Image-Enhanced Product Layout for Automated Visual Impact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers lack the artistic, aesthetic, and technical skills to create personalized image-bearing products effectively, leading to a diminished perceived value of customized items, and there is a need for a new paradigm to enhance the integration and value of image/item combinations.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method for generating image-enhanced output products using an electronic system that includes a housing, content data files, user input, and output systems, which analyzes the image enhanceable item to determine a printing map and visual impact characteristic, and processes images based on this analysis to create a visually impactful product.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If consumers manually create personalized image-bearing products, then they can express their creativity, but they lack the necessary artistic, aesthetic, and technical skills to achieve effective integration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of creating personalized productsVSAvoidquality of image integration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables consumers to create personalized products without requiring manual artistic skills. The automated image processing system performs the complex tasks of image selection, arrangement, and integration, allowing users to simply provide input images while the system handles the creative process automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual artistic creation with an automated computer-based system. The electronic system analyzes images, determines printing maps, selects processing methods, and generates the final product automatically, substituting human artistic skill with computational algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If consumers manually design personalized products, then they can customize images, but they lack the time necessary to master the task effectively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoidtime required for product creation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of input images, pre-determines optimal printing maps, and pre-selects appropriate processing methods before final product generation. This preliminary processing eliminates the need for consumers to spend time on manual design decisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The automated system replaces time-consuming manual design processes with rapid computational image processing, allowing consumers to obtain customized products instantly without investing significant time in learning or executing design tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If automated systems generate personalized products, then production efficiency increases, but the perceived value and aesthetic quality may diminish

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidaesthetic quality of image integration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where consumers can review and adjust automated processing results. The system allows users to select from multiple generated options and refine the output, ensuring aesthetic quality while maintaining automated efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts processing parameters based on the specific characteristics of input images and product types. By analyzing image properties and automatically selecting optimal processing methods, the system maintains high aesthetic quality while operating at automated speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Quantity of substance

If multiple images are incorporated into a single item, then the product becomes more valuable, but the complexity of integration increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of images per productVSAvoidcomplexity of image integration
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the complex task of integrating multiple images into separate processing steps: image analysis, printing map determination, processing method selection, and final generation. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple images systematically without overwhelming complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The automated system replaces complex manual integration processes with computational algorithms that can efficiently process and integrate multiple images. The electronic system handles the complexity of coordinating multiple images, determining their optimal arrangements, and generating the final integrated product.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4207078B1Generation of an image enhanced product
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 KODAK ALARIS INC
  • EP4207078B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4207078B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4207078B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system for generating an image enhanced output product and method for operating the same are provided. An image enhanceable product is identified having a tangible surface and a printing map is defined that defines a plurality of window areas in which images are to be printed on the tangible surface. A desired visual impact characteristic is determined based upon the appearance of the image enhanceable product and the printing map and a selection of a plurality of digital images are received. An image processing method is selected method based upon the determined visual impact characteristic and at least one of the digital images is automatically processed in accordance with the selected image processing method. At least some of the digital images, including the automatically processed image, are provided on the tangible surface according to the printing map.