Print control device, printer, print control method and program

Abstract

To perform nail print which is finished without discomfort to a nail or the like.SOLUTION: A control device (print control device) 10 comprises a control part 11 which functions as: identification means for identifying a color of a nail T on the basis of an image including the nail T; setting means for setting prescribed multiple printing colors, as candidate colors, out of printing colors of coatings which can be printed to the nail T or a medium S which is a sheet other than the nail T; display control means for displaying the set candidate colors on a display part 23 so that the candidate colors can be compared with the color of the nail T identified; and selecting means for selecting the printing color of the coating printed to a medium to which printing is performed (nail T or medium S which is a sheet other than the nail T) according to operation of the user, out of the candidate colors displayed on the display part 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print control device, a printing device, a print control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, nail designs have been applied to nails for enjoyment as a fashion item. Nail designs may be applied by directly printing on the nails, or by attaching nail sheets or the like to the nails. In either case, the outline of the nail is obtained correctly and treatment is performed according to the shape of the nail.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for detecting the contour of a user's nail, determining control parameters of a nail model to fit the contour of the nail, and correcting the control parameters of the nail model based on the curve shape of the nail, thereby generating nail stickers with a shape that fits the user's nail. When printing nail designs, a base coat may be applied to the nail before printing the design in color. The base coat is white or a similar color so that the color will come out well no matter what color the design is printed in. When printing on a nail sheet or the like and attaching it to the nail, the base sheet is often white or a similar color. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-62925 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, human nails vary not only in shape but also in color. The color of bare nails is not usually white, but is often beige or pinkish. Nevertheless, if nail designs are applied uniformly using a base color such as white, the end result may look unnatural to the user.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a print control device, a printing device, a print control method, and a program that can apply nail prints to nails, etc. that have a natural finish. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a print control device according to the present invention comprises: A means for identifying a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting means for setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium; a display control means for displaying the set candidate color on a display unit in a manner that allows the set candidate color to be contrasted with the specified nail color; a selection means for selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0008] Another aspect of the print control device according to the present invention is A means for identifying a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting means for setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium so that the hue of the specified nail color is included; A display control means for displaying the set candidate colors on a display unit; a selection means for selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; The present invention is characterized by comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, nail printing can be applied to nails and the like with a natural finish. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a main part of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a control configuration of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a mounting table in the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a medium placement unit is attached to the placement stand shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a nail image obtained by imaging a natural nail; [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of a design. [Figure 7] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the design shown in FIG. 6 is fitted to the nail shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a print control process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first presentation screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second presentation screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second presentation screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second presentation screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the presentation screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of a print control device, a printing device, a print control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following embodiment, the printing control device will be described as an example in which the printing control device is a control device 10 (see FIG. 2) of a printing device 100 that prints nail designs on various media S (see FIG. 4) such as fingernails T as well as specified nail sheets, nail stickers, etc. as printing media, as described below. In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0012] [composition] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a main part of a printing device according to the present embodiment, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the main control configuration of the printing device. In the following embodiments, up / down, left / right, and front / rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. Also, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction refer to the directions shown in each figure.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 100 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape. The housing 2 has an opening 21 at approximately the center of the front side (the front side of the printing device 100, the front side in FIG. 1). The opening 21 is formed to a size that does not interfere with inserting and removing the finger U into and from the device. In this embodiment, the mounting table 3 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) can be attached and detached from inside the device as described later, and the opening 21 is formed to a size that does not interfere with the attachment and detachment of the mounting table 3.

[0014] Further, for example, an operation unit 22 and a display unit 23 are provided on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2. The shape and arrangement of each part of the housing 2 are not limited to the illustrated example and can be set as appropriate. For example, the operation unit 22 and the display unit 23 may be provided on the side or back surface of the housing 2 instead of the top surface. Further, in addition to the operation unit 22, the housing 2 may be provided with various lamps, indicators, and the like.

[0015] The operation unit 22 is, for example, a power switch button for turning on / off the power of the printing device 100, and an operation button for performing input operations when the user makes various selections. When the operation unit 22 is operated, an operation signal is output to the control device 10 described below, and the control device 10 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each part of the printing device 100.

[0016] The display unit 23 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display, or another flat display. A touch panel for performing various inputs may be integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 23. In this case, the touch panel also functions as the operation unit 22. The display unit 23 is connected to a control unit 11 of the control device 10, which will be described later, and is controlled by the control unit 11.

[0017] The display unit 23 is a display means for displaying various screens. For example, the display unit 23 can display a nail design (design D in FIG. 6, etc.) input / selected by the user via the operation unit 22, etc., various guide screens, warning display screens, etc. In this embodiment, the display unit 23 may appropriately display a nail image captured by the imaging device 5 (camera 51 of the imaging device 5) of the printing device 100, a range of the nail T extracted from the nail image (a nail area described later, see FIG. 5), etc. Furthermore, a print image of the design D printed on the nail T may be displayed as a preview image on the display unit 23. In particular, in this embodiment, as described later, the user can select the color of the background portion bd (see FIG. 6, etc.), and the display unit 23 displays a presentation screen 231 (first presentation screen 231a, second presentation screen 231b, see FIGS. 9 to 12) that presents background colors (candidate colors) to the user. The presentation screen 231 (first presentation screen 231a, second presentation screen 231b) will be described in detail later.

[0018] Inside the housing 2, a device main body 20 is housed. The device body 20 is provided with, for example, a mounting table 3, a printing mechanism 4, an imaging device 5, and the like. The placement table 3 is for placing a print medium thereon, and is disposed at approximately the center in the left-right direction (X direction) on the front side of the device body 20 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the device body 20 includes a partition plate 25 that divides the inside of the housing 2 into an upper and lower section. A notch is formed in the partition plate 25 at approximately the center in the left-right direction (X direction), and the mounting table 3 is detachably attached to this notched portion.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the mounting table. 3, the mounting table 3 has an opening 31 on the front side of the device. A finger placement member 32 is provided inside the mounting table 3. The finger placement member 32 supports the finger U inserted from the opening 31 by pushing it up from below, and is made of, for example, a flexible resin. The front side (the front side of the device) of the mounting table 3 is formed in a frame shape, and the top surface 33 of the frame-shaped part functions as a regulating part that regulates the height position of the upper surface of the finger U inserted from the opening 31 so that it does not rise too high.

[0020] Further, on the upper surface of the mounting table 3, on the rear side of the frame-shaped portion, there is formed a window portion 34 for exposing a nail T portion of a finger U inserted through the opening portion 31 and held by the finger placement member 32. At the rear part (the rear side of the apparatus, the innermost part) of the mounting table 3, there is provided a claw locking part 35 against which the tip of the finger U comes into contact and on which the tip part of the claw T is hooked. When the printing medium is the nail T of a finger U, the finger U is inserted through the opening 31 until the nail T is engaged with the nail engagement portion 35, and the pad side of the finger U is held by the finger positioning member 32 while the upper surface of the finger U is abutted against the top surface 33 of the frame-shaped portion, thereby positioning the nail T in a position suitable for printing.

[0021] Furthermore, a medium placement unit 36 ​​can be attached to the placement table 3 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. The medium placement unit 36 ​​is an attachment that is attached to the placement table 3 when printing is performed on a print-receiving medium other than the nail T of the finger U (hereinafter referred to as "medium S"). The medium loading unit 36 ​​is capable of placing the medium S on its upper surface. When attaching the medium loading unit 36 ​​to the loading stand 3, for example, the loading stand 3 is removed from the device main body 20 (the partition plate 25 of the device main body 20), and the medium loading unit 36 ​​is attached so as to cover the window portion 34 from the rear side of the loading stand 3 (the side rearward of the frame-shaped portion) as shown in FIG. The medium mounting unit 36 ​​is configured so that the upper surface of the medium S placed on the medium mounting unit 36 ​​is positioned at the same height as the upper surface of the claw T when engaged with the claw engagement portion 35 when the finger U is placed on the mounting table 3.

[0022] The "medium S", which is a printing medium other than the nail T of the finger U, includes, for example, various kinds of sticker-like papers such as nail stickers that are attached to the nail T, as well as trial printing sheets for test printing before printing on the nail T and transfer sheets for printing pictures to be used as TATOO, and are made of paper, resin, etc. on which printing can be performed using the print head 41. When printing on the nail T of the finger U, a base of white or the like is formed on the nail T before printing the design in order to improve the color development of the colored ink for the design, as described below. For the same reason, a base of white or a color close to white is applied to the medium S, which is various sheets or the like. In FIG. 4, a dedicated sheet formed to a predetermined size is shown as the medium S, but the medium S is not limited to this and may be, for example, a sheet cut to resemble the shape of the nail T or a nail tip.

[0023] The printing mechanism 4 is a printing means that prints paint on the surface of the nail T or medium S, which is a print medium, in accordance with printing data generated by a control unit 11 (see FIG. 2) described later. The printing mechanism 4 includes a head that performs the printing operation (hereinafter referred to as the "print head 41"), a head moving mechanism 49 (see FIG. 2) for moving the print head 41, etc. The print head 41 is moved by the head moving mechanism 49 while being held by, for example, a carriage or the like (not shown).

[0024] For example, in the printing mechanism 4, a base head 41a and a design head 41b (see FIG. 2) are mounted on one carriage as the print head 41. In the following, when simply referring to the "print head 41", this includes both the base head 41a and the design head 41b. Note that the base head 41a and the design head 41b are not limited to being mounted on one carriage. For example, multiple carriages may be provided, and each print head 41 may be mounted on a different carriage.

[0025] The base head 41a is a head for printing things other than the design D, and applies (prints) paint that forms a base (hereinafter referred to as "base ink") within a nail area extracted based on a nail image described later, before printing the design D. The base ink applied (printed) by the base head 41a is, for example, a white ink, and is an ink of a color that cannot be produced even by mixing the color inks for the design. By forming the base with a liquid agent of white or a color close to white, it is possible to realize a color development that is almost as imagined when printing the design in accordance with various designs D.

[0026] The design head 41b prints a design D on the nail area after the base is formed. The design head 41b is capable of ejecting paints of various colors (hereinafter referred to as "color inks"), such as cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW). Note that the types of color inks that the design head 41b can eject are not limited to these, and the design head 41b may be capable of ejecting inks of other colors.

[0027] In this embodiment, the base head 41a and the design head 41b are both ink ejection surfaces (not shown) equipped with multiple nozzle openings that eject ink (paint) on the surface facing the mounting table 3, and are inkjet heads of an inkjet system that print by atomizing the ink and spraying the ink from the ink ejection surface directly onto the nail surface, which is the printing surface of the printing target (nail T). The configuration of the print head 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is a cartridge-integrated head in which an ejection mechanism such as an ink ejection surface is integrated with an ink cartridge (neither of which is shown) that stores ink (paint) inside.

[0028] The head moving mechanism 49 includes an X-direction moving mechanism having an X-direction moving motor (not shown), and a Y-direction moving mechanism having a Y-direction moving motor (not shown). The head movement mechanism 49 drives an X-direction movement motor to move the print head 41 (the carriage carrying the print head 41) left and right in the device (X direction), and drives a Y-direction movement motor to move the print head 41 (the carriage carrying the print head 41) forward and backward in the device (Y direction). The operations of the X-direction movement motor and Y-direction movement motor of the head movement mechanism 49 and the print head 41 (the ejection mechanism of the print head 41) are controlled by a control unit 11 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 10 described below.

[0029] Additionally, an imaging device 5 is provided on the inside of the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 2, at a position above the window portion 34 of the mounting table 3, for capturing an image of the nail T (a finger U including the nail T) exposed through the window portion 34 to obtain an image of the nail T (an image of the finger U including the nail T, hereinafter also referred to as a "nail image"). The imaging device 5 only needs to be provided at a position where it can image the nail T of the finger U placed on the placement table 3, and the specific arrangement is not particularly limited. For example, the imaging device 5 may be configured to be movable in the X and Y directions by a head moving mechanism 49 that moves the print head 41, or the like.

[0030] The imaging device 5 includes, for example, a camera 51 and a light source 52 that illuminates the nail T, which is an imaging target. The camera 51 is an imaging medium that includes, for example, a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type having a predetermined number of pixels, a lens, and the like. The light source 52 is, for example, an illumination unit including a plurality of white LEDs. Note that the light source 52 is not limited to an LED as long as it can illuminate the imaging target of the camera 51. The nail image captured by the imaging device 5 (camera 51 of the imaging device 5) is sent to the control unit 11 described later and acquired by the control unit 11. The nail image may be stored in the storage unit 12 described later.

[0031] The printing device 100 also includes a communication unit 24 that communicates with an external device (not shown). The external device is, for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone. The communication unit 24 includes a wireless communication module and a wired communication module that enable communication between external devices, and communicates with appropriate external devices. The communication between the printing device 100 and the external device may use a network line such as the Internet, or may be wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. When communication is performed via a network, the network used for communication may use any line. Furthermore, communication between the printing device 100 and the terminal device is not limited to wireless communication, and may be configured to enable transmission and reception of various data between the two devices via a wired connection. The communication unit 24 may be any unit capable of communicating with a terminal device, and a unit conforming to the communication standard of the communication unit of the terminal device is applied.

[0032] The control device 10 is mounted on a board (not shown) or the like that is disposed in the housing 2, the device main body 20, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 10 is a computer including a control unit 11 consisting of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory unit 12 consisting of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (neither shown). The storage unit 12 may be configured separately and provided outside the control device 10.

[0033] The storage unit 12 has a program storage area 121 in which various programs for operating the printing device 100 are stored. Specifically, the storage unit 12 stores various programs such as a printing program for performing printing processing, a nail area extraction program for extracting the area of ​​the nail T from the nail image, a color information detection program for detecting color information of the nail T (natural nail color) from the nail image, a candidate color setting program for setting candidate colors described below, and a display control program for controlling the display of the display unit 23. The control unit 11 loads these programs, for example, in a working area of ​​a RAM, and the programs are executed by the control unit 11, thereby controlling each part of the printing device 100. Each function of the control unit 11 is realized by cooperation between the control unit 11 and the programs stored in the program storage area 121 of the storage unit 12.

[0034] In this embodiment, the control device 10 is a "print control device" in the printing device 100, and its control unit 11 has the following functions in particular. First, the control unit 11 acquires an image of the nail T (a nail image which is an image of the finger U including the nail T). Here, the "nail image" is an image of a natural nail without any makeup applied thereto. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a natural nail image acquired by the control unit 11 from the imaging device 5. For example, the control unit 11 controls the operation of the imaging device 5 to capture an image of the finger U placed on the mounting table 3 with the camera 51, and acquires a nail image from the imaging device 5. Note that the nail image is not limited to one acquired by the imaging device 5 of the printing device 100. For example, in a case where a terminal device such as a smartphone is linked to the printing device 100 via the communication unit 24, the control unit 11 may acquire a nail image captured by such an external terminal device or the like via the communication unit 24.

[0035] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 acquires an image of the nail T, it functions as an extraction unit that extracts the range of the nail T as a nail region (natural nail region) based on the image of the nail T. The method by which the control unit 11 extracts the nail region from the nail image is not particularly limited. For example, the control unit 11 performs various image analyses on the nail image to detect the brightness difference between the nail T and other parts (such as the skin of the finger U) and detects the boundary as the outline of the nail T. Then, the area inside the outline is extracted (recognized) as the nail region.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 11 synthesizes the design D selected by the user by fitting it to the shape of the printing target, such as the user's nail T. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of design (nail design) D, and FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a schematic state in which design D shown in FIG. 6 is fitted to the shape of a user's nail T, which is the object to be printed. In the example shown in FIG. 6, design D has a circular pattern arranged as a one-point design (hereinafter, referred to as point design pd) in the approximate center of the base portion bd.

[0037] The base portion bd of the design D is a portion that does not have a pattern to be printed with the design color ink, and is a portion in which the color of the base formed on the nail T, usually white, or the background color of the medium S, such as a sheet, remains as is. In this embodiment, the data of design D has data of the background portion bd in addition to the point design pd, and as described later, the color of the background portion bd can be adjusted or changed according to the user's selection. The data of design D may be stored in the storage unit 12 of the printing device 100, or may be stored in an external device such as a terminal device that cooperates with the printing device 100. It may also be stored in a cloud server or the like that is accessible by the printing device 100.

[0038] The control unit 11 also functions as a specification unit that specifies the color of the nail T (natural nail color) based on an image including the nail T (natural nail image). For example, the control unit 11 as the identification means detects the RGB values ​​of pixels within a range extracted as the nail region from the nail image. Then, the control unit 11 calculates the average value of the RGB values ​​of all pixels in the nail region and identifies this as the color of the user's nail T (the color of the natural nail). Note that the color of the nail T (the color of the natural nail) is not limited to the average value of the RGB values ​​of all pixels in the nail region. For example, it may be the median value of the RGB values ​​of all pixels in the nail region, or the RGB values ​​of each pixel may be directly identified as the color of the nail T (the color of the natural nail).

[0039] The control unit 11 also functions as a setting unit that sets a predetermined number of printing colors as candidate colors among the printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium (a nail T of a finger U or a medium S such as various sheets). The printing colors referred to here are specified by, for example, CMY values. The candidate colors are colors that are candidates for the paint (ink) to be printed on the base portion bd of the design D. It is preferable that the candidate color is set to include the hue of the color of the nail T identified by the identification means among the printing colors of paint that can be printed on the printing medium (nail T of finger U or medium S such as various sheets). However, it is not essential that the candidate color includes the color (hue) of the natural nail. In other words, it is preferable that the candidate color is set within a hue range that includes the color of the natural nail, but it does not necessarily have to include the identified color of the nail T itself. For example, when the average RGB value of all pixels in the nail area is identified as the color of the user's nail T (natural nail color), the identified color itself may not be included, but the surrounding colors may be set as the candidate color.

[0040] The control unit 11 also functions as a display control unit that controls the display on the display unit 23 . Particularly in this embodiment, the control unit 11 causes the display unit 23 to display a presentation screen 231 that presents the set candidate color to the user in a manner that allows comparison with the specified color of the nail T (natural nail color).

[0041] There is no particular limitation on the type of display on presentation screen 231. For example, presentation screen 231 may be provided with a candidate color display field 233 that displays a plurality of candidate colors side by side, and the user may be allowed to select a preferred color from among the candidate colors displayed in candidate color display field 233 (see "first presentation screen 231a" shown in FIG. 9).

[0042] Also, for example, the set candidate color may be displayed on the presentation screen 231 so as to be adjustable based on the color of the base as it is (e.g., white, etc.) or the color of the specified nail T (e.g., beige, etc.). It is preferable that the adjustment is possible for at least one axis of lightness, saturation, and luminance, and for example, an adjustment confirmation field 236 and an adjustment bar 237 such as a slider bar are displayed on the presentation screen 231, and when the user operates the adjustment bar 237, the color of the base part bd displayed in the adjustment confirmation field 236 changes accordingly (see "second presentation screen 231b" shown in Figs. 10 to 12).

[0043] In either presentation screen 231 ("first presentation screen 231a" or "second presentation screen 231b"), it is preferable that the set candidate color is displayed so as to be contrasted with the specified color of the nail T. Specifically, for example, as shown in the illustrated example, natural nail display fields 232 and 235 showing the color of the natural nail are provided near the candidate color display field 233 and the adjustment confirmation field 236 so that the user can compare the candidate color with the color of the natural nail.

[0044] Furthermore, in cases where the control unit 11 specifies the RGB values ​​of each pixel as the color (natural nail color) as is (without taking an average value or the like), the presentation screen 231 ("first presentation screen 231a" "second presentation screen 231b") may be provided with, for example, a "nail color reproduction" button (not shown) that can be selected to reproduce a state in which the color tone differs for each part of the nail T. In this case as well, if at least one of the lightness, saturation, and brightness can be adjusted, the overall lightness, saturation, and brightness can be changed while the color tone differs for each part of the nail T.

[0045] In addition, when the user selects a candidate color, the control unit 11 also functions as a selection means for selecting this as the printing color of the paint to be printed on the base portion bd of the design D to be printed on the printing medium (the nail T of the finger U or a medium S such as various sheets). For example, a presentation screen 231 ("first presentation screen 231a" or "second presentation screen 231b") as shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 12 is provided with "Set" buttons 234, 238. When the user operates the "Set" button 234, 238 after selecting or adjusting a desired color, the selected or adjusted color is specified as the color chosen by the user, and the control unit 11 sets the color as the printing color of the paint (ink) to be printed on the base portion bd.

[0046] Furthermore, when the printing color of the paint (ink) to be printed on the base portion bd is set, the control unit 11 generates printing data such that the base portion bd of the design D is printed in the set printing color, and the point design pd is printed in the color set as the color of the point design pd. The control unit 11 then controls each part of the printing mechanism 4 to perform printing based on the printing data.

[0047] [Effect] Next, the operation of the print control device (control device 10) and the printing device 100 including the print control device in this embodiment, and the print control process will be described with reference to Fig. 8 etc. Note that, here, an example will be described in which a print medium is a nail T of a finger U and a design D (see Fig. 6, for example) is printed on the surface of the nail T.

[0048] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the print control process in this embodiment. When performing nail printing on a nail T using the printing device 100, the user first places a finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the placement table 3 of the printing device 100. As shown in FIG. 8, when a finger U is first placed on the placement stand 3, the control unit 11 controls the imaging device 5 to operate the camera 51, captures an image of the finger U including the nail T (the natural nail without any paint applied thereto) placed on the placement stand 3 and exposed through the window portion 34, and obtains an image of the natural nail (an image of the finger U including the nail T, see FIG. 5) (step S1).

[0049] When the image of the natural nail is acquired, the control unit 11 performs image processing and the like on the image of the natural nail, and extracts the nail region from the image (recognizing the natural nail region, step S2). When an image is captured to obtain a nail image of the natural nail and the nail area is extracted from the nail image, the control unit 11 operates the printing mechanism 4 to cause the base head 41a to print base ink within the area designated as the nail area, thereby forming a white or similar base over the entire nail T. The control unit 11 may also prepare a composite image of the design D (see FIG. 6) to be printed on the nail T, which is the printing medium, in a state that the composite image of the design D and the nail T can be displayed on the display unit 23 by fitting the design D to the extracted nail area.

[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 11 detects color information of the extracted nail region (natural nail region) (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 11 acquires the RGB values ​​of each pixel within the range determined as the nail region among all pixels of the nail image. The color information may be the RGB values ​​themselves, or may be the RGB values ​​converted into the HSV color space (HSB model) consisting of three components (three elements) of "hue", "lightness", and "saturation". In this case, the control unit 11 acquires at least "hue", which represents the color tone, among "hue", "lightness", and "saturation", as the color information of the nail region (natural nail region).

[0051] Then, the control unit 11 identifies the color (natural nail color) of the nail region (natural nail region) from the detection result (step S4). For example, the control unit 11 identifies the average RGB value of all pixels in the nail region as the color of the user's natural nail. Note that the color identified as the natural nail color is not limited to the average RGB value, and may be another value obtained based on color information. When the natural nail color is specified, the control unit 11 sets candidate colors to be printed on the base portion bd of the design D based on the specified natural nail color (step S5).

[0052] That is, if the design D to be printed on the nail T includes a point design pd and a base portion bd as shown in Fig. 6, if no color is applied to the base portion bd, the base portion bd will be white or a color close to that (see Fig. 7). However, human nails T are generally beige or pinkish in color, and if the base portion bd is left white or the like, the viewer will often feel uncomfortable. Therefore, in this embodiment, colors that are unlikely to cause a sense of incongruity when viewed by a person looking at the nail T after the design D has been printed are proposed to the user as candidate colors to be printed on the base portion bd.

[0053] Specifically, the set candidate colors are displayed on the display unit 23, and the user is prompted to select a color to be printed on the background portion bd (step S6). For example, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation screen 231 (first presentation screen 231a) on which a plurality of printing colors are displayed side by side as candidate colors so that a desired color can be selected. A first presentation screen 231a shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a natural nail display field 232, a candidate color display field 233, and the like. It should be noted that the configuration of the first presentation screen 231a shown in FIG. 9 is merely an example, and the contents and items displayed are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0054] In the natural nail display field 232, an image of the natural nail is displayed so that the user can compare the color of the natural nail when selecting a desired color from the candidate colors. Only the nail T may be displayed in the natural nail display field 232, or the nail T and the finger U around the nail T may be displayed together as shown in Fig. 9. By displaying the finger U together with the nail T, it is easier to imagine the finished state than if only the nail T is displayed.

[0055] It is preferable that the candidate color display field 233 displays a plurality of colors as evenly as possible, from white (i.e., the color when the base portion bd is left as is without applying any color) to a dark color close to the natural nail color (e.g., beige close to brown). In the example shown in FIG. 9, five candidate colors are displayed, from A: white (i.e., the base applied to the nail T as is) to gradually darker colors, up to E: the natural nail color. Note that the number of candidate colors displayed in the candidate color display field 233 is not limited to five, and may be more or less. Also, in FIG. 9, for example, an example is shown in which only the color of the base portion bd is changed in a state in which the design D is combined with the nail T, but the way in which the candidate colors are displayed is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the candidate color display field 233 may display a plurality of candidates (candidate colors) of colors to be applied to the base portion bd in a rectangular shape like a color sample. Also, as described above, the candidate colors displayed in the natural nail display field 232 may or may not include a color specified as the natural nail color.

[0056] For example, FIGS. 10 to 12 are diagrams showing an example of a presentation screen 231 (second presentation screen 231b) configured to allow the user to fine-tune the set candidate color using an adjustment bar 237 such as a slider bar. The second presentation screen 231b shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 is provided with a natural nail display field 235, a candidate color display field 236, an adjustment bar 237, and the like. It should be noted that the configuration of the second presentation screen 231b shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 is merely an example, and the displayed contents and items are not limited to the illustrated examples. The content displayed in the nail display field 235 is the same as that in the nail display field 232 of the first presentation screen 231a, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] In the candidate color display field 236, when the user operates an adjustment bar 237 to adjust the candidate color to a preferred color tone (hue), the color of the background portion bd on the screen changes in response to the operation. As shown in, for example, Figs. 10 to 12, the adjustment bar 237 allows for step-wise or stepless adjustment from a light color such as the base white to a natural nail color or a dark color close to the base color.

[0058] That is, in Fig. 10, the adjustment bar 237 is located at the lightest color on the left side, and the candidate color display field 236 reflecting this displays the nail T with the point design pd printed on the base portion bd which is left as is, such as white, etc. Also, in Fig. 12, the adjustment bar 237 is located at the darkest color on the right side, and the candidate color display field 236 reflecting this displays the nail T with the point design pd printed on the base portion bd which is the natural nail color, such as dark beige, etc. FIG. 11 shows a case where the adjustment bar 237 is adjusted to a position halfway between that of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12. In the candidate color display field 236 reflecting this adjustment, a nail T is displayed with a point design pd printed on a base portion bd of a light beige color, which is closer to the natural nail color than the base in its original state.

[0059] The control unit 11 judges whether or not the user has selected any color and input to set the color as the printing color (step S7). For example, as shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 12, the presentation screen 231 (first presentation screen 231a, second presentation screen 231b) is provided with setting buttons 234, 238, and when the user operates the setting buttons 234, 238 after selecting or adjusting any of the candidate colors, the control unit 11 accepts the color as the printing color of the paint (ink) to be applied to the base portion bd of the printing medium (the nail T in this embodiment) as the selection of the printing color (selection of the printing color, step S8).

[0060] For example, in the case of the first presentation screen 231a shown in Fig. 9, when the user selects one of the five candidate colors A through E and presses the setting button 234, the selected color is selected as the candidate color chosen by the user and is set as the print color. In the illustrated example, D is shown as being selected. 10 to 12, if the user operates the adjustment bar 237 and stops at any position and then presses the set button 238, the selected color is selected and set as the candidate color selected by the user. For example, if the user operates the set button 238 in the state shown in Fig. 11, a color that is about halfway between the base color such as white shown in Fig. 10 and the nail color shown in Fig. 12 is selected and set as the candidate color selected by the user. If the setting buttons 234, 238 are not pressed, the control unit 11 determines that the print color has not been selected or set by the user (step S7; NO), and returns to step S6 to repeat the process.

[0061] For design D, which includes a point design pd and a base portion bd, when the printing color of the paint to be printed on the base portion bd is accepted, the control unit 11 generates printing data for design D such that the base portion bd is printed in the accepted printing color and the point design pd is printed in the originally set printing color (step S9). Then, the control unit 11 outputs the generated printing data to the printing mechanism 4, and causes the design head 41b to print the design D on the nail T based on the printing data (step S10).

[0062] Furthermore, if the printing medium is a medium S such as various sheets other than the nail T, once the natural nail has been photographed and the nail image has been acquired (step S1), the user is prompted to remove the finger U from the mounting table 3, attach the medium mounting unit 36 ​​to the mounting table 3, and set the medium S. Then, the processes from step S2 onwards are carried out to generate a nail sheet or the like that fits the user's nail T. In addition, when the medium S such as a sheet is rectangular, the user cuts the printed medium S by himself / herself to create nail stickers to be applied to the user's nails. The printing device may also be equipped with a cutter unit or the like so that the printed medium S can be automatically cut to fit the shape of the nail T.

[0063] As a result, when a design D including a base portion bd is printed on a printing medium (i.e., a nail T or a medium S), the base portion bd other than the point design pd is not left as a base color such as white, and a natural finish close to the color of the natural nail can be achieved.

[0064] [effect] As described above, the control device 10 of the printing device 100, which is a printing control device in this embodiment, is equipped with a control unit 11 that functions as an identification means for identifying the color of the nail T based on an image including the nail T, a setting means for setting a predetermined number of printing colors as candidate colors from among the printing colors of paint that can be printed on a medium S such as the nail T or a sheet other than the nail T, a display control means for displaying the set candidate colors on the display unit 23 in comparison with the identified color of the nail T, and a selection means for selecting the printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium (the medium S such as the nail T or a sheet other than the nail T) from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit 23 in response to a user's operation.

[0065] The base portion bd of the design D printed on the nail T, other than the point design pd, is printed in a color (printing color) selected by the user from the candidate colors. The base portion bd is a portion where nothing is printed with colored ink, that is, a portion where the color of the base ink, such as white, applied as a base remains even after the design D is printed. For this reason, if the design D is not an overall design in which a printing color is specified for the entire nail T, the base portion bd that remains white, etc., stands out on the nail T, which should originally be beige or pink, and gives a sense of incongruity to the user or other viewer.

[0066] In this regard, if the user can select a preferred color from candidate colors that are contrasted with the user's own natural nail color, as in the present embodiment, the user can select the printing color while comparing the user's own natural nail color with the candidate color, and can easily select an appropriate color, thereby achieving a nail print with a natural finish that does not look unnatural to the user.

[0067] In addition, the control unit 11 may identify the color of the nail T (natural nail color) based on pixel values ​​of a range extracted as a nail region from an image (nail image) including the nail T acquired by the camera 51, which is an imaging medium, set multiple candidate colors based on the identified color of the nail T (natural nail color), and display the multiple candidate colors selectable on the display unit 23 (presentation screen 231 of the display unit 23). In this case, the user can select the print color to be printed on the base portion bd from candidate colors close to the natural nail color, resulting in a natural finish that does not look unnatural. In this case, the user only needs to select the desired color from the candidates presented on the display unit 23 (in this embodiment, the presentation screen 231 of the display unit 23), making it easier to select the printing color to be printed on the base portion bd.

[0068] In addition, the control device 10 of the printing device 100, which is a printing control device, may be equipped with a control unit 11 that functions as an identification means for identifying the color of the nail T based on an image including the nail T, a setting means for setting a predetermined number of printing colors of paint that can be printed on a medium S such as the nail T or a sheet other than the nail T as candidate colors so that the hue of the identified nail color is included, a display control means for displaying the set candidate colors on the display unit 23, and a selection means for selecting the printing color of the paint to be printed on the printing medium (the medium S such as the nail T or a sheet other than the nail T) from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit 23 in response to a user's operation. In this way, by setting the candidate colors so that they include the hue of the natural nail color, it is possible to print the base portion bd with a printing color that is the natural nail color or a color similar to it, thereby preventing the nail print from coming out unnatural.

[0069] In addition, the control unit 11 may identify the color of the nail T (natural nail color) based on the pixel values ​​of a range extracted as the nail region from an image (nail image) including the nail T acquired by the camera 51, which is an imaging medium, and display the set candidate color on the display unit 23 (presentation screen 231 of the display unit 23) so that the color can be adjusted based on the identified color of the nail T (natural nail color). For example, if it is possible to adjust the color between the base color (such as white) and the natural nail color, it is possible to prevent the color of the nail T after nail printing from being darker than the natural nail color, resulting in an unnatural finish.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 11 may allow the user to select a print color using an adjustment bar 237 such as a slider bar that allows fine adjustment of the set candidate color. In this way, the color can be easily and finely adjusted by the simple action of sliding the adjustment bar 237. Furthermore, when fine-tuning the color by sliding the adjustment bar 237, the color tone can be adjusted steplessly while watching the change in color.

[0071] Furthermore, if the printing device 100 is equipped with a control device 10 (printing control device) having a control unit 11 with these functions, and a printing mechanism 4 which is a printing means for printing on a printing medium, it is possible to print a design D on a nail T or various media S in a selected color, and it is possible to easily realize a nail print with a natural finish that does not give a sense of incongruity to the viewer.

[0072] [Variations] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0073] For example, in this embodiment, it has been described that the color tone (hue) of the set candidate color can be adjusted on the display unit 23 (presentation screen 231 of the display unit 23), but the adjustable elements are not limited to the color tone (hue). The control unit 11 may display on the display unit 23 (presentation screen 231 of the display unit 23) that at least one axis of lightness, saturation, and luminance is adjustable in addition to the color (hue).

[0074] For example, Fig. 13 is a plan view showing an example of a presentation screen 231 (third presentation screen 231c) including an adjustment bar 239 that allows adjustment of three elements, namely, color tone (hue), brightness, and saturation. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as those in Figs. 10 to 12, and the description thereof will be omitted. By providing adjustment bars 239 that allow fine adjustment of a plurality of elements in this way, it becomes possible to respond more precisely to the user's preferences, for example by adjusting the color tone (hue) to be brighter or more vivid, even if the color tone (hue) is the same.

[0075] In the present embodiment, the user fine-tunes the candidate colors by sliding the adjustment bar 237, but the method of adjusting the colors is not limited to this. For example, the operation unit 22 may be provided with fine-tuning buttons (not shown), such as a plus button and a minus button, so that the user can fine-tune the candidate colors using these fine-tuning buttons. In this case, more careful adjustment is possible than when sliding the adjustment bar 237, and excessive adjustment can be prevented.

[0076] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the case has been exemplified where the placement table 3 on which the print medium is placed is detachable from the device main body 20, but it is not essential that the placement table 3 is detachable. For example, in the case where the top of the housing 2 is configured to open and close widely, even if the mounting stand is fixed to the device main body 20, the top of the housing 2 can be opened to perform the mounting and removal work when attaching or detaching the media mounting unit 36. In addition, the stand on which the medium S is placed may be provided separately from the stand 3 on which the nail T of the finger U is placed. For example, if a separate stand on which the medium S is placed is provided on the left, right, or rear of the stand 3, there is no need to attach or detach the medium placing unit 36, etc., and there is no need to remove the stand 3 from the device body 20.

[0077] In addition, in this embodiment, the printing device 100 is configured to complete the printing operation by itself, and an example is given of the case where the control device 10 of the printing device 100 is a print control device, but the print control device is not limited to the control device 10 of the printing device 100. For example, the printing device 100 may cooperate with various terminal devices such as a smartphone to print on a print medium such as a nail T, in which case the control device of the terminal device may function as the print control device. In this case, the control unit of the printing device may have a simpler configuration as long as it can control the imaging device 5 and the printing mechanism 4.

[0078] Furthermore, when the printing device 100 cooperates with various terminal devices, etc., the user may input the selection and adjustment of the print color through an operation unit of the cooperated terminal device, etc. The display unit that displays the candidate colors set as colors to be printed on a print medium such as the nail T may be a display unit of a terminal device that cooperates with the printing device. In this case, the specified color of the nail T (natural nail color) and the candidate colors are displayed on the display unit of the terminal device so as to be contrasted. In this way, when the printing device 100 cooperates with various terminal devices, etc., the printing device 100 may be configured without the operation unit 22 and the display unit 23.

[0079] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 2. Chassis 20. Device body 22 Control section 23 Display section 3. Placement table 36 Media Loading Unit 10 Control device (printing control device) 11 Control section 12 Storage section 4 Printing mechanism 41 Print Head 41a Base Head 41b Design Head 5. Imaging device 51 Camera (imaging medium) 52 Light source 100 Printing device S Media (printing media other than nails) T-claw (printed medium) U finger

Claims

1. A means for identifying a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting means for setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium; a display control means for displaying the set candidate color on a display unit in a manner that allows the set candidate color to be contrasted with the specified nail color; a selection means for selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; A print control device comprising:

2. A means for identifying a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting means for setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium so that the hue of the specified nail color is included; A display control means for displaying the set candidate colors on a display unit; a selection means for selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; A print control device comprising:

3. The identification means identifies a color of the nail based on pixel values ​​of a range extracted as a nail region from an image including the nail captured by an imaging medium; The setting means sets a plurality of the candidate colors based on the identified nail color, The display control means causes the display unit to display a plurality of the candidate colors in a selectable manner.

2. The print control device according to claim 1.

4. The display control means causes the display unit to display the specified nail color and the set candidate color in a comparative manner.

2. The print control device according to claim 1.

5. The identification means identifies a color of the nail based on pixel values ​​of a range extracted as a nail region from an image including the nail captured by an imaging medium; The display control means displays the set candidate color on the display unit in an adjustable manner based on the specified nail color.

3. The print control device according to claim 2.

6. the display control means displays the set candidate color on the display unit in a manner that allows adjustment of at least one axis of lightness, saturation, and luminance.

3. The print control device according to claim 2.

7. the selection means allows a user to select a print color using a slider bar or a fine adjustment button that allows fine adjustment of the set candidate color; 3. The print control device according to claim 2.

8. A print control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A printing means for printing on a print medium; A printing device comprising:

9. A step of identifying a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting step of setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium; a display control step of displaying the set candidate color on a display unit in a manner that allows the set candidate color to be contrasted with the specified nail color; a selection step of selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; A printing control method comprising:

10. A step of identifying a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting step of setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium so that the hue of the specified nail color is included; a display control step of displaying the set candidate colors on a display unit; a selection step of selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; A printing control method comprising:

11. On the computer, A determination function for determining a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting function for setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium; a display control function for displaying the set candidate color on a display unit in a manner that allows the set candidate color to be contrasted with the specified nail color; A selection function for selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; A program for realizing the above.

12. On the computer, A determination function for determining a color of the nail based on an image including the nail; A setting function for setting a plurality of predetermined printing colors as candidate colors among the printing colors of paint that can be printed on a printing medium so that the hue of the specified nail color is included; a display control function for displaying the set candidate colors on a display unit; A selection function for selecting a printing color of paint to be printed on the printing medium from the candidate colors displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation; A program for realizing the above.

Images