Automatic line drawing generation method

Abstract

The objective is to provide an automatic line drawing method and system that can be used at home and are capable of producing highly accurate drawings. [Solution] An automatic line drawing creation method comprising: acquiring image data of a drawing target to be drawn using an information processing device and converting the image data into line drawing data; a self-propelled pen plotter having a writing instrument or scribing tool and equipped with an internal sensor capable of determining its own position receiving the line drawing data; placing the self-propelled pen plotter on a drawing medium; and the self-propelled pen plotter drawing on the medium based on the received line drawing data, while determining its position using the internal sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic line drawing production method, an automatic line drawing production system, and an application installed in an information processing device.

[0002] Conventionally, in the construction industry, an automatic drawing robot has been used (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the drawing robots in the construction industry are large and not suitable for home use. In addition, for home use, it is necessary to easily obtain and process the data for drawing, and a robot that can draw objects close to the user is desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In response to the above problems, the present inventor has conducted intensive research and developed an automatic line drawing production method, an automatic line drawing production system, and an application used therefor, leading to the present invention. The present invention includes the following. [1] A step of obtaining image data of a drawing object to be drawn by an information processing device and converting the image data into line drawing data; A step in which a self-propelled pen plotter having a writing tool or a marker and an internal sensor capable of grasping its own position receives the line drawing data; A step of arranging the self-propelled pen plotter on a medium to be drawn; The steps include: the self-propelled pen plotter drawing on the medium based on the received line drawing data, while determining its position using the internal sensor; An automatic line drawing method, including the above. [2] The automatic line drawing method according to [1], wherein the self-propelled pen plotter is equipped with an IMU as the internal sensor. [3] The automatic line drawing method according to [1], wherein an information processing device that functions as an image acquisition means and an image conversion means is used to acquire the image data and convert the image data into line drawing data. [4] The automatic line drawing method according to [1], wherein the information processing device further functions as a communication means, and the line drawing data is sent to the self-propelled pen plotter directly or via the cloud by the communication means. [5] The automatic line drawing method according to [1], wherein the position of the self-propelled pen plotter is determined by an external sensor located at the edge of the medium, together with the internal sensor. [6] An automatic line drawing production system comprising a self-propelled pen plotter having a writing instrument or scribing tool and an internal sensor capable of determining its own position, and an information processing device, The aforementioned information processing device is Image acquisition means for obtaining image data of the object to be drawn, Image conversion means for converting acquired image data into line drawing data. An automatic line drawing production system that functions as a communication means for transmitting the aforementioned line drawing data to the self-propelled pen plotter directly or via the cloud. [7] The automatic line drawing production system according to [6], wherein the self-propelled pen plotter is equipped with an IMU as the internal sensor. [8] The automatic line drawing production system according to [6], further comprising an external sensor for determining the position of the self-propelled pen plotter. [9] An automatic line drawing creation application that can acquire image data of a drawing target to be drawn, convert the image data into line drawing data, and transmit the line drawing data directly or via the cloud to a self-propelled pen plotter, Computer devices, Image acquisition means for acquiring image data of the object to be drawn, Image conversion means for converting the acquired image data into line drawing data, An automatic line drawing creation application that functions as a communication means for transmitting the aforementioned line drawing data to the self-propelled pen plotter directly or via the cloud.

[10] The image recognition means, When the aforementioned line drawing data consists of multiple elements, An automatic line drawing creation application as described in [9], which can convert the aforementioned line drawing data into individual line drawing data for each element.

[11] The information processing device also functions as a display control means, The application according to claim 10, wherein the display control means displays the individual line drawing data on the display unit of the information processing device, and the communication means transmits the selected line drawing data to the self-propelled pen plotter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The automatic line drawing method of the present invention is: The process includes the steps of: acquiring image data of the object to be drawn using an information processing device and converting the image data into line drawing data; a self-propelled pen plotter having a writing instrument or scribing tool and an internal sensor capable of determining its own position receiving the line drawing data; placing the self-propelled pen plotter on a drawing medium; and the self-propelled pen plotter drawing on the medium based on the received line drawing data, while determining its position using the internal sensor. This allows for easy line drawing of desired images on paper or other media, even at home. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the automatic line drawing system of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device such as a smartphone on which an automatic line drawing creation application is installed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of an information processing device such as a smartphone on which an automatic line drawing creation application is installed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a self-propelled pen plotter. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a self-propelled pen plotter. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view of a photographed paper pattern of clothing. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows, on a smartphone, the line drawing data of the image data of a paper pattern of clothing for each element, and selects the line drawing data of the necessary elements. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the drawing of the selected line drawing data on a medium.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the details of the invention, and modifications and changes within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention are also included in the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall view of an automatic line drawing creation system S of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a paper pattern (7) or the like of clothing to be a drawing object 1 to be drawn is photographed with a smartphone of an information processing device 2, and line drawing data 220 is transmitted to a self-propelled pen plotter 3, and the self-propelled pen plotter 3 is self-propelled based on the line drawing data 220 and is drawing on a paper which is a medium 4. Note that an external sensor 5 for assisting the self-propelled pen plotter 3 to grasp its own position is used at the edge of the paper.

[0010] (Information Processing Device) First, the information processing device 2 will be described. The information processing device 2 is an information processing device 2 in which the automatic line drawing creation application 6 is installed, and is, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or other device, and is equipped with hardware on which the automatic line drawing creation application 6 can be executed. FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 2 generally includes at least a display unit 102, a camera 215, a communication module 216, and a controller 210.

[0011] The controller 210 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 212, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 213, a storage 214, an I / O interface 218, and the like.

[0012] The CPU 211 functions as the brain of the information processing device 2 and executes the execution of the OS (Operating System) and the application 6 and data processing. The RAM 212 is the main memory and is used for temporary data storage. The GPU 213 is responsible for image and video processing. The storage 214 stores various data such as user data, the OS, and the automatic line drawing creation application.

[0013] Hereinafter, a smartphone will be described as an example of the information processing device 2. The smartphone downloads and installs the automatic line drawing creation application 6 from an application management site (for example, Google play store or APP store) via a network. The storage 214 stores various applications such as the downloaded automatic line drawing creation application. It also stores image data 219 and line drawing data 220. In addition, the storage 214 stores various data such as various data necessary for the execution of the automatic line drawing creation application 6.

[0014] The I / O interface 218 connects the controller 210 to its peripheral devices (display unit 102, camera 215, and communication module 216) to enable communication.

[0015] The display unit 102 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various screens as described later. In this invention, the camera 215 is capable of capturing at least still images, and the captured image data 219 can be stored in the storage 214. The communication module 216 is an electronic component that integrates a controller 210 that controls communication functions with software. The communication module 216 connects to a LAN (Local Area Network) or mobile communication system and communicates with external devices.

[0016] Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of a smartphone. As shown in Figure 3, the smartphone (information processing device 2) comprises at least an image acquisition means 221, an image conversion means 222, a display control means 224, and a communication means 225. Preferably, it also comprises an image recognition means 223, a magnification setting means 226, and a path creation means 227. Each of these means is realized by the smartphone's CPU 211 executing an automatic line drawing application 6.

[0017] The image acquisition means 221 is a means for acquiring image data 219 of the drawing target 1 (clothing in this embodiment) acquired by the camera 215 of the information processing device 2, or by images on the internet. For example, the image acquisition means 221 can be used to launch an internet browser or launch the camera 215 to acquire image data 219. The acquired image data 219 is stored as image data 219 in the storage 214 of the information processing device 2. The format in which the image data 219 is stored is not particularly limited.

[0018] The image conversion means 222 can convert the image data 219 stored in the information processing device 2 into line drawing data 220. Here, the line drawing in the line drawing data 220 is drawn using lines formed by the writing tip of a writing instrument. The conversion from image data 219 to line drawing data 220 can be performed, for example, by vector conversion.

[0019] The path creation means 227 creates a drawing path for the self-propelled pen plotter to be drawn using the obtained line drawing data 220. Conventional methods for creating the drawing path can be used. For example, by applying vectorization algorithms, route optimization algorithms, etc., even line drawings with many lines, such as paintings and illustrations, can be drawn using the shortest distance.

[0020] The image recognition means 223 is a function that can be optionally provided. The image recognition function is capable of extracting image data for each element 71 if the line drawing data 220 converted from the image data 219 of the drawing target 1 consists of multiple elements (constituent elements) 71. With the image recognition means 223, even if there are multiple elements 71, only the necessary elements 71 can be drawn. Methods for extracting element 71 include extracting element 71 enclosed by lines, or, if line drawings of element 71 overlap, using multiple selections to classify the types and extracting those enclosed by the same lines.

[0021] Furthermore, the information processing device 2 may be equipped with a magnification setting means 226. Although not shown in the figures, when the line drawing data 220 is displayed on the information processing device 2, the default size for drawing lines on the medium 4 is displayed. However, depending on the user's request, it may be necessary to create a large line drawing on a large medium 4. Therefore, the magnification setting means 226 allows the size of the line drawing to be drawn on the information processing device 2 to be set.

[0022] The information processing device 2, equipped with communication means 225, can transmit the converted line drawing data 220 to the self-propelled pen plotter 3. Transmission to the self-propelled pen plotter 3 may be wired, but wireless is preferred because there is a risk of wire entanglement during operation. Data can be transmitted via the internet, or using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. If transmitted via the internet, the data can be stored and managed on a storage device included in a server connected to the internet, such as a cloud service, and then sent to the self-propelled pen plotter 3 as needed. Furthermore, if necessary, the presence of the communication means 225 makes it possible to obtain image data 219 of the drawing target 1 via the Internet.

[0023] The information processing device 2 may be equipped with a display control means 224. The display control means 224 makes it possible to display information in a way that enhances the usability of the automatic line drawing application 6, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 7(b).

[0024] (Self-propelled pen plotter) Next, I will explain the self-propelled pen plotter 3. Figure 4 is an external view of the self-propelled pen plotter 3, and Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the self-propelled pen plotter 3.

[0025] The self-propelled pen plotter includes at least 31 wheels, a writing instrument (or scribing tool) 314, an internal sensor 326, and a communication module 327, and a controller 320 that controls them and stores data. It also includes a motor 313 for moving the drive wheels 311 and a battery for operating the motor 313 and starting the controller 320.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the self-propelled pen plotter 3. The self-propelled pen plotter 3 of this embodiment can be equipped with a pair of large drive wheels 311 and one small wheel (caster wheel) 312 at the rear to stably hold the vehicle body. In Figure 4, the direction of arrow D is the straight-line direction of the self-propelled pen plotter 3. The device also includes a removable writing instrument or scribing tool (hereinafter referred to as the writing instrument 314). The writing instrument 314 can be positioned perpendicular to the medium 4, such as paper, so as to contact the medium 4 perpendicularly to the medium 4 on which the drawing is to be made. In this embodiment, by placing the writing instrument 314 at the intersection of the two wheel axles of the wheel 311 (the two wheel axles are on the same straight line) and the point that bisects the distance between the two wheels 311, and at the intersection of the straight lines in the forward and backward directions (front and back direction) of the self-propelled pen plotter 3, it becomes easy to rotate around the writing instrument 314, and it also becomes possible to draw sharp angles.

[0027] The writing instrument 314 can be appropriately selected to draw on the medium 4. The writing instrument 314 can include pencils, mechanical pencils, markers, fountain pens, ballpoint pens, etc. Furthermore, if the medium 4 is not paper but rather resin, glass, or other materials, a metal scribing tool can be used in addition to the writing instrument 314. If you wish to use a different writing instrument, it is preferable that you can change the attached writing instrument 314 as appropriate.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the self-propelled pen plotter 3 broadly comprises at least a motor 313, wheels 311, an internal sensor 326, a writing instrument 314, a writing instrument support 325, and a controller 110.

[0029] The controller 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 321, RAM (Random Access Memory) 322, storage 323, and an I / O interface 324, etc.

[0030] The CPU 321 functions as the brain of the self-propelled pen plotter 3. Based on the line drawing data 220 and information from the internal sensor 326, it makes the self-propelled pen plotter 3 move autonomously and, according to the content of the line drawing data 220, moves the writing instrument 314 perpendicular to the medium 4, bringing it into contact with the medium 4 and then away, thereby drawing only the necessary parts. RAM322 is the main memory and is used for temporary data storage. It can store the line drawing data 220 received from the information processing device 2.

[0031] As described above, the writing instrument 314 of the self-propelled pen plotter 3 is used to draw on the medium 4, but the self-propelled pen plotter 3 may also be equipped with a writing instrument support part 325 that can bring the writing instrument 314 into contact with the medium 4 or separate it from the medium 4 as needed. Although not shown in Figure 4, the writing instrument support section 325 is equipped with a servo motor and can move the writing instrument 314 vertically up and down while gripping it perpendicular to the medium 4.

[0032] The self-propelled pen plotter 3 is equipped with a motor 313 for operating the wheels 311. While there may be one motor 313 per self-propelled pen plotter 3, it is preferable to have one motor 313 for each wheel 311 (i.e., one motor 313 for each wheel 311). This arrangement allows the self-propelled pen plotter 3 to rotate and change direction around the writing instrument 314.

[0033] The self-propelled pen plotter 3 is equipped with an internal sensor 326. The internal sensor 326 is used to confirm the position of the self-propelled pen plotter 3. The internal sensor 326 is not particularly limited as long as it can achieve the purpose. Examples include rotary encoders, speed sensors, acceleration sensors, angular velocity sensors, angular acceleration sensors, gravity sensors, and gyroscopes. It is also preferable to have an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that has multiple types of these sensors. Unlike self-propelled vehicles used on construction sites or roads, it is preferable that the system be controlled at the micrometer level.

[0034] In this invention, it is also possible to use an external sensor 5 as shown in Figure 1. While the internal sensor 326 can also determine position, direction, and velocity, the external sensor 5 can be used to improve accuracy. It is preferable to place the external sensor 5 at the end of the medium 4, as shown in Figure 1. Examples of external sensors 5 include cameras, microphones, distance sensors, obstacle detection sensors, LiDAR, and GPS signal receivers.

[0035] Furthermore, the self-propelled pen plotter 3 is equipped with a communication module 327. The communication module 327 allows the self-propelled pen plotter 3 to receive line drawing data 220 from the information processing device 2, and can send a signal to a smartphone if an error occurs in the self-propelled pen plotter 3.

[0036] (Automatic line drawing application) The automatic line drawing application 6 of the present invention is a program that operates by being installed on a smartphone. The automatic line drawing application 6 uses a smartphone as an image acquisition means 221 to acquire image data 219 of the drawing target 1 to be drawn, an image conversion means 222 to convert the acquired image data 219 into line drawing data 220, and a communication means to transmit the line drawing data 220 directly or via the cloud to the self-propelled pen plotter 3. Furthermore, the automatic line drawing application 6 can communicate with the self-propelled pen plotter 3 through the communication function of the information processing device 2. Furthermore, the automatic line drawing application 6 may, if necessary, cause the information processing device 2 to function as an image recognition means 223. The automatic line drawing application 6 can display a screen on the display unit 217 of the information processing device 2 that allows the user to select what kind of drawing to perform, guiding them in a user-friendly manner.

[0037] Next, an example of the present invention will be described below.

[0038] Prepare a clothing pattern 7 as shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, the clothing pattern 7 is displayed with various patterns superimposed, which is a clever way to reduce the size of the pattern and the number of pattern sheets required.

[0039] Next, take a picture of this pattern using a smartphone with the automatic line drawing application 6 installed (Figure 6(a)). The captured image data 219 contains color and other information, so it is converted into line drawing data 220. The captured image data 219 is used to recognize the line thickness and line type (straight line, dashed line, dotted line) of the clothing shape (functioning as image recognition means 223), and line drawing data 220 is created based on this.

[0040] The line drawing data 220, which includes the constituent elements 71 of the clothing parts, recognizes the line thickness and line type (solid line, dashed line, dotted line) of the clothing shape. Therefore, the line drawing data 220 is classified and stored according to the constituent elements 71 drawn on the same line type (Figure 7(a)), and the smartphone display unit 217 displays each constituent element 71 and selects which constituent element 71 to draw.

[0041] The selected components 71 are transmitted to the self-propelled pen plotter 3, which can then draw on the fabric or other material constituting the clothing based on the selected line drawing. In actual drawing, it is preferable to draw with solid lines, even if the line type in the data is a dashed line, dotted line, etc. As shown in Figure 8, all or some of the elements 71 of the pattern can be drawn on the medium 4.

[0042] [Explanation of symbols] S Automatic line drawing system, 1 Drawing target (clothing), 2 Information processing device (smartphone), 210 Controller, 211 CPU, 212 RAM, 213 GPU, 214 Storage, 215 Camera, 216 Communication module, 217 Display unit, 218 I / O interface, 219 Image data, 220 Line drawing data, 221 Image acquisition means, 222 Image conversion means, 223 Image recognition means, 224 Display control means, 225 Communication means, 226 Magnification setting means, 3 Self-propelled pen plotter, 311 Wheels, 312 Small wheels, 313 Motor housing (motor), 314 Writing instrument or marking, 320 Controller (pen plotter), 321 CPU (pen plotter), 322 RAM (pen plotter), 323 Storage (pen plotter), 324 I / O interface (pen plotter), 325 326 Writing instrument support, 327 Internal sensor, 327 Communication module (pen plotter), 4 Medium, 5 External sensor, 6 Automatic line drawing application, 7 Template, 71 Components, 72 Check button, 73 Drawing element, D Straight direction

Claims

1. The process involves using an information processing device to acquire image data of the object to be drawn, and converting the image data into line drawing data. A self-propelled pen plotter equipped with a writing instrument or scribing tool and an internal sensor capable of determining its own position receives the line drawing data. The steps include: placing the self-propelled pen plotter on the drawing medium, The steps include: the self-propelled pen plotter drawing on the medium based on the received line drawing data, while determining its position using the internal sensor; An automatic line drawing method, including the above.

2. The automatic line drawing method according to claim 1, wherein the self-propelled pen plotter is equipped with an IMU as the internal sensor.

3. The automatic line drawing method according to claim 1, comprising using an information processing device that functions as an image acquisition means and an image conversion means to acquire the image data and convert the image data into line drawing data.

4. The automatic line drawing method according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device further functions as a communication means, and the line drawing data is sent to the self-propelled pen plotter directly or via the cloud by the communication means.

5. The automatic line drawing method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the self-propelled pen plotter is determined by an external sensor located at the edge of the medium, together with the internal sensor.

6. An automatic line drawing system comprising a self-propelled pen plotter equipped with a writing instrument or scribing tool and an internal sensor capable of determining its own position, and an information processing device, The aforementioned information processing device is Image acquisition means for obtaining image data of the object to be drawn, Image conversion means for converting acquired image data into line drawing data. An automatic line drawing production system that functions as a communication means for transmitting the aforementioned line drawing data to the self-propelled pen plotter directly or via the cloud.

7. The automatic line drawing production system according to claim 6, wherein the self-propelled pen plotter is equipped with an IMU as the internal sensor.

8. The automatic line drawing production system according to claim 6, further comprising an external sensor for determining the position of the self-propelled pen plotter.

9. An automatic line drawing creation application capable of acquiring image data of the object to be drawn, converting the image data into line drawing data, and transmitting the line drawing data directly or via the cloud to a self-propelled pen plotter, Computer devices, Image acquisition means for acquiring image data of the object to be drawn, Image conversion means for converting the acquired image data into line drawing data, An automatic line drawing creation application that functions as a communication means for transmitting the aforementioned line drawing data to the self-propelled pen plotter directly or via the cloud.

10. The image recognition means, When the aforementioned line drawing data consists of multiple elements, The automatic line drawing creation application according to claim 9, which can convert the aforementioned line drawing data into individual line drawing data for each element.

11. The aforementioned information processing device also functions as a display control means, The application according to claim 10, wherein the display control means displays the individual line drawing data on the display unit of the information processing device, and the communication means transmits the selected line drawing data to the self-propelled pen plotter.

Images