1304 allows a new search to be initiated.

In a first column 1305 variants are identified in terms of particular pack sizes. Thus, in the example shown the particular drug selected may be available in pack sizes of 6 tablets, 20 tablets, 28 tablet, 30 tablets, 50 tablets

or 60 tablets.

In a column 1306 concentrations are identified. In this example, the drug is available in concentrations of 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg, 3mg, 4mg and 6mg. Thus, based on the information available to the user, when inspecting the product, selection buttons are provided allowing a specific selection to be made. Thus, for the purposes of this example, the tablets being viewed by the user at a customs post may have a concentration of 1mg and are provided in a pack of 20. Thus, the user may select button 1307 (via a mouse click or a stylus) along with a selection of button 1308. Having made these selections, both buttons would be illuminated or designated in some alternative fashion to illustrate their selection. However, such a selection is only possible if this combination has been produced for the intended destination. Thus, for the sake of argument, 20 tablet packs may be available in the 1mg concentration but not available in the 2mg concentration thus *::::* having selected button 1307 it would not be possible, for example, to select :. button 1309.

* ** 30 Having entered the selection of the particular drug, in a particular variant *..: and with a particular concentration, a further button 1310 is activated in order to provide the next display for the particular selection made.

Figure 14 In the embodiment, the activation of the display button 1310 may result in the generation of a screen of the type shown in Figure 14.

For consistency, the information previously present at 1302 remains in place and buttons 1303 and 1304 are again substantially the same.

A column 1401 allows a particular type of display to be selected. A second column 1402 is substantially similar to column 1305 and allows a particular variant to be selected.

In column 1401 it is possible to make a first selection in order to view an individual tablet. In the example shown in Figure 14, this option has been selected by the activation of button 1403 such that an example of an individual tablet is shown at 1404. Similarly, the tablets held in their blister pack may be viewed, an individual package or carton may be viewed, packets in their shrink-wrapped form may be viewed, the outer packaging may be viewed or the pack may be viewed in three dimensions.

Figure 15 An alternative selection has been made in Figure 15 to the extent that an individual pack will be shown, due to the activation of button 1501 and the individual pack will be shown as a 3D animation due to the activation of button 1502.

Having activated button 1502, a further display is provided in region 1503 in the form of authenticity markings. Thus, the activation of button 1504 results in a particular authenticity marking being emphasised to the user.

In the preferred embodiment, as previously described, three-dimensional image data is produced representing packaging for the consumable product, taking the form of a pharmaceutical in a preferred : embodiment. The product has a non-prominent product code or authenticity marking, the existence and/or location of which would not necessarily be known to officials handling the products, such as customs officers. Data identifying the selected product is received whereafter an animation is displayed showing the packaging of the selected product being rotated from a primary position to a position that makes the product code visible. In addition, further measures are performed to identify the location of the product code.

Thus, as shown in Figure 15, the product is initially shown in a primary position substantially similar to that in which the packet would normally be held or displayed in a cabinet for example. This would normally be the front face of the packet representing the image that users would normally associate with the product and which they would normally use to distinguish the product over other similar products.

Figure 16 The graphical user interface of Figure 15 is shown in Figure 16, after the animation (as illustrated and descried with reference to Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11) has completed. Thus, having activated button 1504 for the first authenticity marking to be displayed, an animation is performed showing the packaging of the selected product being rotated from its primary position (as shown in Figure 15) to a position that makes the product code visible. Thus, product code 1601 is now visible to the user after the user has witnessed the product being rotated from its primary position. Thereafter, additional measures are taken to identify the location of the product code. In this preferred embodiment and as described with reference to Figure 11, a red ring or circle 1602 is drawn around the product code thereby clearly identifying the location of this code to a user. 4'**S : 25 * I * * I... S. * I * S.. ** .

I *

Claims (15)

1. Claims 1. A method of generating an animation showing packaging for a consumer product, characterised by the steps of: playing and displaying a stock animation for each packet type in which the package rotates from a primary position to show a sequence of relevant orientations; receiving an edit command during the playing of said stock animation to stop the animation when an orientation showing a product code is displayed; modifying a viewing position to emphasise the location of said product code; recording new viewing co-ordinates after said modifying step; interpolating viewing positions from the stopped orientation of the stock animation to the modified orientation to produce an emphasised animation; and combining the edited stock animation with the emphasised animation to produce a specific product-code animation.
2. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said consumer product is a medicinal drug.
3. 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said medicinal drug takes the form of a plurality of tablets supported by a blister pack, wherein one or more of said blister packs are contained within said packaging. * I S...
4. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said primary position consists of a packet front being shown in an upright orientation. S...S I

   :.
5. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera position is :..:; modified by zooming onto the position of said product code.
6. 6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said camera position is also modified by performing a pan and/or tilt operation.
7. 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location of the product code is also emphasised by the introduction of a graphical entity.
8. 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said graphical entity encloses said location.
9. 9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the enclosed graphical entity takes the form of a circle or ring.
10. 10. An apparatus for producing three-dimensional image data representing a package for a medical product having a specified configuration intended for a particular market and including a non-prominent product code, comprising: a browser device for conveying a product designation to a server and for receiving displayable data received from said server; said server being configured to generate a three dimensional animation showing the product being rotated from a primary position to a position making said product code visible; and performing additional measures to intensify the location of the product code. * * * S. *

    **** 25
11. 11. A method of producing three-dimensional image data representing S...packaging for a consumable product having a non-prominent product code, S..... . * * comprising the steps of: *.** receiving data from a user to identify a selected product; displaying animation data showing the packaging of the selected product being rotated from a primary position to a position that makes the product code visible; and performing additional measures to identify the location of the product code.
12. 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said consumable product is a packet of medicinal tablets.
13. 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said data received from a user identifies a drug contained within said medicinal tablets.
14. 14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said primary position consists of a packet front being shown in an upright orientation.
15. 15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said additional measures include performing a camera zoom towards the position of said location. * * * ** S **** * * S...SS..... * . * S *. * . * *..S S.