Printing device, information processing device, printing control method and program

Abstract

To provide a printing device, an information processing device, a printing control method, and a program that allow propriety of the position in a height direction of a nail to be determined.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 includes: a printing mechanism 4 for executing printing on a nail T, which is a printing object; a distance measuring sensor 6 as first acquisition means for acquiring a first value for detecting the position in a height direction of the nail T; a pressure sensor 33 as second acquisition means for acquiring a second value, which is different from the first value in character, and changes in correspondence with the position in the height direction of the nail T; and a control unit 71 as determination means for determining whether or not the position in the height direction of the nail T is in the range suitable for printing by the printing mechanism 4 on the basis of the correspondence between the first value and the second value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, an information processing apparatus, a print control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a printing device (nail print device) that prints designs on fingernails. In such a printing device, the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed is placed on the finger placement section, the nail is recognized by an image capturing means (e.g., a camera) or the like, and the recognized nail area is subjected to printing processing using an inkjet method.

[0003] In a printing device that prints on a nail (nail printing device), if the nail, which is the printing target, moves during printing, high-definition printing cannot be performed. In this regard, Patent Document 1 describes a printing device that has a pressure detection unit at the position where the finger is placed. Specifically, the pressure detection unit detects pressure distribution, and determines whether the nail is in a forward state, a right-rotation state, or a left-rotation state based on this pressure distribution. It also describes that position correction is performed to change the ejection position of ink (referred to as "paint" in Patent Document 1) relative to the nail depending on the state of the nail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-018456 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the change in the position of the claw during printing is not limited to the rotation of the claw as shown in Patent Document 1. The nail, which is the target for printing, is fixed at the base of the finger and its free movement is restricted so that the printing operation is not hindered. However, even if vertical movement is restricted at the base of the finger, movement in the vertical direction (up and down) can occur, such as the tip of the finger floating and causing the nail to rise too high, or applying pressure to the tip of the finger and causing the nail to drop.

[0006] For example, if the tip of the nail is raised too high, it may interfere with the print head during printing, causing the surface of the nail to become dirty or damaged. There is also a risk of problems occurring, such as failure of the print head or the various mechanisms that support it. Conversely, if the position of the nail is too low, the nail will be tilted unnaturally, making it impossible to print properly, and the landing accuracy of the ink ejected from the print head may decrease.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a printing device, information processing device, printing control method, and program that can determine whether the height direction position of the nail is appropriate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the printing device of the present invention comprises: A printing means for printing on the nail as a printing target; While the printing operation is not being performed by the printing means, A first acquisition means for acquiring a first value for detecting a position of the nail in a height direction; a second acquiring means for acquiring a second value having a different nature from the first value, the second value being for detecting a pressure generated by at least a part of a finger corresponding to the nail; During the printing operation, based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value stored in advance, Height direction position of the claw In front Whether or not the printing means is within a suitable range for printing Judge A means for determining whether The present invention is characterized by comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to judge whether the position of the nail in the height direction is appropriate even during printing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a main part of a printing device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of a finger placement section and its surrounding essential parts in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a top view of a finger placement section and its surrounding essential parts in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 3 is a side view of a finger placement section and its surrounding essential parts in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the pressure value applied to the finger placement portion and the height position of the nail. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing a print control process in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 11 is a table showing the relationship between the pressure value applied to the finger placement portion and the distance between the nail and the print head. [Figure 9] 13 is a graph showing differences for each user in the relationship between the pressure value applied to the finger placement section and the position in the height direction of the nail. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a top view of a finger placement section and its surrounding essential parts in a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a finger placement section and its surrounding essential parts in a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a print control process in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing system including a printing device and an information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of a printing device, a printing control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 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. For example, in the following embodiment, the printing device will be described as a nail printing device that prints on the printing target of fingernails, but the printing target of the printing device in this invention is not limited to fingernails, and the printing target may be, for example, toenails.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the main parts of a printing apparatus (nail print apparatus) according to the present embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the main control configuration of the printing apparatus. In the following embodiments, up / down, left / right, and front / rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. Also, the X direction and the Y direction refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1.

[0013] In this embodiment, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape, as shown in FIG. An operation unit 21 and a display unit 22 are provided on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2.

[0014] The operation unit 21 is used by the user to perform various input operations. The operation unit 21 is composed of operation buttons for performing various inputs, such as a power switch button for turning the power of the printing device 1 on / off, a stop switch button for stopping operation, and a print start button for instructing the start of printing. When the operation unit 21 is operated, an operation signal corresponding to the operation is output to the control unit 71, and the control unit 71 performs control according to the operation signal, and causes each part of the printing device 1 to operate. In addition, when the printing device 1 is linked to external devices such as various terminal devices, an operation signal may be output to the control unit 71 by operating the operation unit of the external device, and each part of the printing device 1 may be operated.

[0015] The display unit 22 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 22. In this case, the touch panel functions as the operation unit 21.

[0016] The display unit 22 may display a nail design input / selected by the user via the operation unit 21, a nail image of the user's nail T, and the like. In this embodiment, the display unit 22 also functions as an information display unit that displays various instructions, guidance, warnings, and the like to the user. For example, the display unit 22 as an information display means prompts the user to place a finger U on the finger placement unit 3, or prompts the user to take action by displaying an instruction screen or the like that instructs the user to raise and lower the tip of the placed finger U.

[0017] A finger insertion port 23, which is an opening for inserting a finger when printing with the printing device 1, is formed on the front side of the housing 2 of the printing device 1 (the front side in the Y direction in Figure 1), approximately in the center in the left-right direction of the device (the X direction in Figure 1). A finger placement section 3 is provided inside the housing 2 at a position corresponding to the finger insertion opening 23 as a finger placement means on which a finger U (a finger U corresponding to a nail T to be printed) inserted through the finger insertion opening 23 is placed.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the finger placement unit as viewed from diagonally above the left side of the device (the left side in the X direction in Fig. 1). Fig. 3 also shows the position of distance measuring sensor 6, which will be described later. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the main parts of the finger placement unit as viewed from above with a finger placed on it, and Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the main parts of the finger placement unit with a finger placed on it. 3, the lower surface of finger placement section 3 is finger receiving section 31 that receives the pad of finger U. Finger receiving section 31 has a central portion in the width direction that is slightly recessed along the longitudinal direction, so that finger U can be stably placed thereon. Finger receiving section 31 may be provided with a cushion member made of a flexible material such as resin.

[0019] Furthermore, the upper part of the finger placement section 3 (at least the upper part on the rear side in the Y direction in FIG. 1) is open, so that the surface of the nail T of the finger U inserted into the finger placement section 3 is exposed. If at least a part of the finger placement unit 3 (for example, the finger receiving unit 31 that receives the finger U) is vertically movable, it is preferable to provide a frame-shaped part that surrounds the upper part of the finger U on the front side of the finger placement unit 3 (the front side in the Y direction in FIG. 1), and to configure so that the upper side of the finger U placed on the finger placement unit 3 abuts against the top surface of this frame-shaped part. This allows the top surface of the frame-shaped part to function as a finger press that regulates the upward position of the finger U, prevents the finger U from being pushed up too far, and makes it possible to position the finger U in the height direction.

[0020] When a finger U is placed on the finger receiving portion 31, a pressure sensor 33 is provided in a portion corresponding to the periphery of the fingertip (for example, the portion beyond the first joint where the fingerprint is located, the portion corresponding to the nail T and the surrounding area). In this embodiment, a pressure sensor 33 is embedded in a part of the surface of the finger receiving portion 31 as shown in FIG.

[0021] In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 33 is a second acquisition means for acquiring a "second value" that changes depending on the height position of the nail T. The pressure sensor 33 as the second acquisition means detects a value P of pressure (also referred to as "pressure value P"; see FIG. 6, etc.) exerted by at least a part of the finger U corresponding to the nail T as the "second value." In addition, the pressure sensor 33 may be any sensor capable of detecting a change in pressure value P generated on the finger receiving portion 31 by the placement of the finger U, and the specific configuration, principle, etc. for detecting the pressure are not particularly limited.

[0022] Here, the "second value" is a value different in nature from the "first value" (a value indicating the heightwise position of the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger placement section 3) detected by the distance measurement sensor 6 described later. Specifically, while the "first value" is a distance (unit: mm) for acquiring (detecting) the heightwise position of the nail T, the "second value" is a value that changes in response to the heightwise position of the nail T of the finger U but does not indicate the heightwise position itself, and is the "pressure value P" in this embodiment. That is, when the tip of finger U placed on finger receiving portion 31 moves up, the pressure on finger receiving portion 31 decreases, and the pressure value P detected by pressure sensor 33 decreases. Conversely, when the fingertip is pressed down and strongly against finger receiving portion 31, the pressure on finger receiving portion 31 increases, and the pressure value P detected by pressure sensor 33 increases. In this way, the change in "pressure value P" caused by the up and down movement of the tip of finger U corresponds to the change in the height position of the nail. The detection result by the pressure sensor 33 is output to the control unit 71.

[0023] The area where the finger placement unit 3 is provided (in this embodiment, the area substantially in the center in the X direction on the front side of the device) is a printing operation area where printing on the nail T is performed by the printing mechanism 4. The printing mechanism 4 is a printing means including a print head 41, and an X-direction movement motor 45 and a Y-direction movement motor 47 (see FIG. 2) as head movement means. As shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 4, the print head 41 (shown by a two-dot chain line in the drawing) moves above the area where the finger placement unit 3 is provided during printing operation by the printing mechanism 4.

[0024] The print head 41 of this embodiment is an inkjet head in which the surface facing the nail surface (lower surface) is an ink ejection surface 411 equipped with a plurality of nozzle openings (not shown) for ejecting ink, and prints by atomizing the ink and spraying the ink directly onto the nail surface from the ink ejection surface 411. 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 the ink ejection surface 411 is integrated with an ink cartridge that stores ink. The print head 41 is capable of ejecting color inks such as cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW). The type and number of the print heads 41 are not particularly limited. For example, in addition to the print heads that eject the color inks described above, a base print head that prints a liquid agent such as white as a base before printing a design may be provided.

[0025] The X-direction movement motor 45 constitutes an X-direction movement mechanism that moves the print head 41 in the left-right direction (X direction) of the device, and the Y-direction movement motor 47 constitutes a direction movement mechanism that moves the print head 41 in the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the device. The X-direction movement motor 45 and the Y-direction movement motor 47 are, for example, DC motors or stepping motors, and move the print head 41 in the X and Y directions as appropriate.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows an example of the arrangement of the print head 41 during printing operation by a two-dot chain line. If the distance between the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41) and the nail T is too great, the ink ejected from the print head 41 will not land in the correct position, making it impossible to perform high-resolution printing. On the other hand, if the nail T gets too close to the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411), the print head 41 may collide with the nail T or a finger U when passing over the nail T during printing, which may result in injury or equipment failure. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, if the distance between the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411) and the surface of the nail T during printing operation is "distance D," it is preferable that this "distance D" be kept constant during the printing operation.

[0027] In this embodiment, the upper limit of the height direction position of the nail T suitable for printing (i.e., the threshold in the direction in which the nail T approaches the print head 41) is set to a distance of 2 mm from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411), and the lower limit (i.e., the threshold in the direction in which the nail T moves away from the print head 41) is set to a distance of about 6 mm from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411). In other words, the "distance D" between the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411) and the surface of the nail T during the printing operation is kept at 2 to 6 mm. The preferable value of "distance D" depends on the device configuration, the ejection performance of print head 41, and the like, and is not limited to approximately 2 to 6 mm.

[0028] Within the device, a distance measuring sensor 6 is provided above the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger placement section 3 to obtain the position of the surface of the nail T in the height direction (to measure the distance to the surface of the nail T). The distance measuring sensor 6 is a first acquisition means for acquiring a "first value" indicating the height direction position of the nail T. Specifically, the distance measuring sensor 6 measures the distance to the nail T (in this embodiment, the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger placement section 3) and acquires height position information of the nail T as the "first value."

[0029] There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration or measurement principle of the distance measuring sensor 6. For example, a sensor that irradiates a laser beam or the like toward the surface of the nail T and converts the time it takes for the reflected light to return into a distance may be used. Further, the specific arrangement of the distance measuring sensor 6 is not particularly limited as long as it is provided at a position where the distance measuring sensor 6 can measure the distance to the nail T. In this embodiment, the distance measuring sensor 6 is disposed on the inside of the top surface of the housing 2 at a position where it can face the nail T (surface of the nail T) of the finger U placed on the finger placement section 3.

[0030] Here, the "first value" in this embodiment is information such as distance (unit: mm) for acquiring the position of the nail T in the height direction, and is the distance from the distance measuring sensor 6 to the surface of the nail T, etc. In this embodiment, the position in the height direction of the ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41 is known on the device side. Therefore, by acquiring the distance from the distance measuring sensor 6 to the surface of the nail T, the "distance D" (see FIG. 5) from the ink ejection surface 411 to the surface of the nail T can be calculated.

[0031] Normally, the nail T has a curved shape that is highest in the center and decreases in height toward the sides, but here, when referring to the surface of the nail T, it refers to, for example, the surface of the highest part of the nail T (such as the center part of the nail T). In other words, if the highest part of the nail T is positioned with a "distance D" away from the ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41, it will be in a state suitable for printing. The reading position of the nail T by the distance measuring sensor 6 is not limited to the highest part such as the center of the nail T. When reading the highest position, if the user applies pressure to the tip of the nail, the base of the nail T may end up in a high position, which may result in erroneous detection. Therefore, the distance measuring sensor 6 may read the vicinity of the tip of the nail. The position at which reading is to be performed may be determined by default, or may be selectable and set by the user. In addition, for example, the image capturing unit 51 may be used to obtain the outline of the nail T, and the control unit 71 may determine the appropriate position at which reading is to be performed based on the shape of the user's nail T. In this case, reading can be performed at an accurate and appropriate reading position that matches the shape of the user's nail.

[0032] During printing, a print head 41 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5) is disposed between the distance measurement sensor 6 and the nail T. Therefore, the distance measuring sensor 6 measures the distance to the surface of the nail T when the printing operation is not in progress (that is, when the print head 41 is positioned outside the printing operation area). The detection result by the distance measuring sensor 6 is output to the control unit 71.

[0033] Further, inside the housing 2, there is provided an image capturing device 5 (see FIG. 2) for capturing an image of a finger U including a nail T. The image capturing device 5 includes an image capturing section 51 and an illumination section 52. The photographing unit 51 is, for example, a small camera including a solid-state photographing element having about 2 million pixels or more, a lens, etc. The lighting unit 52 is, for example, an illumination lamp such as a white LED. The imaging device 5 illuminates the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger placement section 3 with the illumination section 52. Then, the imaging section 51 images the finger U to obtain a nail image, which is an image of the nail T of the finger U (an image of the finger including a nail image). The image data of the image captured by the image capturing unit 51 may be stored in the storage unit 32, which will be described later.

[0034] The photographing unit 51 is only required to be provided at a position where it can photograph the finger U including the nail T placed on the finger placement unit 3, and the specific position is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the photographing unit 51 and the illumination unit 52 are fixedly disposed on the inside of the top surface of the housing 2 at positions where they can face the nail T (surface of the nail T) of the finger U placed on the finger placement unit 3. The image capturing device 5 may be configured to be movable in the XY directions by a head moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the print head 41.

[0035] Furthermore, the printer 1 is equipped with a control device 7 as shown in Fig. 2. The control device 7 equipped in the printer 1 is a computer including a control unit 71 (see Fig. 2) configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and a storage unit 72 (see Fig. 2) including a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), not shown. In this embodiment, the control unit 71 mainly functions as a determination unit, a print control unit, a photography control unit, a display control unit, and the like. The storage unit 72 stores various programs and various data for operating the printing device 1. The functions of the control unit 71 as a determination means, a print control means, an image capture control means, a display control means, and the like are realized by cooperation between the CPU of the control unit 71 and a program stored in the ROM or the like of the storage unit 72.

[0036] The memory unit 72 is a memory means that stores the correspondence between a "first value" acquired by the distance measurement sensor 6, which is a first acquisition means, and a "second value" acquired by the pressure sensor 33, which is a second acquisition means. Particularly in this embodiment, the memory unit 72 stores, among the "first values" acquired by the distance measurement sensor 6, at least the "second values" (P1, P2 in Figures 6 to 8) that correspond to the upper and lower limits of the height direction position of the nail T suitable for printing.

[0037] That is, for example, if the upper limit of the heightwise position of the nail T suitable for printing is a distance of 2 mm from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411) and the lower limit is a distance of 6 mm from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411), the pressure value P at the point when the "distance D" between the ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41 and the nail T exceeds 6 mm (this is designated as "S1" in Figure 6), calculated based on the "first value" acquired by the distance measurement sensor 6, is stored as the "pressure value P1." In addition, the pressure value P at the point when the "distance D" between the ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41 and the nail T falls below 2 mm (this is designated as "S2" in Figure 6), calculated based on the "first value" acquired by the distance measurement sensor 6, is stored as the "pressure value P2".

[0038] During the printing operation on the nail T, the control unit 71 as a determination means determines the position of the nail T in the height direction from the "second value" based on the correspondence between the "first value" and the "second value." Specifically, during a printing operation on the nail T of a finger U placed on the finger placement section 3, the heightwise position of the nail T is determined from the pressure value P, which is the "second value," based on the correspondence between the upper and lower limit distance values ​​of the heightwise position of the nail T suitable for printing, which is derived from the "first value," and the pressure values ​​P1, P2. Then, from the pressure value P, which is the "second value," it is determined whether the height direction position of the nail T is within a certain range suitable for printing (in this embodiment, the distance between the ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41 and the nail T is 2 mm to 6 mm).

[0039] The control unit 71 as a print control means controls the printing mechanism 4 to perform printing processing. Specifically, the operation of each motor (X-direction movement motor 45 and Y-direction movement motor 47) of the head movement mechanism is controlled based on the print data, and the ink ejection operation of the print head 41 is controlled to eject appropriate ink droplets from the nozzle openings of the ink ejection surface 411. In addition, when the control unit 71 as a print control means determines that the height direction position of the nail T determined from the pressure value P, which is the "second value," is not within a certain range suitable for printing (i.e., the distance between the ink ejection surface 411 of the print head 41 and the nail T is 2 mm to 6 mm), the control unit 71 as a print control means stops the printing operation by the print mechanism 4.

[0040] Further, the control unit 71 as an imaging control means controls the operations of the imaging unit 51 and the illumination unit 52 of the imaging device 5 to obtain an image. The control unit 71 may function as a nail information detection unit and a print data generation unit, for example, by detecting the range of the nail to be printed (i.e., the nail contour) by performing image analysis on the nail image acquired by the photographing device 5, and generating print data by fitting the desired nail design within this nail contour. Further, the control unit 71 as a display control means controls the operation of the display unit 22 to cause the display unit 22 to display various instruction screens and the like. Furthermore, the printing device 1 has a communication unit 25 for transmitting and receiving information to and from an external device, and the control unit 71 also functions as a communication control unit or the like for controlling the communication operation of the communication unit 25 . The communication unit 25 is configured to be capable of communicating with a communication unit of an external device, such as various terminal devices. The communication between the printing device 1 and the external device may be either a wireless connection method or a wired connection method, and the specific method is not limited. The communication unit 25 may be any device capable of communicating with the external device, and a communication standard that matches the communication standard of the communication unit of the external device is applied.

[0041] The control unit 71 may also perform various correction processes on the print data. For example, appropriate curve correction is performed on print data for printing on a nail T that has a curved shape that is higher in the center and lower toward the sides. As a result, if the height of the nail T during the printing operation is maintained within an appropriate range (i.e., a distance of 2 to 6 mm from the print head 41 in this embodiment) according to the highest part of the nail T (for example, the center part of the nail T), it is possible to use the curve correction to print on the sides of the nail T, and beautiful printing can be performed all the way to the ends.

[0042] In addition, when the printing device 1 performs printing in cooperation with various external devices, the detection of nail information, generation of print data, correction processing of the print data, etc. may be performed by an external terminal device, and the control device 7 of the printing device 1 may receive the final print data and perform the printing processing.

[0043] Next, the operation of the printing device 1 and the print control method in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] When printing is performed with the printing device 1, first, an instruction is displayed on the display unit 22 or the like to prompt the user to place a finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the finger placement unit 3 (step S1). When an instruction to start printing is input from the operation unit 21 or the like, the control unit 71 starts detection by the distance measurement sensor 6 provided in the device and the pressure sensor 33 provided on the finger placement unit 3. Detection by the distance measurement sensor 6 and the pressure sensor 33 is performed at any time, and the detection result is sent to the control unit 71.

[0045] The control unit 71 causes the display unit 22 or the like to display a display instructing the user to gradually lower the fingertip (step S2). When the user follows the instruction and presses his / her fingertip down against the finger receiving portion 31, the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 gradually increases. Correspondingly, the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 due to the pressure of the fingertip increases.

[0046] As described above, the position of the print head 41 is known on the device side, so if the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 is known, the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 can be calculated. The control unit 71 determines whether the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 exceeds a "certain distance" corresponding to the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 of 6 mm (step S3), and if it exceeds the "certain distance" (step S3; YES), stores the pressure value P at the moment it is exceeded (point S1 in Figure 6) in the memory unit 72 as a "pressure value P1" (step S4).

[0047] On the other hand, if the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 does not exceed the "certain distance" (step S3; NO), the control unit 71 further determines whether a certain time has elapsed since the start of measurement (step S5), and returns to step S3 to repeat the determination until the certain time has elapsed. The reason why the passage of a "certain amount of time" is used as a judgment factor here is to provide a measure to exit the processing loop when finger U never exceeds the "certain distance", for example, when finger U is too high. On the other hand, if the certain time has elapsed (step S5; YES), the maximum pressure value P measured within the certain time is stored in the memory unit 72 as the "pressure value P1" (step S6). Note that there is no particular limit to how long the "certain time" is, and it is set appropriately, such as around 15 seconds.

[0048] Once the "pressure value P1" is stored, the control unit 71 then causes the display unit 22 or the like to display a message instructing the user to gradually raise the fingertip upward (step S7). When the user follows the instruction and lifts his / her fingertip from the finger receiving portion 31, the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 gradually decreases. Correspondingly, the load on the pressure sensor 33 decreases, and the detected pressure value P decreases.

[0049] The control unit 71 determines whether the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 has fallen below a "certain distance" corresponding to the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 of 2 mm (step S8), and if it has fallen below the "certain distance" (step S8; YES), it stores the pressure value P at the moment it fell below the "certain distance" (point S2 in Figure 6) in the memory unit 72 as a "pressure value P2" (step S9). On the other hand, if the distance between the nail T and the distance measuring sensor 6 is not below the "certain distance" (step S8; NO), the control unit 71 further judges whether a certain time has elapsed since the start of measurement (step S10), and returns to step S8 to repeat the judgment until the certain time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the certain time has elapsed (step S10; YES), the minimum pressure value P measured within the certain time is stored in the memory unit 72 as the "pressure value P2" (step S11).

[0050] When the pressure values ​​P1 and P2 are stored, the control unit 71 constantly determines whether or not the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S12). When the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S12; YES), the distance from the print head 41 to the surface of the nail T is 2 to 6 mm, as shown in Fig. 8, and it is determined that "printing is possible." Therefore, the control unit 71 controls the print head 41, X-direction movement motor 45, and Y-direction movement motor 47 of the printing mechanism 4 to start the printing operation (step S13). On the other hand, if the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 does not satisfy the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S12; NO), that is, if the pressure value P exceeds P1 or is less than P2, it is determined that "printing is not possible" as shown in Fig. 8. In this case, the control unit 71 repeats the determination until the pressure value P satisfies "P1>P>P2".

[0051] Even after the printing operation is started, the control unit 71 constantly determines whether the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S14). Then, when the pressure value P satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S14; YES), the control unit 71 further judges whether the printing operation is completed or not (step S15). When all the print data such as the design to be printed on the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger placement unit 3 is printed, the control unit 71 judges that the printing operation is completed (step S15; YES) and ends the print control process. On the other hand, if the printing operation has not ended (step S15; NO), the control unit 71 returns to step S14 and continues the printing operation while determining whether the pressure value P satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2".

[0052] On the other hand, if the pressure value P no longer satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S14; NO), the printing operation is forcibly stopped (step S16) and the process is terminated. In other words, when the pressure value P exceeds the value P1, the printing operation is stopped at that moment (time S3 shown in FIG. 6), and when the pressure value P falls below the value P2, the printing operation is stopped at that moment (time S4 ​​shown in FIG. 6). In this case, a message to the effect that the printing operation is to be stopped and the reason for stopping printing may be displayed on the display unit 23 or the like to inform the user of the situation. When the pressure value P returns to the range that satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2", the temporarily stopped printing operation may be resumed to continue printing. If the printing is completely stopped, the printing that was partway through will be wasted, and the ink applied to the nail T must be removed and the printing must be started over from the beginning. For this reason, depending on the progress of the printing up to the point of stopping, it may be preferable for the user to continue printing from the point where it was stopped.

[0053] 8, the distance between the nail T and the print head 41 corresponds to the thresholds of the pressure value P (i.e., P1, P2). Therefore, when the value P satisfies the relationship of "P1>P>P2", it is found that the position of the nail T is within a range of 2 to 6 mm away from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411), which is a height position suitable for printing, even if the position of the nail T in the height direction is not measured by the distance measurement sensor 6.

[0054] During printing, the print head 41 moves back and forth between the distance measurement sensor 6 and the nail T. For this reason, it is difficult to always directly grasp the heightwise position of the nail T by measuring it with the distance measurement sensor 6, but by checking whether the pressure value P associated with the heightwise position of the nail T is within the range of thresholds (i.e., an upper threshold P1 corresponding to a distance of 6 mm between the nail T and the print head 41, and a lower threshold P2 corresponding to a distance of 2 mm between the nail T and the print head 41), it is always possible to accurately grasp whether the position of the nail T is at a height position suitable for printing. This allows high-quality nail printing to be performed with the distance between the nail T and the print head 41 being almost constant.

[0055] The relationship between the distance between the nail T and the print head 41 and the pressure value P differs depending on the user. That is, since there are individual differences in the shapes of the finger U and the nail T, the distance between the nail T and the print head 41 differs even for the same pressure value P. FIG. 9 is a graph showing an example in which the relationship between the distance between the nail T and the print head 41 and the pressure value P differs for each user.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 9, for example, in the case of user A's nail, even if the pressure value P does not decrease much (i.e., even if the fingertip is raised slightly), the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 becomes closer than 2 mm, and unless a large pressure is applied (i.e., the fingertip is not pressed down strongly), the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 becomes too close. Conversely, unless the fingertip is pressed down very strongly, the "distance D" does not become larger than 6 mm. In contrast, in the case of user C's nail, unless the pressure value P decreases significantly (i.e., the fingertip is not raised), the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 does not become closer than 2 mm, but even if the fingertip is lowered slightly, the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 exceeds 6 mm. In addition, the nail of user B is about halfway between user A and user C.

[0057] In this way, even when the nail T and the print head 41 are spaced apart by the same distance, the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 varies from person to person. For this reason, the position of the nail T cannot be determined by only measuring the pressure value P. In this respect, as in the present embodiment, by correlating the "distance D" between the nail T and the print head 41 with the "pressure value P," the heightwise position of the nail T can be accurately determined simply by measuring the "pressure value P."

[0058] As described above, according to this embodiment, the printing device 1 includes the printing mechanism 4 that prints on the nail T that is the printing target, the distance measuring sensor 6 as a first acquisition means that acquires a "first value" that indicates the height position of the nail T, the pressure sensor 33 as a second acquisition means that acquires a "second value" that changes in accordance with the height position of the nail T and has a different nature from the "first value", a memory unit 72 as a storage means that stores the correspondence between the "first value" and the "second value", and a control unit 71 as a judgment means that judges the height position of the nail T from the "second value" based on the correspondence during the printing operation on the nail T, and the control unit 71 as a judgment means judges whether the height position of the nail T is within a certain range suitable for printing from the "second value" (in this embodiment, a position 2 to 6 mm away from the print head 41). As a result, even during printing operation when it is difficult for the distance measuring sensor 6 to measure the height position of the nail T due to the print head 41 and it is not possible to directly grasp the position of the nail T, it is possible to accurately grasp whether the position of the nail T is at a height position suitable for printing by checking whether the pressure value P associated with the height position of the nail T is within the range of thresholds (i.e., upper threshold P1 corresponding to a distance of 6 mm between the print head 41 and the nail T, and lower threshold P2 corresponding to a distance of 2 mm between the print head 41 and the nail T). As a result, printing operation can be performed with the nail T located 2 to 6 mm away from the print head 41.

[0059] For example, by acquiring information for detecting the vertical position of the nail T using the photographing unit 51 and correlating this information with the detection value by the pressure sensor 33, it is possible to determine the vertical position of the nail T from the value of the pressure sensor 33 when the print head 41 is above the nail T and the photographing unit 51 is unable to grasp the vertical position of the nail T. However, depending on the user, the height position of the nail T may be originally high, and the pressure sensor 33 may hardly detect any pressure change. In this case, it is difficult to accurately grasp the height position of the nail T from a slight pressure change, and there is a possibility that the nail T may come into contact with the print head 41. In this regard, in the case where the "first value" for detecting the height position of the nail T is obtained by the distance measuring sensor 6 as in the present embodiment, the threshold value can be set accurately in advance based on a specific measurement value by the distance measuring sensor 6. Therefore, even in cases where the pressure sensor 33 can only detect a slight change in pressure, the height position of the nail T can be accurately grasped. As a result, even during a printing operation in which the measurement means (i.e., the distance measuring sensor 6 and the photographing unit 51) provided above the nail T cannot be relied upon due to the obstruction of the print head 41, it is possible to accurately detect whether the nail T is within a printable height range. This reliably prevents printing from being performed in a state where the nail T is raised too high and comes into contact with or collides with the print head 41, or where the nail T is lowered too low and the landing position is disturbed, and high-quality nail printing can be achieved safely and appropriately.

[0060] In this embodiment, the second acquisition means is a pressure sensor 33 serving as pressure acquisition means that detects a value P of pressure exerted by at least a part of the finger U corresponding to the nail T as a "second value." Even when the print head 41 is positioned above the nail T, the pressure sensor 33 that detects the pressure value P when a finger U is placed thereon can detect the "second value." Therefore, by using the pressure value P as the "second value", it is possible to check whether the nail T is at a height position suitable for printing even during the printing operation.

[0061] In this embodiment, the storage unit 72, which is a storage means, stores at least a "second value" that corresponds to the upper and lower limits of the position in the height direction of the nail T that is suitable for printing. In this manner, in this embodiment, a pressure value P1 serving as the upper threshold corresponding to a distance of 6 mm between the print head 41 and the nail T, and a pressure value P2 serving as the lower threshold corresponding to a distance of 2 mm between the print head 41 and the nail T are stored in the memory unit 72. This reduces the burden on the memory unit 72 compared to storing all of the pressure values ​​P detected by the pressure sensor 33. If there is no need to consider the storage capacity of the memory unit 72, all of the pressure values ​​P detected by the pressure sensor 33 may be stored in association with a "first value" indicating the distance between the print head 41 and the nail T.

[0062] Also, in this embodiment, the control unit 71 functions as a printing control means for controlling the printing operation of the printing mechanism 4, and the control unit 71 as a printing control means stops the printing operation by the printing mechanism 4 when the control unit 71 as a judgment means determines that the height direction position of the nail T determined from the "second value" is not within a certain range suitable for printing. This makes it possible to stop printing when the nail T is too close to the print head 41 or too far from the print head 41, and to avoid injury or damage to the device caused by collision or contact between the nail T and the print head 41. It also makes it possible to prevent printing from being performed while the nail T is too far from the print head 41, enabling high-definition printing.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first acquisition means is a distance measuring sensor 6 that measures the distance to the nail T and acquires height position information of the nail T as a "first value." Therefore, the height direction position of the nail T can be obtained directly as an objective numerical value.

[0064] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment of a printing device, a printing control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 12. Note that this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the first acquisition means for acquiring a "first value" indicating the position of the nail T in the height direction, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the essential parts of the finger placement unit according to this embodiment, seen from above, with a finger placed on the unit. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the essential parts of the finger placement unit, seen from diagonally above and to the left of the device. As shown in Fig. 10, the finger placement section 3a of this embodiment has a placement section main body 34. The placement section main body 34 is formed of, for example, a transparent resin. The material forming the placement section main body 34 is not limited to resin, and may be, for example, transparent glass. Also, it does not have to be completely transparent, but may be semi-transparent, or the like, so long as markers M1 and M2, described below, can be seen through it. Furthermore, it is not limited to the case where the entire placement section main body 34 is transparent, and it is sufficient that at least the portion near the surface of the placement section main body 34 where markers M1 and M2, described below, are provided, is transparent (or semi-transparent).

[0066] Also, similar to the first embodiment, a pressure sensor 33 is provided in a portion corresponding to the periphery of the fingertip (for example, the portion beyond the first joint where the fingerprint is located, the portion corresponding to the nail T, and the surrounding portion) when a finger U is placed on the finger receiving portion 31. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the pressure sensor 33 is embedded in a portion of the surface of the placement portion main body .

[0067] On one side of the placement portion main body 34, markers (a first marker M1 and a second marker M2) are provided as identifiers that extend in the longitudinal direction of the finger placement portion 3a and indicate the reference height position of the nail T. In this embodiment, the first marker M1 is embedded slightly below the surface of the placement portion main body 34, and the second marker M2 is disposed slightly above the surface of the placement portion main body 34. The markers (the first marker M1 and the second marker M2) are formed in a color, such as red, that can be clearly identified in the transparent placement portion main body 34. The color, material, size, position, and range of the markers (first marker M1 and second marker M2) are set appropriately. The first marker M1 and the second marker M2 may have different colors. Furthermore, the shape and the like of the marker are not limited to the illustrated example as long as it can indicate the reference height position of the nail T. Furthermore, the number of markers is not limited to two, and three or more markers may be provided to indicate three or more levels of reference height positions of the nail T.

[0068] A mirror (reflecting portion) 35 is disposed on the other side of the placement portion main body . The mirror 35 is made of synthetic resin, for example, using acrylic as a base material. The material of the mirror 35 is not particularly limited, and it may be a glass mirror, for example, using glass as a base material. In this embodiment, a first marker M1 and a second marker M2 are provided on the left side of the placement section main body 34, and a mirror 35 is disposed on the opposite right side.

[0069] In this embodiment, a photographing section 51 similar to that in the first embodiment is provided, and the mirror 35 is an optical element capable of placing the markers (first marker M1, second marker M2) within the photographing range of the photographing section 51, which is the photographing means. The position, angle, size, etc. of the mirror 35 are appropriately adjusted so that the markers (the first marker M1 and the second marker M2) can be accommodated within the imaging range of the imaging unit 51.

[0070] The photographing unit 51 is a first acquisition means that acquires the positional relationship between the markers (the first marker M1 and the second marker M2) and the nail T as a "first value." The photographing unit 51 can photograph the markers (the first marker M1 and the second marker M2) through the mirror .

[0071] Other device configurations of the printing device 1 are similar to those of the first embodiment, so the same members are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0072] Next, the operation of the printer 1 and the print control method in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the print control process in this embodiment. Note that steps S21 and S22 are similar to steps S1 and S2 in the first embodiment.

[0073] Before printing, the control unit 71 causes the display unit 22 or the like to display a display instructing the user to gradually lower their fingertip (step S22), and as the user follows the instruction and lowers their fingertip to press it against the placement unit main body 34, the state changes from one in which the first marker M1 cannot be detected by the photographing unit 51 and the second marker M2 can be detected (i.e., a state in which only the second marker M2 is reflected in the image photographed by the photographing unit 51 and the first marker M1 is not reflected), to a state in which the first marker M1 can be detected. Correspondingly, the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 due to the pressure of the fingertip increases. In this embodiment, the first marker M1 is disposed at a position where the first marker M1 can be detected when the nail T is separated from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411) by approximately 6 mm.

[0074] The control unit 71 determines whether or not the first marker M1 has been detected (step S23), and if it has been detected (step S23; YES), stores the pressure value P at the moment of detection in the memory unit 72 as the "pressure value P1" (step S24). On the other hand, if the first marker M1 cannot be detected (step S23; NO), the control unit 71 further judges whether a certain time has elapsed since the start of measurement (step S25), and returns to step S23 to repeat the judgment until the certain time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the certain time has elapsed (step S25; YES), the maximum pressure value P measured within the certain time is stored in the memory unit 72 as the "pressure value P1" (step S26).

[0075] Once the "pressure value P1" is stored, the control unit 71 then causes the display unit 22 or the like to display a message instructing the user to gradually raise the fingertip upward (step S27). As the user follows the instruction and lifts his / her finger from finger receiving portion 31, second marker M2 gradually becomes undetectable. Correspondingly, the load on pressure sensor 33 decreases, and the detected pressure value P decreases. In this embodiment, the second marker M2 is disposed at a position where the second marker M2 cannot be detected when the nail T approaches the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411) by approximately 2 mm.

[0076] The control unit 71 determines whether the second marker M2 can be detected (step S28), and if it cannot be detected (step S28; NO), stores the pressure value P at the moment when it became impossible to detect in the memory unit 72 as the "pressure value P2" (step S29). On the other hand, if the second marker M2 can be detected (step S28; NO), the control unit 71 further judges whether a certain time has elapsed since the start of measurement (step S30), and returns to step S28 to repeat the judgment until the certain time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the certain time has elapsed (step S30; YES), the minimum pressure value P measured within the certain time is stored in the memory unit 72 as the "pressure value P2" (step S31).

[0077] When the pressure values ​​P1 and P2 are stored, the control unit 71 constantly determines whether or not the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2" (step S32). It should be noted that steps S32 to S36 are similar to steps S12 to S16 described in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] When the pressure value P satisfies the relationship "P1>P>P2", it can be seen that the position of the nail T is within the range of 2 to 6 mm away from the print head 41 (ink ejection surface 411), which is a height position suitable for printing, without having to check whether the first marker M1 and the second marker M2 are detected or not by the photographing unit 51. During printing, the print head 41 moves back and forth between the photographing unit 51 and the nail T. For this reason, it is difficult for the photographing unit 51 to always grasp the heightwise position of the nail T, but by checking whether the pressure value P associated with the detection / non-detection of the first marker M1 and the second marker M2 by the photographing unit 51 is within a threshold range (i.e., an upper threshold P1 corresponding to a distance of 6 mm, and a lower threshold P2 corresponding to a distance of 2 mm), it is possible to accurately grasp whether the position of the nail T is at a height position suitable for printing. This allows high-quality nail printing to be performed while maintaining a constant "distance D" suitable for printing between the nail T and the print head 41.

[0079] As described above, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, in this embodiment, markers (a first marker M1 and a second marker M2) that indicate the reference height position of the nail T are provided within the device, and the device has an imaging unit 51 as a first acquisition means that acquires the positional relationship between the markers M1, M2 and the nail T as a "first value." As a result, with a relatively simple configuration including the markers M1, M2 and the imaging unit 51, the "first value" indicating the position of the nail T in the height direction can be obtained.

[0080] Also, a mirror 35 is provided as an optical element that can accommodate the markers (first marker M1, second marker M2) within the image capturing range of an image capturing section 51 that is an image capturing means. Providing optical elements in this manner improves the degree of freedom in arranging the imaging unit 51 and the markers M1 and M2.

[0081] 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.

[0082] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the printer 1 has a finger placement unit 3 (finger rest) on which a finger U is placed, and a pressure sensor 33 serving as the second acquisition means is placed on the finger receiving portion 31 (or placement unit body 34) of the finger placement unit 3, but it is not essential that the printer 1 has a finger placement unit 3. For example, the finger U may be placed directly within the range in which printing is performed within the printer (within a range in which printing operation by the print head 41 is possible). In this case, the pressure sensor 33, which is the second acquisition means, may be placed in the area where the printing operation is performed, and the finger U may be placed on the pressure sensor 33 itself. In this case as well, the pressure sensor 33 can detect a change in the pressure value P caused by the placement of the finger U.

[0083] Furthermore, a nail placement section (nail placement stand) for placing the tip of a nail may be provided on the inner side (the fingertip side of the finger U to be placed) of finger placement section 3 (finger rest) on which finger U is placed. When a claw arrangement section (claw arrangement stand) is provided, the pressure value P1 may be a pressure value at a height approximately 1 mm lower than the height of the claw arrangement section, or the pressure value P1 itself may not be set, and only the pressure value P2 may be set.

[0084] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, a printable range is set when the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor 33 is between pressure value P1 and pressure value P2, and the pressure value P1 and pressure value P2 are each associated with a numerical value ("first value") indicating the height position of the nail T. However, the pressure value associated with the numerical value ("first value") indicating the height position of the nail T is not limited to this. For example, within the range of pressure value P1 and pressure value P2, threshold values ​​such as P1-1, P1-2, ..., P2-1, P2-2 ... may be set in stages according to the height direction position of the nail T, and the content of the printing control may be changed depending on each threshold value. More specifically, even if the pressure value P is between P1 and P2 and the heightwise position of the nail T is within the printable range, if the pressure value is P2-1, which is closer to P2, it is possible to control the printing operation more finely depending on the situation, such as controlling the printing speed to be slower than normal.

[0085] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the order of the printing control process is exemplified as being the case where pressure value P1 and pressure value P2 are obtained in that order, but the order of obtaining pressure value P1 and pressure value P2 is not limited to this, and pressure value P2 may be obtained first and then pressure value P1.

[0086] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, a fixed finger placement section 3 is exemplified, and if the height of the nail T is not within a certain distance range suitable for printing (e.g., the nail is too high), printing is stopped after a certain period of time has elapsed, but the response when the height of the nail T is not within the certain distance range is not limited to this. For example, if all or a part of the finger placement section 3 (e.g., the finger receiving section 31 that receives the finger U) is configured to be movable up and down, even if the height of the nail T does not fall within a certain distance range, it is possible to accommodate this by moving the finger placement section 3 up and down according to the height of the nail T. If the height of the nail T still does not fall within the range of a certain distance even after the height of the finger placement section 3 is adjusted, printing may be stopped after a certain time has elapsed.

[0087] Further, in each of the above embodiments, the second acquisition means is the pressure sensor 33, but the second acquisition means is not limited to a pressure sensor as long as it can continue to detect the "second value" that serves as an index for determining the heightwise position of the nail T even when the print head 41 is positioned above the nail T during printing.

[0088] In addition, in the second embodiment, a configuration in which a mirror 35 is provided as an optical element is exemplified, but the optical element is not limited to a mirror as long as it is capable of placing the markers (first marker M1, second marker M2) within the photographing range of the photographing unit 51. For example, a prism or the like may be disposed as the optical element. In this case, the arrangement, angle, and the like of the optical element are adjusted so that the markers (the first marker M1 and the second marker M2) fall within the photographable range of the photographing unit 51.

[0089] In addition, in the second embodiment, a configuration including an imaging unit 51, markers M1 and M2, and a mirror 35 as an optical element is exemplified as a configuration for acquiring a "first value", but the configuration for acquiring a "first value" is not limited to this. For example, if the markers M1 and M2 can be placed within the photographing range of the photographing unit 51 without being reflected using an optical element by changing the position of the photographing unit 51, the configuration may not include a mirror 35 as an optical element.

[0090] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the printing device 1 is configured to be able to complete the printing operation by itself, but the printing device 1 is not limited to the one shown here. For example, the printing system may be configured in cooperation with an information processing device such as an external terminal device (such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal).

[0091] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing system including a printing device and an information processing device. As shown in FIG. 13, in this case, the information processing device 8 includes a communication unit 84 (communication means) that communicates with the printing device 1 that includes the printing mechanism 4 that performs printing on the nail T, as described in the above embodiment. The information processing device 8 functions as an information acquisition means in which the control unit 81 of the control device 80 acquires from the printing device 1 via the communication unit 84 a "first value" for detecting the vertical position of the nail T, and a "second value" that changes in accordance with the vertical position of the nail and has a different nature from the "first value." Furthermore, the control unit 81 also functions as a judgment means for judging whether the heightwise position of the nail T is within a range suitable for printing by the printing means of the printing device (the print head 41 of the printing mechanism 4) based on the correspondence between the "first value" and the "second value". Then, the control unit 81 as a determination unit transmits the result of the determination to the printing device 1 via the communication unit . In this case, the correspondence between the "first value" and the "second value" and the like may be stored in the storage unit 82 of the information processing device 8.

[0092] In this way, by linking the printing device 1 with the external information processing device 8, the printing device 1 only needs to obtain values ​​("first value", "second value") for determining the heightwise position of the nail T using various sensors (e.g., the distance measuring sensor 6 and the pressure sensor 33) and the photographing unit 51, etc., and send these to the information processing device 8, and the information processing device 8 can perform the determination process based on these values ​​(e.g., the determination process for determining the heightwise position of the nail T, the selection process for the nail design, the process for generating print data, etc.). This allows the control configuration to be simplified, and the load on the storage unit 72 of the printing device 1 to be minimized. In this case, the programs (application programs), data, etc. required for various processes are stored in the storage unit 82 of the information processing device 8, etc.

[0093] 13, the information processing device 8 may include an operation unit 83 and a display unit 85. In this case, the printing device 1 may be operated according to instructions inputted from the operation unit 83 of the information processing device 8. Also, for example, a selected design or the like may be displayed on the display unit 85 of the information processing device 8.

[0094] 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. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are set forth below. The claim numbers in the appended claims are the same as those in the claims originally attached to this application. [Additional Notes] <Claim 1> A printing means for printing on the nail as a printing target; A first acquisition means for acquiring a first value for detecting a position of the nail in a height direction; A second acquisition means for acquiring a second value that changes in response to a position in the height direction of the nail and has a different property from the first value; a determining means for determining whether or not the position of the nail in the height direction is within a range suitable for printing by the printing means based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value; A printing device comprising: <Claim 2> a storage means for storing a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value, 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines the height direction position of the nail from the second value based on the correspondence relationship stored in the storage means. <Claim 3> 3. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the storage means stores at least a second value corresponding to an upper limit and a lower limit of a height-wise position of the nail suitable for printing. <Claim 4> 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the second acquisition means is a pressure detection means that acquires as the second value a value of pressure exerted by at least a part of a finger corresponding to the nail. <Claim 5> A printing control means is provided for controlling a printing operation of a printing means for printing on the nails, The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the printing control means stops the printing operation by the printing means when the judgment means judges that the height direction position of the nail determined from the second value is not within a range suitable for printing. <Claim 6> 6. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the first acquisition means is a distance measuring sensor that measures a distance to the nail and acquires height direction position information of the nail as the first value. <Claim 7> An identifier indicating a reference for the position of the nail in the height direction is provided, 6. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the first acquisition means is a photographing means that acquires a positional relationship between the identifier and the nail as the first value. <Claim 8> 8. The printing device according to claim 7, further comprising an optical element that can bring the identifier within a photographable range of the photographing means. <Claim 9> A communication means for communicating with a printing device having a printing means for printing on nails; an information acquiring means for acquiring from the printing device via the communication means a first value for detecting the position of the nail in the height direction and a second value which changes in accordance with the position of the nail in the height direction and has a different property from the first value; a determining means for determining whether or not the position of the nail in the height direction is within a range suitable for printing by the printing means based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value; Equipped with 4. An information processing apparatus comprising: a printer; a determining unit for determining whether a printing device is printing; <Claim 10> a first acquisition step of acquiring a first value for detecting a position of the nail in a height direction; a second acquisition step of acquiring a second value that changes in accordance with a position in the height direction of the nail and has a different property from the first value; a determining step of determining whether or not the position of the nail in the height direction is within a range suitable for printing by a printing means that prints on the nail, based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value; A printing control method comprising: <Claim 11> On the computer, a first acquisition function for acquiring a first value for detecting a position of the nail in a height direction; A second acquisition function for acquiring a second value that changes in response to a position in a height direction of the nail and has a different property from the first value; a determining function for determining whether or not the position of the nail in the height direction is within a range suitable for printing by a printing means that prints on the nail, based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value; A program for realizing the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 Printing device 2. Chassis 3 Finger placement area 31 Finger support 33 Pressure Sensor 35 Mirror 4 Printing mechanism 41 Print Head 411 Ink ejection surface 5. Imaging Equipment 51 Photography Department 6 Distance Measuring Sensor 7 Control device 71 Control Unit 72 Memory section

Claims

1. A printing means for printing on the nail as a printing target; a first acquiring means for acquiring a first value for detecting a position of the nail in a height direction while the printing operation by the printing means is not being performed; a second acquiring means for acquiring a second value having a different nature from the first value, the second value being for detecting a pressure generated by at least a part of a finger corresponding to the nail; a judgment means for judging, during the printing operation, whether the height direction position of the nail is within a range suitable for printing by the printing means based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value that is stored in advance.

2. a storage means for storing a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value, 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines the heightwise position of the nail from the second value based on the correspondence stored in the memory means during the printing operation.

3. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the storage means stores at least a second value corresponding to an upper limit and a lower limit of a height-wise position of the nail suitable for printing.

4. A printing control means is provided for controlling a printing operation of a printing means for printing on the nails, The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the print control means stops the printing operation by the printing means when the judgment means judges that the height direction position of the nail judged from the second value during the printing operation is not within a range suitable for printing.

5. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first acquisition means is a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to the nail while the printing operation is not being performed and acquires height direction position information of the nail as the first value.

6. An identifier is provided for detecting a reference for a position of the nail in a height direction, 5. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the first acquisition means is an image capture means that acquires a positional relationship between the identifier and the nail as the first value.

7. 7. The printing device according to claim 6, further comprising an optical element capable of bringing the identifier within a photographable range of the photographing means.

8. A communication means for communicating with a printing device having a printing means for printing on nails; a second information acquiring means for acquiring from the printing device via the communication means a first value for detecting the position of the nail in the height direction while the printing means is not performing a printing operation, and a second value having a different nature from the first value and for detecting pressure generated by at least a part of the finger corresponding to the nail; a determination means for determining whether or not a position of the nail in a height direction is within a range suitable for printing by the printing means, based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value stored in advance during the printing operation, 4. An information processing apparatus comprising: a printer; a printer control unit for controlling a printer;

9. A first acquisition step of acquiring a first value for detecting a height direction position of the nail while a printing operation is not being performed; a second acquiring step of acquiring a second value having a different nature from the first value, the second value being for detecting a pressure generated by at least a portion corresponding to the nail; a determination step of determining, during the printing operation, whether or not the position of the nail in the height direction is within a range suitable for printing by a printing means, based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value that is stored in advance; A printing control method comprising:

10. On the computer, a first acquisition function that acquires a first value for detecting a position of the nail in a height direction while a printing operation by the printing function is not being performed; a second acquisition function for acquiring a second value having a different nature from the first value, the second value being for detecting a pressure generated by at least a portion corresponding to the nail; and a judgment function for judging whether or not the height direction position of the nail is within a range suitable for printing by a printing means based on a correspondence relationship between the first value and the second value that is stored in advance during the printing operation.

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