WO2003087976A2 - System and method for digital media design - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for designing custom designed and printed media. The system enables a user to access the system and design, for example, a custom wall covering. The system may present the user with a variety of product options from which the user may select. Based on the product options selected, the user may be presented with various custom criteria. The custom criteria may enable the user to customize various characteristics of the wall covering such as size, color, pattern or other. The user may select one or more of the custom criteria. Additionally, the user may be provided with an option to insert text or images not provided in the custom criteria. The images may be stored at a user's or other location. A digital sample image may be generated based on the product options and custom criteria input by the user. The sample image may be presented to the user on a display device. The user may modify the sample image, request that the sample image be printed or downloaded or other function. If the user desires to obtain a wall covering that includes the customization, the user may order a predetermined amount of the wall covering. The system may request payment information from the user for an order that the user desires to place. After receiving the payment information , the system may process and print the order. The order may also be delivered to the user.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIGITAL MEDIA DESIGN

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The invention relates to a system and method for printing or converting a wide variety of printable media. As one example, the invention relates to a system and method for digitally designing and printing a custom wall covering. Embodiments of the system may be configured to design and print a variety of other printable media.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Considering the background to one of many specific implementations of the invention, wallpaper is widely used in homes and offices for decoration purposes. Wallpaper comes in a great variety of patterns and colors, and there are many thousands of different wallpaper designs from which to choose. Wallpaper is typically printed at a factory, and then delivered to distributors, who keep different wallpaper designs and materials in stock.

[0003] A drawback with the traditional manner of manufacturing and selling wallpaper is that the distributor must often maintain a significant inventory of wallpaper to satisfy the diverse needs of consumers. Storing the inventory can be expensive and can require significant storage space, The distributor may not sell its entire stock of a particular design before the tastes of consumers change and the design becomes obsolete.

[0004]When a distributor does not have a particular design in stock, the consumer may order wallpaper from a catalog. The typical wallpaper catalog is very large and includes a vast listing of different wall paper designs that are available. However, the process of sorting through a catalog of several thousand different designs is time- consuming and often exhausting.

t0005] Similar difficulties arise with other printed media such as, for example, posters, greeting cards, garments, banners, decorative foils and others. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] One specific implementation of the invention relates to a system and method for designing custom wall coverings. A user may access the system to design a custom wall covering, The user may be presented with a plurality of wall covering options. The user may select one or more of the wall covering options. Based on the wall covering option selected, the user may be presented with custom criteria specific to the wall covering option selected. The user may use the custom criteria to customize, for example, a color, size, pattern, material, etc. used for the wall covering option. Additionally, the system may be configured for the user to optionally insert text or images that may be used to customize the wall covering option.

[0007] Once the user has designed a sample of the wall covering, the system may generate and present the user with a digital sample image of the wall covering product option based on the customization performed by the user. If the user changes the customization, the system may generate and present to the user revised sample images. The user may also be provided with an option to print or download a sample image. The sample image may be printed at a local or remote printer or may be downloaded to a local or remote storage device.

[0008]The user may submit an order request for the customized wall covering option. Upon receiving an order request, the system may transmit a request for payment information to the user. The user may input the payment information using any known input mechanism. Using the payment information input by the user, the system may process the order request. The order request may be transmitted to a converter that schedules production of the order and prints the order or arranges for the order to be printed. After printing, the order may be delivered to the user using any known carrier service. Alternatively, the order may be made available for pick-up by the user at a distribution center or other location.

[0009]While this Summary has described one specific implementation, the system for designing and printing wall coverings is only one example. The system may be adapted for designing and printing any printable substrate or object such as. by example only, posters, greeting cards, garments, banners, decorative foils, stickers, image transfer media, labels, specialty labels such as labels that incorporate microelectronics (or "smart labels), media having an image-receptive and transferable ceramic top coat, borders for walls, durable labels for beverage and other bottles and containers, and any other media that can be printed with a personal or commercial printer.

[0010] Specific embodiments of the system may be adapted to permit the user to design and print only one specific type of printable media. Other embodiments of the system, however, allow the user to select from among a variety of different printed end products and, in fact, the specific end product or media that is to be printed is a variable that the user specifies during the design process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[001 ] Fig. 1 is a front view of a large-size sheet assembly according to one specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0012]Fig. 2 is a rear view of the large-size sheet assembly of Fig. 1.

[0013] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken about Section 3-3 of Fig. 1.

[001 ] Figs. 4 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 5 illustrates an example of a client-server network in which the user designs wallpaper or another product on a client that is connected to a server, and prints the wallpaper or other product on a local printer.

[0016] Fig. 6 illustrates a method for designing custom wall coverings according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0017] Fig. 7 illustrates a system for designing custom wall coverings according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0018] One specific embodiment of the invention relates to a system and method for designing custom wallpaper. The system enables a user to select among a plurality of predetermined designs and input additional text and/or images into a custom design. The invention enables the custom design to be printed on wallpaper using a laser-jet or ink-jet wide format printer. According to one embodiment, the wallpaper may be adhesive articles such as those used for industrial graphics. The adhesive articles may optionally provide one or more of air egress, repositionability and slideability for easy application to a substrate.

[0019] Referring to Figs. 1-3, one embodiment of a specific large-sized sheet includes a paper facestock sheet 10. The sheet has a printable side 12 that includes an inkjet ink receptive coating 14 to receive and retain ink from an inkjet printer. In other embodiments, coatings other than inkjet ink receptive coatings can be used, to adapt the sheet to receive printing from other types of printers, such as laser printers, thermal printers, and various other printers known in the art.

[0020]The facestock sheet 10 also has an adhesive-bearing side 16, which includes a layer of primer 18. A suitable facestock having an inkjet ink receptive coating and a primer can be obtained commercially. Ohe example of a suitable facestock sheet is 80# Presentation Matte, which is available from P.H. Glatfelter Inc. of York, Pennsylvania, although other papers can be used. The 80# Presentation Matte paper comes pre-coated with an inkjet ink receptive coating and a primer.

[0021] One suitable primer is described as follows.

[0022] One suitable primer is described as follows. The following are examples of suitable commercial products that may be used in forming the primer embodiment described above. One suitable PolyVinyl Alcohol (PVA) is available commercially as Elvanol 71-30 from E.I, du Pont de Nemours and Company. A suitable defoamer is available as Drewplus L-139 from Drew Industrial Division of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company. One suitable silicate is available as Zeolex 7 from Huber Chemicals Corporation. One suitable biocide is available commercially as Tektamer 38.

[0023] One embodiment of a suitable primer is prepared as follows. The water is added to a mixing vessel at a temperature of 24^αC (75^DF) or below. An agitator is then started. The defoamer is added to the vessel and mixed. The PVA is added into the vortex so that it is rapidly wet out and dispersed. The slurry is stirred for approximately 10 minutes. The temperature of the mix is raised to 90°C (194°F), and the mix continues to be stirred until the PVA is dissolved.

[0024] Once the PVA is dissolved, the PVA solution is cooled. The silicate is added to the vortex so that it is rapidly wet out and dispersed. The mixture is agitated for approximately 15 minutes. The biocide is added and is mixed for 5 minutes.

[0025]This particular embodiment of a primer may have a percentage of solids of 12% - 14%, and a viscosity of 60 cps (LVT, #3 @ 12 rpm). It should be understood that the foregoing is merely an example of a suitable primer, and that other primers may be used.

[0026] A wide variety of facestocks may be used in addition to paper-based facestock. Plastic facestocks may be used, with or without a print-receptive top coating. Various types of films may be used for the facestock, including transparent, translucent, and opaque films. The films may be cast or extruded. Cardstocks, fabrics and foils may also be used. A particularly desirable facestock is vinyl, such as cast or calendared vinyl films, which are available commercially from many different vendors. Indeed, a plethora of different facestocks are in use in the label art, for instance, and those skilled in the art of the present invention will recognize that a great many potential types of facestock may be used in the present invention.

[O027]A continuous film of adhesive 20 covers the entire adhesive-bearing side 16 of the facestock. The adhesive film 20 includes ultra-removable ("UR") microspheres, which are known in the adhesive art to be a component of typical repositionable adhesives. In particular, the adhesive is a suspension polymer microsphere removable adhesive. Suitable adhesives are described in US Patent No. 5,656,705, which Avery Dennison Corporation owns. Other suitable adhesives are available commercially. For example, one suitable water-based microsphere adhesive is sold by National Starch and Chemical Company under the tradeπame Micro-Lok. The adhesive film 20 may have a coat weight of less than 20 gsm (grams of coating per square meter), and preferably between about 10-18 gsm. In one specific example, an adhesive coat weight of 17 gsm was found to perform well on a variety of surfaces. The adhesive film is applied so that it has a peel adhesion that is typically between 1.2 and 2.6 Newtons/inch, or at least less than about 3.0 Newtons/ϊnch. The preferred range of primer coat weight is 0.5 to 3 gsm, with the most preferred primer coat weight being 1 to 1.5 gsm. The preferable range of coat weights of the adhesive and the primer may vary depending on the facestock that is used in a particular embodiment.

[0028] It should be noted that suitable microsphere-based adhesives may be applied directly to the facestock, without a primer. Alternatively, priming may be used to improve anchorage to the facestock and to minimize transfer of microspheres to the facestock. Additional primers that may be used are disclosed in US Patent No. 5,656,705, which Avery Dennison Corporation owns. Techniques for applying an adhesive to a facestock are well known in the art. One approach is to coat the adhesive on the release liner. The adhesive then transfers to the primed facestock when the facestock is brought into contact with the release liner. Another approach is to coat the adhesive directly onto the facestock.

[0029]As another alternative, the adhesive may be applied in more than one layer. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,993,961 , 5,925,432, 5,827,609 and 5,558,913, which are incorporated by reference, all describe multi-layer adhesive arrangements. In the arrangement of U.S. Patent No. 5,993,961, a first layer of adhesive is applied to the facestock, and a second layer of adhesive is applied to the first layer. The purpose of the first layer is to act as a "barrier" that prevents oils, resins, tackifiers or plasticizers from migrating from the second layer to the facestock.

[0030] Various other multi-layered adhesive structures can be imagined_. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,827,609, issued to Ercillo, et. al, discloses a multi-layered adhesive construction having layers of adhesive with different glass transition temperatures. The multi-layered construction shows good adhesion to a wide variety of substrates, and typically converts well. U.S. Patent No. 5,558,913, issued to Sasaki, et. al., discloses a multi-layered adhesive construction in which a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the facestock, and a removable pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the permanent pressure sensitive adhesive.

[0031]Methods for applying multiple layers of adhesive are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,728,430, 5,925,432, and 5,962,075. The multiple layers may be applied to the facestock simultaneously using methods known in the art.

[0032] Considering further an embodiment of the present invention, a release liner 22 covers substantially all of the adhesive film. The release liner includes a silicone coating. In a presently preferred embodiment, the release liner is a 40# layflat liner that is 2.8 mils thick. Other suitable release liners include silicone coated films or polycoated kraft, as are known in the art. Suitable pre-silicoπized release liners are available commercially. The release liner may be pre-printed with indicia and/or graphics, such as the name and logo of the manufacturer.

[0033] The release liner 22 may be scored as, for example, by mechanical means, laser means, or other means known in the art, Suitable methods of scoring the release liner are disclosed in US Patent Nos. 4,537,809 and 4,356,375, which Avery Dennison Corporation owns. The release liner is scored so that the end-user can remove the release liner in individual sections. This allows the end-user to mount the printed large-size sheet in a section-by-section fashion, which is particularly convenient for mounting large-size sheets. In one embodiment of the invention that Fig. 2 illustrates, the score lines 24 extend vertically down the release liner. The score lines are spaced approximately 1 inch apart, so that the end-user may remove the release liner in one-inch strips and mount the large-sized sheet in one-inch segments. Numerous other scoring patterns are suitable, such as the diagonal pattern that Fig. 4 illustrates, in which score lines 24' extend diagonally along the back of the release liner. Fig. 4 illustrates one section of the release liner 26 partially removed, such that a portion of the adhesive layer 20 is exposed.

[0034] It should be noted that the present invention encompasses embodiments in which the liner is not scored, but is provided as a continuous sheet. Furthermore, as alternatives to scoring, the liner may be cut, slit, perforated, or otherwise provided with lines of weakness along which segments ofthe liner may be removed,

[0035]The release liner and/or facestock may be remoisturized to prevent channeling during use. "Channeling" refers to a tendency of a sheet to wrinkle wheh it absorbs water from the atmosphere. A sheet will absorb less water from the atmosphere if the sheet is "remoisturized" to increase the level of moisture in the sheet. To remoisturize the liner and/or facestock, the assembly can be subjected to a steam treatment or another method known in the art. The presently preferred final moisture content of the facestock is between about 3.5% to 5.5% moisture by weight. The presently preferred final moisture content of the release liner is between about 4.5% to 7.0% moisture by weight. When non-paper facestocks and/or release liners are used, such as cast or calendared vinyl for the facestock, the moisture content of the facestock is less of an issue.

[0036]An end-user may print and mount the sheet according to the following method. The end-user employs design software to create a desired layout consisting of graphics and/or text. The software controls a wide-format printer, such as a large- format inkjet printer. At the command of the user, the software causes the wide- format printer to print the graphics and/or text onto the printable surface of a large- sized sheet assembly as described above. The user removes the printed assembly from the printer, and removes one or more sections of the pre-scored release liner. The user then adheres a first portion of the sheet to a substrate, such as a wall or window. The user continues to sequentially remove sections of the release liner and mount the sheet to the substrate in a section-by-sectioπ manner until the sheet is completely mounted to the substrate.

[0037] Considering the process of using a computer to design and print the large-sized sheet assembly, Avery Dennison owns US Patent No. 5,892,892 entitled "Computer- Printable Adhesive Note System," which describes a method of designing graphics and/or text to be printed onto small-sized portable notes. The method of that patent can be adapted to design and print the large-sized assemblies that are described above. In, broad terms, the method works in conjunction with a computer and software for formatting and causing a wide-format inkjet printer to print onto a large-size sheet. The software would be provided on a storage medium readable by the drive of the computer; and (2) a plurality of instructions stored on the storagέ medium and including instructions for: (a) configuring the computer to display on' the monitor a plurality of sheet-printing variables associated with the large-size assembly; (b) configuring the computer to enable the sheet-printing variables to be selected via the input device; (c) configuring the computer to receive information, via the input device, to be printed on the large-size assembly; and (d) configuring the computer and/or the printer to print the received information on the large-size she t assembly in accordance with the selected large-size sheet printing variables.

[0038] It is noted that many wide-format inkjet printers are adapted |to print sheets having widths of 36 or 49 inches. Consequently, it is presently preferable for the sheet assembly to have a width of 36 or 49 inches, although the specific Widths will be a function of the sheet widths that the printer will accept. For example, ah assembly that is approximately 24 inches wide may be provided for digital offset, Indigo, Xiekon and other digital print technologies, The assembly may be fed to the printer in the form of a continuous-feed roll, or it can be pre-cut into individual sheets.

[0039] The printed assembly can be applied to a broad range of substrjates. The most common substrates are likely to be walls and windows, although otheh substrates are possible. Wall board, painted wall board, wallpaper, glass, painted steel, wood, painted cinder blocks, and fabric-covered walls are specific examples of substrates to which the assembly may be applied. For some surfaces, such a smooth, vinyl wallpaper, the adhesive coat weight on the sheet can be increased slightly to improve adhesion.

[OQ40]As mentioned above, constructions according to the present irivention may be used in a wide variety of applications. Specific examples include printed sheets that are used as window graphics, back-lit signage, and sheets that are temporarily adhered to a surface such as a wall and that act as temporary "whitebbards" on which a user may write. Other examples include temporary advertising or signage, such as point of purchase advertising, billboards, banners, and temporary Wall paper. The present invention may also extend to protective barriers, such ςis seat covers. Numerous other applications can be readily imagined, and the present 'invention is not limited to a particular application.

[0041]Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For instance, the specific adhesive that is used for the adhesive film 20 may be modified. Adhesives having a higher peel force but which are still removable may be used in place of the ultra-removable adhesive described above. A dual ώr multi-layered adhesive may be used instead of, or in addition to, the primer 18 or) the facestock. The layers may be applied sequentially, concurrently or substantially iconcurrently, in accordance with methods known in the art.

[0042]The specific facestock that is described above may be modified] The facestock may be made of polyester, other papers, or vinyls, for example. A particularly durable facestock may be employed for outdoor use. These various facestock irπaterials would be coated with an inkjet ink receptive coating (or, if another type of j printer is to be used, an appropriate print-receptive coating). Different adhesives will be suitable for use with the various different types of facestocks. The specific thickness of the facestock and the release liner can be varied. For example, if the assembly is to be provided in the form of a roll, the facestock and the release liner may be made particularly thin to minimize the weight and thickness of the roll and/or to reduce the tendency of the roll to unwrap itself. The release liner may also be provided without score lines, for use in applications where it is not necessary to sequentially remove portions o the liner while mounting the printed sheet on the substrate._. [0043]Turning now to consider additional aspects of he invention, constructions according to the present invention may be used in a wide variety of applications- Decorative wall paper is considered to be a major application. Howevέr, other specific examples of applications include printed sheets that are used as wallpaper, window graphics, back-lit signage, and sheets that are temporarily adhered to a surface such as a wall and that act as temporary "whiteboards" on which a user may write. Other examples include temporary advertising or signage, such as point of purchase advertising, billboards, and banners, The present invention may also έxtend to protective barriers, such as seat covers. Other examples include posters, banners, calendars, sheets that are applied to automobiles, sheets for transferring images to various substrates, and various other products. [0044] Considering now more generally a system for designing and printing substrates and, without reference to a single specific end product or application, Fig. 5 illustrates a client-server model in which a client computer 100 connects to a server computer 112. The client computer 100 is connected to the server 112 via a LAN (local area network), a phone line, or a TCP/IP based WAN (wide area network) on the internet. A client/server network set-up enables many clients to access the same applications and files that are stored on the server 112. The client 100 may be connected a personal computer, which has various peripheral devices such as a keyboard 114, a monitor 116, a mouse 118, and a floppy disk drive 120. The client 100 is also typically connected to a local printer 122, which may be an ink jet printer, a laser printer, any of a variety of different digital printers, a commercial printer and various other types of printers that may be connected to a client.

[0045] The client 100 need not be a personal desk top computer as shoWn in Fig. 5, but may instead be a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), an advanced wireless phone, or other device capable of connecting to a server 112. Whatever specific form the client may take, a common characteristic is that the client has a browser, which allows the user to read hypertext and act as the client to the server 112. Spedific non-limiting examples of suitable browsers include Microsoft's® Internet Explorer and Netscape® Navigator. The browser may be embedded into a consumer electronic 'device, such as a telephone, a PDA, electronics in an automobile that interact with ai network via a wireless modem or other wireless device, or any of a wide variety of devices that can communicate with another device across a network.

[0046] Servers such as server 112 are well known in the art. They are typically powerful PC's or other types of powerful computers that are programmed with application software for processing information received from one or more clients. Server 12 typically has memory in which web pages and other information is stored. Many of these web pages are often interactive forms that are transmitted to the client. The user yiews the form on the client and enters information onto the form. The browser then transmits the user-entered information to the server.

[0047]The server 112 may be programmed with a database and with sjoftware for interfacing with the database. Information about particular wallpaper d sigπs, such as graphic representations of wallpaper patterns, descriptive text, and varidus other information may be stored in the database. Databases and programs fqr interfacing with databases are known in the art. Alternatively, the desired informatibn about particular designs may be stored in memory on the server.

[0048] The user may input the information into the interactive form usin^ the mouse 118, the keyboard 114, with voice commands, or various other means for inputting information into an interactive form that are known in the art. The serveir 112 is typically programmed with software, such as a Java servlet or other computer program, to process the information that the server receives from the client.

[0049] In the embodiment of Fig. 5, print jobs from the server 112 may be printed at a wide-format printer 124. Wide-format printers, such as wide-format inkjet printers, are known in the art and are available commercially from Hewlett-Packard Corporation of Palo Alto, California and several other printer manufacturers, There are a variety of other types of printers that can be used, including various commercial pYinters. The wide-format printer 124 of Fig. 5 need not be directly connected to the. erver 12. Instead, the printer may be housed at a commercial printing facility, for example, that is remote to the server 112. The server may be in communication with ^!another server or a client at the commercial printing facility, which in turn controls the vi/ide-format printer 124,

[0050] It should be noted that, while one embodiment of the system calls for wide- format printers to print wide-format media such as sheets of wallpaper, -the system more generally may be used to print a host of other media besides sheets of wallpaper. Consequently, in situations in which the end product is not wide-format media, the printer need not be a wide-format printer. The printer may also be a printing press or other commercial printing equipment.

[0051]Turning now to one embodiment of a process by which customised media is designed and manufactured, the process includes several steps. In one step, a customer designs and orders a product, which may be wallpaper or other media. In another step, the product is printed, typically by a commercial printer of "converter," In another step, the product is delivered to the consumer. The system maty also include customer service and support functions to assist the consumer with the! process.

[0052] In the ordering step, the customer typically visits a web site to gather information about products, enter information about the desired end-product, perform customized design functions and ultimately specify a product order. THe web site may generate a sample image ofthe product, or of a design to be printed on a product, such that the customer may preview the final product. The system may also provide the customer with an option to print a sample of the design on a local printer, for example, such as a laser or inkjet printer. The customer may also eπt r payment information into the system at this ordering step, such as a credit card number or other information to facilitate payment.

[0053] As part of the ordering step, the user may input certain informatibn to identify characteristics of he desired end product. For example, the system m!ay provide the user with a menu from which to choose a particular product template. Various product numbers corresponding to particular printable products may be provided in a list. Each product number in the list corresponds to a template that may define such characteristics as the dimensions of the product, shape and/or layout df the- product, the location of printable areas on the product, and so on. For example, if a user selects "Avery 1234" from the menu, the system may retrieve default information about the "Avery 1234" product from memory or a database. In one erhbodiment, a graphical representation simulating the appearance ofthe "Avery 1234'' product appears on a display so that the user may see it.

[0054]The system may also provide the user with a menu that lists varlious product types from which to choose. By way of example and not limitation, the! product type menu may permit the user to choose from product types such as "Wall¹ Covering, " "Wall Border Trim," "Floor Tile," "Ceramic Tile,!' "Fabric," "Curtains," "Pillow Covers," 'Table Cloths," "Posters," "Banners," "Exterior House Covering," "Carpets" and whatever other products the system is set up to provide.

[0055] The customer may also be provided with a menu of special visual effects. The customer may choose, for example, from between "Holographic," "Lenticular," "Luminescent," "Fluorescent," and "Thermochromic" effects, among others. Another menu may provide choices of different adhesives, such as "Permanent Adhesive," "Initially Slidable, Gradually Permanent Adhesives," "Temporary, Removable Adhesive," and various other types of adhesives known in the art.

[0056] Another menu may provide the user with the option of selecting ai special surface, such as a surface on which the customer may draw, a gel-ink receptive surface, a writing-resistant (or "antigraffiti") surface, or various other surfaces. Another menu may provide a choice between different materials that aπ to be printed. This menu may be tied to the type of product that the user has selected. For example, if the user has selected "Wall Covering" from a previous menu, the material selection menu may list only materials that are available for a "Wall Covering," such as "Paper," "Coated Plastic," "Fabric" or any other material in which the product that the customer has selected is available.

[0057] Numerous other menus may be provided to the customer to assist the customer in defining the product that he or she wishes design and order through the system.

[0058] After the customer has defined the product to be ordered, the order is transmitted to a converter, where a production run is scheduled and thej product is manufactured. The order may be transmitted to the converter via e-majl to an e-mail address or via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to an FTP address, or by other means known in the art. The user may specify the e-mail or FTP address to which the file should be sent, or the e-mail or FTP address may be stored in a directdry on the server, such as in a directory of commercial printing facilities. The order may also be provided to the converter by way of an order database, which the converter may periodically check, or may appear as an entry in a job queue that the converter may view on the web site. There are thus numerous ways that the order may be provided to the converter.

[0059] Once the product has been printed, a delivery partner then delivers the product to the customer. The delivery partner may be a courier service, a postal service or other traditional delivery sen/ice. Alternatively, the customer may pick uprthe product from the converter or from a distribution center.

[0060] Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a method for designing custom wall coverings according to one embodiment of the invention. A user may beiprovided with access to a system that enables designing custom wall coverings, step 200. The system may present the user with one or more product options relating to wall coverings, step 202. The system may present the product options on, for example, a monitor, television, personal digital assistant, web-enabled mobile phone! or other display device. Although the invention is described in terms of wall coverings, it should be understood that the invention may be applied to a variety of other products such as, for example, tiles, curtains, wall borders, mailboxes, house coverings, etc.

[0061] Based on the options presented, the user may select one or more products to be customized. The products selected by the user may then be received by the system, step 204. The user may then be presented with custom criteria Irelating to the products selected, step 206. The custom criteria may be, for example, rbaterials to be used for the products, pre-stored designs, product size, colors, etc. Thei user may select one or more ofthe custom criteria to design a custom wall covering. The custom criteria selected may be received by the system in step 208. The system may then generate and present a sample digital image of the product based on the custom criteria selected by the user, step 210.

[0062]The user may desire to, for example, download or print the sample image. The user may download the sample image to, for example, a local hard driv<$ of a personal computer or print the sample image on, for example, a local laser-jet or ink-jet printer. The system may determine whether the user has requested to download or print the sample image in step 212. If the user requests to download or print the'sample image, the sample image request may be transmitted to an appropriate idevice in step 214. If the system determines that the user has not requested the sample image in step 212, the system may determine whether the user has requested that any modifications be made to the product, step 216. If the user has requested any modifications to the sample image, the system may apply the modificatibns to the sample image and present a revised sample image to the user, step 210. [0063] The system may then monitor whether the user transmits an order request. If the user transmits an order request, the order request may be received ih step 218- The system may then request payment information'from the user, step 220. The user may input the payment information requested. The¹ payment information¹ may be received in step 222. The order may then be processed, step 224. The order may be transmitted to, for example, a converter, step 226. ^'The converter may schedule production for the order, step 228. The converter rhay also print the order, step 230. After an order is completed, the order may be delivered to the user, step 232, using any known delivery mechanism such as, for examp le, a courier service, ipostal service, or other delivery service. Alternatively, the order may be made available for pick-up by the user.

[0064] Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a system 300 for designing custom wall coverings. The system 300 may include a system laccess module 302 that enables a user to access the system 300. The system accesls module 302 may be, for example, a web page that enables the user to input information regarding a wall dovering. A product option presenting module 304 may be used to present the user with a plurality of wall covering product options. The wall covering product options may be, for example, wallpaper, wall borders, etc. The user rriay select one or more of the wall covering product options using, for example, a standard computer mouse or keyboard, voice recognition software, touch-screen, etc. The! product options selebted may be received by system 300 using a product selection f-eceiving module 30β.

[0065] The system 300 may then present the user With custom criteria pertaining to the product options selected using custom criteria resenting module 3 8, The custom criteria may be customizatioπε specific to tlhe production optionέ selected. For example, if the user selected a floor tile product option, the custom critelria may include materials for the floor tile of vinyl or ceramic. Additional custom' criteria may include product size, color, design, etc. If the user¹ inputs one or more custom criteria, the custom criteria may be received using a custom criteria receiving mbdule 310.

Based on the product options and custom criteria selected, the system 300 may generate a sample image, preferably in digital format, and present the sample image to the user using sample image presenting module 312. The user may 'request that the sample image be, for example, downloaded toi a different location or printed on a printer. A sample image request determining module 314 determines whether the user has requested that the sample image be downloaded or printed, l the sample image request determining module 314 determines that the user has requested that the sample image be downloaded or printed, a sample image transmitting module 316 may be used to transmit the sample image to an appropriate device.

[0066]A modification determining module 318 ma^j be used to determine whether the user has requested any modifications to the samplle image. If the user has made one or more modifications to the sample image, a revised sample image tha-t includes the modifications may be generated and presented to the user using the sainple image presenting module 312. Alternatively, the user may request that an order be placed for the product options and custom criteria selected. The order may incllude, for example, an amount ofthe product needed, due date, etc. If the user hias requested to place an order for the product options, an order^'request determining rnodule 320 may be used to determine that the user has requested to place an ordelr. After determining that the user has requested to place order, the system 300 may request payment information from the user using g payment information requesting module 322. The payment information requestiπgi module 322 may request, for example, a user's name, telephone number, mailing address, credit card information or other information. Payment information input bj the user may be received by a payment information receiving module 324.

[0067] After receiving the payment information, am order processing mddule 326 may be used to process the order received from the user. The order processing module 326 may, for example, assign an order number toithe order. The order! may then be transmitted to, for example, a converter that completes the order. The bonverter may use a production scheduling module 330 that schedules the production: of the order. An order printing module 332 may be used to print the order based on the product options and custom criteria selected by the user, ilf the user has requested that the order be shipped, an order delivering module 334'may be used to direct the shipping of the order. The order delivering module 334 maly arrange for the ord r to be shipped via a courier service, postal service, overnight service or other carrier service. Alternatively, the user may request that the order jbe ρicked-up at, for example, _a distribution center or other location. , [0068] Customer service may be provided throughout the process to assist the customer. The customer service may provide support in conjunction with such functions as designing and ordering the product, tracking the order, moriitσriπg the consumer's order and account history, and variousi other functions. Defeils concerning the foregoing steps are discussed withireference to Fig. 6 above.

[0069] In one embodiment of a system to implement the process, an infiiastructure is provided having a web site, a design tool, an image database, an order 'database and a customer database. A module to facilitate and coordinate collaborati n between partners in the process may also be provided. Eaφh of the foregoing is how discussed in turn.

[0070]The web site serves a variety of roles. Theiweb site provides a rneans of sharing information among the various participants in the process, and serves as the front-end to consumer and order databases. The ite may provide the customer with design advice, tips, and information about styles, ^n may showcase various designs and sample end-products. The web site may alsolallow the customer to select from a variety of different designs or images to be printed! onto the end-product. The site may also provide interactive forms, drop-down menus, and various design tqols that permit the user to enter specific information about the deέired end-product. Other functions that the web site may serve with respect to the customer may be customer registration, image selection, design and order specification, tracking and tracing of orders, review of order history, reuse of past order; for new orders, standard design sample request, order sample request, filing of images and designs, and others.

[0071] The converter discussed above may be used to check an order queue for new orders, obtain graphical and order information, maintain/update order status, review order history, and other functions. The system may be used to review management information, for example, financial reports, evaluate converter performahce, customer response, complaints and questions, determine customer characteristids and customer value, targeted marketing, etc, ^!

[0072] The web site may provide the customer with a design tool that permits the user to select, create or import images or designs to be printed on the final piroduct. The design tool may, for example, permit the customer to review a selection 'of different images. To facilitate a search through a large nurφer of designs and/oii images, the site may provide a listing of different categories of designs. The user may specify a particular design category, and possibly a design slubcategory to further^' narrow the type of design for which she or he is looking. The (jser is then presented with different images from within the category and/or optional subcategory that are displayed on a display device and from which a user may choose. The tool may permit the customer to directly search a database of images by, for example, inputting infornktion about a desired design.

[0073] As an alternative to presenting the customs^ with different pre-ms-ade designs from which to choose, the web site may permit the! customer to import sin image from an external source. For instance, the user may upload an image and/or text, in the form of a graphic file, a page description file or othler importable format, to the site to be incorporated into the design. As a further alteπhatϊve, the web site rriay provide graphic design tools to permit the customer to create a new design oh the web site.

[0074] The web site may incorporate a design wizέrd that presents the customer with a step-by-step process to select, upload or designia design or image, the wizard may provide the user with information and advice throujghout the design process. The wizard may also serve a screening function by chέcking the design for tonformity to certain criteria. The wizard may, for example, en le a user to define a surface dimensions and details, select an image, and scale,' crop or otherwise manipulate the image. The images may be stored in an image database that stores the images in multiple formats, for example, jpeg, bitmap, TIFF, presents the images in a structured manner based on, for example, category, enables! users to browse and'select among the images, presents pricing information, enables iusers to add person l images, is controlled by a database administrator that may h ve authority to modify any database function.

[0075]The system may also include an order database that stores basϊlc information for each order. The information may be, for exam'ple, order identifier, qustomer identifier, date and time of order, order calculation, for example, different price elements and total, design information, and any other type of jnformaticj-n. The order database may also include workflow information thiat identifies a converter that the order has been assigned to, order status, distributor, distributor trace number, estimated delivery time, and any other desired information.

[0076] A customer database may also be used thiat includes basic customer information such as customer identifier, name, invoice address, shipping address, telephone number, facsimile number, electronic m&il address, company^' information, types of products ordered, frequency of orders, etc. The database may also include a customer's complaint or questions history, responses to mailings, special offers, etc., other contacts, and any other desired information.

[0077]The web site in this embodiment plays a different role with respe t to the manufacturer that receives the order from the customer. The site may permit the manufacturer to check an order queue for new or rs. It may also provide graphs and other information about orders, provide order histdnes and keep track of order status.

[0078] An order database may be provided to store basic information about the order, such as an order ID, a customer ID, date and time! of the order, an ordeir price calculation, and information concerning the design. The order database may also include workflow information, such as information about the manufactuiier to whom the order has been assigned, the status of the order, information concerning the distributor that will deliver the order, a distributor Mating number, a link to the order tracking system of the distributor, and estimated date of delivery, and other information- \

[0079] A customer database may also be provide^ that may contain different types of information, such as name and address informaticjn and other infαrmgtibn necessary for processing and delivering an order. The customer database may allsσ include additional information concerning customers in order to permit the management organization to profile customers and to perform marketing analyses. The customer database may include customer-specific complain! histories, questions (histories, customer responses to mailings and offers, relate J contacts, and information relative to notifications and other information that has been sent to the customer. [0080] While the foregoing has described specific Embodiments of aspects of an interactive design system, there are numerous variations possible. Certkin variations pertain to the technology itself, while other variations pertain to the business aspects of the system. Appendix A attached hereto provides supplemental details about implementation of technical aspects of the system, as well as aspects of related business models.

Examples of Speciific Wall_"Wl|ountabIe Media

[0081]As discussed previously, one application ofthe system is to design and print wall-mountable constructions, such as wall paper, posters, temporarily-mounted large- sized notes, and other media that are ultimately mounted on a wall or other substrate. The wall-mountable constructions may come in a Wide variety of different formats. It is expected that customers will often choose a wallpaper media that is pre,-coated with an adhesive backing, so that the customer will notineed to use wall paper paste, although wallpaper media without a self-adhesive backing may also be used.

[0082] One class of media relates to large-sized, repositiσnable sheets that can be printed in a wide-format printer. The sheet may have other special features. One example is wallpaper stock that resists the accumulation of bubbles when the stock is applied to a wall or other substrate, and/or which can allow the wallpaper to be repositioned once it is applied. A facestock having a front surface and a back surface, and a layer of adhesive having an upper surface and a lower surface aihd end edges is provided. The upper surface ofthe adhesive is acjhered to the back surface of the facestock. A release liner having a release surfade is also provided, sι|ch that the release surface is in contact with the lower surface ofthe adhesive. A pattern of non- adhesive material forms may be embedded into the upper surface of thb adhesive layer. Each ofthe non-adhesive material forms has a top surface, and the top surfaces of the non-adhesive material forms are bjelow he plane of the, upper surface of the adhesive layer. In an alternative embodiment, the pattern of nonl-adhesive material forms are embedded into the release surface of the release liner rather than into the adhesive. One example of media is described in U.S. Patent No. 5.866,220, titled "Method for Making Repositionable Wall Cohering and Intermediate for Same." [0083] Another class of media relates to large-sized sheets that can be temporarily adhered to a substrate and later removed, This type of sheet is particularly advantageous for temporary advertising, party banners, and numerous other applications in which it is desirable to adhere the printed media only temporarily to the substrate. Specific examples of wallpaper media g e described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,124,953 ("Wallpaper Construction Having a Holographic Border"), 5,056,880 ("Holographic Wallpaper"), 3,663,269 ("Self-releasable Nonmoisture Activated Wall Covering").

[0084]The system may utilize specialized printing [systems when appropriate. For example, specific systems for printing wallpaper ate known and are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,187,501 ("Printing System") and 5,124,730 ("Printing System"). Other printing systems may be used toipriπt specific types of media, and a wide variety of different printing systems may be elmployed.

Various Alternatives

[0085]The foregoing has described particular embodiments of methods for designing and printing sheets, and sheets themselves. However, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, in a non- network based alternative embodiment of a system according to the present invention, software for designing and printing the wallpaper is provided on a storage medium readable by the local computer, A plurality of instructions may be stored on the storage medium and includes instructions for: (a) configuring the computer to display on the monitor a plurality of sheet-printing variables associated with the large-size assembly; (b) configuring the computer to enable the sheet-printing variables to be selected via the input device; (c) configuring the computer to receive information, via the input device, to be printed on the large-size assembly; and (d) configuring the computer and/or the printer to print the received information on the large-size sheet assembly in accordance with the selected large-size sheet printing variables.

[0086] Systems in accordance with the present intention may incorporate features from U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/684,05-5, which was filed October 6, 2000 and is entitled, "System and Method for Generatirlg Customized and/or Personalized Documents." The same application has been published as a PCT application, International Publication Number WO 01/84299 AT. That application relates to an efficient method and system for generating customized and/or personalized printed materials, typically over a network having a client a!nd a server.

[0087] For example, one embodiment of that systetVi is an efficient method for generating and printing customized documents in έ, system having a client communicable with a network and a server communicable with the network. An interactive form is displayed on the client. User information is entered onto the interactive form, and is transmitted from the client to the server over the network. Default document parameters are obtained from a template file. Instructions to a page description file builder are formulated based upon the default document parameters and the user-defined information. A page description file is built based upon the instructions, and the page description file is transmitted to the client. The page description file is rendered for the first time at the client.

[0088] The method may also include various featu es and steps. The step of obtaining default document parameters from a template file may include parsing the template file. The template files may be in the form of statements, such as Extensible Markup Language (XML) statements. The step of transmitting user-defined information comprises transmitting information in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) code, with an option value format having a syntax comprising a token, a directive and a parameter. This structure may be referred to as "pseudo-XML" because it mimics XML functionality. Pseudo-XML is also extensible¹ in that the set of parameters may be extended indefinitely, yet the pseudo-XML is b^ckwardly compatible with HTML browsers.

[0089]The user information may typically include variety of information, such as name, address, telephone number, facsimile nuπrψer, e-mail address, billing and/or credit card information, text message, selection ofi a pre-defined graphic, and/or type of document to be generated. The user information may also include other information such as font type, font color, font size,' location of text or graphics on the printed media, and/or location of graphics on the document. [0090]The method may further include the step of printing the rendered page description file on a client-controlled printer, or on a iremote printer such as a printer found at a commercial printing facility. A table of printer driver characteristics may be stored on the server. The table may be created by a single source, or may be built dynamically based on data provided by online users. Using information about the printer characteristics, the page description file is built to compensate for any tendency in the printer driver to print the ultimate page in a position on the page, other than that desired. That is, the PDF file is built to compensate for any tendency of a particular printer driver to print the image at an offset to where the image should be on the page.

[0091]The page description file can be a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, a Postscript file or another format known in the art or'developed in the future. The client may be a desktop computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or another type of client that can interact with a server over a network, including a telephone that has a browser. The network can be an intranet or the Internet, or the means for connecting the client to the server can be a direct connection without the use of a network at all.

[0092] The step of formulating instructions can include formulating instructions in accordance with an application programming interfiace (API). A Java servlet or other computer program can be used to perform the step of formulating instructions A Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) browser on the client can perform the step of transmitting the user-defined information from the blient to the server, although as browsers evolve it is expected that the browser may be compatible with Extensible Markup Language (XML), which is more versatile than HTML.

[0093]The default document templates may be generated with a Graphical User Interface (GUI), and stored on the server. A graphical visual representation of the template may be created with the GUI and then s^ved as an output data file. The templates may include default values for at least one of the following: font type, font color, font size, background color, location of text on the document, location of graphics on the document, size of the document, έ d/or shape of the document.

[0094]The method may also include the step of determining characteristics of a printer on which the printed media is to be printed, The page description file can then be built for compatibility with the particular printer. The quality and/or printed appearance of the printed graphic are thereby enhanced. For example, the page description file can be built to ensure that the document is printed at a particular page location consistently from printer to printer.

[0095] Considering now additional features that ma]y be incorporated into the system, color management software may be employed. Cqlor management software is known in the art, with Colorsync by Apple Computer Inc. and Pantone® by Paπtone, Inc. being specific non-limiting examples. Color management software would allow the user to print out a sample at a workstation or on a personal printer and obtain a reasonable printed rendition of the intended color.

[0096]Tileable graphics may be employed, such tjhat a small file containing a graphic or geometric figure, for example, may be placed tiljswise to make up a much larger graphic. Tileable graphics are known in the art and are used in such commercial programs as Freehand by Macromedia Inc., CoreliDraw by the Corel Corporation and Illustrator by Adobe Systems Inc., for example.

[0097] A sample "kit" may be provided having different substrates on which to print, color management software, and/or color swatcheis for the major home printer and computer platforms. The user would design the graphic, and then print out a small sample to see how it would look. The substrates would provide the texture, color, feel, etc. of the finished product. The user could even έubrnit this sample with his or her order to denote his/her expectations of what the fihished graphic would look like. This could be a miniature of the graphic or a segment of a tile.

[0098] Various other modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, and considering again embodiments in which printed sheet media is the end product (as, for example, wall covering media¹), the sheet media may be manufactured to have means for air egress, as described in published US patent application Nos. 742646 (filed Dec. 21 , 2000). 742653 (filed Dec. 21, 2000), and 74654 (filed Dec. 21 , 2000), all of which Avery Dertnison Corporation owns and all of which relate to adhesive articles with improved air egress. [0099] Consequently, the present invention is not lirhited to the specific examples presented herein. All ofthe patents, patent applications and publications cited in the foregoing are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

In this chapter, we outline the processes making up the iDecor business model. This includes all customer- oriented processes as well as the processes dealing with partners.

We start with a global outline of the business model, as shown by the following picture:

1 2 3

These process steps roughly correspond to the different actors in the business model:

1) the customer visits the web site, gathers information about the product(s) and specifies an order

2) the converter manufactures the product according to specifications

3) the delivery partner distributes the product to the customer

4) customer service agents stand by to answer questions and handle complaints

The diagram below shows the process in more detail.

^■ image specification

^■ order specification

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE / SEΠING

Assuming that:

^■ the iDecor concept introduces relatively new products

^■ in general, customers are still quite hesitant to buy through the net, especially when the look and feel of a product is important

We conclude that:

^■ the shopping experience is very important to establish the following two goals:

- it has to provide information about the iDecor products

- it has to build confidence in the products, in buying the products through the web and in the iDecor organisation

This leads us to the following general characteristics:

^■ the shopping experience should resemble an interior designer studio (atmosphere)

^■ content may include design advice, tips, styles, examples

In addition to the general content, there will be personalised content. This can be of the following types:

^■ customer/order related content; existing customers can log in, and they will be able to look at their previous orders, and use these orders to specify new orders; they can also access a Tiling cabinet' where they can store their images and designs for later use

^■ target segment related content

For some products, customers will probably want to get an idea what a product looks like before they go through the trouble of designing and specifying an order; this requires the possibility to order a sample (with a standard design); customers mayhave to pay for this.

CHOOSING/UPLOADING AN IMAGE

In this document, we use two different terms for two types of graphical content: image and design. The term " image" is used for photos or illustrations in general. The term "design" is used for the combination of a surface specification and a manipulated image. This section deals with the selection of images. The next section describes the design specification process.

We propose to use two different ways to select an image: 1 ) choosing an image from an image repository

2) importing an image

Example of a simple image specification process:

• image database

Example of the professional image import process:

• image is made offline

• upload an image

• images should meet certain requirements as for resolution, colour use, size

• provide advice on colours and resolution

DESIGN SPECIFICATION

Design specification consists of a surface specification step and a design step.

Surface definition

• specification of surface height

• specification of surface width

• specification of artefacts such as windows, doors etc.

Based on this surface definition, the amount of material will be calculated.

Design

• stretching horizontally

• stretching vertically

• cropping if possible, the following operations will be supported:

• wizards/templates for commonly used operations

• adding text

• background plus theme plus text plus logo

• combination of different graphical components into one image

• mirroring

• duplicating images

• adding background color

• changing brightness

• changing colours

• electronic colour management (referring to industry-standard colors)

ORDER SPECIFICATION

In the order specification process, the customer specifies the following: a) the design b) customer information (depending on if it is a new or returning customer) c) delivery information (type of delivery) d) payment (choose preferred type of payment, currency, possibly credit card payment)

Customer information

^■ new customers will enter their personal data to be able to order

^■ they must enter basic information like name, address, contact information and some simple characteristics (type of business)

^■ existing customers (members) can login and review/change their customer information

Sampling of the real product

^■ depending on the product and the order size, the customer may have the possibility to request a sample of the product, exactly as specified in the order specification process

^■ this kind of sample will be produced and handled in the same way as the actual order

^■ for the sample, a representative section of the full product will have to be selected

Delivery information

^■ type of delivery: standard / rush

Payment

Billing customers and handling of all payments will be handled by the iDecor organisation. Customers will select their preferred payment method: credit card or standard billing.

Order cancellation and modification

During a limited period of time after an order has been placed, it is possible to cancel an order or to modify certain order details. After this period, the order will be processed as specified.

2.2 MANUFACTURING

As soon as a customer acknowledges an order, the following process occurs:

^■ allocation of an order to a converter (normally, the converter that is closest to the customer would be chosen; if more than one converter may be chosen, this must be a fair, random choice)

^■ provide graphical information to converter

^■ provide order information to converter

^■ get order acknowledgement and fulfilment date from converter ^■ order fulfilment at converter

^» standard packaging using iDecor brand packaging material

During this process, the converter must update the order status at each step, enabling the customer and customer- service agents to track and trace the order.

2.3 DELIVERY

^■ the delivery of the product will probably be carried out by one delivery partner (express company); an alternative option is to use local delivery companies

^■ converter arranges delivery with the delivery partner, and provides the necessary order information

^■ a delivery date is agreed with the delivery partner

^■ the delivery partner will provide order tracking information; this requires integration of the delivery partner tracking module and the iDecor system

^■ different possibilities (speed)

2.4 SERVICE & SUPPORT

The service and support function consists of: a) customer self- service b) general interaction between a customer and a customer- service agent (general questions) c) order- related interaction between a customer and a customer- service agent (questions, complaints, billing)

CUSTOMER SELF-SERVICE

After a customer has ordered, he will be informed on request about the order status. Therefore, registered customers must be able to:

■ track and trace their order status (when am I going to get it?)

■ review their order history

■ review their payment history

CUSTOMER- SERVICE A GENTS

The model necessitates interaction between the customer and a customer- service representative. We distinguish between the following types of service and support contact:

■ answering questions

^■ handling complaints

■ handling returns The following channels will support this interaction:

^■ email

^■ a form on the web site

^■ telephone

^■ mail

To support the customer service and support function, the following mechanisms are used:

^■ customer- service agents have access to all customer and order information (through the web site)

^■ all customer contact is stored by the customer service agents in the customer file; in this way, up-to-date information is available about every customer

■ questions and complaints are stored in such a way that it is possible to identify the most frequently asked questions and complaints; these questions may be answered on the site in a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section

Apart from the above, it will also be useful to select customers for newsletters, discounts and special offers. This requires functionality to support the selection process and outbound channels like direct mail and email.

COMPONENTS FOR THE TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The previous chapter outlines the processes in the business model. These processes are supported by a technical infrastructure.

The infrastructure consists of the following components:

^■ web site

^■ design tool

■ image database

^■ order database

^■ customer database

^■ partner collaboration module

This chapter discusses the functional specification of these components in relation to the processes we described in chapter 2.

3.1 WEB SITE

All actors in the business model use the web site to share information; for all of them, it is the front- end to the customer database and the order database. In this way, the web site enables the actors to collaborate. The following functionality is available for the different actors:

Customer

^■ provide general access to the entire shopping experience

■ provide design advice, tips & tricks, styles, showcases, etc.

■ customer registration

■ image selection

■ design specification

^■ order specification

■ tracking and tracing of orders

■ review of order history

■ filing of images and designs

■ reuse of past orders for new orders

■ request a standard- design sample

■ request a sample of the actual order, before ordering

Converter

■ check order queue for new orders

■ get graphical information, order information

^■ maintain/update order status

■ review order history iDecor organisation

■ review management information (financial reports)

■ evaluate converter performance

■ evaluate customer response, complaints, questions

■ get insight in customer characteristics

^■ get insight in customer value

■ based on customer characteristics and customer value, iDecor must be able to define a selection of customers for proactive communication

Customer- service agents

■ review order information, status

^■ review customer information

^■ log customer response, complaints, questions

3.2 DESIGN TOOL

The design tool supports the following:

^■ image selection (with an image wizard)

^■ image import (uploading)

^■ design specification

BASIC IMAGE WIZARD

The image wizard:

^■ enables the customer to use a step- by- step process to select or upload an image

^■ this process makes sure that the resulting image meets all criteria

^■ the customer gets advice along the way

DESIGN SPECIFIC A TION

The process of design specification will be another step- by- step process (wizard).

The process may be as follows:

Surface definition:

^■ define a surface (width/height)

^■ define further surface details

Design:

^■ choose an image

^■ horizontal and/or vertical scaling

^■ image cropping

^■ other manipulations

The process will be repeated for every surface specified. 3.3 IMAGE DATABASE

The image database offers the following functionality: it stores a large amount of graphics files (professional ready-made images, stock photography, user- defined images) for every image there are two graphics files (small jpeg files for presentation on the site, big, high resolution files for use by a converter) it presents these graphics files in a structured manner on the web site (different categories), allowing users to browse and choose the graphics in an attractive manner if a graphics file is copyrighted, this information is stored along with the file, and pricing information is presented to the user registered customers can add their own images in a separate part of the database; then they may keep this image in their private area or they may share it with other customers; sharing an image may be free or copyrighted (customers may enter copyright data for their self- designed image, handling of copyright payments is facilitated by the iDecor infrastructure)

■ the iDecor organisation can add/remove images

3.4 ORDER DATABASE

The order database stores the following information:

Basic information

^■ order ID

^■ customer ID

^■ date and time of order

^■ order calculation (different price elements and total)

^■ design information

Workflow information

^■ converter that the order has been assigned to

^■ order status

^■ distributor

^■ distribution trace number, also a link to the order tracking system of the distributor

^■ estimated date of delivery

3.5 CUSTOMER DATABASE

The customer database will contain different types of information:

^■ basic customer information, required for processing and delivering an order ^■ extra information, to give the iDecor organisation a better customer profile

^■ CRM (Customer Relationship Management) related information

Basic information

^■ customer ID

^■ company name

^■ contact person name

■ shipping address (street, city, postal code, country)

^■ invoice address (street, city, postal code, country)

^■ telephone

^■ fax

^■ email

Examples of extra information

■ type of business

■ size (people)

^■ size (revenue)

Because of the B2B target, it is expected that quite a lot of customers will place an order more than once. This is especially true for interior designers and other intermediaries. In this case, there is a valuable relationship between iDecor and the customer. To manage this relationship, it is essential to have an accurate, up-to-date customer profile, including customer contact information. The following type of information is relevant:

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) related information

^■ complaint history

^■ questions history

^■ responses to mailings, special offers

^■ other contacts

^■ information about proactive outbound communication such as notifications and recommendations

PARTNER COLLABORATION SOFTWARE

The co-operation between the iDecor organisation and the converters is mostly enabled by the fact that all parties use the same order database and are able, at any time, to monitor the status of all orders.

However, there are some other, specialised functions:

^■ order allocation (which converter gets the order) ^■ managing the financial administration of orders between converters, distributors and the iDecor organisation (revenue allocation)

As for the latter function, the basic assumption is that Avery's ERP system will be used to handle the whole financial administration. This requires tight integration between the iDecor infrastructure and the ERP system.

$.: GRAPHICS CONSIDERATIONS

FILE FORMATS

There are two fundamentally different kinds of file formats: bitmap files and vector files:

BITMAP FILES

Also called "raster" files.

Used for photos, scans, and created by "paint" programs.

Have a defined width and height; scaling causes pixellation.

Don't know "why" a pixel is the colour it is.

Tend toward larger file sizes.

VECTOR FILES

^■ Also called "geometry" files.

■ Are used for diagrams, illustrations, etc., and created by "draw" programs.

■ Describe object relationships; can be scaled to any desired size without pixellation.

■ Do know "why" a pixel is the colour it is.

■ Tend toward smaller file sizes.

EXAMPLES OF BOTH TYPES OF FILE FORMATS Vector Graphics File Formats

FILE SIZES

Below, we list some representative file sizes for a 9.9 megabyte 1943 x 1702 colour image. If we would print this image on a 600 dpi digital printer, we would get a print of 8,13 x 7,12 cm.

File type File size

TIFF 9.9 megs

BMP 9.9 megs

TGA 9.8 megs

PCX 9.2 megs

TIFF LZW 8.4 megs

PNG 6.5 megs

JPG 75% 0.5 megs

If we would want a print that is 30 times as large (2,43 x 2,13 m), using the same resolution, the file sizes would range from approximately 15 to 300 megabytes (1).

SCALING

When we scale images in a bitmap file format, the pixel size increases. Thus the number of dots per inch (dpi) is reduced, while the total number of pixels remains constant. If we know the desired target resolution and the scaling factor, the minimum source resolution can be computed. For this minimum source resolution one has to realise that the resolution of scanning hardware and photo prints is limited. For example, a standard printed photo has a resolution of only 200 dpi, and most scanning hardware is limited to 600 or 1200 dpi. This means that if we consider 100 dpi to be the minimum acceptable resolution than the maximum scaling factor is 2 for photos and 6 to 12 for scans.

DIGITAL PRINTING

Because wall- size image files will be very large, all image traffic should consist of small files. These files can then be scaled (at the converter) right before the digital printing process. Also, the files will have to be processed to make multiple images for printing large images on multiple stretches of paper. ^~ SERVICE AND SUPPORT PROCESS

In the following table, we enumerate the differences between the Decor only' situation and the more generic model.

This leads us to the following statements about the generic model: a) for B2C, because of the lower transaction value, customer service operation will have to be cheaper (frequently asked questions, automated email handling) b) because of the larger number of customers, the more diverse target groups and the diversity in products, it will be more difficult to 'know the customer' and to use this information for the purpose of marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) c) if, instead of the centralised business model, a franchise model would be chosen, the volume of customer service will decrease, because more of the payment and fulfilment related questions will be handled by converters.

IMPACT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE

Web site more than one web site or more buying environments within one web site ■ higher level of personalization

Order specification

■ for every product, a specialised order specification wizard will have to be implemented (of course, some functionality can be used for more than one product)

Customer service

■ automation of customer service (automatic email handling, data entry, call- centre support and integration of the various channels with the CRM system)

CONSEQUENCES OF ENGAGING HORIZONTAL PARTNERS

The question has been raised what the impact on the infrastructure and costs would be if the business model would be launched together with one or more horizontal partners. These partners could be companies selling complementary products that could be sold in the same fashion to the same target segments, for example a textile manufacturer.

We assume the following:

■ the horizontal partner sells products which are complementary to the iDecor proposition, but the products can be sold in the same way (online, interactive design, make- on- demand)

■ the target segments overlap with the iDecor market, so the same web shopping experience can be used ISSUES

In this discussion, some new questions have been raised: How can the current business model be extended (product diversification)? What is the impact on the infrastructure requirements and costs?

What is the impact on the infrastructure and costs if the business model would be launched together with one or more horizontal partners (i.e. partners with products that could be sold in the same fashion to the same target segments, for example a textiles manufacturer)?

What is the impact on the infrastructure if a franchise model would be implemented?

In this chapter we answer these questions.

6.1 CONSEQUENCES OF A MORE GENERIC BUSINESS MODEL

The iDecor concept encompasses a range of decorative products, although the focus until now has been on wallpaper. A number of (business- to- business) target segments have been defined around this product range. The question has been raised, however, whether a similar business model could work with a wider range of product platforms and target segments. The main feature would then be "self- design print- on- demand". Apart from decorative products, this may include posters, car/van decorating foils and T-shirts. Some of these products are typically business- to- consumer products.

In this chapter we look at the question whether the infrastructure as described in this report can be used to support such a more generic business model. If and when necessary, we will point out the necessary adjustments to the infrastructure.

We will look at the same four phases that we have used in chapter 2: buying, manufacturing, delivery and service and support.

BUYING PROCESS

In section 2.1 we identified the following issues:

^■ the shopping experience / setting

^■ image specification ■ design specification

The discussion of these issues was based on the assumption of a one product, B2B proposition.

Shopping experience / setting

The new proposition has the following characteristics:

■ Broader product range

■ Different target segments (both B2B and B2C)

The different product interests of the target segments call for a customer- centric approach. This means that there should be different buying environments for different target segments, i.e. interior designers/architects, professional graphics providers and consumers.

Of course, visiting prospects may initially be interested in only one product, for example wallpaper. Initially, not much is known about this prospect, so it is not possible to make a classification into one of the target segments.

As soon as enough information is available to make this classification, the customer can be made aware of other products aimed at his target segment.

This calls for a less static, more personalised approach, in combination with multiple buying environments.

Image selection and design specification

In chapter 2, we have made a clear distinction between image selection and design specification. Of course, images will be used differently for different products. The application of an image on a product, however, is part of the design specification process. This means that images are product independent in principle, an image may be used for any product. As new products are introduced in the future, the images that have already been specified may still be used.

Every product offered will use images in different ways. Some products have a fixed size (i.e. posters), others can be any size (wallpaper, carpet). Also, some products will require a special focus on surface shapes and artefacts (items on the surfaces, ridges). Therefore, the specification of surfaces, artefacts and scaling will have to be product- dependent.

The other parts of the design specification process remain as described in chapter 2. MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Not all converters may be able to handle every product that is offered. This means that the choice of a converter will be product- dependent.

DELIVERY PROCESS

For some products in the B2C area, delivery with a courier service may be relatively too expensive. In this case, it may be necessary to enable customers to pick up their product at the converter. Other than that, there are no differences with what has already been described.

In this case, it is possible to:

■ use mostly the same infrastructure, including the design functions

^■ use the same payment structure

■ use the same image database

The following issues are raised as a consequence of a multi- partner business model:

^■ more fulfilment partners needed because of the different product families

^■ there will be different customer service needs for the different products

These issues have also been addressed in the paragraph 6.1.

Another consequence is that revenue allocation and financial handling (including backoffice integration) will be more complex.

Engaging partners means an opportunity to share the initial investment for the infrastructure. Also, part of the marketing budget may be shared.

The possibility to share the investments will outweigh the extra costs incurred by the issues mentioned above.

5.3 CENTRALIZED MODEL VS. FRANCHISE MODEL

This report is built on the assumption of a centralised model. In this model, the following tasks are performed by the iDecor organisation:

^■ bill customers

^■ handle payments

^■ handle order- related customer support

In a franchise model, the converters will be responsible for these tasks. The related ICT- and cost consequences are given below.

BILLING & PAYMENT

In a franchise model, payments are handled by converters. No online credit card payment functionality is needed. This also means that the converters will be responsible for a large part of the financial fulfilment. This includes payment to iDecor of certain cost components to the other parties involved. It is assumed, however, that this financial fulfilment process is still supported by the web site infrastructure. This enables the iDecor organisation to keep track of the process. CUSTOMER SUPPORT

A franchise model will reduce the volume of central customer service. Therefore, a simpler CRM function may be sufficient.

FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES

No online credit card validation and payment services will be needed.

GRAPHICS MANIPULATION SOFTWARE

This appendix discusses the technical issues concerning the manipulation of digital images. It discusses the problems that arise in importing, manipulating and printing high-resolution graphics. A solution is presented that will allow users to manipulate high- resolution images indirectly by working on low- resolution replicas.

GRAPHICS IMPORT

TRANSFER SPEED

a) Ordinary modem speeds will be much too slow. b) ISDN (dual channel: 1 Mb per minute) is an option, although this will still take a lot of time c) Another option may be to have the client mail a CD and to load the images on it on the web site. In this way, extensive data transfer is avoided. d) A very fast network is WAMnet.

RESOLUTION

The following is presented by way of example rather than limitation. The resolution designates the number of pixels per inch. Images on the web site are always 72 dpi. Source images will mostly be 300 dpi. This difference will cause a discrepancy between the resolution the user sees on-screen and the end result after printing.

COMPRESSION

There are essentially two types of compression: file compression and graphical compression. Graphical compression can be lossy or lossless. In lossy compression, certain details of the image are discarded to allow a larger compression rate. Lossless compression does not cause loss of quality. File compression is always lossless, and is to be the preferred type of compression.

IMAGE SIZE

The initial image size has to be large enough to allow the scaling of the image. HPGL (Hewlett- One of the oldest file formats. Although Packard it is not very sophisticated, it is Graphics supported by many PC- based graphics Language) products.

IGES (Initial An ANSI standard for three- Graphics dimensional wire frame models. IGES is Exchange supported by most PC- based CAD Specification) systems.

A relatively simple file format developed by Lotus for representing

PIC (Lotus graphs generated by Lotus 1-2-3. PIC Picture File) is supported by a wide variety of PC applications.

Developed by Apple Computer in 1984 as the standard format for storing and

PICT exchanging graphics files. It is supported by all graphics programs that run on a Macintosh.

A file format for exchanging graphics

WMF (Windows between Microsoft Windows Metafile Format) applications. WMF files can also hold bit- mapped imaqes.

Bit- Mapped Graphics File Formats

The BMP and TIFF file format are most often used for scanned images.

The BMP format is the standard bit- mapped graphics format used in the Windows environment. By convention, graphics files in the BMP format end with a .BMP extension.

BMP files store graphics in a format called device- independent bitmap (DIB).

The TIFF format (tagged image file format) is one of the most widely supported file formats for storing bit- mapped images on personal computers (both PCs and Macintosh computers). TIFF graphics can be any resolution, and they can be black and white, grey- scaled, or colour. Files in TIFF format often end with a .tif extension. IMAGE MANIPULATION

Image manipulation is generally done by professional, 'heavy' software, placing very high demands on the hardware involved. Because of this, online manipulation of high-resolution images (where all users use the central hardware) is not possible.

The solution we propose is to use low- resolution replicas of the images. These replicas can be manipulated online. The online manipulations can then be described by a set of instructions.

In an offline process, these instructions can then be applied to the high- resolution versions of the images. This process can be implemented by a DTP package. An example of such a package is Quark XPress (industry standard). This package can be operated using scripts.

Online manipulation may consist of:

• scaling (X and Y coordinates independently) cropping (cutting parallel to the axis)

If possible, the following operations will be supported:

• wizards/templates for commonly used operations

• adding text

• background plus theme plus text plus logo

• combination of different graphical components into one image

• mirroring

• duplicating images

• adding background colour

• changing brightness

• changing colours

• electronic colour management (referring to industry-standard colours) TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR IMAGE MANIPULATION

ONLINE IMAGE MANIPULA TION INTERFACE

To support the online manipulation of the low- resolution images, an interface application is required. Such an interface may be implemented in Java. The interface will support the types of manipulation mentioned above.

After all manipulations have been reviewed and confirmed by the user, the same manipulations are performed offline on the high- resolution images.

Low RESOLUTION REPLICAS

The online manipulation process requires low- resolution replicas of all images. These replicas are created and administrated by a software component called the Open PrePress Interface or OPI.

The low- resolution images are stored in an image database. The high- resolution images are stored on a heavy- duty file server. The link between the two kinds of images is maintained by the OPI software.

PRODUCTION

For the production process, the following issues have to be addressed:

^■ a fixed file format; this enables iDecor to standardise file transfer to the converters and to maintain certain quality standards ^a converters must have a high bandwidth connection with the iDecor servers; the alternative is to have all high resolution images on servers at the converters

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method for designing and printing custom media comprising the steps

of: enabling a user access to a system for designing custom .media; presenting at least one media product option for selection by the user; receiving the at least one wail media .⁽product option selected by the user; and customizing the at least one media iproduct option, wherein the step of customizing enables the user to input text and images.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: enabling the user to place an order! for the at least one media product option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: requesting payment information frorrfi the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: receiving the payment information.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: processing the order.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: printing the order.

7. The method of claim 6, further pomp}rising the step of: delivering the order.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: generating a sample image of the at least one media product option

customized by the user. g jh_e method of claim 8, wherein the sample image is a digital image.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of customizing comprises enabling the user to perform at least one of the following customizations: a) changing a size of the at least one media product option; and b) changing at least one cølor of the at least one media.

11. The method of claim 1 , further compriisϊng the step of: presenting custom criteria to the useij.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of presenting custom criteria to the user is based on the at least one media product option selected.

13. A system for designing custom wall covering comprising: a user access module that enables! access to a system for designing custom wall coverings; a product option presenting modulj≥ that presents at least one wall i covering product option for selection by the user;

a receiving module that receives the! at least one wall covering product option selected by the user; and a customizing module that enables !the user to customize the at least one wall covering product option, wherein the customizing module enables the user to input text and images.

14. The system of claim 13, further cqmprising an ordering module that enables the user to place an order for the at least one wall covering product option.

15. The system of claim 14, further ώomprising a payment information requesting module that request payment informatioln from the user.

16. The system of claim 15, further cjomprising a payment information

receiving module that receives the payment information,

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising an order processing module

that processes the order.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a printing module that prints

the order.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a delivering module that arranges delivery of the order.

20. The system of claim 13, further cohnprising a generating module that generates a sample image of the at least one wallicovering product option customized by the user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the sample image is a digital image.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the customizing module enables the user to perform at least one of the following customizatioπs: a) changing a size of the! at least one wall covering product option; and

b) changing at least one color of the at least one wall covering.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising a custom criteria presenting module that presents custom criteria to the user,

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the custom criteria presenting module presents the custom criteria to the user is based on the at least one wall covering product option selected.