Control device, printing device, control method and program

Abstract

To provide a control apparatus capable of performing high-quality printing, a printer, a control method, and a program.SOLUTION: Printer 1 includes a control apparatus 10 that functions as acquisition means for acquiring information on an outer shape along a second direction crossing a first direction, which is acquired at two or more different locations in the first direction of a nail T to be printed, and setting means for configuring settings related to printing on the basis of the information on the outer shape, which is acquired by the acquisition means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a printing device for printing a design on fingernails or the like is known. In order to perform printing within a correct range, it is necessary to accurately recognize the area to be printed (printing area, nail area when printing on a nail).

[0003] In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the position of a nail is detected using an optical sensor and a printing area is set.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when the outer shape is a shape having a curvature like a nail or the like, with the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the shape of the printing target cannot be appropriately recognized, and there is a risk that the print quality will deteriorate when printing is performed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a control device, a printing device, a control method, and a program capable of performing high-quality printing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the control device of the present invention An acquisition means for acquiring curvature information relating to the curvature of the outer shape of the nail along the width direction intersecting the length direction, obtained at two or more different locations including at least the tip side position and the root side position in the length direction of the nail to be printed, Based on the multiple curvature information obtained by the acquisition means, in the width direction of the claw A setting means for setting the print density, Equipped with 、 The setting means divides the printing area of ​​the nail into a plurality of unit regions from the tip side to the root side in the length direction, and sets a correction value for the printing density in the width direction of the nail by combining first density data obtained based on first information obtained at the tip side of the nail and second density data obtained based on second information obtained at the root side of the nail, according to the position of each unit region in the length direction. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, high-quality printing can be performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the main parts of the printing apparatus in the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a control block diagram showing the schematic control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device that works in conjunction with the printing device in an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the nail and finger, which are the printing targets in this embodiment. [Figure 4] (a) is a plan view of the claw, (b) is a diagram showing the curvature at position A shown in (a), and (c) is a diagram showing the curvature at position B shown in (a). [Figure 5] (a) through (e) are schematic diagrams of nail shapes illustrating examples of nail curvature levels. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of dividing a fingernail into eight unit regions. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of weighting when the curvature is greater at the tip of the toenail than at the base. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of weighting when the curvature is greater at the base than at the tip. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the overall flow of the printing process in this embodiment. [Figure 10]It is a flowchart showing details of the synthesis process of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is an example of data showing the printing density when the curvature on the tip side is greater than that on the root side. (a) is an example of printing density data corresponding to the curvature on the tip side, (b) is an example of printing density data corresponding to the curvature on the root side, and (c) is an example of synthesized density data obtained by synthesizing the printing density data shown in (a) and the printing density data shown in (b). [Figure 12] It is an example of data showing the printing density when the curvature on the root side is greater than that on the tip side. (a) is an example of printing density data corresponding to the curvature on the tip side, (b) is an example of printing density data corresponding to the curvature on the root side, and (c) is an example of synthesized density data obtained by synthesizing the printing density data shown in (a) and the printing density data shown in (b). [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of printing density data corresponding to a portion with a large curvature. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of printing density data corresponding to a portion with a small curvature. [Figure 15] It is an example of synthesized density data when the nail is divided into eight unit regions. [Figure 16] It is an example of synthesized density data when the nail is divided into sixteen unit regions. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example when printing is performed on the nail with a uniform density regardless of the position in the length direction of the nail. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing an example when printing is performed on the nail using synthesized density data corresponding to the position in the length direction of the nail.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] An embodiment of a control device, a printing device, a control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 to 18. Note that although various technically preferable limitations are imposed on the embodiments described below for carrying out the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. For example, in the following embodiments, a case where the print control device is a control device that controls a printing device (nail printing device) that prints on fingernails as a printing target will be described as an example. However, the control target of the print control device in the present invention is not limited to a printing device that prints on fingernails, and for example, a printing device that prints on toenails may also be used. Further, a printing device that prints on objects other than nails, such as the surface of nail tips and various accessories, may also be used.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the main part of the printing device (nail printing device) in the present embodiment. In the following embodiments, up and down, left and right, and front and back refer to the directions shown in FIG. 1. Further, the X direction is the left-right direction of the printing device 1, and the Y direction is the front-back direction of the printing device 1.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape. An operation unit 21 and a display unit 22 are installed on the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 2. Note that the shape of each part of the housing 2 and the arrangement of each part are not limited to the illustrated example and can be set as appropriate. For example, the operation unit 21 and the display unit 22 may be provided on the side surface or the back surface instead of the upper surface of the housing 2. Further, in the illustrated example, a case where the operation unit 21 is composed of one button is shown, but the operation unit 21 may be composed of a plurality of buttons or the like provided on the upper surface or the like of the housing 2. In addition, an indicator or the like may be provided on the housing 2.

[0013] The operation unit 21 is for the user to perform various inputs. The operation unit 21 is, for example, an operation button (power switch button) for turning on / off the power of the printing device 1. When the operation unit 21 is operated, an operation signal corresponding to the operation is output to the control unit 11, and the control unit 11 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each part of the printing device 1. For example, when the operation unit 21 is a power switch button, the power of the printing device 1 is turned on / off according to the button operation. In this embodiment, the printing device 1 is linked to a terminal device 8 (see Figure 2), which will be described later, and instead of the operation unit 21, the various parts of the printing device 1 may operate according to operation signals input from the operation unit 83 (see Figure 2), etc., of the terminal device 8, which will be described later.

[0014] The display unit 22 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescent display, or other flat display. Furthermore, a touch panel for 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.

[0015] The display unit 22 may display nail designs entered or selected by the user from the operation unit 21, or nail images taken of the user's nails T. Furthermore, the display unit 22 may display message screens or the like that show various instructions, guidance, warnings, etc., to the user.

[0016] A finger insertion opening 23, which is an opening into which a finger is inserted when printing with the printing device 1, is formed on the front side (the front side in the Y direction in Figure 1) of the housing 2 of the printing device 1, approximately in the center in the left-right direction of the device (the X direction in Figure 1). The housing 2 contains a device body (not shown) equipped with a finger placement section 3, a printing mechanism 4, an imaging section 5 (see Figure 2), and the like.

[0017] The finger placement section 3 is located inside the housing 2, in a position corresponding to the finger insertion opening 23. The finger placement section 3 has an opening corresponding to the finger insertion opening 23, and receives the finger (the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed) inserted from the finger insertion opening 23 into the opening and holds it in a position suitable for printing. Although not shown in the diagram, the finger placement section 3 includes, for example, a part on which the finger rests (the main body of the placement section) and a frame-like section that surrounds the front side of the finger placement section 3 (the front side in the Y direction in Figure 1). For example, the main body of the placement section is configured to be vertically movable, and when the main body of the placement section rises upward, the finger U placed on the main body of the placement section is sandwiched between it and the frame-like section, fixing its position. However, the configuration for fixing the finger U is not limited to this. Furthermore, the area behind the frame-shaped section in the Y direction (the rear side of the device in Figure 1) is open at the top, allowing the surface of the fingernail T of the finger U placed inside the finger placement section 3 to be exposed.

[0018] Figure 2 is a control block diagram showing the schematic control configuration of a printing device and terminal devices that work in conjunction with the printing device. As shown in Figure 2, the printing mechanism 4 includes a print head 41, a head moving mechanism 48 for moving the print head 41 (see Figure 2), and the like. In this embodiment, the printing mechanism 4 uses a printing head 41, which is a printing means, to print on the target of printing, such as the fingernail T of the finger U.

[0019] The print head 41 of this embodiment has an ink ejection surface (not shown) on the surface facing the printing target surface (nail surface) that ejects ink, and is an inkjet type inkjet head that atomizes the ink and directly sprays the ink onto the surface of the printing target, such as the nail T, from the ink ejection surface to print. The configuration of the print head 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is a cartridge-integrated head in which the ejection mechanism part such as the ink ejection surface and the ink cartridge (not shown) that stores the ink are integrated into one unit. The print head 41 is capable of ejecting colored inks such as cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). The printing apparatus 1 may also include a base coat head as part of the print head 41, capable of ejecting base coat inks such as white as a base coat. The types of inks provided in the print head 41 are not limited to these.

[0020] The head movement mechanism 48 consists of an X-direction movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the print head 41 in the left-right direction (X direction) of the device and a Y-direction movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the print head 41 in the front-back direction (Y direction) of the device. The X-direction movement mechanism includes an X-direction movement motor 45 (see Figure 2), which drives the print head 41 in the left-right direction (X-direction) of the device. The Y-direction movement mechanism includes a Y-direction movement motor 47 (see Figure 2), which drives the print head 41 in the front-back direction (Y-direction) of the device. The X-direction movement motor 45 and the Y-direction movement motor 47 are, for example, stepping motors.

[0021] Furthermore, a shooting unit 5 is fixed to the inside of the top surface (top panel) of the housing 2, at a position corresponding to above the fingernail T of the finger U placed in the finger placement section 3, which is capable of photographing the exposed fingernail T (the finger U including the fingernail T) and acquiring an image (fingernail image). The imaging unit 5 includes a camera 51, which is a small camera equipped with a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) having 2 million pixels or more, and a lens, and a light source 52, which is composed of a white LED or the like, for illuminating the object to be photographed (see Figure 2). The imaging unit 5 only needs to be positioned in a location that allows it to photograph the fingernail T of the finger U placed on the finger placement unit 3, and its specific placement is not particularly limited.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the printing device 1 includes, in addition to the printing mechanism 4 and the imaging unit 5 described above, a communication unit 25 and a control device 10, etc.

[0023] The communication unit 25 is configured to enable the transmission and reception of information with the terminal device 8, which will be described later and operates in conjunction with the printing device 1. Communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 8 is performed, for example, by wireless LAN. However, the method of communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 8 is not limited to this, and any method may be used. For example, it may use a network line such as the Internet, or it may use wireless communication based on short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi. Furthermore, this communication is not limited to wireless, and a configuration that allows the transmission and reception of various data between the two is also possible via a wired connection. The communication unit 25 is equipped with an antenna chip, etc., that corresponds to the communication method of the terminal device 8.

[0024] The control device 10 mounted on the printing device 1 is a computer that controls the printing device 1 and comprises a control unit 11 having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and a storage unit 12 having ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) (neither shown).

[0025] The memory unit 12 stores various programs and data necessary for operating the printing device 1. Specifically, the ROM of the memory unit 12 stores various programs, such as print control programs for performing various print control processes. The control unit 11 then loads these programs into the RAM's work area and executes them, thereby providing overall control for each part of the printing device 1.

[0026] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 functions as a printing control means for controlling the operation of the printing mechanism 4, a shooting control means for controlling the operation of the shooting unit 5, a display control means for controlling the display of the display unit 22, and a communication control means for controlling the communication unit 25, as well as an acquisition means, a setting means, etc. Each of these functions is realized through the cooperation of the CPU of the control unit 11 and the program stored in the ROM 121 of the storage unit 12.

[0027] The control unit 11, which functions as a printing control means, controls the operation of the print head 41 and the X-direction movement motor 45, Y-direction movement motor 47, etc., which constitute the print head 41 and the head movement mechanism 48 of the printing mechanism 4. The control unit 11, which functions as a shooting control means, controls the operation of the camera 51 and light source 52 of the shooting unit 5 to capture nail images (images of fingers U including nails T), and acquires image data obtained by shooting. The control unit 11, which functions as a display control means, controls the display of the display unit 22 to display various display screens on the display unit 22. The control unit 11, which functions as a communication control means, controls the communication unit 25 to enable the transmission and reception of data with various external devices. The control unit 11 may also have functions such as recognizing the nail area to be printed from the acquired nail image, and generating print data by aligning the design within the nail area.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of this embodiment functions as an acquisition means for acquiring "information relating to the external shape" obtained at two or more different locations in the "first direction" of the claw T that is to be printed. "Information relating to the external shape" refers to information relating to the external shape along a second direction that intersects (for example, perpendicular to) the first direction, and is the external shape when the claw T is hypothetically crossed in the width direction (see Figures 5(a) to 5(e), etc.). In this embodiment, the "first direction" is the length direction of the claw T (length direction L in Figures 3 and 4(a)) that intersects with the width direction of the claw T (width direction W in Figures 3 and 4(a)). Furthermore, the "information relating to the external shape" acquired by the control unit 11 as an acquisition means is curvature information relating to the curvature of the external shape in the width direction of the claw T.

[0029] The curvature information of the claw T is information about the degree of curvature (bend) of the claw T in the width direction W, and the control unit 11, as an acquisition means, acquires information on how sharp (or gentle) the curvature of the claw T to be printed is as multiple curvature levels. For example, in this embodiment, we illustrate a case where the curvature level of the claw T is classified into five levels as shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(e).

[0030] Figure 5(a) shows an example of a claw T that is hardly curved, where the height of the center and the end of the claw T are not significantly different. When the degree of curvature of the claw T is this degree, it is classified as "curvature level 1". In contrast, Figure 5(e) shows an example of a claw T that is greatly curved, where the end of the claw T is significantly (deeper) lower than the height of the center of the claw T. When the degree of curvature of the claw T is this degree, it is classified as "curvature level 5". Figures 5(b) to 5(d) are positioned between "curvature level 1" shown in Figure 5(a) and "curvature level 5" shown in Figure 5(e), and are classified as "curvature level 2" to "curvature level 4", respectively.

[0031] In this embodiment, the curvature information (curvature level), which is "information regarding the external shape," is acquired at two or more different locations along the length L of the claw T. For example, "information regarding the external shape" is obtained at least from the tip and root sides of the nail T, and includes "first information c1" obtained from the tip side of the nail T and "second information c2" obtained from the root side. The position at the tip of the claw T that acquires "first information c1" is, for example, position A shown in Figures 3 and 4(a). The position at the base of the claw T that acquires "second information c2" is, for example, position B shown in Figures 3 and 4(a).

[0032] For example, if the curvature level, which is "information about the external shape" obtained at position A shown in Figures 3 and 4(a), is as shown in Figure 4(b), it can be determined that it is a curvature level of the same magnitude as that shown in Figure 5(d). Therefore, the curvature level on the toe side (i.e., "first information c1") is set to "curvature level 4". For example, if the curvature level, which is "information about the external shape" obtained at position B shown in Figures 3 and 4(a), is as shown in Figure 4(c), it can be determined that it is a curvature level of the same degree as that of Figure 5(b). Therefore, the curvature level at the root side (i.e., "second information c2") is set to "curvature level 2".

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the tip and root ends of the nail T are narrower in the width direction W, making it difficult to accurately capture their outer shape. For this reason, the positions A and B from which "information on the outer shape" is acquired should not be the very tips or root ends, but rather, for example, position A on the tip side should be the limit point where the nail T separates from the skin of the finger U, and position B on the root side should be a point about 1 mm towards the tip from the base of the nail T. The locations of positions A and B from which "information on the outer shape" is acquired are not limited to those exemplified here and may be set as appropriate.

[0034] Furthermore, the method for determining the degree of curvature information (curvature level), which is "information regarding the external shape" of the claw T (user's claw T) to be printed on, is not particularly limited. For example, the user or the practitioner performing the treatment on the nail T (for example, if the printing device 1 is located in a store such as a beauty salon, the staff of that store) may visually determine the shape of the nail T. In this case, the user who has determined the shape may input the results of their visual judgment, such as the shape at position A on the tip of the nail being "curvature level 4" and the shape at position B on the base being "curvature level 2," via the operation unit 21, and the control unit 11, which acts as an acquisition means, will acquire this information.

[0035] Alternatively, curvature information (curvature level) may be automatically determined from an image (nail image) captured by, for example, the camera 51 of the camera unit 5. In this case, the finger U, including the nail T placed in the finger placement unit 3, is photographed by the camera 51 of the camera unit 5, and the image data (nail image) is sent to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 performs various image processing (image analysis) on this image data to automatically determine the shape of the nail T (for example, which curvature level it corresponds to). The control unit 11 then acquires the result of this determination as an acquisition means. Note that the automatic determination of curvature information (curvature level) from the image (nail image) may be performed by an external device such as a computer, rather than by the control unit 11. In this case, the image data to be processed (image analysis) is sent to the external device, and the determination result is sent back to the printing device 1 and acquired by the control unit 11.

[0036] Furthermore, when curvature information (curvature level) is automatically determined from the image (nail image), it is difficult to capture the curved outer shape of the nail T sufficiently in the image from the camera position of the imaging unit 5, which is used to photograph the nail T from above the finger placement unit 3. For this reason, it is preferable to configure the imaging unit 5 to be movable in the XY direction by a head movement mechanism 48 that moves the print head 41, so that the nail T can be photographed from multiple different positions, such as directly above the nail T, as well as diagonally above to the left and right. In addition to the imaging unit 5 that photographs the nail T from above the finger placement unit 3, cameras may also be provided to the sides and in front of the nail T to photograph the nail T from multiple angles and obtain images to obtain the outer shape of the nail T.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of this embodiment also functions as a setting means for performing "printing settings" based on "information related to the external shape" (curvature information, curvature level, etc.) acquired by the acquisition means. Here, "print settings" refers to, for example, the print density setting. Note that "print settings" may include settings other than print density.

[0038] The claw T often has a mountain-like shape, as shown in Figures 3 to 5(a) to 5(e), for example, with the central part being relatively higher and becoming lower towards the ends in the width direction W. Therefore, during printing, the distance between the surface of the claw T and the print head 41 (the ink ejection surface on the underside of the print head 41, not shown) is close at the central part of the claw T in the width direction W, but the distance between the surface of the claw T and the print head 41 increases towards the ends in the width direction W. When printing with an inkjet method, the ink lands correctly when the distance from the ink ejection surface to the claw T is short. However, as the distance from the ink ejection surface to the claw T increases, the ink lands in a disordered manner, resulting in misaligned lands and an increase in ink droplets that do not land. In areas where the ink does not land correctly, the print density becomes lower (lighter). Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 11, which acts as a setting means, sets a correction value as "setting the print density" such that the print density increases from the center to the edge in the width direction W of the claw T.

[0039] In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 11, acting as a setting means, acquires "first density data C1" based on "first information c1", which is the curvature level acquired at the tip side of the claw T, and acquires "second density data C2" based on "second information c2", which is the curvature level acquired at the root side of the claw T, and sets a correction value for the print density in the width direction W of the claw T based on "first density data C1" and "second density data C2". "First density data C1" and "Second density data C2" set the print density at the edges, for example, when the print density in a certain range in the central part of the width direction W of a relatively flat claw T is set to "100". The density is set to gradually increase towards the edges, such as "110", "120", etc. The extent to which the density is increased (the degree and method of increase) changes according to the curvature level of the claw T. The curve drawn from the center to the edges and the extent to which the density increases are pre-recorded in a database corresponding to each curvature level.

[0040] In this embodiment, the control unit 11, acting as a setting means, divides the printing area of ​​the nail T (i.e., the area recognized as the nail area) into multiple unit areas b1 to bn from the tip to the root in the length direction L of the nail T, which is the "first direction" (see, for example, Figure 6). The control unit then combines the "first density data C1" and the "second density data C2" according to the position of each unit area in the "first direction" to generate combined density data. This combined density data is then used as data for setting correction values ​​for the printing density in the width direction W of the nail T in the printing data of the design (nail design).

[0041] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an image of the nail printing area being divided into eight unit regions. In the example shown in Figure 6, multiple unit regions b (referred to as unit regions b1 to b8 in Figure 6) are divided almost uniformly from one side (the toe side in the illustrated example) to the other side (the root side in the illustrated example) in the "first direction". There is no particular limit to how many unit regions b the printing area of ​​claw T is divided into. Dividing the printing area into many smaller unit regions b allows for smoother changes in the correction value.

[0042] Furthermore, it is not essential to uniformly divide each unit region b1 to b8. For example, in the case of a nail T where the curvature changes significantly at both ends of the "first direction" (i.e., the toe tip and the root), but not much change in the middle of the "first direction," it may be possible to divide the area with a large change in curvature into more finely divided unit regions b to obtain correction values ​​more precisely, while dividing the area with a small change in curvature into larger unit regions b. In this way, a division method that suits the characteristics of the nail T may be adopted.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of this embodiment, as a setting means, weights the synthesis ratio when generating synthesized concentration data by combining the "first concentration data C1" and the "second concentration data C2" according to the position in the "first direction" of each unit region b (unit region b1 to unit region bn).

[0044] Figures 7 and 8 are tables showing an example of the weighting applied to the synthesis ratio when generating synthesis concentration data. Figure 7 shows an example where the curvature level obtained at the tip of the claw T, known as "first information c1," is greater than the curvature level obtained at the root of the claw T, known as "second information c2" (c1≧c2). In other words, the root of the claw T is not very curved, but the tip of the claw is greatly curved, so that both ends in the width direction W of the claw T are lower than the central part. For example, a claw T whose outer shape at position A in Figure 4(a) has the curvature shown in Figure 4(b), and whose outer shape at position B has the curvature shown in Figure 4(c), falls under the case of c1≧c2. Further, FIG. 8 shows an example where "second information c2", which is the curvature level obtained on the base side of the nail T, is larger than "first information c1", which is the curvature level obtained on the tip side of the nail T (c1 < c2). That is, contrary to the example shown in FIG. 7, the tip side of the nail T is not so curved, but the base side of the nail is greatly curved and both ends in the width direction W of the nail T are lower than the central portion. Details of the processing by the control unit 11 as the acquisition means and the setting means will be described later.

[0045] Also, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment performs processing in cooperation with the terminal device 8. The terminal device 8 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. However, the terminal device 8 is not particularly limited as long as it can communicate with the printing apparatus 1, and may be, for example, a notebook or stationary personal computer, or a terminal device for games. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 8 includes an operation unit 83, a display unit 84, a communication unit 85, a control device 80, and the like.

[0046] The operation unit 83 is capable of performing various inputs and settings according to the user's operation. When the operation unit 83 is operated, an input signal corresponding to the operation is transmitted to the control device 80. In the present embodiment, a touch panel is integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 84, and the user can also perform operations such as various inputs and settings by a touch operation on the touch panel. Note that the operation unit 83 for performing operations such as various inputs and settings is not limited to a touch panel. For example, various operation buttons, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. may be provided as the operation unit 83. In the present embodiment, by the user operating the operation unit 83, it is possible to select a design (nail design) to be printed on the nail.

[0047] The touch panel configured in the display unit 84 displays various display screens according to the control of the control unit 81 described later. The display unit 84 can also display designs (nail designs) that the user has entered or selected from the operation unit 83, as well as images sent from the printing device 1.

[0048] The communication unit 85 is capable of transmitting print data and the like to the printing device 1. The communication unit 85 also receives data such as fingernail images when transmitted from the printing device 1. The communication unit 85 is equipped with a wireless communication module or the like that enables communication with the communication unit 25 of the printing device 1. The communication unit 85 only needs to be capable of communicating with the printing device 1, and should conform to the communication standards of the communication unit 25 of the printing device 1.

[0049] The control device 80 is a computer comprising a control unit 81 composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like (not shown), and a storage unit 82 composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like (not shown). The control unit 81 comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the terminal device 8. The control unit 81 realizes various functions in cooperation with the program stored in the storage unit 82.

[0050] The memory unit 82 stores various programs and data necessary for operating each part of the terminal device 8. Specifically, the storage unit 82 of this embodiment stores various programs (none of which are shown), including an operation program for comprehensively controlling each part of the terminal device 8, as well as a nail print application program (hereinafter referred to as "nail print AP") for performing nail printing using the printing device 1. The control device 80 controls the terminal device 8 by, for example, deploying these programs in the work area of ​​the storage unit 82 and executing them. Furthermore, the storage unit 82 of this embodiment stores various design data (nail design data) which are not shown.

[0051] Next, the control method for the control device 10 and the printing apparatus 1 equipped therewith will be explained with reference to Figures 9 to 18, etc. In Figure 9, an example is shown where the user visually determines and inputs the "curvature level," which is "information regarding the external shape" of the claw T. Subsequent processing will be performed based on the "curvature level" determined and input by the user outside the device.

[0052] The user determines the curvature level of the tip end (i.e., "information about the external shape") and the curvature level of the base end of the nail T to be printed. Specifically, for example, the user selects from several curvature levels (in this embodiment, for example, five levels as shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(e)) the curvature level closest to the shape of the tip end of their nail T and the curvature level closest to the shape of the base end, and inputs this information via the operation unit 21, etc. For example, if the user's toenail T has the shape shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(c), the user inputs "curvature level 4" for the tip side and "curvature level 2" for the base side. The input information is acquired by the control unit 11, which is the acquisition means of the control device 10 (step S1 in Figure 9).

[0053] Next, the user selects the design to be printed on the nail (or the set of designs if there is a set of designs to be printed on the nails of 5 fingers on one hand or 10 fingers on both hands), and inputs it via the operation unit 21 or the like. As a result, the information of the desired design is set in the control unit 11 (step S2). For example, the display unit 22 of the printing device 1 and the display unit 84 of the terminal device 8 will display a message prompting the user to set the fingernail T (step S3), and the user will be guided to set the finger U corresponding to the fingernail T to be printed in the finger placement unit 3. If the printing device 1 or the terminal device 8 has an audio output means such as a speaker, instead of displaying on the various display units, or in addition to displaying on the display units, audio guidance may also be provided.

[0054] When the finger corresponding to the nail is set, the control unit 11 causes the camera 51 of the imaging unit 5 to capture an image of the finger U including the nail T, and acquires the captured nail image (step S4). Upon acquiring a nail image, the control unit 11 performs image processing on the nail image to recognize the nail region, which is the printing area, from the image (step S5). The method for recognizing the nail region from the nail image is not particularly limited.

[0055] The control unit 11, acting as a setting means, generates "first concentration data C1" according to the curvature level of the tip side of the claw T ("first information c1") acquired by the acquisition means (step S6). It also generates "second concentration data C2" according to the curvature level of the root side of the claw T ("second information c2") (step S7). When the "first density data C1" and the "second density data C2" are generated, the control unit 11 generates composite density data for the printing area from the tip to the base of the claw T based on the "first density data C1" and the "second density data C2" (step S8).

[0056] Here, referring to Figure 10, we will explain in detail the synthesis process (see step S8 in Figure 9) that generates synthesized concentration data by combining the "first concentration data C1" and the "second concentration data C2". As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 11, acting as a setting means, first divides the printing area (nail area) into n unit areas (step S21). As mentioned above, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the area is divided into eight unit areas b (unit areas b1 to b8) from the tip side to the base side (see Figure 6).

[0057] First, the unit region b on the tip side of the claw T (unit region b1 in Figure 6) is set as the target for processing (step S22). Note that the processing can be carried out sequentially from either end, and the first target for processing may be the unit region b on the root side of the claw T (unit region b8 in Figure 6). The control unit 11 defines the weighting of the weighted average when combining the "first concentration data C1" and the "second concentration data C2" based on the position from the tip side to the root side of the set unit region b (in this case, unit region b1) (step S23).

[0058] For example, in the unit area b (unit area b1 in FIG. 6) on the tip side of the nail T, the ratio of the "first density data C1" based on the "first information c1" is 100%. As it moves to the unit areas b2, b3... and the root side area, the ratio of the "first density data C1" decreases, and the ratio of the "second density data C2" based on the "second information c2" increases. And in the unit area b on the root side of the nail T (here it is unit area bn, and in the example of this embodiment, n = 8), the ratio of the "second density data C2" becomes 100%.

[0059] When the "first information c1", which is the curvature level obtained on the tip side of the nail T, is greater than the "second information c2", which is the curvature level obtained on the root side of the nail T (c1≧c2), the weighting dw during the generation of the composite density data is as shown in the example of FIG. 7. The weighting dw has a maximum value of 1 in the unit area b1 and a minimum value of 0 in the unit area bn. The composite output value can be obtained by the following formula 1. Apply this formula to the left and right ends of the nail T. Composite output value=(1 - dw)×Output value for "second density data C2"+dw×Output value for "first density data C1" … Formula 1

[0060] Also, when the "second information c2", which is the curvature level obtained on the root side of the nail T, is greater than the "first information c1", which is the curvature level obtained on the tip side of the nail T (c1 < c2), the weighting dw during the generation of the composite density data is as shown in the example of FIG. 8. The weighting dw has a minimum value of 0 in the unit area b1 and a maximum value of 1 in the unit area bn. The composite output value can be obtained by the following formula 2. Composite output value=dw×Output value for "second density data C2"+(1 - dw)×Output value for "first density data C1" … Formula 2

[0061] In Equations 1 and 2, the "output value" in "the output value of the first density data C1" and "the output value of the second density data C2" refers to the percentage increase in print density at the edges when the print density at the center of the width direction W of the claw T is set to a print density of "100" (i.e., the same print density as set in the original print data). Once the weighting dw is defined, the control unit 11 calculates a weighted average of the output values ​​of the "first concentration data C1" and the "second concentration data C2" for each coordinate within the unit region b (in this case, unit region b1) set as the processing target in step S22, using the weighting dw defined in step S23 (step S24).

[0062] The control unit 11 determines whether a weighted average has been obtained for all coordinates (step S25). If there are still coordinates for which a weighted average has not been obtained (step S25; NO), it returns to step S24 and repeats the process. On the other hand, if a weighted average is obtained for all coordinates (step S25; YES), it is determined whether there is another unit area b that has not yet been processed (step S26). If there is another unit area b (step S26; YES), the next unit area b (for example, if the unit area that has just been processed is unit area b1, then the next unit area b2) is set as the target for processing (step S27), and the process returns to step S23 and the subsequent processing is repeated. On the other hand, if there is no next unit region b (step S26; NO), the synthesis process is terminated.

[0063] For example, FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) show a table presenting an example of "first density data C1" (see FIG. 11(a)), an example of "second density data C2" (see FIG. 11(b)), and an example of composite density data calculated (composed) from "first density data C1" and "second density data C2" using the above formula 1, in a case where the curvature level at the tip side of the nail ("first information c1") is "curvature level 4" and the curvature level at the root side of the nail ("second information c2") is "curvature level 3" (c1≧c2), and the printing area (nail area) is divided into eight unit areas b (unit areas b1 to b8).

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), at both the tip portion and the root portion of the nail T, when the printing density (ink ejection amount) at the central portion in the width direction W of the nail T is set to "100", the printing density at the left end or the right end of the nail T increases as it approaches the end. However, at the tip portion of the nail T with a larger curvature level, the change in the printing density is steeper than that at the root portion of the nail T, and more ink is ejected (the printing density is increased) at the left end and the right end.

[0065] Also, for example, FIGS. 12(a) to 12(c) show an example where the curvature level at the tip side of the nail ("first information c1") is "curvature level 3" and the curvature level at the root side of the nail ("second information c2") is "curvature level 4" (c1 < c2). FIG. 12(a) shows an example of "first density data C1", FIG. 12(b) shows an example of "second density data C2", and FIG. 12(c) shows a table presenting an example of composite density data calculated (composed) from "first density data C1" and "second density data C2" using the above formula 2.

[0066] As shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), at both the tip and base of the claw T, when the print density (ink ejection amount) in the central part of the width W of the claw T is set to "100", the print density at the left or right end of the claw T increases towards the end. However, at the base of the claw T, where the curvature level is large, the change in print density is steeper than at the tip of the claw T, and it is set to eject more ink (to increase the print density) at the left and right ends.

[0067] For example, if the curvature level at the tip of the claw T ("first information c1") is "curvature level 4" and the curvature level at the base of the claw T ("second information c2") is "curvature level 2", then Figure 13 is a schematic representation of the print density of "first density data C1" corresponding to "curvature level 4", and Figure 14 is a schematic representation of the print density of "second density data C2" corresponding to "curvature level 2". If the top of the figure is the tip of the claw T and the bottom is the base of the claw T, then in Figures 13 and 14, different print densities are assigned depending on the position in the width direction W of the claw T (i.e., the density becomes darker from the center to both ends), but the same print density is assigned regardless of the position in the length direction L of the claw T.

[0068] In contrast, Figures 15 and 16 schematically represent the print density of the combined density data obtained by combining the "first density data C1" and the "second density data C2". In Figures 15 and 16, the print density at the end of the claw T in the width direction W is darker at the tip side (top in the figure), which is "curvature level 4," than at the base side (bottom in the figure), which is "curvature level 2." Figure 15 shows an example where the printed area (claw area) of the claw T is divided into 8 unit areas b to generate composite density data, and Figure 16 shows an example where the printed area (claw area) of the claw T is divided into 16 unit areas b to generate composite density data. In both cases, the printed density changes depending on the position in the width direction W of the claw T and the position in the length direction L of the claw T. However, when the area is divided into 16 unit areas b, the density difference at the boundaries between each unit area b is reduced to a level that is almost imperceptible compared to when it is divided into 8 unit areas b. Furthermore, the more unit areas b are divided, the more reliably the effect of density differences can be eliminated.

[0069] Once the synthesis process for all unit regions b is complete, the process returns to Figure 9, and the control unit 11 outputs the corrected print data, which is the print data for printing the design corrected with the synthesis density data, to the printing mechanism 4 along with a print start instruction (step S9). The control unit 11 determines whether printing is complete or not (step S10), and if it is not complete (step S10; NO), it repeats the determination until it is complete. On the other hand, if printing is complete (step S10; YES), it is determined whether there are any other claws T to print (step S11). If there are other claws T to print (step S11; YES), the process returns to step S1 and the subsequent steps are repeated. On the other hand, if there are no other claws T to print (step S11; NO), a message prompting the user to remove finger U from finger placement area 3 is displayed on the display unit 22, etc. (step S12). The user removes finger U according to the instructions, and processing by the printing device 1 is completed.

[0070] In this embodiment, the curvature level of the claw T is observed at multiple different positions along the length L of the claw T, and the curved surface correction of the printed data is performed accordingly. Therefore, even in the case of a claw T where the curvature changes significantly between the tip and root ends, appropriate correction can be performed according to the position. For example, in the case of a claw T with a particularly strong curvature at its tip, if the curvature level of the claw T is determined at one point, such as the base of the claw T in the length direction L, and the surface correction of the print data is performed accordingly, as shown in Figure 17, the surface correction is performed correctly in the central part of the claw T in the width direction W and at the base of the claw T in the length direction L where the curvature is correctly determined. However, at the tip of the claw T, where the curvature is stronger than at the base of the claw T, the correction of the print density at both ends is insufficient, resulting in a print result where the ends of the tip of the claw T are lighter in color than other parts. In contrast, as in this embodiment, when the curvature levels of the tip and root sides of the claw T ("first information c1" and "second information c2") are acquired and the density data corresponding to each curvature level ("first density data C1" and "second density data C2") is combined to obtain composite density data for correction, a uniform printing result can be obtained across the entire printing area (claw area), as shown in Figure 18.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control device 10 of the printing device 1 includes an acquisition means for acquiring shape information obtained at two or more different locations in the "first direction" (in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the nail or finger) of the nail T to be printed, and a control unit 11 that functions as a setting means for setting printing based on the acquired shape information. Even if surface correction is performed according to the shape (outer shape) of the claw T in the width direction W, if the degree of curvature (curvature level) of the claw T differs in the length direction L, the parts with a surface curvature level different from the part used as the basis for correction cannot be corrected correctly. In this embodiment, the degree of curvature (curvature level) is obtained at two different locations along the length L of the claw T and correction is performed. Therefore, it is possible to perform appropriate density adjustment (density correction) on the entire claw T. This minimizes the effect of the curvature of the claw T, resulting in a uniform print finish overall and improving print quality.

[0072] In this embodiment, the "first direction" is the length direction L of the claw T intersecting the width direction W of the claw T, and the "information regarding the outer shape" is curvature information (curvature level) regarding the curvature of the outer shape of the claw T. This makes it possible to obtain appropriate density correction values ​​for each position, even when the curvature level of the outer shape of the claw T differs significantly between the tip and root ends along the length L of the claw T. Therefore, high-quality printing can be achieved.

[0073] In this embodiment, the "settings related to printing" refer to the setting of print density. This allows for control over the printing density when printing on claws T, where the height decreases (deepens) as you move towards the width W. This is achieved by increasing the print density in the lower areas and ejecting more ink, resulting in a high-quality print that appears uniform throughout.

[0074] In this embodiment, the "information relating to the shape" includes at least "first information c1" obtained at the tip side of the claw T and "second information c2" obtained at the root side. This allows us to understand the curvature levels at the tip and base of the claw T, two points where differences in shape are most likely to occur. As a result, we can perform high-quality printing using appropriate print data.

[0075] In this embodiment, the control unit 11, acting as a setting means, acquires "first density data C1" based on "first information c1" acquired at the tip of the claw T, and acquires "second density data C2" based on "second information c2" acquired at the base of the claw T, and sets a correction value for printing in the "first direction," which is the length direction L of the claw T, based on "first density data C1" and "second density data C2". This allows for surface correction that takes into account the curvature levels at the tip and base of the claw T, two points where shape differences are likely to occur. As a result, high-quality printing can be achieved.

[0076] In this embodiment, the control unit 11, acting as a setting means, divides the printing area (claw area) of the claw T into a plurality of unit areas b from the tip side to the root side in the length direction L of the claw T, which is the "first direction," and combines the "first density data C1" and the "second density data C2" according to the position of each unit area b in the "first direction" to set a correction value for printing in the "first direction." This makes it possible to obtain appropriate correction values ​​for each position, even in cases where the curvature level of the outer shape of the claw T differs significantly between the tip and root ends along the length L of the claw T, thereby achieving high-quality printing with an overall uniform finish.

[0077] In this embodiment, the control unit 11, acting as a setting means, weights dw the combined ratio of the "first concentration data C1" and the "second concentration data C2" according to the position of each unit region b in the "first direction". By applying weighting dw according to the position L in the length direction of the claw T, the print density corresponding to the curvature level of the outer shape obtained at multiple points such as the tip and root ends of the length direction L of the claw T can be appropriately reflected over the entire length direction L of the claw T, resulting in a uniform finish throughout.

[0078] In this embodiment, the multiple unit regions b are uniformly divided along the length direction L of the claw T, which is the "first direction". This allows for correction of the print density so that the print density naturally changes along the length L of the claw T, corresponding to the curvature level of the outer shape.

[0079] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a print head 41 as a printing means for printing on the fingernail T of a finger U, and a control device having a control unit 11 that functions as an acquisition means and a setting means. This allows the printing device itself to perform appropriate curve correction and achieve high-quality printing.

[0080] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0081] For example, in this embodiment, we have illustrated a case where the printing device 1 cooperates with the terminal device 8 to form a printing system, and the terminal device 8 performs tasks such as selecting a nail design, while the printing operation is performed by the printing device 1. However, the printing device 1 is not limited to what is shown herein. For example, the user may perform various operations using the operation unit or display unit of the printing device 1, and the control device of the printing device 1 may perform these operations. In this configuration, the printing device 1 can be configured to complete the printing operation independently without cooperating with the terminal device 8. Furthermore, the degree of cooperation (the extent of processing sharing) between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 8 may be changed from that of this embodiment; for example, the terminal device 8 may handle almost all processing other than shooting and printing. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the control device 10 of the printing device 1 functioned as an acquisition means and a setting means. However, if the control unit 81 of the control device 80 of the terminal device 8 performs the processing that the control unit 11 performed as an acquisition means and a setting means, then the control device 80 of the terminal device 8 functions as a control device equipped with both acquisition means and setting means. In addition, the program for the control unit 81 to function as an acquisition means and a setting means is also stored in the storage unit 82 of the control device 80.

[0082] Furthermore, various data such as nail designs, images of the nails, and nail shape information may be stored in the storage unit 82 of the terminal device 8, or in the storage unit 12 of the printing device 1. Alternatively, various data may be stored in a server device that can be connected via a network line, and the terminal device 8 or printing device 1 may be configured to access this server device and refer to this data. This makes it possible to select a design to print from a wider range of nail designs.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the "information regarding the external shape" acquired by the control unit 11 as an acquisition means is exemplified as the curvature level at two locations, the tip side and the root side, in the length direction L of the claw T. However, the "information regarding the external shape" only needs to be acquired at two or more locations in the length direction L of the claw T, which is the "first direction," and is not limited to the tip side and the root side of the claw T. For example, in addition to the tip side and the root side of the claw T, "information regarding the external shape" may also be acquired at one or more intermediate positions. In this case, a synthesis process is performed to generate concentration data corresponding to the "information about the external shape" (curvature level) at each location, and then weight each data according to its location to generate a combined concentration data. By increasing the number of positions from which "information about the external shape" (curvature level) is acquired, it becomes possible to respond more precisely to changes in shape in the length direction L of the claw T, which is the "first direction," and to perform appropriate printing even when the claw T has a special shape.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the curved surface levels, as "information regarding the external shape," are exemplified as being of the five types shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(e). However, the curved surface levels are not limited to five types; there may be fewer, or they may be further classified into six or more types. Furthermore, "information regarding the external shape" is not limited to cases where the tip and root ends of the nail T are set separately. For example, the nails may be classified into patterns such as Pattern A, where the curvature of the tip end is large and the curvature of the root end is small; Pattern B, where the curvature of the root end is large and the curvature of the tip end is small; Pattern C, where the curvature of the tip end and the curvature of the root end are almost the same; and so on. Within this classification, patterns A may be further divided into Pattern A1, where the curvature of the tip end and the curvature of the root end are significantly different; Pattern A2, where the curvature of the tip end and the curvature of the root end are not so different; Pattern B1, where the curvature of the tip end and the curvature of the root end are significantly different; Pattern B2, where the curvature of the tip end and the curvature of the root end are not so different; and so on. This makes it easy to set the pattern that applies to you.

[0085] In this embodiment, we illustrate a case where multiple unit regions b are uniformly divided along the length direction L of the claw T, which is the "first direction," and the weighting dw is applied uniformly to each unit region b. However, the method of dividing the printing area (claw region) is not limited to this. For example, at the ends (tip end and root end) along the length L of the claw T, where the change in curvature is relatively large, the unit area b may be finely divided, while the number of divisions may be reduced in the central part. Alternatively, if the root end of the claw T is relatively flat, the area may be roughly divided at the root end and divided more finely towards the tip end of the claw T. The method of dividing the area may be changed according to how the curvature changes. Furthermore, the weighting dw used when generating the composite concentration data may also be changed for each unit region b. This may allow for obtaining a correction value for print density that more closely matches the actual shape of the nail T.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it was assumed that the user or others would visually determine the "information regarding the external shape" (curvature level), so the process of determining the curvature level before setting the finger U in the device was explained (i.e., see steps S1 to S3 in Figure 9, etc.). However, if the configuration is such that the "information regarding the external shape" (curvature level) is automatically determined from an image taken with a camera, for example, the process would be to first set the finger U corresponding to the nail T in the printing device 1, acquire an image of the nail T, and then recognize the shape of the nail T. In configurations that automatically determine "information regarding the external shape" (curvature level), it may be possible to make more accurate judgments than if the user made them. Furthermore, it can reduce the effort required from the user, allowing for easier enjoyment of high-quality nail printing.

[0087] Furthermore, the "external shape information" (curvature level) that has been set may be stored in association with user-identifying information, so that the appropriate print density correction can be performed simply by reading this information during subsequent processing. In this case, users can perform high-quality printing more conveniently and easily.

[0088] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. The invention described in the claims initially attached to the application for this patent is listed below. The claim numbers listed below are the same as those in the claims initially attached to the application for this patent. [Note] <Claim 1> An acquisition means for acquiring information about the outer shape of the claw to be printed, obtained at two or more different locations in the first direction, along a second direction intersecting the first direction, A setting means for performing printing settings based on the information regarding the external shape acquired by the acquisition means, Equipped with, A control device characterized by the following features. <Claim 2> The first direction is the length direction of the nail, intersecting the width direction of the nail. The information relating to the external shape is curvature information relating to the curvature of the external shape of the claw. The control device according to claim 1. <Claim 3> The aforementioned printing setting is the print density setting. The control device according to claim 1 or 2. <Claim 4> The aforementioned setting of print density involves setting a correction value so that the print density increases from the center to the edges in the width direction of the claw. The control device according to feature 3. <Claim 5> The information relating to the external shape includes at least first information obtained at the tip side of the claw and second information obtained at the root side. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the following: <Claim 6> The setting means acquires first density data based on first information acquired at the tip of the nail, acquires second density data based on second information acquired at the base of the nail, and sets a correction value for the printing density in the width direction of the nail based on the first density data and the second density data. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the following: <Claim 7> The setting means divides the printing area of ​​the nail into a plurality of unit regions from the tip side to the root side in the first direction, and combines the first density data and the second density data according to the position of each unit region in the first direction to set a correction value for the printing density in the width direction of the nail. The control device according to feature 6. <Claim 8> The setting means weights the combined ratio of the first concentration data and the second concentration data according to the position of each unit region in the first direction. The control device according to feature 7. <Claim 9> The control device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the plurality of unit regions are uniformly divided from one side to the other in the first direction. <Claim 10> A printing method for printing on fingernails, A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A printing apparatus characterized by including <Claim 11> Information regarding the outline of the claw to be printed is obtained from two or more different locations in the first direction, along a second direction intersecting the first direction. Based on the acquired information regarding the external shape, print settings are configured. A control method characterized by the following: <Claim 12> On the computer, An acquisition function that acquires information about the outline of the claw to be printed, obtained at two or more different locations in the first direction, along a second direction intersecting the first direction, A setting function that performs printing settings based on the information regarding the external shape acquired by the acquisition function, A program characterized by its ability to achieve this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 Printing device 3 Finger placement area 4 Printing mechanism 41 Print head (printing means) 8 Terminal devices 10 Control device 11 Control Unit 12 Storage section 21 Control section 22 Display section

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring curvature information relating to the curvature of the outer shape of the nail along the width direction intersecting the length direction, obtained at two or more different locations including at least the tip side position and the root side position in the length direction of the nail to be printed, A setting means for setting the printing density in the width direction of the nail based on a plurality of curvature information acquired by the acquisition means, Equipped with, The setting means divides the printing area of ​​the nail into a plurality of unit regions from the tip side to the root side in the length direction, and sets a correction value for the printing density in the width direction of the nail by combining first density data obtained based on first information obtained at the tip side of the nail and second density data obtained based on second information obtained at the root side of the nail, according to the position of each unit region in the length direction. A control device characterized by the following features.

2. The setting of the print density involves setting a correction value such that the print density increases from the center to the edges in the width direction of the nail. The control device according to feature 1.

3. The setting means acquires first concentration data based on first information acquired at the tip of the nail, and acquires second concentration data based on second information acquired at the base of the nail. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The setting means weights the combined ratio of the first concentration data and the second concentration data according to the position in the longitudinal direction of each unit region. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The multiple unit regions are uniformly divided from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A printing method for printing on fingernails, A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A printing apparatus characterized by including

7. Curvature information regarding the curvature of the outer shape of the nail along the width direction intersecting the length direction is obtained at two or more different locations, including at least the tip side position and the root side position, in the length direction of the nail to be printed. Based on the acquired curvature information, settings are made regarding the brush density in the width direction of the nail. The above setting divides the printing area of ​​the nail into a plurality of unit regions from the tip side to the root side in the length direction, and sets a correction value for the printing density in the width direction of the nail by combining first density data obtained based on first information obtained at the tip side of the nail and second density data obtained based on second information obtained at the root side of the nail, according to the position of each unit region in the length direction. A control method characterized by the following:

8. On the computer, An acquisition function that acquires curvature information regarding the curvature of the outer shape of the nail along the width direction intersecting the length direction, obtained at two or more different locations including at least the tip side position and the root side position in the length direction of the nail to be printed, A setting function that sets the printing density in the width direction of the nail based on the multiple curvature information obtained by the acquisition function, To make it happen, The setting function is a program characterized by dividing the printing area of ​​the nail into a plurality of unit areas from the tip side to the root side in the length direction, and setting a correction value for the printing density in the width direction of the nail by combining first density data obtained based on first information obtained at the tip side of the nail and second density data obtained based on second information obtained at the root side of the nail, according to the position of each unit area in the length direction.

Images