Inkjet printing method, device, apparatus and storage medium in combination with laser etching

Abstract

The application discloses an inkjet printing method and device combined with laser etching, equipment and storage medium, and relates to the technical field of inkjet printing. The method combines laser etching technology and inkjet printing technology, and uses an image acquisition module for etching and printing positioning, so that more accurate and fine image etching and printing can be realized, deviation and error caused by manual operation and equipment error are avoided, etching precision and printing precision are improved, and the method is particularly suitable for application occasions in which the shapes of printing substrates are irregular. In addition, through the laser etching technology, patterns can be accurately etched on the surface of the printing substrate, the precision and accuracy of subsequent inkjet printing are improved, roughness is formed on the surface of the printing substrate, better adhesion between ink and the surface of the printing substrate is achieved, the printing effect is more firm, and the printing quality and stability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of inkjet printing technology, and in particular to an inkjet printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium that combines laser etching. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printing is a technology that uses a printhead to spray ink onto paper or other printing materials to form patterns, text, or images. Inkjet printing is characterized by its high printing speed, low cost, and high print quality, and is widely used in various fields such as electronics, aerospace, and medical. However, due to factors such as the unevenness and smoothness of material surfaces, inkjet printing often encounters problems such as print position misalignment and unstable ink flow, affecting printing accuracy and quality. To address these issues, the industry has proposed laser etching before inkjet printing. However, how to combine laser etching and inkjet printing technologies for image printing, especially when etching and printing on irregularly shaped substrates, and how to ensure that the image position remains consistent during inkjet printing after laser etching, are pressing problems that need to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium that incorporates laser etching, in order to solve the problems of inkjet printing that incorporates laser etching in the prior art.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printing method combined with laser etching, the method comprising:

[0005] The image acquisition module is controlled to acquire an image of the substrate to obtain the first image;

[0006] The etching area is determined based on the first image, and the laser etching pattern is determined based on the image to be printed.

[0007] The laser etching module is controlled to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern;

[0008] The image acquisition module is controlled to acquire an image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain a second image;

[0009] The printing area and printing parameters are obtained based on the second image and the image to be printed.

[0010] The inkjet printing module is controlled to eject ink droplets onto the printing area according to the printing parameters.

[0011] Preferably, the control of the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern includes:

[0012] The etching depth is determined based on the laser etching pattern and the material and thickness of the substrate.

[0013] The laser etching parameters are determined based on the laser etching pattern, the etching area, and the etching depth.

[0014] The laser etching module is controlled to etch the laser etching pattern into the etching area according to the laser etching parameters.

[0015] Preferably, the laser etching parameters include any one or more of the following: laser power, pulse frequency, scanning speed, focusing depth, spot diameter, and laser wavelength.

[0016] Preferably, before the step of controlling the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain the second image, the method further includes:

[0017] The surface of the substrate after laser etching is cleaned, and the etching pattern on the substrate is checked to see if it meets the preset requirements.

[0018] Preferably, the printing parameters include at least the printing data corresponding to the image to be printed and the printing mode, and the step of obtaining the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed includes:

[0019] Image analysis is performed on the second image to determine the printing area;

[0020] The image to be printed is rasterized to obtain its corresponding printing data.

[0021] The printing mode is determined based on the accuracy of the printed data and the printhead accuracy, wherein the printing mode includes single-pass printing mode and multi-pass printing mode.

[0022] Preferably, controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters includes:

[0023] Determine whether filling ink needs to be sprayed before spraying ink according to the printing data based on the etching depth;

[0024] If so, the filling data corresponding to the filling ink is obtained based on the etching pattern on the substrate and the etching depth;

[0025] The inkjet printing module is controlled to spray fill ink onto the printing area according to the fill data to obtain a base layer;

[0026] The inkjet printing module is controlled to eject ink onto the substrate surface according to the printing data to obtain a printed image.

[0027] Preferably, the substrate is any one, two or more of glass, crystal, metal, plastic, stone, etc.

[0028] Preferably, controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters includes:

[0029] Obtain the original image dot matrix data of the image to be printed;

[0030] New image dot matrix data is obtained by adjusting the original image dot matrix data according to the etching depth;

[0031] The inkjet printing module is controlled to eject ink droplets onto the printing area based on the new image dot matrix data and the printing parameters.

[0032] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printing apparatus incorporating laser etching, the apparatus comprising:

[0033] The first image acquisition module is used to control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate to obtain the first image;

[0034] The etching area and pattern acquisition module is used to determine the etching area based on the first image and to determine the laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed.

[0035] An etching module is used to control the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern;

[0036] The second image acquisition module is used to control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain the second image;

[0037] The printing area and parameter acquisition module is used to acquire the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed.

[0038] The printing module is used to control the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters.

[0039] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printing apparatus incorporating laser etching, comprising: at least one processor, at least one memory, and computer program instructions stored in the memory, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the method of the first aspect described above is implemented.

[0040] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a storage medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method of the first aspect described above.

[0041] In summary, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0042] The inkjet printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium combining laser etching provided in this invention involve controlling an image acquisition module to acquire an image of the substrate to obtain a first image; determining an etching area based on the first image; determining a laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed; controlling a laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern; controlling the image acquisition module to acquire an image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain a second image; obtaining a printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed; and controlling an inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area based on the printing parameters. This invention combines laser etching and inkjet printing technologies, and uses an image acquisition module for etching and printing positioning, enabling more accurate and precise image etching and printing. It avoids deviations and errors caused by manual operation and equipment errors, thereby improving etching and printing accuracy, and is particularly suitable for applications with irregularly shaped substrates. In addition, laser etching technology can precisely etch patterns onto the surface of the substrate, improving the precision and accuracy of subsequent inkjet printing. Furthermore, the substrate surface will also have a certain degree of roughness, which helps the ink to adhere better to the substrate surface, making the printing effect more durable and thus improving the quality and stability of printing. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, and these are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an inkjet printing method combining laser etching according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the etching process based on a laser etching pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of determining the printing area and printing parameters according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the inkjet printing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the inkjet printing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an inkjet printing device combined with laser etching according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an inkjet printing device combined with laser etching according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present invention and are not configured to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the present invention by illustrating examples of the invention.

[0052] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0053] Example 1

[0054] This invention provides an inkjet printing method combining laser etching. This method is suitable for applications requiring high-quality, high-precision image printing using both laser etching and inkjet technologies. The method is applied to a laser etching and inkjet printing system, which includes a laser etching module, an inkjet printing module, and an image acquisition module. This image acquisition module can be a CCD / CMOS monocular camera, a 3D vision camera, or other similar devices. In one embodiment, the laser etching module, inkjet printing module, and image acquisition module are integrated into the same device, for example, integrated into an inkjet printing device. In other embodiments, the laser etching module and inkjet printing module can be separate devices, which are combined to form the laser etching and inkjet printing system. See also... Figure 1 The inkjet printing method combined with laser etching specifically includes the following steps:

[0055] S1: Control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate to obtain the first image;

[0056] S2: Determine the etching area based on the first image, and determine the laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed;

[0057] S3: Control the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern;

[0058] S4: Control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain a second image;

[0059] S5: Obtain the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed;

[0060] S6: Control the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters.

[0061] Specifically, to improve ink adhesion and print quality, laser etching can be used to pre-etch the image to be printed or its outline onto the substrate before inkjet printing. The substrate can be made of materials such as glass, crystal, metal, plastic (including PVC, ABS, acrylic, etc.), stone, etc. The substrate can be any shape, such as rectangle, circle, star, triangle, trapezoid, etc. To ensure accurate laser etching, in this embodiment, an image acquisition module is used to acquire an image of the substrate. This acquired electronic image is recorded as the first image. Image processing is then performed on the first image to obtain the shape and size of the substrate. The etching area is then determined based on the shape and size of the substrate and the image to be printed. After determining the etching area, the pattern to be etched on the substrate is obtained, denoted as the laser etching pattern. Since laser etching is performed to improve the quality of subsequent inkjet printing, the laser etching pattern can be determined based on the image to be printed. The laser etching pattern can be consistent with the image to be printed, or it can be an outline image or a partial image of the image to be printed. After obtaining the laser etching pattern, the laser etching module emits a laser to etch the laser etching pattern onto the etching area on the substrate. After completing the laser etching, inkjet printing begins. In order to achieve precise ink spraying onto the etching pattern in the etching area during inkjet printing, in this embodiment of the invention, the image acquisition module is controlled to acquire the substrate image again to obtain a second image. The second image records the position of the etching area or the etching pattern on the substrate. The ink printing area during inkjet printing is obtained based on the second image. Printing parameters, such as inkjet printing accuracy and printing mode, are obtained based on the printing area and the image to be printed. Then, the inkjet printing module is controlled to spray ink droplets onto the printing area based on the printing parameters.

[0062] Please see Figure 2In one embodiment, the control of the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern includes:

[0063] S31: Determine the etching depth based on the laser etching pattern and the material and thickness of the substrate;

[0064] S32: Determine the laser etching parameters based on the laser etching pattern, the etching area, and the etching depth;

[0065] S33: Control the laser etching module to etch the laser etching pattern in the etching area according to the laser etching parameters.

[0066] Specifically, during laser etching, the appropriate etching depth can be determined based on the laser etching pattern. For example, when the laser etching pattern obtained from the image to be printed is complex, the etching depth can be appropriately increased to accommodate more ink and prevent ink overflow from contaminating other areas. Additionally, the appropriate etching depth can be determined based on the material or thickness of the substrate. For example, when the substrate is a thick material such as glass, the etching depth can be appropriately increased. Since glass is transparent, increasing the etching depth allows for a layer of white ink to be applied as a base before spraying the colored pattern onto the glass, thus improving the printing effect. However, when the substrate is a thin plastic sheet, the etching depth value should not be set too large to avoid penetrating the substrate. After obtaining the etching depth, laser etching parameters are determined based on the etched area and etching depth. These laser etching parameters include at least laser power, pulse frequency, and scanning speed. Laser power is one of the core parameters of laser etching, as it determines the intensity of the laser beam's irradiation on the substrate surface and the etching depth. Pulse frequency refers to the number of pulses emitted by the laser beam per second. A higher pulse frequency results in a shorter irradiation time on the substrate, leading to higher etching efficiency. Scanning speed refers to the speed at which the laser beam scans the substrate surface. A faster scanning speed results in higher etching efficiency but also reduces etching precision. Therefore, the scanning speed should be determined based on the precision of the laser etching pattern. Focusing depth refers to the depth at which the laser beam focuses on the material surface, and the etching depth determines the depth to which the laser beam irradiates the material. Spot diameter refers to the diameter of the laser beam spot on the material surface. Laser wavelength refers to the wavelength of the laser beam, which affects the material's absorption capacity, etching depth, and etching precision. Parameters such as laser power, pulse frequency, scanning speed, focusing depth, spot diameter, and laser wavelength are all important factors affecting laser etching and need to be selected and adjusted according to the specific application scenario and material characteristics. After determining the laser etching parameters, the laser etching module is controlled to etch the laser etching pattern onto the etching area according to these parameters.

[0067] Preferably, before the step of controlling the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain the second image, the method further includes:

[0068] The surface of the substrate after laser etching is cleaned, and the etching pattern on the substrate is checked to see if it meets the preset requirements.

[0069] During laser etching, the high-energy laser beam causes chemical and physical reactions on the substrate surface, resulting in oxides, dust, and waste residues that remain on the etched pattern. These residues can affect the quality and accuracy of inkjet printing. Specifically, waste residue on the etched surface may obstruct the printhead's movement, causing deviations in inkjet position and direction, thus affecting printing precision and accuracy. Residual oxides and dust may also affect ink adsorption, reducing ink adhesion and viscosity, leading to unclear patterns or ink flaking. Therefore, before inkjet printing, the etched surface must be cleaned to remove residues and ensure printing precision and quality. Cleaning methods can be chosen based on the substrate material and the nature of the residues. Common methods include wiping with a soft brush or cloth, or using specialized cleaning agents or solvents. In addition to cleaning the substrate, preferably, the laser-etched pattern needs to be inspected before inkjet printing. Due to factors such as equipment and processes, some errors and deviations may occur during etching, which may affect the precision and accuracy of the etched pattern. If inkjet printing is performed directly, these problems may be amplified, leading to a decrease in pattern quality. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the etched pattern before inkjet printing to ensure its precision and accuracy. The preset requirements here can be set according to the actual situation, such as whether the etching depth meets the preset depth, whether the etching precision meets the preset precision, etc.

[0070] After laser etching is completed on the substrate, the image acquisition module acquires a second image of the substrate. This second image records the position of the etched area or pattern on the substrate. Based on this second image, the ink printing area for inkjet printing is obtained. Printing parameters are then derived from the printing area and the image to be printed. These printing parameters include at least the printing data corresponding to the image to be printed and the printing mode. (See [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 3 The step of obtaining the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed includes:

[0071] S51: Perform image analysis on the second image to determine the printing area;

[0072] S52: Rasterize the image to be printed to obtain its corresponding printing data.

[0073] S53: Determine the printing mode based on the accuracy of the printing data and the printhead accuracy, wherein the printing mode includes single-pass printing mode and multi-pass printing mode.

[0074] Specifically, the second image contains information about the etched pattern and its location on the substrate. Image analysis is performed on the second image to extract the location information of the etched pattern, thereby obtaining the printing area. For example, the image analysis process includes: firstly, performing image grayscale processing, converting the color image to a grayscale image, and then converting the grayscale image to a binary image, making the objects and background in the image black and white to facilitate region segmentation and recognition; separating the target object and background in the image to facilitate the selection and recognition of the printing area; selecting the printing area from the segmented target object, determining its position and size, marking the selected printing area, and transmitting it to the inkjet printing module so that the inkjet printing module can obtain the accurate printing area.

[0075] In addition to determining the accurate printing area, it is also necessary to acquire the corresponding printing data of the image to be printed, and to perform rasterization processing on the image to obtain its corresponding printing data. Further, the printing mode is determined based on the precision of the printing data and the printhead precision. The printing mode includes single-pass printing mode and multi-pass printing mode. For images with high precision requirements, when the printhead precision cannot meet the requirements, multi-pass printing is necessary to ensure image precision and quality.

[0076] Please see Figure 4 In one embodiment, controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink to the printing area according to the printing parameters includes:

[0077] S61: Determine whether filling ink needs to be sprayed before spraying ink according to the printing data based on the etching depth;

[0078] S62: If so, then obtain the filling data corresponding to the filling ink based on the laser etching pattern and the etching depth;

[0079] S63: Control the inkjet printing module to spray filling ink onto the printing area according to the filling data to obtain the underlay;

[0080] S64: Control the inkjet printing module to spray ink onto the surface of the underlayment paper according to the printing data to obtain a printed image.

[0081] Specifically, as the laser etching depth increases, if inkjet printing is performed directly on the etched pattern, insufficient ink thickness may result in the printed image being recessed into the substrate surface, thus affecting the final image printing quality. In this embodiment of the invention, before inkjet printing, it is determined whether fill ink needs to be sprayed onto the etched area to form a base layer based on the etching depth. If the etching depth is large, a base layer can be sprayed first, followed by the spraying of colored ink or other printing images on the base layer surface, ensuring a smoother and more aesthetically pleasing printed image. In another embodiment, the need for fill ink can be determined based on the characteristics of the substrate material. For example, a white ink base layer can be sprayed first on transparent glass material, followed by the spraying of colored ink on the white ink base layer to print a color image, resulting in a more pronounced tilt and higher contrast in the color image. Preferably, the fill ink is white ink. It is worth noting that the fill ink can be determined based on the actual production application and is not limited to white. For example, when the product surface is black, black ink or other filling ink can be selected. In one embodiment, the fill data can be determined based on the laser etching pattern or the etching pattern and etching depth etched onto the substrate. Preferably, the etching pattern actually etched on the substrate is extracted from the second image, and then the filling image and filling thickness are determined according to the etching depth in the laser etching parameters. The filling image is rasterized to obtain filling data, and several layers of filling ink are sprayed according to the filling ink thickness to obtain the underlay.

[0082] In one embodiment, determining the filling data corresponding to the filling ink based on the etching pattern and etching depth includes:

[0083] The filling image is determined based on the etching pattern;

[0084] Sub-fill data is determined based on the fill pattern;

[0085] The number of scans to print the sub-fill data is obtained based on the etching depth and the preset unit depth.

[0086] The filling data is determined based on the number of scans.

[0087] Specifically, the number of scans (print PASS count) for obtaining print fill data is determined based on the etching depth and a preset unit depth; then, the total fill data is determined based on the number of scans (print PASS count). The print PASS count is obtained based on the etching depth and the preset unit depth, where... S represents the etching depth, U represents the preset unit depth, and the symbol is... The data is rounded down. Each additional preset depth unit adds one PASS of data. The data corresponding to each PASS is considered a sub-fill data. When the number of scans (number of printed PASSes) is S based on the etching depth and the preset unit depth, the corresponding fill data includes S sub-fill data, each sub-fill data corresponding to one PASS print. Existing inkjet printing modules can often eject four similar ink droplets: large ink droplets, medium ink droplets, small ink droplets, and empty ink droplets. Large ink droplets have the largest ink volume, followed by medium ink droplets, while small ink droplets have the smallest ink volume, and empty ink droplets indicate no ink. When printing fill data, to maximize the fill ink thickness corresponding to the fill data of each PASS, preferably, the fill data of each PASS is the largest ink droplet across all pixels. For example, if the maximum pixel resolution achievable in the etched area is 360×360 dpi, then when printing fill data for each PASS, large ink droplets with a resolution of 360×360 dpi are used for printing. For example, suppose the etching depth is 42μm. Since an etching depth of 42μm is greater than 20, then the number of print passes will be... The fill data consists of two sub-fill data sets, both of which are full-pixel large ink dot data. When printing the fill data, it is printed in two passes, one sub-fill data set at a time, and the printing of the fill data is completed after printing both passes.

[0088] After the base layer is printed, the inkjet printer controls the printing data and printing mode corresponding to the image to be printed to print the image on the surface of the base layer. Since laser etching is performed before image printing, a certain roughness will be formed on the surface of the substrate after laser etching. This helps the ink to form a better adhesion with the surface of the substrate, making the printing effect more firm. In addition, inkjet printing sprays colored ink onto the laser-etched pattern, which can make the pattern clearer and more vivid, and enhance the image quality and image effect.

[0089] In one embodiment, instead of using underlay printing, the image dot matrix data corresponding to the image to be printed is directly adjusted according to the etching depth to adapt to printing on the surface of the substrate after laser etching.

[0090] Please see Figure 5 Preferably, controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters includes:

[0091] S71: Obtain the original image dot matrix data of the image to be printed;

[0092] S72: Adjust the original image dot matrix data according to the etching depth to obtain new image dot matrix data;

[0093] S73: Control the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area based on the new image dot matrix data and the printing parameters.

[0094] Before printing an image, the bitmap image to be printed needs to be halftone converted into image dot matrix data that the inkjet printing module can recognize. Each dot in the image dot matrix data corresponds to an ink dot and its ink output. Taking 2-bit halftone processing as an example, the dot data includes dot data 00, dot data 01, dot data 10, and dot data 11. Dot data 00 indicates that the corresponding ink dot has 0% ink output (no ink output), dot data 01 indicates that the ink dot has a small ink output (e.g., 25%), dot data 10 indicates that the ink dot has a medium ink output (e.g., 50%), and dot data 11 indicates that the corresponding ink dot has a large ink output (e.g., 100%). After laser etching the substrate, the surface of the substrate is no longer a flat plane. As the etching depth increases, if inkjet printing is performed directly on the etched pattern, the ink thickness may be insufficient, and the printed image may be recessed on the substrate surface, thus affecting the final image printing quality. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, the image dot matrix data is adjusted accordingly based on the etching depth to increase the ink volume. Specifically, for the dot matrix data jetted into the etched area recessed on the substrate surface, increasing the ink volume corresponding to these dot matrix data increases the ink thickness in that area, filling the depressions caused by laser etching and thus preventing the depressions in the etched area from affecting the overall image printing quality. For example, the dot matrix data corresponding to the etched area is obtained, small ink dots in the dot matrix data are adjusted to medium (or large) ink dots, and medium ink dots are adjusted to large ink dots to obtain new image dot matrix data. Then, based on this new image dot matrix data and corresponding printing parameters, the inkjet printing module is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the etched area. In other embodiments, the printing effect can also be optimized by adjusting the image dot matrix data while simultaneously utilizing fill data. For example, when the etching depth is small, and adjusting the ink volume of the image dot matrix data alone can optimize the printing effect, then adjusting the image dot matrix data is the primary focus. When the etching depth is large, adjusting the ink volume of the image dot matrix data alone may not achieve optimal results; improvement can be achieved by increasing fill data.

[0095] In summary, the inkjet printing method combining laser etching provided by this invention involves: controlling an image acquisition module to acquire an image of the substrate to obtain a first image; determining an etching area based on the first image; determining a laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed; controlling a laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern; controlling the image acquisition module to acquire an image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain a second image; obtaining a printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed; and controlling an inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area based on the printing parameters. This invention combines laser etching and inkjet printing technologies, and uses an image acquisition module for etching and printing positioning, enabling more accurate and precise image etching and printing. It avoids deviations and errors caused by manual operation and equipment errors, thereby improving etching and printing accuracy, and is particularly suitable for applications with irregularly shaped substrates. In addition, laser etching technology can precisely etch patterns onto the surface of the substrate, improving the precision and accuracy of subsequent inkjet printing. Furthermore, the substrate surface will also have a certain degree of roughness, which helps the ink to adhere better to the substrate surface, making the printing effect more durable and thus improving the quality and stability of printing.

[0096] Example 2

[0097] Please see Figure 6 This invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus 200 incorporating laser etching, the apparatus 200 comprising:

[0098] The first image acquisition module 201 is used to control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate to obtain the first image;

[0099] Etching area and pattern acquisition module 202 is used to determine the etching area based on the first image and to determine the laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed.

[0100] Etching module 203 is used to control the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern;

[0101] The second image acquisition module 204 is used to control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain the second image.

[0102] The printing area and parameter acquisition module 205 is used to acquire the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed.

[0103] The printing module 206 is used to control the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters.

[0104] Preferably, the etching module 203 includes:

[0105] An etching depth determination unit is used to determine the etching depth based on the laser etching pattern and the material and thickness of the substrate.

[0106] An etching parameter determination unit is used to determine laser etching parameters based on the laser etching pattern, the etching area, and the etching depth.

[0107] An etching unit is used to control the laser etching module to etch the laser etching pattern in the etching area according to the laser etching parameters.

[0108] Preferably, the device 200 further includes:

[0109] The detection module is used to clean the surface of the substrate after laser etching and to detect whether the etched pattern on the substrate meets the preset requirements.

[0110] Preferably, the printing area and parameter acquisition module 205 includes:

[0111] A printing area determination unit is used to perform image analysis on the second image to determine the printing area;

[0112] The print data acquisition unit is used to perform rasterization processing on the image to be printed to obtain its corresponding print data.

[0113] The printing mode determination unit is used to determine the printing mode based on the accuracy of the printing data and the printhead accuracy, wherein the printing mode includes a single-pass printing mode and a multi-pass printing mode.

[0114] Preferably, the printing module 206 includes:

[0115] The determination unit is used to determine, based on the etching depth, whether filling ink needs to be sprayed before ink is sprayed according to the printing data;

[0116] A filling data acquisition unit is used to acquire filling data corresponding to the filling ink based on the etching pattern on the substrate and the etching depth if the conditions are met.

[0117] A filling unit is used to control the inkjet printing module to spray filling ink onto the printing area according to the filling data to obtain a base layer.

[0118] A printing unit is used to control the inkjet printing module to eject ink onto the substrate surface according to the printing data to obtain a printed image.

[0119] In summary, the inkjet printing apparatus combining laser etching provided in this embodiment of the invention obtains a first image by controlling an image acquisition module to acquire an image of the substrate; determines an etching area based on the first image, and determines a laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed; controls a laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern; controls the image acquisition module to acquire an image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain a second image; obtains a printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed; and controls an inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area based on the printing parameters. This invention combines laser etching and inkjet printing technologies, and uses an image acquisition module for etching and printing positioning, enabling more accurate and precise image etching and printing. It avoids deviations and errors caused by manual operation and equipment errors, thereby improving etching and printing accuracy, and is particularly suitable for applications with irregularly shaped substrates. In addition, laser etching technology can precisely etch patterns onto the surface of the substrate, improving the precision and accuracy of subsequent inkjet printing. Furthermore, the substrate surface will also have a certain degree of roughness, which helps the ink to adhere better to the substrate surface, making the printing effect more durable and thus improving the quality and stability of printing.

[0120] Example 3

[0121] Furthermore, the inkjet printing method combining laser etching in this embodiment of the invention can be implemented by an inkjet printing device combining laser etching. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an inkjet printing device combining laser etching, provided in an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0122] Inkjet printing equipment incorporating laser etching may include a processor 301 and a memory 302 storing computer program instructions.

[0123] Specifically, the processor 301 may include a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits that can be configured to implement the embodiments of the present invention.

[0124] Memory 302 may include mass storage for data or instructions. For example, and not limitingly, memory 302 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), floppy disk drive, flash memory, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, magnetic tape, or Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, memory 302 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media. Where appropriate, memory 302 may be internal or external to a data processing device. In a particular embodiment, memory 302 is a non-volatile solid-state memory. In a particular embodiment, memory 302 includes read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, the ROM may be a mask-programmed ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), an electrically rewritable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory, or a combination of two or more of these.

[0125] The processor 301 reads and executes computer program instructions stored in the memory 302 to implement any of the inkjet printing methods combined with laser etching in the above embodiments.

[0126] In one example, the inkjet printing device incorporating laser etching may also include a communication interface 303 and a bus 310. Wherein, as Figure 7 As shown, the processor 301, memory 302, and communication interface 303 are connected through bus 310 and complete communication with each other.

[0127] The communication interface 303 is mainly used to realize communication between various modules, devices, units and / or equipment in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0128] Bus 310 includes hardware, software, or both, that couples components of a laser-etched inkjet printing device together. For example, and not limitingly, bus 310 may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a Front Side Bus (FSB), HyperTransport (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an Infinite Bandwidth Interconnect, a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Microchannel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association Local (VLB) bus, or other suitable buses, or combinations of two or more of these. Where appropriate, bus 310 may include one or more buses. While specific buses are described and illustrated in embodiments of the invention, the invention contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect.

[0129] Example 4

[0130] Furthermore, in conjunction with the inkjet printing method combining laser etching in the above embodiments, this invention can be implemented using a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions; when executed by the processor 301, these computer program instructions implement any of the inkjet printing methods combining laser etching in the above embodiments.

[0131] It should be clarified that the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and shown as examples. However, the method process of the present invention is not limited to the specific steps described and shown. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order of steps, after understanding the spirit of the present invention.

[0132] The functional blocks shown in the above-described structural diagram can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in hardware, they can be, for example, electronic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), appropriate firmware, plug-ins, function cards, etc. When implemented in software, the elements of this invention are programs or code segments used to perform the required tasks. The programs or code segments can be stored on a machine-readable medium or transmitted over a transmission medium or communication link via data signals carried in a carrier wave. "Machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of machine-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, etc. Code segments can be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, intranets, etc.

[0133] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments mentioned in this invention describe methods or systems based on a series of steps or apparatus. However, this invention is not limited to the order of the steps described above; that is, the steps can be performed in the order mentioned in the embodiments, or in a different order, or several steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0134] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inkjet printing method combining laser etching, characterized in that, The method includes: The image acquisition module is controlled to acquire an image of the substrate to obtain the first image; The etching area is determined based on the first image, and the laser etching pattern is determined based on the image to be printed. The laser etching module is controlled to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern; The image acquisition module is controlled to acquire an image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain a second image; The printing area and printing parameters are obtained based on the second image and the image to be printed. Controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets onto the printing area according to the printing parameters includes: determining whether fill ink needs to be ejected before ejecting ink according to the printing data based on the etching depth; if so, obtaining fill data corresponding to the fill ink based on the etching pattern on the substrate and the etching depth; controlling the inkjet printing module to eject fill ink onto the printing area according to the fill data to obtain a base layer; controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink onto the surface of the base layer according to the printing data to obtain a printed image, wherein the etching depth is determined based on the laser etching pattern and the material and thickness of the substrate.

2. The inkjet printing method combined with laser etching according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern includes: The etching depth is determined based on the laser etching pattern and the material and thickness of the substrate. The laser etching parameters are determined based on the laser etching pattern, etching area, and etching depth. The laser etching module is controlled to etch the laser etching pattern into the etching area according to the laser etching parameters.

3. The inkjet printing method combined with laser etching according to claim 2, characterized in that, The laser etching parameters include any one or more of the following: laser power, pulse frequency, scanning speed, focusing depth, spot diameter, and laser wavelength.

4. The inkjet printing method combined with laser etching according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the second image is obtained by controlling the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching, the following steps are also included: The surface of the substrate after laser etching is cleaned, and the etching pattern on the substrate is checked to see if it meets the preset requirements.

5. The inkjet printing method combined with laser etching according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing parameters include at least the printing data corresponding to the image to be printed and the printing mode. Obtaining the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed includes: Image analysis is performed on the second image to determine the printing area; The image to be printed is rasterized to obtain its corresponding printing data; The printing mode is determined based on the accuracy of the printed data and the printhead accuracy, wherein the printing mode includes single-pass printing mode and multi-pass printing mode.

6. The inkjet printing method combining laser etching according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets to the printing area according to the printing parameters further includes: Obtain the original image dot matrix data of the image to be printed; New image dot matrix data is obtained by adjusting the original image dot matrix data according to the etching depth; The inkjet printing module is controlled to eject ink droplets onto the printing area based on the new image dot matrix data and the printing parameters.

7. An inkjet printing apparatus incorporating laser etching, characterized in that, The device includes: The first image acquisition module is used to control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate to obtain the first image; The etching area and pattern acquisition module is used to determine the etching area based on the first image and to determine the laser etching pattern based on the image to be printed. An etching module is used to control the laser etching module to etch the etching area according to the laser etching pattern; The second image acquisition module is used to control the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the substrate after laser etching to obtain the second image; The printing area and parameter acquisition module is used to acquire the printing area and printing parameters based on the second image and the image to be printed. A printing module is used to control an inkjet printing module to eject ink droplets onto the printing area according to the printing parameters, including: determining whether fill ink needs to be ejected before ejecting ink according to the printing data based on the etching depth; if so, obtaining fill data corresponding to the fill ink based on the etching pattern on the substrate and the etching depth; controlling the inkjet printing module to eject fill ink onto the printing area according to the fill data to obtain a substrate layer; controlling the inkjet printing module to eject ink onto the substrate surface according to the printing data to obtain a printed image, wherein the etching depth is determined based on the laser etching pattern and the material and thickness of the substrate.

8. An inkjet printing device incorporating laser etching, characterized in that, include: At least one processor, at least one memory, and computer program instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. A storage medium storing computer program instructions thereon, characterized in that, The method as described in any one of claims 1-6 is implemented when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor.

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