DESC:A METHOD FOR MEASURING SIZE OF AN OBJECT BY CAPTURING ITS IMAGE

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is a non-provisional application which claims priority from Indian Provisional Application 1123/DEL/2014, filed on 24 April 2014.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a computer implemented method for accurately measuring dimensions of foot of a user and determining corresponding size of the shoe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Online shopping has been trending in on a large scale during the last decade as more merchants offer products and services through their associated website. Similarly, the online shopping of apparels and footwear has grown increasingly popular due to availability of various offers and varieties which are missing in offline shopping.
[0004] Generally, in an Internet-based shopping platform, a buyer accesses a website, views products/services and their associated specifications, chooses a desired product/service, selects a delivery option, provides delivery address, and provides payment information.
[0005] One of the problems faced by a buyer, while buying clothing items online, is to accurately determine the size of the apparels/footwear. Some existing methods of size determination include manually measuring the foot size using physical tools/instruments and using the measured size during the online shopping. However, size determined by self measurement gives inaccurate results due to human/instrumental error. Also, conventional techniques take measurements of the feet while the customer is in a sitting position which gives inaccurate width as the foot expands on standing. The actual width of the foot can only be determined while the consumer is in a standing/ walking position as it is only in this position that the full body load is on the feet. Furthermore, these instruments or techniques are not very helpful for buyers as they do not take into consideration, the variations in standard shoe sizes of different manufacturers because of different foot widths.
[0006] Other known methods include complex computer implemented algorithms and special apparatus to measure the dimensions of the shopper’s foot. The special apparatus for determining size of the footwear are dedicated for a particular purpose and are quite expensive for a normal shopper to afford.
[0007] Moreover, most of the shoe manufacturers face problems in providing a comfortable shoe to a consumer. This problem is mostly faced by shoe manufacturers because dimensions (length, width, and girth) of the feet are different for different consumers. The variation in dimensions is mostly due to variation in foot widths of the consumers. Most shoe manufacturers produce only one width per shoe size. Therefore, people with wider feet have to buy shoes which are much bigger in length than their feet would warrant. For example: At size UK 7, width H is 230mm and width M is 260mm. Whereas, at size UK 10, width H is 260mm. Therefore, buyer with shoe size UK 7 with width 260mm may have to buy a shoe of size UK 10 H since very few manufacturers make shoes of width M.
[0008] Many apps are available to measure size of the foot by capturing images of the foot. These apps do not take into consideration various parameters while capturing an image of the foot. Thus, measurement results of these apps are not accurate enough to be acceptable to a user.
[0009] Some of the known apps for measuring foot size make use of multiple images to create a 3D view or a video of the foot. These apps require either a high speed internet bandwidth to transmit high definition images and video files to remote servers or high speed processors to process the images and videos on the device itself to measure size of the foot. These requirements make the measurement quite a time consuming and costly process because most of the smart phones, on which these apps are used, support 2G internet bandwidth and slow processors thus making these phones unable to support such apps. There are also some apps which make use of a 2D image to determine size of the foot. Their results are not acceptably accurate and, these apps do not consider girth of the foot while measuring size. Hence there is a need for a method which determines three dimensional measurements especially girth of the foot using a 2D image.
[0010] Other known methods for getting a perfect shoe size include comparing your best fitting shoe to the shoe you would like to buy. These methods involve 3D scanning of inside of the best fitting shoes. This method only assures the consumer that he/she is buying the right product without any focus on width or fit as the methods have no way of determining the exact foot measurements of the consumer.
[0011] Hence there exists a need for a method that measures the dimensions of a user’s foot, especially width and girth, accurately and solves the above mentioned problems of the existing methods and devices. The method should eradicate the need for any special apparatus or tool for measurements and should be easy and efficient so as to be used anywhere and at any time with the use of a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may be, but not limited to, a mobile device such as a smart phone, hand-held terminal, personal digital assistant, or any similar device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention discloses a method for accurately determining dimensions (length, width and girth) of a user’s foot by capturing an image of the foot. The disclosed method is implemented using a computer implemented software program product such as, but not limited to, an application program, a widget, a mobile application, a computer software, etc.
[0013] According to an aspect of the present invention, the disclosed computer implemented method is implemented in a portable electronic device to measure size/dimensions of foot of a user. The portable electronic device comprises an image capturing unit to capture a digital image of the foot placed on a base frame. A plain sheet (preferably rectangular) of paper or any other suitable material, of known size, may be used as the base frame on which the foot is placed. The camera view of the portable electronic device incorporates a shape symmetrical to the base frame. The ratio of length and width of the shape preconfigured in the camera view of the portable electronic device is proportional to that of the base frame; the shape is herein referred to as a virtual marking. The image is captured from such an angle and distance that at least one edge of the virtual marking on the camera view is aligned with at least one edge of the base frame. The user then defines the extremities of the base frame and the foot in the captured image with the help of a graphical user interface of the portable electronic device. The dimensions/size (length, width, and girth) of the foot is automatically measured using the captured image by a processor of the portable electronic device.
[0014] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a computer implemented method to measure the foot size of a user by capturing at least one image of the foot. The captured image is processed on a portable electronic device of the user to accurately measure the foot size. Hence there is normally no need for transmitting the captured image to a remote server for calculating the foot size, therefore high speed internet bandwidth is not required to implement the method of the present invention. The need to transmit the image to a server may only arise in cases where the consumer needs to consult the manufacturer. Further, as only one captured image can provide the accurate results, hence there is no need of capturing a video for measuring the foot size therefore the method can be implemented on a device which supports an ordinary processor.
[0015] It is another object of the present invention to consider the variations in standard sizes of different shoe manufacturing companies to determine the most accurate shoe size.
[0016] The size/dimensions of user’s foot measured using the computer implemented method disclosed herein can thus be used by:
i) the user while online shopping, to order a perfect size/shoe.
ii) the user to share his/her size with anyone who is shopping on behalf of the user.
iii) a manufacturer to manufacture a perfectly fitting shoe for the user.
[0017] The disclosed invention may also be used as an ad targeting application. Once a user measures the foot size using the method of the present invention, various shoe advertisements can be targeted to the user, which are filtered by the measured size. Different buying preferences of the user obtained from various databases of user purchase history can be used along with the measured shoe size of the user to target the appropriate ads.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Various aspects and advantages of one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary processing environment for implementing an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating details of the method for determining size of foot of the user.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a view of the graphical user interface of the portable electronic device when the application program is initiated.
[0022] FIG. 4(a-1) and FIG. 4(a-2) show a camera view according to two different embodiments of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 4(b) shows a view to exemplify the capturing of an image where the virtual marking is aligned with base frame.
[0024] FIG. 5(a) shows the interface of the portable electronic device used to calibrate the upper and lower edge of the base frame.
[0025] FIG. 5(b) shows the interface of the portable electronic device which appears once you click on the calibrate button.
[0026] FIG. 6(a) and 6(b) show the user interface used to define the upper most edge of the foot of the user.
[0027] FIG. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) exemplify the calibration of the four corners of the paper.
[0028] FIG. 8(a) shows the user interface used to define the extreme wide points of the foot of the user.
[0029] FIG. 8(b) shows a view of the interface that displays the accurate dimensions of foot of the user.
[0030] FIG. 8(c) shows a view of the interface that displays determined shoe size of the user.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] Embodiments of the present invention are best understood by reference to the figures and description set forth herein. All the aspects of the embodiments described herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
[0032] The terms "user”, "customer", "buyer", "shopper", and the plural forms of these terms are used interchangeably throughout herein to refer to those who would use the foot size measuring application program of the present invention.
[0033] The terms "software program”, "application program", "application software", “mobile application”, “widget”, and the plural form of these terms are used interchangeably throughout herein to refer to a set of computer executable instructions to implement the foot size measuring method of the present invention.
[0034] The term “base frame” used herein refers to a plain object over which the user places his foot. Preferably, the base frame is a sheet of paper of standard size such as, but not limited to, A4, A3, legal paper etc.
[0035] The term “virtual marking” used herein refers to a shape incorporated in the camera view of the application program. The different types of virtual markings are preconfigured according to standard base frames (A4, A3, legal paper etc). In other words, the ratio of length and width of the virtual marking is proportional to that of the base frame on which a foot of the user is placed.
[0036] The terms "upper edge” and "lower edge" are used herein for the edges of the rectangular base frame having shorter dimensions.
[0037] The present disclosure is directed to a method for accurately determining dimensions (length, width, and girth) of a user’s foot by capturing an image of the foot. The captured image is then used to measure the accurate dimensions of the user’s foot with use of a computer implemented software program product such as application program supported on a portable electronic device. A preferred embodiment of the method disclosed in the present invention will be better understood with reference to following description of the appended drawings.
[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary processing environment for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.1 shows a portable electronic device 100 on which the method of the present invention may be implemented. The portable electronic device 100 may be a smart phone, PDA, CPE, laptop, tablet, mobile phone, handheld terminal etc.
[0039] The portable electronic device 100 comprises a user interface 101 which enables user interactions with the portable electronic device 100. The user interface 101 comprises input/output devices such as, but not limited to, touch screen, keypad, touchpad, mouse, soft keys, display screen, buttons, or combinations thereof.
[0040] The portable electronic device 100 also supports a processor 102 to perform various functionalities of the portable electronic device 100. The portable electronic device 100 comprises a memory 103 which stores an operating system 104, various application programs 105 supported by the operating system 104, and all the user data files in data storage 106. The operating system 104 may be any platform such as, but not limited to, android, java, iOS, windows, blackberry’s OS, symbian, BADA, or any other platform that can be supported by the portable electronic device 100. The processor 102 is interfaced with the memory 103 and is capable of executing the instructions stored on the memory 103. The memory 103 also stores a set of instructions in the form of application programs 105 to implement the method of the present invention. The memory 103 also stores the user data files such as, but not limited to, images, videos, playlists, messages, chats, etc in the data storage memory 106. The memory 103 may be a removable, a non-removable type of memory. The memory 103 can be such as, but not limited to, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, EPROM, flash memory, SRAM, DRAM, or combinations thereof.
[0041] The portable electronic device 100 supports an image capturing unit 107 such as, but not limited to, a digital camera, a portable camera having wired or wireless connectivity with the portable electronic device, a webcam, etc. The image capturing unit 107 is capable of capturing images of an object in the view of the image capturing unit 107.
[0042] The processor 102 is linked to user interface 101 and memory 103. The processor 102 receives the inputs from the user interface 101 in the form of user commands and fetches the corresponding instructions from the memory 103. The processor 102 then executes the instructions and provides the results to the user through user interface 101. The processor 102 is also linked to the image capturing unit 107. The processor 102 receives the user commands to trigger the image capturing unit 107 and fetches the corresponding instructions from the memory 103 and triggers the image capturing unit 107 by executing the instructions.
[0043] The portable electronic device 100 also comprises a relaying module (not shown) for relaying the information between the different modules of the portable electronic device. The relaying module is also operable to relay the information to remote devices such as external network, third party platform, etc.
[0044] The stepwise operation of method of the present invention to measure the foot size, according to a preferred embodiment, is illustrated by a flowchart 200 of FIG. 2. The method is implemented by a part of instructions, stored in memory, which are executed by the processor of the portable electronic device.
[0045] The user places his foot, whose size is to be measured, on a base frame. The base frame may be any plain object of known dimensions and of any material such as, but not limited to, paper, wood, metal, etc. The user aligns his heel with the lower edge of the base frame, launches the application program in his portable electronic device and gives a command to trigger the camera of the device, in step 201.
[0046] Optionally, in one embodiment, the application program is restricted by an authentication process. A centralized remote server (not shown) stores user related information for example user profile information, authentication information that is used to authenticate the user. When the user launches the application program, the authentication process may authenticate the user by asking for a username/password and comparing the user provided information with the user's authentication information stored in the centralized remote server. If the user is not authenticated, the authentication process may send a response to indicate that authentication failed. However, if the user is authenticated, the authentication process responds to the user to indicate that the authentication is granted. The authentication process can also be carried from a third party platform such as but not limited to any professional profile website, social networking media server, online shopping marketplace server, or any other web server that stores the information of the user.
[0047] In step 202, the user aligns a virtual marking incorporated in the camera view of the application program with upper edge of the base frame. This alignment of the virtual marking incorporated in the camera view with the upper edge of the base frame ensures that the camera is not tilted and reduces the chances of error. It should be noted by an ordinary skilled in the art that the application program is configured such that the alignment of the virtual marking with the base frame need not be perfect and some tolerance is allowable. Moreover, by aligning the virtual marking incorporated in the camera view with the upper edge of the base frame, the image is captured from a certain height so as to give the best results. Once, the virtual marking is aligned with the base frame, the user gives command to capture the image. In one embodiment, upon alignment of the virtual marking, capturing of the image can be made automatic using any of the various techniques known in the art. Once the image is captured, the process moves to step 203, where the user calibrates the extremities of the base frame and defines the extremities of foot of the user. The user aligns two sliders at the upper and lower edges of the base frame. The processor 102 of the portable electronic device automatically calculates size of the base frame. Then the user moves an upper slider to the top most point of the foot. In one embodiment, the calibration steps described above can be achieved automatically using any of the various image analysis techniques well known in the art. The processor automatically calculates length of the foot as the heel of the foot is aligned with the lower edge of the base frame. The user then aligns four arrows, shown in detail in FIG. 7, at four corners of the paper. Next, the user moves two arrows to the widest points of the foot, as shown in FIG. 8(a). The processor automatically executes the instructions from the application program, stored in the memory of the portable electronic device to implement the method of the present invention, to measure size of the foot. The processor then multiplies this size with the ratio between size of the paper and size of the virtual marking on the camera view. The resultant is the output of the method i.e. correct size / dimensions (length and width) of the foot. The length and width are then used to obtain girth of the foot, wherein girth is ball girth of the foot. In one embodiment, the method disclosed herein determines a correlation factor corresponding to the determined length and width of the foot. The correlation factor is different for every length and width measurements for a size of the foot. The correlation factor is then used to determine girth of the foot. As shown in step 204, after aligning the arrows, the user gives a command to obtain the measured size of the foot. The measurement results are then relayed to an output module in the form of length, width and girth of the foot. In one embodiment, the output module can be display screen of the portable electronic device. In another embodiment, the measurement results are relayed to an third party platform in the form of length, width and girth of the foot. The measurement results can be used to determine size of a shoe. The size of a shoe can also be determined automatically by using length, width, and girth of the foot as described in detail below with reference to Table 2. The measurement results and the determined shoe size can be stored on the portable electronic device to be used later, or can be transmitted to a remote place.
[0048] Flowchart 200 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention. According to the preferred embodiment, the user aligns the heel of his foot with the lower edge of the base frame. However, the application program of the present invention may be modified for the user to place his foot anywhere on the base frame. In that case, the user will have to align the lower slider with the heel of the foot like aligning the upper slider with the topmost point of the foot in step 203.
[0049] The flowchart 200 of FIG. 2 will be better understood with reference to various user interfaces of the application program as depicted in FIGURES 3-7.
[0050] FIGURES 3-7 illustrate various interfaces of the application program according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. An exemplary base frame used herein is a sheet of paper of A4 size; however, any plain object of known dimensions may be used.
[0051] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary startup interface of the application program when it is first launched in order to measure the dimensions of foot of a user. The interface shown in FIG. 3 is just for illustrative purpose and various modifications in the interface can be understood by an ordinary skilled in the art.
[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, the user is presented various options selectable by the user to perform various functionalities. For example, the user may select ‘User Manual’ button to view advising instructions to measure the foot size. The user can select ‘Video Guide’ button to view a demonstration of the method of the present invention. The demonstration may include any audio, visual, or pictorial set of instructions. It will give instructions about capturing the image, aligning the camera view, calibrating and defining the extremities of the foot, and determining the dimensions of the foot. Once done with the demonstration, the user may select ‘Take photo’ button to trigger the camera of the portable electronic device to capture a new image of the foot whose dimensions are to be measured. Once the image is captured, the user may select ‘Use photo’ button to open the gallery of the portable electronic device to select and use the captured image to measure the dimensions of the foot.
[0053] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the user may be prompted to select a size of the base frame when the user selects ‘Take photo’ button. The user may then select a size of the base frame, from multiple options, which the user is using to measure the dimensions of the foot. The size selected by the user can be A3, A4, FS, legal paper, or any other standard size of paper available and known to an ordinary skilled in the art. A virtual marking is incorporated in the camera view of the portable electronic device according to the base frame and is in proportion to size of the base frame selected by the user. The virtual marking is pre-configured in proportion with dimensions of the base frame and is incorporated in capturing view of the portable electronic device by computer instructions stored in a computer readable memory of the portable electronic device, and executed by a processor of the portable electronic device.
[0054] The selection may be done using any suitable input apparatus such as, but not limited to, a touch screen display, a touch pad, a keypad, a mouse interface, voice command, or a combination thereof.
[0055] When the user gives the command to capture an image, the processor 102 executes the instructions from the application program to implement the method of the present invention to trigger the image capturing unit supported by the portable electronic device. FIG. 4 depicts a camera view of the application program according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4(a-1) shows a camera view 400 showing a sheet of A4 size paper 401 which is used as a base frame on which foot of the user is to be placed. The sheet of paper used herein is just an illustration of an exemplary embodiment without limiting the scope of the invention. Any plain object of a known size, as understood by an ordinary skilled in the art, may be used in place of sheet of paper. The application program of the present invention automatically incorporates a preconfigured virtual marking 402 in the camera view of the portable electronic device. The virtual marking 402 is in proportion to the dimensions of A4 size paper 401. The virtual marking 402 is a virtual marking similar in shape as that of the base frame 401 and the virtual marking is integrated in the camera view of the application program. A partial frame is depicted as the virtual marking 402 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. However, a full frame may also be incorporated according to an exemplary embodiment. The camera is triggered by execution of instructions from the operating system stored in the memory of the portable electronic device. The virtual marking 402 is incorporated into the camera view by execution of the instructions from the application program to implement the method of the present invention. The camera view 400 according to an exemplary embodiment is formed by integrating the virtual marking 402 in to a simple camera view of the portable electronic device. The virtual marking 402 is in proportion with dimensions of the paper 401. The virtual marking 402 illustrated herein is just for exemplary purposes, and not to limit the scope of the invention. As understood to anyone of ordinary skill in the art, the virtual marking can take any form such as, but not limited to, a partial frame, a rectangular frame, a square, a circle, a triangle, or any other geometrical shape depending on the shape of the base frame on which foot of the user is to be placed. The user may be provided with an interface including options to select the type and/or shape of the base frame. Moreover, the virtual marking can be modifiable in size, shape, symmetry according to future scope of the invention.
[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4(a-2) shows a camera view 400 showing a sheet of A3 size paper 401 which is used as a base frame on which foot of the user is to be placed. In this case, the user has selected A3 size of the base frame from graphical user interface of the portable electronic device where multiple options for size of the base frame were shown to the user. The application program of the present invention automatically incorporates a preconfigured virtual marking 402 in the camera view of the portable electronic device according to the size of the base frame selected by the user. In this case, the virtual marking 402 is in proportion to the dimensions of A3 size paper 401. As is clear from the FIG. 4(a-1) and FIG. 4(a-2), the virtual marking 402 in FIG. (a-2) is slightly bigger than the virtual marking 402 in FIG. (a-1).
[0057] As depicted by FIG. 4(b), the user places his foot on the paper. The user places his foot on the paper such that his heel aligns with the lower edge of the paper. At least one edge of the virtual marking 402 on the camera view is to be aligned with at least one edge of the paper 401 and the image is captured. Further, the application program is configured such that the alignment of the virtual marking with the base frame need not be perfect and some tolerance is allowable. The captured image is automatically stored in the gallery of the portable electronic device. The user can choose ‘retake image’ or ‘use image’ from a pop up box (not shown).
[0058] The virtual marking 402, as depicted by an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, assures the accuracy of the method of the present invention. The virtual marking 402 is incorporated to eliminate the human errors caused due to tilting of the camera while capturing the image. The alignment of the virtual marking 402 with the symmetry of the paper 401 ensures that the camera is not tilted while capturing the image. Also, the virtual marking 402 can be aligned with the upper edge of the paper from a certain height only. Thus, the disclosed method considers the height from which the image has been captured as a factor while doing the calculations to measure size of the foot. The virtual marking 402 is a partial rectangular frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The partial virtual marking 402 is designed in such a way that the alignment of at least one edge of the partial virtual marking 402 with at least one edge of the paper 401 results in full alignment of the partial virtual marking 402 with the paper 401 as it would have been if a full frame of the virtual marking 402 was incorporated. The user selects the type and/or shape of the base frame on which the user has placed the foot by using the user interface of the portable electronic device, and a virtual marking corresponding to the selected type/shape will be automatically incorporated into the camera view. Further, the errors are also compensated automatically during the calibration step, as shown in FIG. 7. This assures highly accurate results for the disclosed method.
[0059] The application program to implement the method of the present invention may be modified so as to provide error message to the user if the misalignment of the virtual marking 402 with the base frame 401 exceeds the allowed tolerance in the captured image.
[0060] FIG. 5 shows a user interface according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, used to define and calibrate the upper and lower edges of the paper 501. FIG. 5(a) depicts a user interface 500 showing the captured image of foot of the user placed on the paper 501. The two sliders 502 and 503 are used to define the upper and lower edge of the paper respectively. The user can touch and drag the sliders to align them along the upper and lower edges of the paper 501. The user may also use ‘Zoom’ option to more precisely align the sliders. Once the sliders are aligned, the user clicks on “calibrate” button on the interface 500.
[0061] FIG. 5(b) depicts the user interface 500 after the user has aligned the sliders and clicked on “calibrate” button. The slider 502 is aligned along upper edge the paper 501 and the slider 503(not visible) is aligned along the lower edge of the paper 501. The interface 500 displays a pop-up message to the user providing the observed length of the paper wherein length of the paper is calculated by the processor of the portable electronic device by processing the pixel values between the two sliders 502 and 503. The user can further adjust the sliders again by clicking the “recalibrate” button on the pop-up message displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device.
[0062] FIG. 6 shows the user interface 600 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, used to define the top most point of the foot of the user in order to measure length of the foot. As depicted in FIG. 6(a), a message pop up box 601 instructs the user to align the slider 602 close to the top most point of the foot of the user. The slider 603 is aligned close to the heel of the foot of the user. Now referring to FIG. 6(b), the user can touch and drag the slider 602 to align it close to the top most point of the foot of the user. The slider 603 is aligned close to the bottom most point of the foot of the user. The user may use the zoom option to get a larger view 604 to more precisely align the sliders along the topmost point of the foot of the user. Once done with the aligning of the sliders, the user may click on the ‘Done’ button on the interface. The processor fetches the instructions, from the application program stored in the memory, to compute length of the foot of the user. The processor then executes the instructions and measure length of the foot of the user by processing the pixel values between the two sliders 602 and 603.
[0063] FIG. 6 illustrates just an exemplary embodiment of the method of the present invention. According to FIG. 6, the user aligns the heel of his foot with the lower edge of the base frame. However, the application program of the present invention may be modified for the user to place his foot anywhere on the base frame. In that case, the user will have to define the lower extremity of the foot in the same way as the user defines the upper extremity of the foot.
[0064] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a user interface is shown in FIG. 7. The user interface 700 as depicted in FIG. 7(a) is used to calibrate the paper 701 using the four arrows 702(a-d). The user may touch and drag each of the arrows 702(a-d) to align them at the four corners of the paper 701. As depicted in FIG. 7(b), the user aligns the arrows 702(a-d) at each corner of the paper 701. A part of screen 703 shows the enlarged view of the region around the touched arrow so that the user can more precisely align the arrows. FIG. 7(c) shows the user interface with all the arrows 702(a-d) aligned at the four corners of the paper 701. The user may then click on “calibrate” button on the interface. The processor executes the instructions, from the application program stored on the memory of the portable electronic device, to calibrate the paper 701. The processor then calculates the distance between the four corners of the paper and determines the symmetry of the paper. This calibration automatically compensates the errors caused during capturing the image due to tilting of the camera.
[0065] In another embodiment of the present invention, the application program to implement the method of the present invention may also be modified so as to automatically identify the edges and corners of the base frame 701 and calibrate the size of the base frame 701 automatically.
[0066] FIG. 8 illustrates an interface for measuring size of the foot according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8(a) demonstrates a user interface which allows the user to align two arrows 801(a-b) at the widest points of the foot of the user. Once the user is done with the aligning of the arrows, he may click on ‘check size’ button to determine size of the foot, as shown in FIG. 8(b). The processor fetches the instructions, from the application program stored in the memory, to compute width of the foot of the user. The processor executes the instructions and measures width of the foot of the user, based on the pixels values between the two arrows. The length and width are then used to obtain girth of the foot. In one embodiment, the method disclosed herein determines a correlation factor corresponding to the determined length and width of the foot. The correlation factor is different for every length and width measurement for a size of the foot. The correlation factor is then used to determine girth of the foot. The size of the foot is then displayed through a pop up box. The size includes length, width and girth of the foot of the user. The size measured using the disclosed computer implemented method is very accurate with the margin of error being ±3 mm. Some measurements done using the disclosed invention are listed in the table 1 below.
Name Actual Measurements using measuring tape (mm) Measurements Using Disclosed Invention (mm) Error
Mr. A Right Foot Length 256 257.26 1.26
Width 103 104.6 1.6
Left Foot Length 257 258.72 1.72
Width 111 110.37 -0.63
Ms. B Right Foot Length 283 282.49 -0.51
Width 105 104.37 -0.63
Left Foot Length 281 278.48 -2.52
Width 109 108.45 -0.55
Mr. C Right Foot Length 264 263.56 -0.44
Width 105 103.91 -1.09
Left Foot Length 269 271.2 2.2
Width 103 103.96 0.96
Ms. D Right Foot Length 240 236.09 -2.91
Width 98 95.88 -2.12
Left Foot Length 243 242.59 -0.41
Width 94 94.86 0.86
Mr. E Right Foot Length 253 254.73 1.73
Width 104 105.88 1.88
Left Foot Length 253 254 1
Width 102 104.91 2.91
Ms. F Right Foot Length 243 240.56 -2.44
Width 99 98.42 -0.58
Left Foot Length 249 249.61 0.61
Width 99 98.67 -0.33
Mr. G Right Foot Length 253 251.03 -1.97
Width 105 102.87 -2.13
Left Foot Length 254 251.46 -2.54
Width 105 105.91 0.91
Mr. H Right Foot Length 245 244.2 -0.8
Width 100 101.87 1.87
Left Foot Length 245 243 -2
Width 99 101.43 2.43
Ms. I Right Foot Length 249 248.32 -0.68
Width 99 100.43 1.43
Left Foot Length 250 248.32 -1.68
Width 98 99.77 1.77
Mr. J Right Foot Length 271 270.05 -0.95
Width 98 99.95 1.95
Left Foot Length 275 272.44 -2.56
Width 97 98.94 1.94
Ms. K Right Foot Length 244 241.83 -2.17
Width 95 96.52 1.52
Left Foot Length 246 243.54 -2.46
Width 96 93.89 -2.11
Table 1 –Measurements taken using the disclosed invention.
[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, the user may select a desired company or brand on the user interface of the application program for considering variations in the standard shoe size for different company/brands. The measurement results obtained in FIG. 8(b), are in the form of length, width and girth of the foot. The units of the results can be for example, without limitations, centimeters, millimeters or any other units used to measure length, width and girth. The measurement results are then processed according to user specified brand to determine the standard shoe size that will fit the foot of the user. In one embodiment, the measurement results may be processed locally according to user specified brand on the portable electronic device for determining the shoe size. In another embodiment, the measurement results along with user specified brand may be transmitted to a centralized remote server over a communication network to retrieve the shoe size. The determined shoe size is then shown on the user interface of the portable electronic device, as shown in FIG. 8(c). The communication network can be such as, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, cellular network, LAN, WAN, internet connection, wired connection, wireless connection, GPRS, GSM, CDMA network, etc.
[0068] Table 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment for determining the standard shoe size of a user specified brand. Table 2 is an exemplary database structure which can be implemented on the portable electronic device using the application program disclosed herein or at a remote server.
[0069] In one embodiment, the database structure is implemented on the portable electronic device. The measurement results obtained in FIG. 8(b), in the form of length, width and girth of the foot, are processed by the processor of the portable electronic device to obtain the standard shoe size using the Table 2. The sizing can be European, US, UK, etc. For example, if the measurement results obtained in FIG. 8(b) come out to be L=25.2cm; W=10cm; G=22 cm and the user has selected company/brand Y, in that case the standard shoe size determined by the application program will be EUROPEAN 39/US 7. On the other hand, if the user has selected company/brand X, then the standard shoe size will be EUROPEAN41/US 8 for the same measurement results (L=25.2cm; W=10cm; G=22 cm). The measurement results along with corresponding shoe size can be transmitted to a centralized remote server over a communication network.
Manufacturing Company/Brands Size (European) Size (USA) Foot Dimensions
Company X Euro41 8 L=25.2cm; W=10cm; G=22 cm
Euro42 9 L=26.2cm; W=10.4cm; G=23
Company Y Euro39 7 L=25.2cm; W=10cm; G=22 cm
Euro40 8 L=26.2cm; W=10.4cm; G=23
Company Z Euro40 7.5 L=25.2cm; W=10cm; G=22 cm
Euro41 8.5 L=26.2cm; W=10.4cm;
Table 2 – Displaying standard size variations for different manufacturers.
[0070] In another embodiment when the database structure described in Table 2 is implemented at the remote server, the measurement results (L, W & G) calculated, as depicted in FIG. 8(b), are transmitted by the portable electronic device to the remote server over the communication network. Processor supported by the remote server will use the received measurement results to determine the standard shoe size. Once determined, the standard shoe size is transmitted to the portable electronic device of the user.
[0071] According to an embodiment, the foot size measured using the method of the present invention can be used to target advertisements to the user. User purchase history can also be used along with the measured foot size of the user to target the appropriate advertisements.
[0072] From the foregoing detailed description of certain embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications, additions and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention.

CLAIMS:
We claim

1. A computer implemented method for determining foot measurements using a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
capturing an image of a foot placed on a base frame;
wherein the image is captured after aligning atleast one edge of the said base frame with preconfigured virtual marking on a capturing view;
calibrating the captured image in relation to the base frame and extremities of the foot;
calculating the foot measurements using the said calibrated information;
relaying said foot measurements to an output module.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the base frame is a plain object of known dimensions.
3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual marking is pre-configured in proportion with dimensions of the base frame and is incorporated in capturing view of the portable electronic device by computer instructions stored in a computer readable memory of the portable electronic device, and executed by a processor of the portable electronic device.
4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein calibrating the captured image comprises defining the extremities of the foot and the base frame in the captured image by positioning plurality of arrows on a graphical user interface.
5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the foot measurements comprise at least one of length, width, and girth of the foot.
6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the girth is determined by using the width of the foot and a correlation factor corresponding to each length and width measurement.
7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprises determining the size of the shoe according to the determined dimensions of the foot.
8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the output module is a display screen or a third party platform.
9. An apparatus for determining foot measurements, the apparatus comprising:
a camera unit;
a relaying module;
a computing unit configured to execute a computer program code stored in a data storage medium, wherein the computer program code comprises:
instructions for incorporating a preconfigured virtual marking in camera view of a portable electronic device; wherein a user uses the camera view to capture an image of a foot placed on a base frame;
instructions for providing a graphical user interface to calibrate the captured image in relation to the base frame and extremities of the foot;
instructions for calculating the foot measurements using the calibrated information;
wherein the foot measurements comprise at least one of length, width, and girth of the foot; and
instructions for relaying said foot measurements to an output module.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the base frame is a plain object of known dimensions.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code further comprises instructions for providing a graphical user interface for defining the extremities of the foot and the base frame in the captured image by positioning plurality of arrows on the graphical user interface to calibrate the captured image.
12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code further comprises instructions for determining girth of the foot by using the width of the foot and a correlation factor related to each length and width measurement.
13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code further comprises instructions for determining the size of the shoe according to the determined dimensions of the foot.
14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the relaying module relays said foot measurements to a display screen or a third party platform.
15. A computer implemented method for determining shoe size using three dimensional foot measurements, the computer implemented method comprising:
Capturing an image of a foot placed on a pre-configured base frame; wherein the image is captured after aligning atleast one edge of the said base frame with a preconfigured virtual marking on a camera view of a portable electronic device;
Calibrating the captured image in relation to the base frame and extremities of the foot;
Calculating length and width of the foot using said calibrated information;
Determining a correlation factor corresponding to the calculated length and width of the foot;
Calculating girth of the foot using the correlation factor and width of the foot;
Determining shoe size using the calculated three dimensional foot measurements;
Relaying the three dimensional foot measurements and the shoe size to an output module.
16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the base frame is a plain object of known dimensions.
17. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the virtual marking is pre-configured in proportion with dimensions of the base frame and is incorporated in capturing view of the portable electronic device by computer instructions stored in a computer readable memory of the portable electronic device, and executed by a processor of the portable electronic device.
18. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein calibrating the captured image comprises defining the extremities of the foot and the base frame in the captured image by positioning plurality of arrows on a graphical user interface.
19. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a user input specifying a brand of the shoe and determining the shoe size for the brand of the shoe specified by the user.
20. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the output module is a display screen or a third party platform.