当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Aastvej 1,DK-7190 Billund DK | Mølleparken 258,DK-7190 Billund DK | Lemmingvej 2,DK-8600 Silkeborg DK
摘要：
A computer-implemented method of generating a digital representation of a user-defined construction element connectable to pre-manufactured toy construction elements of a toy construction system, each pre-manufactured toy construction element comprising a number of coupling elements for coupling the pre-manufactured toy construction element with one or more other pre-manufactured toy construction elements of said toy construction system, the method comprising determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user- defined construction element; generating, responsive to input by a user indicative of a user-defined shape, a digital representation of a user-defined construction element, the user-defined construction element comprising said one or more coupling elements at said determined one or more positions; providing the digital representation for automated production of said user- defined construction element.
权利要求：
CLAIMS:
1 . A computer-implemented method of generating a digital representation of a user-defined construction element connectable to one or more pre- manufactured toy construction elements of a toy construction system, each pre-manufactured toy construction element comprising a number of coupling elements for coupling the pre-manufactured toy construction element with one or more other pre-manufactured toy construction elements of said toy construction system, the method comprising
- determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element;
- receiving input by a user indicative of a user-defined shape;
generating, from at least the user input and the determined one or more positions, a digital representation of a user-defined construction element, the user-defined construction element comprising said one or more coupling elements at said determined one or more positions;
- providing the digital representation for automated production of said user- defined construction element.
2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising, for each coupling element, defining one or more design constraints on the user-defined shape associated with the coupling element; and wherein generating the digital representation comprises enforcing the determined design constraints.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein enforcing the design constraints comprises generating a digital representation of a user-defined construction element, the user-defined construction element having a modified shape determined from the input by the user and from the design constraints and comprising said one or more coupling elements at said determined one or more positions.
4. A method according to any one of claims 2 through 3, wherein the digital representation is indicative of an element volume to be occupied by a material so as to form the user-defined construction element; wherein at least a first design constraint associated with a coupling element comprises defining a first volume associated with the coupling element; and wherein enforcing the first design constraint comprises generating the digital representation to be indicative of an element volume comprising the first volume.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein enforcing the design constraints comprises generating a digital representation of a user-defined construction element, the user-defined construction element having a modified volume occupied by a material, the modified volume comprising a union of said user- defined volume and said first volume.
6. A method according to any one of claims 2 through 5, wherein the digital representation is indicative of an element volume to be occupied by a material so as to form the user-defined construction element; wherein at least a second design constraint associated with a coupling element comprises defining a second volume associated with the coupling element; and wherein enforcing the second design constraint comprises generating the digital representation to be indicative of an element volume excluding the second volume.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein enforcing the design constraints comprises generating a digital representation of a user-defined construction element, the user-defined construction element having a modified volume occupied by a material, the modified volume being determined as at least a difference of said user-defined volume and said second volume.
8. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 7, wherein the digital representation is indicative of an element volume to be occupied by a material so as to form the user-defined construction element; wherein the method comprises:
- obtaining a digital representation of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements; and
- defining a third design constraint on the user-defined shape, wherein the third design constraint comprises determining, from the obtained digital representation, a third volume indicative of a volume associated with at least a part of the toy construction model; and
- generating the digital representation to be indicative of an element volume excluding the third volume. 9. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein the digital representation is indicative of an element volume to be occupied by a material so as to form the user-defined construction element.
10. A method according to an one of claims 1 through 9, wherein determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element further comprises selecting, for each of the one or more coupling elements, respective types of coupling elements from a set of types of coupling elements. 1 1 . A method according to an one of claims 1 through 10, wherein
determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element further comprises selecting the one or more positions as grid points of a discrete grid of positions for placement of coupling elements.
12. A method according to an one of claims 1 through 1 1 , wherein
determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element comprises receiving a user input indicative of a user-selection of one or more coupling elements and corresponding positions, and to place a representation of the selected couplings element in a three-dimensional view displayed on a display of a data processing system.
13. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 12, wherein
determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element comprises receiving a user input indicative of a user-selection of a digital representation of one of a number of template construction elements, the template
construction element comprising a number of coupling elements positioned at respective predetermined positions.
14. A method according to any one of claims 1 through 13, wherein
determining one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element comprises: - obtaining a digital representation of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements;
- selecting one or more coupling elements of the obtained toy construction model to which a user-defined construction element is attachable;
- determining said one or more positions for placement of one or more coupling elements to be included in the user-defined construction element from the positions of the selected one or more coupling elements of the obtained toy construction model.
15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising determining a type of coupling element associated with each determined position from a detected type of coupling element of the selected one or more coupling elements of the obtained toy construction model. 16. A method of producing a user-defined construction element connectable to pre-manufactured toy construction elements of a toy construction system, each pre-manufactured toy construction element comprising a number of coupling elements for coupling the pre-manufactured toy construction element with one or more other pre-manufactured toy construction elements of said toy construction system, the method comprising
- generating a digital representation of a user-defined construction element by performing the steps of the method defined in any one of claims 1 through 15;
- producing the user-defined construction element based on the digital representation.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the digital representation is indicative of an element volume to be occupied by a material so as to form the user-defined construction element, and wherein producing comprises filling at least the element volume by a predetermined material.
18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein producing comprises a 3D print process. 19. A data processing system comprising a storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of any one of the claims 1 to 16 when said program is run on the data processing system.
20. A data processing system according to claim 19, comprising a 3D printer configured to produce the user-defined construction element based on the digital representation.
21 . A computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of any one of the claims 1 to 16 when said program is run on a computer.
22. A data signal embodied as a carrier wave the data signal comprising program code means for performing all the steps of any one of the claims 1 to 16 when said program code means are run on a computer.