权利要求：
CLAIMS:
1, A method for producing a three dimensional reproduction of an object
comprising:
(@) acquiring electronic data representing a work image, of the object,
5 the work image including a three dimensional representation of the
object, wherein in the representation of the object has a length in
each of the X, and Y dimensions and a plurality of depths in the Z
dimension;
processing the electronic data to obtain scaled XYZ data wherein at
(b)
10 least one of X and Y are scaled by a first scale factor and Z is
scaled by a second scale factor, the second scale factor being
different from the first scale factor; and,
(c) using the scaled XYZ data to prepare thie reproduction of the object
on a substrate.
15 2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises using the scaled XYZ
data to prepare a mold and using the mold to produce the reproduction.
3.
The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises using the scaled XYZ
data to directly produce the reproduction.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processing includes:
20 (a) processing the electronic data with the first scale factor for scaling
the length of at least one of the X and Y dimensions of the three
dimensional representation of the object to provide a first scaled
dataset; and,
(b)
processing the first scaled dataset with a second scale factor for
25 scaling the plurality of depths in the Z dimension of the three
dimensional representation of the object to provide a second scaled
dataset:
wherein the reproduction is prepared using the second scaled dataset.
5 The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein step (b) includes
30 (a) processing the electronic data with a first scale factor for scaling
the length of at least one of the X and Y dimensions of the three
dimensional representation of the object to provide scaled XY data
and
.(b) processing the electronic data by applying a rule based on the first
scaling factor, wherein the rule represents the second scale factor,
to obtain the scaled Z data.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1 whereih the length in the X dimension of
the three dimensional representation of the ‘object is varied by the first
scale factor, the plurality of depths in the. Z dimension of the three
dimensional representation of the object is varied by the second scale
factor and the length in the Y dimension of the three dimensional
representation is varied by a third scale factor, wherein the third scale
factor is from 80 to 120% of the first scale factor.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising selecting the second
scale factor so that the reproduction has a realistic appearing texture. 8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reproduction has X and Y
dimensions each having a length and a Z dimension with a plurality of
depths and the method further comprises selecting the second scale factor
so that, when the reproduction is viewed by a person, the length of the
reproduction in each of the X, and Y dimensions and the plurality of depths
of the reproduction in the Z dimension appears to have been scaled by the
same scale factor.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reproduction has a texture
and the method further comprises selecting the second scale factor so that
the texture is perceptible.
10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reproduction has a visual
focal point and the method further comprises selecting the second scale
factor to position the visual focal point of the reproduction at a selected
portion of the reproduction.
11.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reproduction includes a
three dimensional representation of a consumer product and has a visual
focal point and the method further comprises selecting the second scale
factor to position the visual focal point of the reproduction at the focal point
of the consumer product.
12.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second scale factor is a
constant.
43.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second scale factor varies
at different positions in the work image.
14.The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the object is a person and a
first value for the second scale factor is used for at least one of the
person's lips and eyebrows and a second value for the second scale factor
is used for the person's nose.
15. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reproduction is larger than
the object and the second scale factor is in the range from 0.9 to 0.1 times
the first scale factor.
16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reproduction is smaller than
the object and the second scale factor is in the range from 2 to 1,500 times
the first scale factor.
17.The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the reproduction is smaller
than the object and the second scale factor is in the range from 15 to 200
times the first scale factor.
18.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object bears a two-
dimensional image and the method further comprises producing the work
image from the two dimensional image.
19.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object comprises a
photograph or sketch of an object and the method further comprises
producing the work image from the photograph or sketch.
20.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object comprises an artwork
having a textured surface, the textured surface having multiple depths in
the Z dimension, and the method further comprises producing the work
image from the artwork.
21. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object is three dimensional
including a Z dimension having a plurality of depths and the method further
comprises producing the work image from the object by steps comprising
providing lighting at a particular angle and/or from a particular direction to
the object to create resulting shadows, altering the angle and/or direction
of lighting of the object as a series of images are taken and interpreting the
resulting shadows from the series of images to produce a map of the
plurality of depths of the object in the Z dimension.
22. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object is three dimensional
including a Z dimension having a plurality of dépths and the method further
comprises producing the work image from the. object by steps comprising
taking a series of images of the object, wherein each image has a
particular focal point or depth of field, altering ‘the focal point and/or depth
of field as the series of images is taken, and interpreting the resulting
shadows from the series of images to produce a map of the plurality of
depths of the object in the Z dimension.
23 The method as claimed in claim 1 wheréin the object comprises a
particular element having an identity and the method further comprises
determining the first scale factor based on the X and Y dimensions of the
substrate and at least one of the X and YY dimensions of the object and the
X and Y dimensions of the representation of the object and selecting the
second scale factor based on the identity of the element.
24. The method as claimed in claim 23 wherein the identity of the element
comprises one of a car, a bottle, a full body image of a person, an image
of a head of a person and a treé and the method further comprises
providing a predetermined relationship between the first and second scale
factors for at least some of the elements and utilizing the relationship when
the reproduction is prepared.
25. The method as claimed in claim 23 wherein the object comprises two
elements and the method further comprises providing a predetermined
relationship between the first and second scale factors for the two
elements and utilizing each relationship when the reproduction is
prepared.
26. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising using the substrate to
produce a distributable, wherein the distributable comprises one or more
of product packaging, a poster, a pen, a clock face, a clock body, a mug, a
calendar, a lamp body, a lamp shade, a vase, a jewelry box, furniture, an
article of clothing, a plate, a hat, a flag, @ hang tag and a panel. 27.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate is integrally
formed as part of a distributable, wherein the distributable comprises one
or more of product packaging, a poster, a pen, a clock face, a clock body,
a mug, a calendar, a lamp body, a lamp shade, a vase, a jewelry box,
furniture, an article of clothing, a plate, a hat, a flag, a hang tag and a
panel.
28.The method as claimed in claim 27 further comprising preparing the
substrate by blow molding, injection molding, or rotational molding. 29. The method as claimed in claim 26 further comprising applying at least a
portion of the substrate bearing the reproduction to a mounting substrate
to produce the distributable.
30. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the work image is produced at
a first location and stored in a computer readable file and the computer
readable file is sent to a second location where the reproduction is
produced.
31.The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the second location is
physically remote from the first location and the computer readable file is
sent via a data transmission network.
32 The method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the reproduction is
subsequently shipped to a customer.
33. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the reproduction is prepared by
using scaled XY data to size the substrate and treating the substrate using
the scaled Z data to produce the reproduction in three-dimensional form. 34. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein a plurality of depths in the Z
dimension of the substrate are created by a variable mechanical force that
is applied to the substrate.
35. The method as claimed in claim 34 further comprising using a dot matrix
printing head, a daisy wheel printing head, a matrix of pins or an electric
deformable LCD to produce the variable mechanical force.
36.The method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the mechanical force that is
applied to a particular portion of the substrate corresponds to a plurality of.
depths in the Z dimension of that particular portion in the reproduction. 37.The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mold is prepared by
machining, laser cutting, CNC machining, CNC laser cutting, fused
deposition modeling, stereolithography and/or casting.
38 The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mold travels relative to a
heater, the mold has a plurality of zones and the method further comprises
independently adjusting the temperature of at least some of the zones
whereby all portions of the substrate are subjected to generally uniform
heating in the mold.
39. The method as claimed in claim 38 wherein at least some of the zones are
configured to be cooled and the method further comprises providing
different amounts of cooling to at least sorme of the zones.
40. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the substrate is porous and the
method further comprises associating a non-porous layer with the porous
substrate during the molding operation.
41. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a
frame member and the method comprises preparing a frame. 42 The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the work image includes a
design for a frame and the method further comprises integrally forming the
frame as part of the reproduction.
43. The method as claimed in claim 1 futher comprising applying at least one
texturing material to at least a portion of the substrate.
44. The method as claimed in claim 43 further comprising selecting the
texturing materials from at least one of metal foil, metal particles, cloth,
leather, ground clear glass, fragmented clear glass, ground coloured
glass, fragmented coloured glass, clear silicone, coloured silicone, wood
particles and a binder, and stone particles and a binder.
45.The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the work image is used to
prepare a negative image of the object on a substrate.
46. The method as claimed in claim 45 wherein the substrate has a front face,
and the substrate is configured to be gererally concave when viewed from
the front.
47. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the object comprises an artwork
and the method further comprises:
(a) having a person apply enhancements to the artwork using a
painting implement;
(b) capturing digital data representing at least one of the movements of
the person, the movements of the painting implemenit and the
colour of the paint applied to prepare the enhancements; and,
(¢) mechanically applying at least some of the enhancements produced
by the movements to the reproduction.
48. The method as claimed in claim 47 further comprising manipulating the
captured digital data to produce one or more files containing alternative
subsets of enhancements; and, mechanically applying at least one of the
subsets to the reproduction.
49.The method as claimed in claim 47 further comprising using a robot to
mechanically apply at least some of the enhancements produced by the
movements to the reproduction.
50. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of the scale factors is one. 51. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising treating the substrate
to temporarily reducing the rigidity of the substrate during the preparation
of the reproduction.
52.The method as claimed in claim 51 further comprising increasing the
temperature of the substrate and/or chemically treating the substrate to
reduce the rigidity of the substrate.
53. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a thin
sheet and the method further comprises applying an image of the object to
the substrate.
54. The method as claimed in claim 53 wherein the scaled Z data is used to
apply a relief pattern to the substrate and the method further comprises
using the scaled X and Y data to apply the image of the object to the
substrate prior to forming ‘the relief pattern to the substrate thereby
producing the three dimensional reproduction.
55.A method comprising:
(a) providing an image on a front face of an image substrate;
(b) mounting the image substrate on a mounting substrate to produce
a composite product; and,
(c) forming a three dimensional profile in the composite product.
56.The method of claim 55 further comprising selecting a plastic as the
mounting substrate and a cellulose based material as the image substrate. 57. The method of claim 56 further comprising selecting a clear plastic as the
image substrate and the mounting substrate is.positioned over front face. 58. The method of claim 57 wherein the image substrate has a rear face and
the method further comprises mounting a second mounting substrate to
the rear face of the image substrate prior to forming a three dimensional
profile in the composite product.
59. The method of claim 55 further comprising applying steam to the image
substrate after it has been mounted on the mounting substrate, applying
heat to the mounting substrate and, applying pressure to the composite
product to form a three dimensional profile in the composite product. 60.The method of claim 59 further comprising exposing the mounting
substrate to infrared radiation to heat the mounting substrate. 61. The method of claim 55 further comprising providing a weakened portion
of the mounting substrate whereby the mounting substrate may bend
along the weakened portion without breaking.
62. The method of claim 61 wherein the weakened portion comprises a score
line.
63.The method of claim 61 further comprising providing a picture or artistic
work as the image.
64.A method comprising:
(a) providing a porous image substrate;
(b) applying steam to the porous image substrate; and,
substrate
(c) associating a non-porous layer with the porous image
during a molding operation whereby a three dimensional profile is
formed in the image substrate.
65.The method of claim 64 further comprising printing an image on a front
face of the image substrate prior to forming the three dimensional profile in
the image substrate.
66. The method of claim 65 further comprising disassociating the non-porous
layer and the porous image substrate after the three dimensional profile
has been formed in the image substrate.
67. The method of claim 66 further comprising filling at least a portion of the
profile formed in a rear face of the image substrate.
68. The method of claim 64 further comprising selecting a plastic as the non—
porous layer and a cellulose-based material as the image substrate.