Portable terminal equipped with printing application, and printing method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, and a printing method thereof, in which the portable terminal comprises an input and output unit for receiving an input of a user and outputting information, wherein a search unit for receiving an input of a search word of the user, a design list unit for providing the user with designs classified by theme, and a printer list unit in which switch may be made to another screen for displaying a list of connectable portable printers are displayed on one screen displayed on the input and output unit.

Description

Portable terminal equipped with a printing application and printing method thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for printing using a portable terminal equipped with a printing application and a portable printer connected to the portable terminal by utilizing the printing application.

[0002] As an alternative to tattoos, methods such as henna, body painting, and stickers are being used, and research and development are also being conducted on portable printer products that can print specific designs on the skin.

[0003] In particular, in parallel with this, in order to improve the portability and user convenience of the portable printer, a portable terminal equipped with a printing application that is wirelessly connected to the portable printer and can exchange electrical signals with the portable printer may be required.

[0004] Additionally, for the convenience of the user, a function may be required to preview the print results before printing using a portable printer connected to the portable terminal. Furthermore, for the convenience of the user, a function may be required to correct ink color during printing based on the user's information and the target (or object) to be printed.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the problem is to provide a portable terminal equipped with a printing application capable of wirelessly controlling a portable printer.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the object is to provide a portable terminal equipped with a printing application that provides a user with various designs and allows the user to edit a selected design.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the object is to provide a portable terminal equipped with a printing application capable of correcting ink color according to user information or an object to be printed.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the problem is to provide a portable terminal equipped with a printing application capable of checking the printing result before printing.

[0009] A printing method of a portable terminal equipped with a printing application that is connected to a portable printer selected by the user and includes an input / output unit that performs and displays a user's command, the printing method of a portable terminal equipped with a printing application according to the present disclosure includes the steps of: providing a plurality of designs to the user; detecting a design selected by the user; detecting editing of the selected design by the user; and printing the design edited by the user through the portable printer.

[0010] The step of providing the plurality of designs may display, through the input / output unit, designs stored in the portable terminal, designs built into the printing application, or designs searched through a communication network connected to the portable terminal.

[0011] The step of providing the plurality of designs may further include the step of selecting an object to be printed via the portable printer.

[0012] The step of selecting an object to be printed via the above portable printer may provide the user with a menu that allows the user to select any one of the objects.

[0013] Meanwhile, the step of detecting editing of the selected design may detect the size, color, or addition of text to the selected design.

[0014] Additionally, the step of printing the edited design through the portable printer can also transmit information on the edited design and the number of times it is printed to the portable printer.

[0015] The step of transmitting the above-mentioned edited design to the above-mentioned portable printer may transmit printing information regarding the above-mentioned edited design to the above-mentioned portable printer, including information on correcting ink color according to the above-mentioned user information.

[0016] The step of printing the above-mentioned edited design through the above-mentioned portable printer may initiate transmission of the above-mentioned edited design based on whether or not the portable printer is connected.

[0017] The step of printing the above-mentioned edited design through the above-mentioned portable printer may further include a step of providing the printing result in advance prior to transmitting the above-mentioned edited design.

[0018] Meanwhile, in a portable terminal including an input / output unit that receives user input and outputs information, a portable terminal equipped with a printing application according to the present disclosure can display a search unit that receives a search word from the user on one screen displayed on the input / output unit, a design list unit that provides the user with designs classified by subject, and a setting switching unit that can be switched to another screen that displays a list of connectable portable printers.

[0019] Additionally, an editing transition section that can be switched to another screen for editing a design selected by the user can be displayed on the one screen.

[0020] Additionally, the color information of the design selected by the user can be changed based on the object to be printed selected by the user.

[0021] The design edited by the user can be provided with the print result in advance to the user before printing on the print target selected by the user.

[0022] In addition, the portable terminal can be kept in a state where communication is possible between one printer selected by the user from among the above-mentioned connectable portable printers.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user can control a portable printer wirelessly connected to a portable terminal using a portable terminal equipped with a printing application.

[0024] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a user can search for or receive a required design through a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, and then select and edit the design.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, ink color can be corrected according to user information or an object to be printed through a portable terminal equipped with a printing application.

[0026] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a portable terminal equipped with a printing application can provide a pre-printing result before printing.

[0027] Figure 1 is an example of a portable printer according to the present disclosure.

[0028] Figures 2(A) and 2(B) are bottom views of an example of a portable printer according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(B) are side views of an example of a portable printer according to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 4 is an example of a portable printing system including a portable printer and a portable terminal equipped with a printing application according to the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates one screen of the printing application displayed on a portable terminal equipped with the printing application according to the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates another screen of the printing application displayed on a portable terminal equipped with the printing application according to the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates another screen of the printing application displayed on a portable terminal equipped with the printing application according to the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates another screen of a printing application displayed on a portable terminal equipped with a printing application according to the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a printing method of a portable terminal equipped with a printing application according to the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart of a portable printing system according to the present disclosure.

[0037] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The configuration of the device and the control method described below are only intended to illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Reference numerals used throughout the specification represent identical components.

[0038] Certain terms used in this specification are for convenience of explanation only and are not intended to limit the illustrated embodiments.

[0039] For example, expressions such as "same" and "same as" not only indicate a strictly identical state, but also indicate a state in which there is a difference in tolerance, or the degree to which the same function is obtained.

[0040] For example, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements such as “in which direction,” “along which direction,” “parallel,” “perpendicular,” “centered,” “concentric,” or “coaxial” not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state of relative displacement with an angle or distance that allows for tolerance, or the degree to which the same function is obtained.

[0041] In order to explain the present disclosure, the following description is based on a spatial orthogonal coordinate system with an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other. Unless otherwise specified, the Z-direction means the height direction, and the X-direction (or first direction) means any one of the directions perpendicular to the height direction. And the Y-direction (or second direction) means the Z-direction and the direction perpendicular to the X-direction.

[0042] However, the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction mentioned below are for the purpose of explanation so that the present disclosure can be clearly understood, and it goes without saying that each direction may be defined differently depending on where the standard is set.

[0043] The use of terms such as "first," "second," and "third" before the components mentioned below is intended solely to avoid confusion regarding the components they refer to, and has no bearing on the order, importance, or dominant-subordinate relationship between the components. For example, an invention can be implemented that includes only a second component without a first component.

[0044] As used herein, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0045] Fig. 1 is an example of a portable printer (1) according to the present disclosure. Figs. 2(A) and 2(B) are views from below of an example of a portable printer (1) according to the present disclosure.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2(A), a portable printer (1) according to the present disclosure may include a main body (10), a cartridge (not shown), a mounting portion (30, see FIG. 2(A)), a roller portion (41, 42, see FIG. 2(A)), and a printer cover (50).

[0047] The above main body (10) can form the exterior of the portable printer (1). The above main body (10) can have a portable form, which means that the size, weight, etc. are at a level that can be recognized as generally known portability.

[0048] The above body (10) may have various shapes so that the user can grip it. For example, the body (10) may have a box shape, and the corners may be curved to improve portability.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2(A), the main body (10) may include an upper main body (11) and a lower main body (12). The upper main body (11) and the lower main body (12) may be detachable by a separation button (13A) provided on one side.

[0050] The upper body (11) above provides an internal space in which various configurations for the operation of the portable printer (1) can be accommodated. That is, the upper body (11) may have a structure in which the lower part can be opened so that various configurations for the operation of the portable printer (1) can be inserted and removed.

[0051] Meanwhile, although a structure in which the lower part of the upper body (11) is opened has been described as an example, it is not limited thereto. For example, the upper body (11) may have a structure in which the upper part is opened, so that various configurations for the operation of the portable printer (1) may be inserted and removed. In this case, the lower body (12) may be detachably coupled to the upper part of the upper body (11).

[0052] The lower body (12) is coupled to the open lower part of the upper body (11) to prevent various components for the operation of the portable printer (1) from being exposed to the outside. Of course, the lower body (12) may have an open lower part so that components for printing of the portable printer (1), such as the mounting portion (30), the rollers (41, 42), and the nozzle (22), can be exposed to the outside. At this time, the nozzle (22) may be a part that delivers a printing solution to an object having a soft or hard surface.

[0053] Meanwhile, the above object refers to an object to be printed, and may specifically be the user's skin including the face, nail tip, or printing paper (or paper).

[0054] The exterior of the main body (10) may be provided with at least one operation button for operating the portable printer (1). The operation button may include a printing button (13B) and a power button (not shown). For reference, in the present invention, the printing button (13B), the power button, the separation button (13A), etc. may be collectively referred to as a button portion.

[0055] The above printing button (13B) may be provided on the upper part of the upper body (11). The printing button (13B) may cause the nozzle (22) to discharge the printing solution by the user's operation. Meanwhile, in Fig. 1, the printing button (13B) is provided on the upper part of the upper body (11) as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the printing button (13B) may be provided on the side of the exterior of the upper body (11), and may be arranged in various locations where the user can conveniently use it.

[0056] The power button can turn the portable printer (1) on / off. The power button can be provided at the bottom of the lower body (12), or the power button can be provided at the side of the lower body (12). That is, the location of the power button is not limited, and can be placed at a location on the outer surface of the main body (10) that is easily accessible to the user.

[0057] At least one lamp (not shown) may be provided on a portion of the exterior of the lower body (12). The lamp may indicate the operating status of the portable printer (1). The lamp may be provided on the lower portion of the lower body (12), but is not limited thereto. For example, the lamp may be provided on the side of the lower body (12), and may be positioned in various locations where a user can easily recognize the operating status of the portable printer (1).

[0058] Additionally, the lamp may also indicate a connection status with a portable terminal (210, see FIG. 5) equipped with a printing application (700, see FIG. 5) described below.

[0059] For reference, the components that display the status or printing status of the portable printer (1), including the lamps described above, may be collectively referred to as the display unit (not shown). In addition, the display unit may be integrated with the button unit, so that the button unit itself may have a display function.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 2(B), various configurations for the operation of the portable printer (1) may be provided in the internal space of the upper body (11). For example, the internal space of the upper body (11) may include a cartridge (not shown) including a nozzle (22) that is exposed to the outside through the lower body (12) and sprays a printing solution, a carriage (not shown) that accommodates the cartridge, a control unit (91, see FIG. 3(A)), a communication unit (92, see FIG. 3(A)), a storage unit (not shown), and a power unit (not shown).

[0061] The control unit (91) may be located anywhere inside the main body (10) as long as it can control the operation of the portable printer (1). Similarly, the communication unit (92) may be located anywhere inside the main body (10).

[0062] The power supply unit may be implemented by including a rechargeable secondary battery or the like, and may be provided with at least one battery. The power supply unit may provide the power required for the operation of the portable printer (1). Alternatively, the power supply unit may be configured to continuously receive external power without including a battery.

[0063] The above cartridge can accommodate a printing solution required for printing, and a nozzle (22) for discharging the printing solution can be provided at the bottom. The nozzle (22) can have a slit shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the main body (10), and the periphery of the nozzle (22) can be defined as a head (21).

[0064] The cartridge is accommodated within the main body (10), and the portion within the main body (10) where the cartridge is accommodated can be defined as a carriage (not shown). That is, the carriage is configured to detachably seat the cartridge, and may have at least a portion that is open so that the head (21) and the nozzle (22) of the cartridge are exposed downward through the open lower portion of the lower main body (12). Accordingly, the cartridge can be accommodated in the carriage provided within the main body (10).

[0065] The above carriage may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the cartridge, and one or more cartridges may be mounted on one carriage. Of course, the carriage may have a partially partitioned structure so that multiple cartridges may be mounted separately.

[0066] The above cartridge may be provided in at least one unit. For example, the cartridge may be provided in a single unit to accommodate a single-color printing solution. If the cartridge accommodates a single-color printing solution, the portable printer (1) can print a design composed of a single color onto an object.

[0067] In addition, the cartridge has a plurality of receiving portions (not shown) for receiving printing solutions of different colors, and can discharge the printing solution through the nozzle (22). Accordingly, when the cartridge has a plurality of receiving portions for receiving printing solutions of different colors, the portable printer (1) can print a color design on an object.

[0068] Additionally, multiple cartridges are provided, each capable of containing a different color of printing solution. Furthermore, when multiple cartridges are provided, they can be configured as a single module.

[0069] A distance sensor (21a) for measuring the distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) may be provided on one side of the cartridge. The distance sensor (21a) measures the distance between the target object and the nozzle (22), and the measured distance value may be transmitted to a control unit (91) located inside the main body (10) and controlling the portable printer (1) through communication with the portable terminal (210) including the printing application (700).

[0070] Referring to Fig. 2(A), the portable printer (1) may further include a color sensor (309) at the bottom of the portable printer (1). More specifically, the portable printer (1) may include the color sensor (309) on the same side as the side where the rollers (41, 42) are positioned. Alternatively, the printer (1) may include the color sensor (309) on the same side as the side where the distance sensor (21a) is positioned. However, this is merely an example, and the color sensor (309) may be positioned anywhere as long as it can detect the color of the target object.

[0071] Specifically, the color sensor (309) can detect the color tone of the object. The control unit (91) can transmit the sensing value for the color tone of the object through the color sensor (309) to the printing application (700, see FIG. 5) installed in the portable terminal (210, see FIG. 5) to be described later through the communication unit (92). The portable terminal (210) installed with the printing application (700) can generate a printing design by referring to the color tone of the object.

[0072] For reference, color tone refers to the difference in darkness, richness, dullness, and strength of the same color, and color tone can be a concept that includes brightness, saturation, and hue.

[0073] Meanwhile, instead of using the color sensor (309), the portable printer (1) may detect the color tone of the object through the camera (219, see FIG. 5) of the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700). Depending on the embodiment, the color tone of the object may be detected by a user directly inputting the color tone of the object or selecting from among color tone examples displayed on the input / output unit (215, see FIG. 4) of the portable terminal (210).

[0074] For example, the color tone of the object may be divided into levels (e.g., levels 1 to 3) based on the skin brightness when printing on skin, and may be a tone based on the brightness or saturation of the object when printing on an object such as paper. The user may correct the ink color using the detected color tone information of the object and then print on the object.

[0075] Alternatively, the ink mixing ratio can be adjusted by directly correcting it in the portable printer (1), or the ink mixing ratio information corrected in the portable terminal (210) can be transmitted to the portable printer (1).

[0076] Referring to Fig. 2(A), an example in which the distance sensor (21a) is positioned on the head (21) is shown, but the distance sensor (21a) may be positioned anywhere as long as it can measure the distance between the target object and the nozzle (22).

[0077] In addition, the control unit (91) can adjust the distance between the object and the nozzle (22) by using the distance between the object and the nozzle (22) transmitted from the distance sensor (21a) provided on one side of the cartridge. That is, the portable printer (1) can adjust the distance between the object and the nozzle (22) by raising and lowering the mounting portion (30) or the like when the distance between the object and the nozzle (22) measured by the distance sensor (21a) deviates from an appropriate value. The raising and lowering of the mounting portion (30) can be performed by the printing adjustment portion (60) located in the lower body (12).

[0078] The above-mentioned mounting portion (30) may be provided so as to be exposed to the outside from the lower portion of the main body (10) and may face the surface of the object. The above-mentioned mounting portion (30) may be exposed or protrude downward from the lower portion of the lower main body (12) and may be provided so as to at least partially surround the nozzle (22).

[0079] That is, the mounting portion (30) may be provided on the lower portion of the lower body (12), that is, on the surface of the lower body (12) that faces the target object when printing with the portable printer (1). The mounting portion (30) may expose the nozzle (22) provided on the lower portion of the cartridge.

[0080] The above-described mounting portion (30) is provided with rollers (41, 42) to be described later, and the mounting portion (30) can move up and down relative to the main body (10). As a result, the vertical height between the nozzle (22) and the surface of the target can be adjusted as the height of the mounting portion (30) and the rollers (41, 42) changes with respect to the nozzle (22) of the cartridge.

[0081] Accordingly, when the portable printer (1) according to the present disclosure is used on a target object (e.g., the user's skin), even if the user presses the nozzle (22), the distance between the target object and the nozzle (22) can be maintained to a level sufficient to print a clear design. The height adjustment between the nozzle (22) and the target object will be described in detail in the section describing the printing adjustment unit (60) below.

[0082] An optical sensor (not shown) may be provided on the lower portion of the mounting portion (30) or the lower body (12). In the printing direction of the portable printer (1), the optical sensor may be provided at the rear of the head (21) to correspond to the center of the nozzle (22). When the portable printer (1) prints a design on the skin, the optical sensor can identify the center line of the movement line of the nozzle (22).

[0083] The rollers (41, 42) may be positioned in front and behind the nozzle (22) at the bottom of the main body (10), respectively. Here, the terms "front" and "back" refer to the direction in which the main body (10) moves along the surface of the object to deliver the printing solution to the object. That is, the rollers (41, 42) may be positioned in front and behind the nozzle (22), respectively, based on the direction in which the main body (10) slides on the surface of the object.

[0084] The rollers (41, 42) may be formed of a soft material in the portion that comes into contact with the object, so as to guide the movement of the main body (10) smoothly without causing discomfort to the object while making close contact with the surface of the object. That is, the rollers (41, 42) may be formed of a soft material, or may be formed in the form of a plastic hard material coated with a soft material.

[0085] The above rollers (41, 42) are provided in multiple numbers and may include a first roller (41) and a second roller (42). The first roller (41) may be rotatably coupled to the lower part of the lower body (12). The first roller (41) is provided in front of the nozzle (22) based on the movement direction of the body (10) and may separate the nozzle (22) from the object on which the design is to be printed.

[0086] For example, the first roller (41) may include at least one first rotation axis (not shown) provided parallel to the nozzle (22) and at least one first wheel (not shown) provided on the first rotation axis. In this case, the first wheel may be provided to overlap the nozzle (22) along the movement direction of the main body (10).

[0087] Meanwhile, when printing a design on a printer using the portable printer (1), the user may apply pressure to bring the portable printer (1) and the object into close contact. In this case, the vertical distance between the object and the nozzle (22) of the cartridge may be reduced depending on the pressure applied by the user.

[0088] For clear printing of the design, it is preferable that the distance between the target object (particularly, skin) and the nozzle (22) of the cartridge be maintained at 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm. More preferably, the distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) of the cartridge may be 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0089] If the vertical distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) is less than 0.5 mm or more than 2.5 mm, damage may occur to the design printed using the portable printer (1). That is, a difference may occur between the design desired by the user and the printed design on the skin.

[0090] In particular, if the vertical distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) is less than 0.5 mm, there is a risk that the nozzle (22) may come into contact with the skin. If the nozzle (22) comes into contact with the skin, the rear end of the nozzle (22) and the head (21) may come into contact with the skin. At this time, the printing solution discharged from the nozzle (22) may be damaged by the rear end of the nozzle (22) and the head (21).

[0091] When the vertical distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) exceeds 2.5 mm, the distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) is large, so that the printing solution discharged from the nozzle (22) is dispersed over a wide range, and a low-resolution design printing result may be formed on the skin.

[0092] In order to maintain the distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) of the cartridge according to the present disclosure at 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) on the cross-section of the portable printer (1) may have a range of 4.5 mm to 8.5 mm.

[0093] Preferably, the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) may range from 5.5 mm to 7.5 mm. When the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) is maintained at 4.5 mm to 8.5 mm, a clear design can be printed on the skin.

[0094] If the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) is less than 4.5 mm or more than 8.5 mm, damage may occur to the design printed using the portable printer (1). In other words, a difference may occur between the design desired by the user and the printing result printed on the skin.

[0095] In particular, when the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) is less than 4.5 mm, the distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) is close, and thus, the printing solution discharged from the nozzle (22) may clump together, thereby causing damage to the design printed on the skin. This is because, when the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) is less than 4.5 mm, the nozzle (22) or the head (21) comes into contact with the skin, causing damage to the design printed on the skin when the portable printer (1) moves.

[0096] In addition, when the height difference (H) between the lower end of the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) exceeds 8.5 mm, the distance between the skin and the nozzle (22) is long, so that the printing solution discharged from the nozzle (22) is dispersed over a wide range, and a low-resolution printed design may be formed on the skin. In other words, an unclear printing result may be formed on the skin.

[0097] The first roller (41) can guide the printing direction of the portable printer (1). That is, the first roller (41) can guide the movement of the main body (10). The first roller (41) can have a shape that extends parallel to the nozzle (22). For example, the first roller (41) has a roll shape of a certain length and can be provided in front of the head (21) (or nozzle (22)) in the movement direction of the main body (10). Here, the length of the first roller (41) can be the same as the extended length of the nozzle (22) or greater than the extended length of the nozzle (22).

[0098] The second roller (42) may be rotatably coupled to the lower portion of the lower body (12). The second roller (42) may be provided at the rear of the head (21) (nozzle (22)) with respect to the direction of movement of the main body (10). The second roller (42) may separate the lower surface of the lower body (12) from the object on which the design is to be printed, and may roll along the object together with the first roller (41).

[0099] The second roller (42) may be provided in a wheel shape to reduce the contact area with the target object. For example, the second roller (42) may be formed in a plurality of pieces, including a plurality of second rotation axes (not shown) provided parallel to the nozzle (22) and a plurality of second wheels (not shown) provided on each of the plurality of second rotation axes. At this time, the plurality of second wheels are provided to be misaligned with the nozzle (22) along the movement direction of the main body (10). That is, the second roller (42) may be arranged to be spaced apart from the movement line of the nozzle (22).

[0100] The second roller (42) may be provided in two units, for example. The two second rollers (42) may be arranged spaced apart from each other. For example, the two second rollers (42) may be arranged spaced apart from each other by at least the length that the nozzle (22) extends.

[0101] Accordingly, as the second roller (42) moves along the printing path of the portable printer (1), it may not come into contact with the discharged printing solution. Since the discharged printing solution and the second roller (42) do not come into contact, a design similar to the original design can be printed on the object without smudging.

[0102] In addition, since the discharged printing solution does not come into contact with the second roller (42), the printing solution can be prevented from being transferred to the second roller (42) and then onto the skin.

[0103] Meanwhile, the first roller (41) and the second roller (42) may have a structure that can be raised and lowered. If the first roller (41) and the second roller (42) can be raised and lowered, even if the portable printer (1) is pressed by a user during use, the distance between the target object (particularly, skin) and the nozzle (22) can be maintained to a level that ensures printing of a clear design.

[0104] Referring to Fig. 1, the printer cover (50) can be detachably attached to at least one of the main body (10) and the mounting portion (30) and cover the nozzle (22). The printer cover (50) can be detachably coupled to the lower portion of the lower main body (12) and cover the lower portion of the lower main body (12). That is, the printer cover (50) can cover the head (21), the first roller (41), the second roller (42), etc., which are exposed or protruded from the lower portion of the lower main body (12).

[0105] Accordingly, the printer cover (50) can prevent contamination of the head (21), the first roller (41), the second roller (42), etc., suppress printing solution from being applied to unnecessary places, and protect the head (21) and the nozzle (22), etc. from external impact.

[0106] Meanwhile, the printing adjustment unit (60) can move at least the rollers (41, 42) among the mounting unit (30) and the rollers (41, 42) in the inward and outward directions of the main body (10). However, since the rotational axis of the rollers (41, 42) can be provided in the mounting unit (30), the rollers (41, 42) can be moved integrally with the mounting unit (30) by the printing adjustment unit (60).

[0107] The above printing adjustment unit (60) can move the mounting unit (30) so that the mounting unit (30) and the rollers (41, 42) can move in the inner and outer directions of the main body (10). At this time, the movement by the printing adjustment unit (60) can be in either the inner or outer direction of the main body (10), and the other direction can be manually performed by a user.

[0108] The above printing adjustment unit (60) adjusts the height difference between the nozzle (22) and the rollers (41, 42) by moving the mounting unit (30) and the like in the inward and outward directions of the main body (10). Through this, the present embodiment can adjust the height difference between the nozzle (22) and the surface of the target object.

[0109] The portable printer (1) according to the present disclosure can adjust the distance between the nozzle (22) and the surface of the object, or more precisely, the vertical distance between the rollers (41, 42) that pressurize the object and the nozzle (22) that delivers the printing solution to the object, depending on the hardness of the object. Through this, the present embodiment can sufficiently ensure printing quality even if the hardness of the object varies.

[0110] Fig. 2(A) illustrates a state in which the mounting portion (30) and the rollers (41, 42) are positioned at the inlet position. In a state such as Fig. 2(A), the vertical height between the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) and the vertical height between the second roller (42) and the nozzle (22) can be approximately 2.0 mm. Accordingly, for paper that is not convexly deformed between the first roller (41) and the second roller (42), the vertical distance from the nozzle (22) will be spaced at an appropriate level.

[0111] Fig. 2(B) illustrates a state in which the mounting portion (30) and the rollers (41, 42) are positioned in a protruding position. In this case, the first roller (41) and the second roller (42) are respectively provided at the front and rear of the head (21), and the first roller (41) and the second roller (42) maintain the same height difference with respect to the nozzle (22) when the rollers (41, 42) are moved in and out by the printing adjustment portion (60).

[0112] In a state such as Fig. 2(B), the vertical height between the first roller (41) and the nozzle (22) and the vertical height between the second roller (42) and the nozzle (22) can be formed to be approximately 6.5 mm. Accordingly, even if the skin has a characteristic of being convexly deformed due to skin elasticity, the distance between the nozzle (22) and the skin between the first roller (41) and the second roller (42) is spaced at an appropriate level.

[0113] For example, the inward and outward movement of the mounting portion (30) and the rollers (41, 42) implemented by the printing adjustment portion (60) may be implemented by a rack and a rack gear, etc. Alternatively, various means may be used to change and maintain the vertical height of the mounting portion (30) to two or more values.

[0114] FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(B) are side views of an example of the portable printer (1) according to the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 3(A) illustrates a state in which the mounting portion (30) and the rollers (41, 42) are positioned in an inlet position. FIG. 3(B) illustrates a state in which the mounting portion (30) and the rollers (41, 42) are positioned in a protruding position.

[0115] Referring to FIG. 3 (A) and FIG. 3 (B), the printing adjustment unit (60) can adjust the height of the mounting unit (30) (or rollers (41, 42)) using an elastic member (61), an operating member (62, see FIG. 2 (A)) and a cam (not shown).

[0116] The above elastic member (61) is provided between the main body (10) and the mounting portion (30), and has an elastic force to maintain the mounting portion (30) in a restoration position, which is either a retracted position or a protruding position, based on the main body (10).

[0117] The above-mentioned fixing member (30) may include a wall (31) that is introduced into the interior of the main body (10) and extends to the interior of the upper main body (10), and the elastic member (61) may be arranged between a point of the wall (31) and a specific point of the main body (10). Accordingly, an elastic force is imparted in the height direction between the main body (10) and the fixing member (30).

[0118] The above-described operating member (62) is provided on the mounting portion (30) and allows the mounting portion (30) to be placed in either the retracted position or the protruded position relative to the main body (10) by external manipulation. When the elastic member (61) sets the retracted position to the restoration position, the operating member (62) can cause the mounting portion (30) to be placed in the protruded position.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 3(A), the operating member (62) may be in the form of an operating button exposed to the outside. That is, the operating member (62) may be provided on the mounting portion (30) and may be positioned so as to be exposed on the surface of the mounting portion (30). In addition, the operating member (62) is surrounded by the mounting portion (30) and is provided so as not to protrude beyond the mounting portion (30) so as not to interfere with printing.

[0120] The above-mentioned operating member (62) is provided to be movable in a horizontal direction. That is, the operating member (62) may be provided so as not to protrude downward from the mounting portion (30) regardless of whether it is operated. The operating member (62) is placed in a first position when the mounting portion (30) is restored to the retracted position by the elastic member (61), and when it moves to a second position in the horizontal direction, it can induce a force to raise the main body (10) based on the mounting portion (30).

[0121] Referring to FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 3(A), the portable printer (1) can calculate the distance between the object and the portable printer (1) obtained through the distance sensor (21a), and correct the color of the printing design printed on the object using the sensing value for the color tone of the object obtained through the color sensor (309). To this end, the portable printer (1) can include a control unit (91) that controls the distance sensor (21a) and the color sensor (309), and a communication unit (92) for communication with the portable terminal (210) described below.

[0122] The above control unit (91) can control not only the distance sensor (21a) and the color sensor (309), but also the printer adjustment unit (60), the rollers (41, 42), the power supply unit, and the nozzle (22).

[0123] Referring to Fig. 3(A), the control unit (91) and the communication unit (92) are located inside the main body (10), and thus only their approximate locations are indicated by dotted lines. In addition, although the communication unit (92) is illustrated as being provided on one side of the control unit (91), the communication unit (92) and the control unit (91) may be located apart from each other.

[0124] FIG. 4 is an example of a portable printing system (200) including a portable printer (1) and a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 4, a portable printing system (200) according to the present disclosure includes the aforementioned portable printer (1) and a portable terminal (210) capable of exchanging electrical signals with the portable printer (1). The portable printing system (200) may operate in conjunction with a server (220), or may include a server (220).

[0126] The above-described portable terminal (210) may be a portable mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone, or a terminal such as a tablet. Any type of portable terminal (210) may be used, as long as it is equipped with a printing application (700) described below, enabling a user to print using the portable printer (1).

[0127] Referring to Fig. 4, the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) can communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. Considering user convenience and portability, it is preferable that the connection between the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) be wireless. However, the wireless communication method between the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) is not limited.

[0128] For example, the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) can be connected to each other via Bluetooth (C2).

[0129] In addition, in the portable printing system (200), the portable terminal (210) can communicate with the server (220) by wire or wirelessly, and can utilize an Internet network (C1) such as Wi-Fi. Accordingly, the user will be able to search for a design related to a search word entered on the Internet through the printing application (700, see FIG. 5) installed in the portable terminal (210). More specifically, the portable printer (1) can be connected to the portable terminal (210) so as to exchange electrical signals through a communication unit (92) located inside the main body (10).

[0130] In order to print on the object via the portable printer (1), a control device electrically connected to the portable printer (1) will be required. Considering portability and user convenience, the control device may preferably be a portable terminal (210). The portable terminal (210) can be wirelessly connected to the portable printer (1) and exchange electrical signals.

[0131] In addition, the portable terminal (210) may be equipped with a printing application (700) that provides a design to the user, allows the user to edit the design, and allows the user to print the design edited by the user through the portable printer (1) according to the user's command. For example, the portable terminal (210) may be any one of a smartwatch, a smart phone, a tablet, or a laptop. However, this is merely an example, and if the portable terminal (210) includes an input / output unit (215) that processes the user's command and displays the result, the type of the portable terminal (210) is not limited to the types mentioned above.

[0132] Additionally, the input / output unit (215) may preferably be a touch-type display, but is not limited thereto.

[0133] FIG. 5 illustrates one screen of the printing application (700) displayed on a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0134] A portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can display a search section (710) for receiving a search word from the user on one screen displayed on the input / output section (215), a design list section (720) for providing the user with designs classified by subject, and a setting switching section (750) that can be switched to another screen for displaying a list of connectable portable printers (1).

[0135] Specifically, the one screen may be a home screen (701) displayed through the input / output unit (215) when executing or loading the printing application (700).

[0136] That is, the input / output unit (215) can display the home screen (701) to the user. In addition, the home screen (701) can include a search unit (710) for receiving a user's search word, a design list unit (720) for providing the user with designs classified by subject, and a setting switching unit (750) that can be switched to another screen for displaying a list of connectable portable printers (1).

[0137] When the home screen (701) is displayed through the input / output unit (215), the user can search for a desired design by entering a sentence or word through the search unit (710). That is, the search unit (710) can search for a design related to a sentence or word entered in the search field (711) through a communication network connected to the portable terminal (210). To this end, the home screen (701) may include a search button (715) that detects the user's search command.

[0138] For example, the search button (715) is provided as an icon, and the input / output unit (215) is provided as a touch-type display, so that when a user touches the search button (715), the printing application (700) can initiate a search. In addition, a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can show the searched design to the user through the input / output unit (215) when the search is completed.

[0139] Since the present specification assumes that the input / output unit (215) is a portable terminal (210) equipped with a touch display, the elements provided to detect a user's command in the printing application (700) may be in the form of icons unless otherwise specified.

[0140] The above search unit (710) can not only search using a communication network connected to the portable terminal (210), but can also display to the user a design stored in the portable terminal (210) or a design built into the printing application (700) according to the user's selection.

[0141] Prior to searching via the search unit (710), the user can select the object (or object) to be printed. Specifically, the object can be categorized as paper, skin, nail tip, or other objects. The search results for the design may vary depending on the object selected by the user. Furthermore, the color information for the design may also vary during future printing based on the object selected by the user.

[0142] For example, if the selected object is skin, the color information of the design may vary when printed depending on the person's skin color and skin tone.

[0143] In contrast, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) may provide the user with a menu for selecting an object on the design editing screen (705, see FIG. 7) or print screen (707, see FIG. 8) described later.

[0144] In particular, in order to improve user accessibility, a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) may display a design list section (720) on the home screen (701) that shows designs built into the printing application (700) by categorizing them.

[0145] The above design list section (720) may include a plurality of first list icons (721) so that users can access the design according to the subject or theme of the design. In addition, the design list section (720) may include a best list icon (725) that provides a popular design list according to the number of times used by other users, or a plurality of second list icons (722) that have different shapes from the plurality of first list icons (721) so that users can access the design according to the subject or theme of the design.

[0146] Meanwhile, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) may further include a home section (760) that guides the user to return to the home screen (701) at any time, an editing switching section (730) that switches the screen displayed on the input / output section (215) to a design editing screen (705, see FIG. 7) for editing a design, and a setting switching section (750) that switches the screen displayed on the input / output section (215) to a printer status screen (703, see FIG. 6) that displays the connection status of the portable terminal (210) and the portable printer (1) or personal information stored in the printing application (700) or the server (220).

[0147] The above input / output unit (215) can provide the home unit (760), the edit switching unit (730), and the setting switching unit (750) in the form of icons. Accordingly, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can detect when a user clicks or touches the home unit (760), the edit switching unit (730), and the setting switching unit (750) and perform a desired function.

[0148] FIG. 6 illustrates another screen of the printing application (700) displayed on a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0149] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when a user touches the setting switching unit (750) on the home screen (701), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) detects the user's input and can switch the home screen (701) to the printer status screen (703) through the input / output unit (215).

[0150] A portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) can display a list of portable printers (1) that can be connected to the portable terminal (210) on the printer status screen (703). To this end, the printer status screen (703) can include a printer list (751) that displays a list of portable printers that are connected, are being connected, or can be connected to the portable terminal (210), and a connection status display unit (752) that displays the connection status of the portable printer (1) displayed on the printer list (751).

[0151] In addition, the printer status screen (703) may display a home screen (760) so that the user can return to the home screen (701) at any time. When the user touches the home screen (760), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) will switch the printer status screen (703) to the home screen (701) through the input / output unit (215).

[0152] Likewise, to enable the user to return to the design editing screen (705), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can further display the editing switching section (730) on the printer status screen (703).

[0153] Meanwhile, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can be connected to one portable printer (1) selected by the user among the connectable portable printers (1) so that it can always communicate. That is, even if the user does not use the portable terminal (210) for a certain period of time and the portable terminal (210) operates in a standby mode in which the screen is not displayed on the input / output unit (215), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can exchange electrical signals with the portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210).

[0154] This is because the usage patterns of the portable terminal (210) and the portable printer (1) are taken into consideration. For example, while the user is printing via the portable printer (10), the user may also run another application instead of the printing application (700).

[0155] Accordingly, the portable terminal (210) can maintain a state in which it can receive printing information at any time through the communication unit (92).

[0156] FIG. 7 illustrates another screen of the printing application (700) displayed on a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0157] Specifically, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) can display a design editing screen (705) through which a user can edit a design selected through a search via the input / output unit (215).

[0158] A portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) will be able to change the size and color of a design selected by the user in the design editing screen (705), add desired text, and change the shape of the text (e.g., font size).

[0159] Referring to FIG. 7, the design editing screen (705) may include a design display unit (781) that displays a design (A) selected by a user, a modification unit (782) that adds text to the selected design (A) or changes the shape of the text, and a print conversion unit (770) that converts the design editing screen (705) to a print screen (707) to print the edited design (A). The selected design (A) may be one or more designs uploaded and provided to a printing application, or may be a photo, picture, font, etc. stored in the user's terminal. In addition, a design uploaded to a printing application and a photo stored in the user's terminal may be combined. Design editing will be described in detail below.

[0160] The above input / output unit (215) may provide the above modification unit (782) and the above print switching unit (770) in the form of icons. Accordingly, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) can detect when a user clicks or touches the above modification unit (782) and the above print switching unit (770) and perform a desired function.

[0161] The above input / output unit (215) can display a design (A) selected by a user on the design display unit (781) so that the user can edit it. The selected design (A) may not be a single design, but may be a plurality of designs, and all of these may be displayed on the design display unit (781).

[0162] The user can simply edit the design (A) displayed on the design display unit (781) by touching the input / output unit (215). That is, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can provide the user with the function of changing the shape, number, or size of the design (A) through rotation, copying, and pasting of the design (A) through the design editing screen (705). In some embodiments, the design selected by the user terminal can be printed multiple times repeatedly. That is, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can detect that one or more designs are selected by the user. Thereafter, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can detect the user's input regarding the number of repetitions or combination order information of one or more designs selected by the user, and edit one or more designs selected by the user. After this, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) will transmit the edited design and the number of prints and / or the combination order information to the portable printer (1).

[0163] For example, a user can convert their face into a caricature or sketch format through the design editing screen (705). Furthermore, the user can remove the background color from the design, leaving only the desired design.

[0164] Additionally, the user will be able to modify the size of the design based on the user's fingernail information through the design editing screen (705). That is, while the sizes of mass-produced nail tips are standardized, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can also customize the nail tip based on information about the size of the user's fingernail.

[0165] Meanwhile, when a user selects and edits a design for a nail tip (which may be referred to as nail tip mode), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can be set to select only designs that fit the nail tip. For example, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can provide the user with designs that can be expressed within the size of the nail, such as single color, gradient, and stripe, in the nail tip mode. In addition, after selecting the nail / patty tip size (e.g., No. 1 to No. 10), the design can be selected and edited, and by first selecting the size, the design that fits the selected size can be edited and produced. In addition, although the nail tips that can be printed are limited to a predetermined tip size, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can customize the design to fit the size of each user's nail by editing the design selected by the user, taking into account the left, right, up, and down sizes of the nails that are different for each user.

[0166] In addition, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) may additionally provide a menu that allows the user to add desired text or change the font or size when a user's modification command is detected through the modification unit (782).

[0167] Meanwhile, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) may provide a menu (not shown) for selecting an object in the design editing screen (705).

[0168] FIG. 8 illustrates another screen of the printing application (700) displayed on a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0169] Before printing on the target (or object) to be printed through the portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can display a print screen (707) showing the design (A) edited by the user through the input / output unit (215). That is, when the print switching unit (770) is touched on the design editing screen (705), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can switch the design editing screen (705) to the print screen (707).

[0170] A portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) can display the final edited design (A) prior to printing through the print screen (707) to provide the user with an opportunity to check it.

[0171] The above print screen (707) may include a connection display unit (773) that displays a portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210), a print confirmation unit (775) that tests the edited design (A) prior to printing, and a print unit (771) that transmits print information to the portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210).

[0172] The above input / output unit (215) may provide the connection display unit (773), the printing unit (775), and the printing unit (771) in the form of icons. Accordingly, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can detect when a user clicks or touches the connection display unit (773), the printing unit (775), and the printing unit (771) and perform a desired function.

[0173] The above connection display unit (773) can display the name of the portable terminal (210) selected by the user on the printer status screen (703).

[0174] A portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) can provide the user with the printing result in advance when detecting a user's printing confirmation command through the print confirmation unit (775).

[0175] To this end, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the above printing application (700) may provide a menu (not shown) that allows the user to select an object on which the edited design (A) is to be printed.

[0176] For example, a portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can display a printing result similar to that of an actual print on an object by reflecting the color tone (e.g., skin color or skin tone) of the object by the edited design (A) through the input / output unit (215).

[0177] In addition, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) may display the edited design (A) on an actual photo of the object through augmented reality (AR) technology. Alternatively, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) may be able to confirm the simulation result of the design (A) being printed on the object in real time by taking a picture of the object through the camera (219) mounted on the portable terminal (210) through augmented reality (AR) technology.

[0178] Meanwhile, when a user touches the printing unit (771), the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) can detect the user's printing command and transmit printing information converted into an electrical signal to a portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210).

[0179] The above printing information refers to electrical signals regarding information on the design (A) and the number of printing cycles. In addition, the printing information may include information correcting the color of the design according to the object (or object) to be printed, or information correcting a different ink color to the color of the design.

[0180] In addition, the printing information may be information that the portable printer (1) transmits to the portable terminal (210). For example, the portable printer (1) may transmit information such as reception of design information, start of printing, printing in progress, printing completion, or printing error to the portable terminal (210).

[0181] Meanwhile, the various screens and displayed icons illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8 in this specification may be modified to be displayed in different designs and different arrangements, as long as they can perform the specified functions.

[0182] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0183] A printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may include a step (S100) of providing a plurality of designs to a user, a step (S300) of detecting a design selected by the user, a step (S500) of detecting editing of the selected design by the user, and a step (S700) of printing the edited design through a portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210).

[0184] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may provide a search unit (710) on the home screen (701) displayed through the input / output unit (215) in the step (S100) of providing a plurality of designs to the user. The search unit (710) may include a search field (711) for entering a sentence or word, and a search button (715) for detecting a user's input (or touch) to start a search using the sentence or word entered in the search field (711).

[0185] The step (S100) of providing multiple designs to the user may include a step (S110) of selecting a target to print and a step (S150) of displaying multiple designs that have been stored or retrieved.

[0186] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can detect the user's selection of the object (or object) to be printed in the step of selecting the object to be printed (S110).

[0187] For example, a printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can detect which object the user selects after providing a menu allowing the user to select paper, skin, fingernails, or other objects as the object. The reason for providing a menu for selecting the object is that the color of the design needs to be corrected during printing depending on the object.

[0188] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can correct the color of the design according to the material of the paper and the background color of the paper, if the selected object is paper. In addition, if the selected object is a fingernail or skin, the color of the design can be corrected according to the color of the user's fingernail or skin.

[0189] Meanwhile, the user's personal information, such as the user's skin color or the size of the user's fingernails and toenails, may be stored in the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700). To this end, the printing application (700) may take a picture of the user's skin or fingernails through the camera (219) and may modify the user's personal information through the setting switching unit (750).

[0190] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can display related designs among designs (or images) searched for through words or sentences input by the user, designs photographed through the portable terminal (210), or designs built into and provided in the printing application (700) on the input / output unit (215) in the step (S150) of displaying a plurality of stored or searched designs.

[0191] Meanwhile, the step of selecting the object to be printed (S110) and the step of displaying the plurality of stored or searched designs (S150) do not need to be performed in sequence. In addition, the step of selecting the object to be printed (S110) may not be performed in the step of providing the plurality of designs to the user (S100), but may be performed in the step of detecting editing of the design selected by the user (S500) or the step of printing the edited design via a portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210) (S700). This is because the object may be changed immediately before printing depending on the user's selection.

[0192] Thereafter, the printing method of the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can detect which design is selected by the user among the design found through a search based on a word or sentence entered by the user, the design captured by the camera (219) and stored in the portable terminal (210), or the design built into the printing application (700) in the step (S300) of detecting the design selected by the user.

[0193] The user may select one or more designs. Upon detecting the user's selection, the printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can display the selected design in the design display section (781) of the design editing screen (705).

[0194] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may provide a menu for editing a design through the design editing screen (705) in the step (S500) of detecting editing of the selected design by the user. For example, the printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may provide menus such as changing the size of a design, rotating a design, changing a color, synthesizing multiple designs, extracting a desired portion excluding the background, and cropping a design. In addition, the printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may also caricature a photograph of a person or sketch an arbitrary photograph by using filtering.

[0195] Thereafter, the step (S700) of printing the edited design through a portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210) can transmit the printing information of the edited design to the portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210) by the user.

[0196] The above printing information may include color information of the edited design, color information corrected according to the color of the object obtained through the color sensor (309), or the number of printings. The color information of the edited design and the color information corrected according to the color of the object obtained through the color sensor (309) may be separated separately, but may also be combined and reflected in the color information of the edited design.

[0197] The step (S700) of printing via a portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210) may include a step (S710) of providing a printing result in advance according to the object prior to printing on the surface of the object via the portable printer (1), a step (S730) of detecting a printing command by a user, and a step (S770) of transmitting printing information to the portable printer (1) when the printing command is detected.

[0198] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can provide the expected printing result to the user prior to actual printing in the step (S710) of providing the printing result in advance according to the target object.

[0199] To this end, a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can detect a user's command through the print confirmation unit (775) displayed on the print screen (707) and display an expected print result or simulation result to the user through the input / output unit (215).

[0200] More specifically, the printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can display an expected printing result to the user using an augmented reality method. That is, when a user captures an object selected by the user using the camera (219), a virtual printing result can be displayed on the object. Based on this, the user can also correct the printing information of the design, such as information regarding color.

[0201] Meanwhile, the step (S700) of printing via a portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210) may further include a step (S750) of confirming the connection between the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) prior to the step (S770) of transmitting printing information to the portable printer (1).

[0202] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can perform a step (S770) of transmitting printing information to the portable printer (1) without a separate display when the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) are connected.

[0203] However, the printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may perform a step (S800) of notifying the user that there is no portable printer (1) connected through the input / output unit (215) when it is determined that the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) are not connected.

[0204] The step (S750) of confirming the connection between the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) does not necessarily have to be located at the step (S700) of printing via the portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210). For example, the step (S750) of confirming the connection between the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) may be performed before or after the step (S110) of selecting the object to be printed, or before or after the step (S500) of detecting editing of the selected design.

[0205] Once the portable terminal (210) is connected to the portable printer (1) and is in a state where communication is possible, the portable terminal (210) and the portable printer (1) can always be in a state where communication is possible unless the user issues a command to disconnect the portable terminal (210) and the portable printer (1). This means that the connection between the printing application (700) and the portable printer (1) is not cut off when the user uses another application loaded on the portable terminal (210).

[0206] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure may also provide a menu that can confirm the connection between the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) through the connection display unit (773) on the printer status screen (703) or the print screen (707).

[0207] FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart of a portable printing system (200) according to the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 10, the portable printing system (200) according to the present disclosure may include a portable terminal (210), a portable printer (1) connected to the portable terminal (210) so as to exchange electrical signals, and a server (220) connected to the portable terminal (210) so as to exchange electrical signals.

[0208] The portable terminal (210) and the portable printer (1) may be connected via a communication method such as Bluesuit, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the portable terminal (210) and the server (220) may be connected via a mobile communication network or Wi-Fi, but is not limited thereto.

[0209] A user can connect the portable printer (1) using the portable terminal (210). This can be referred to as pairing (S2). The portable terminal (210) can scan the portable printer (1) placed nearby using a dedicated printing application (APP) for operating the portable printer (1) or the Bluetooth function of the portable terminal (210). When the portable printer (1) that can be connected or connected is detected, the portable terminal (210) can notify the user of this, and can transmit a connection request signal (Bluetooth pairing) to the portable printer (1) upon receiving the user's confirmation.

[0210] The above portable printer (1) can allow a communication connection of the portable terminal (210) based on a connection request signal received from the portable terminal (210). The portable printer (1) can check the user terminal information included in the connection request signal transmitted from the portable terminal (210), and if it is a legitimate portable terminal (210), it can return a connection permission signal to implement a connection. The portable printer (1) can transmit printer information necessary for the user to use printing to the portable terminal (210), and the portable terminal (210) can display the portable printer (1) information through the input / output unit (215).

[0211] Printer information may include basic information of the above portable printer (1) (Bluetooth name, firmware version, model name, S / N, MAC address, etc.) and may further include information such as battery level, printing material level, and ascending / descending mode.

[0212] However, the connection between the portable terminal (210) and the portable printer (1) can be simplified when repeatedly connected. That is, when connecting for the first time, a connection request signal is transmitted from the portable terminal (210) to the portable printer (1) after receiving confirmation from the user, but when connecting twice or more, the portable terminal (210) can automatically connect to the portable printer (1) when the APP for printing starts. At this time, the portable printer (1) that is automatically connected may have been connected to the portable terminal (210) at least once.

[0213] Meanwhile, when the pairing (S2) is completed, the portable printer (1) can perform a firmware update (S4) of the portable printer (1) through the server (1) connected to the portable terminal (210).

[0214] To this end, the connected portable terminal (210) can request the server (220) to check for firmware update. That is, the portable terminal (210) can check whether a firmware update is necessary for the portable printer (1) while transmitting printer information received from the portable printer (1) to the server (220).

[0215] Checking for firmware updates is done by using a connection with the server (220), and the portable terminal (210) can automatically communicate with the server (220) and check for firmware updates when the portable printer (1) is connected.

[0216] In contrast, the portable terminal (210) may request a firmware update from the server (220) only when requested by a user, even if the portable printer (1) is connected. Alternatively, the portable terminal (210) may transmit a firmware update to the server (220) only after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0217] Meanwhile, the portable terminal (210) may update the firmware of the portable printer (1) by utilizing the printing application (700) for printing, but may not use a step of requesting a separate firmware update to the server (220). In this case, when the printing application (700) is updated in the portable terminal (210), data for firmware update may be transmitted to the portable terminal (210) as firmware data is embedded in the printing application (700). Accordingly, when the printing application (700) of the portable terminal (210) is updated and the portable terminal (210) is connected to the portable printer (1), the firmware update of the portable printer (1) may be automatically performed.

[0218] The firmware update data transmitted from the server (220) to the portable terminal (210) can be downloaded to the portable printer (1). Therefore, the portable printer (1) can perform a firmware update using the firmware update data transmitted from the portable terminal (210). However, since the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210) can use a Bluetooth connection, when the firmware update data is transmitted to the portable printer (1), a guide to place the portable terminal (210) in a location adjacent to the portable printer (1) can be displayed.

[0219] Thereafter, the user can search for and obtain a design (or image) to be printed through a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure.

[0220] A user can search for a printable design from the server (220) using the printing application (700) of the portable terminal (210), and then select a desired design, and the design can be downloaded (or transmitted) (S100) from the server (220) to the portable terminal (210).

[0221] At this time, the design transmission from the server (220) to the portable terminal (210) can be accomplished through an online service provided for a fee or free of charge. Furthermore, the portable terminal (210) can receive and store designs bundled from the server (220) in addition to the designs selected by the user for printing, and use them later.

[0222] Alternatively, the user can embed possible designs when installing the printing application (700) on the portable terminal (210), and any one of the embedded designs can be selected by the user. Alternatively, the user can select any one of the designs previously stored on the portable terminal (210) and transmit it to the printing application (700) for use in printing.

[0223] However, although the design included in the printing application (700) may be easy to print using the nozzle (22) of the cartridge (20), the design stored in the portable terminal (210) regardless of the printing application (700) may not be suitable for printing using the nozzle (22). Therefore, when a design stored in the portable terminal (210) is selected, the printing application (700) may perform pixel processing (correction of resolution, color, brightness, etc.) to convert the selected design into a state suitable for printing. This may be referred to as a step (S500) of detecting editing of the design selected by the user.

[0224] A portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can provide a design editing function through the design editing screen (705). Design editing may include cropping, resizing, brightness, saturation, color adjustment, etc.

[0225] Furthermore, a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can upload a design for printing to the server (220). In this case, a user can use the portable terminal (210) to correct the design into a form optimized for printing and then transmit it to the server (220), and when another user downloads the design from the server (220), the user who created the design can generate revenue.

[0226] Meanwhile, before and after the step (S500) of detecting editing of a design selected by the user, a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can provide a menu to the user so that the user can select an object to be printed.

[0227] For example, a printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can detect which object the user selects after providing a menu allowing the user to select paper, skin, fingernails, or other objects as the object. The reason for providing a menu for selecting the object is that the color of the design needs to be corrected during printing depending on the object.

[0228] The printing method of a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can correct the color of the design according to the material of the paper and the background color of the paper, if the selected object is paper. In addition, if the selected object is a fingernail or skin, the color of the design can be corrected according to the color of the user's fingernail or skin.

[0229] Meanwhile, the user's personal information, such as the user's skin color or the size of the user's fingernails and toenails, may be stored in the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700). To this end, the printing application (700) may take a picture of the user's skin or fingernails through the camera (219) and may modify the user's personal information through the setting switching unit (750).

[0230] Unlike in FIG. 9, FIG. 10 illustrates that the step of selecting the object and reflecting the user's skin color is performed after the step of detecting editing of the design selected by the user (S500), but this is only an example, and the step of selecting the object and reflecting the user's skin color prior to printing may be performed at another step.

[0231] Meanwhile, in the step (S500) of detecting editing of the design selected by the user, the portable terminal (210) converts the design selected by the user from among the built-in designs or designs transmitted from the server (220) into a design (printing design) for generating a printing signal. Specifically, the portable terminal (210) equipped with the printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can perform color conversion and data compression operations in order to directly use the design for printing.

[0232] A portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure converts the RGB digital colors of a design into CMY colors for a cartridge (20) through a color conversion process. Since the nozzle (22) of the cartridge (20) uses CMY, not RGB, as a printing material, the printing application (700) can convert the colors of the design to be suitable for printing.

[0233] Thereafter, a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure compresses the data of the design. Specifically, the printing application (700) can convert the original data of the design into dotted halftone image data for printing on a cartridge (20). For example, the printing application (700) can arbitrarily reduce the resolution of the design by considering the size of the hole through which the printing material is ejected from the nozzle (22).

[0234] Thereafter, a portable terminal (210) equipped with a printing application (700) according to the present disclosure can transmit the converted printing design (or edited design) to a portable printer (1). This may be referred to as a step (S700) of printing the edited design via a portable printer (210) connected to the portable terminal (210).

[0235] At this time, the portable printer (1) can generate a printing signal from the printing design using the control unit (91). Furthermore, as previously described, the present embodiment can detect the travel distance of the roller (40) using an encoder sensor (81) and correct the printing signal accordingly. Accordingly, the design can be printed without distortion while the portable printer (1) moves along the surface of the object.

[0236] A portable printer (1) can inform a user of printing status information through a display unit (130) provided on the portable printer (1) during printing or when printing is completed, and can also transmit the printing status information to a portable terminal (210), etc. The printing status information can include a printing operation status, a printing error status (communication error, poor contact of the cartridge (20), non-insertion of the cartridge (20), etc.), but can also include all information that a user may refer to during the printing process.

[0237] This printing process can be summarized as follows. When a user selects or edits a design in the printing application (700) and presses the printing start button in the printing application (700), the design is converted in the printing application (700). Once the design conversion is complete, the printing design data is transmitted to the portable printer (1) via Bluetooth.

[0238] The portable printer (1) that has received the printing design and is ready for printing can enter the printing mode from the standby mode when the user presses the print button (13B) (once). At this time, when the user places the portable printer (1) on the surface of the object and moves it, the control unit (91) that detects the rotation of the roller (40) can sequentially output the design from the cartridge (20).

[0239] Meanwhile, when printing on the portable printer (1) is completed, a printing completion alarm may appear on the portable printer (1) and the portable terminal (210). At this time, the user may move the portable printer (1) away from the surface of the object, and the portable printer (1) may enter standby mode again.

[0240] The present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and modifications, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, if a modified embodiment includes elements of the claims of the present disclosure, it should be considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A printing method of a portable terminal including an input / output unit that executes and displays a user's command and a printing application that is connected to a portable printer selected by the user, A step of providing multiple designs to the user; A step of detecting a design selected by the user; A step of detecting editing of the selected design by the user; and A printing method of a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, comprising the step of printing the design edited by the user through the portable printer.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of providing the above multiple designs is A printing method of a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that a design stored in the portable terminal, a design built into the printing application, or a plurality of designs searched through a communication network connected to the portable terminal are displayed through the input / output unit.

3. In paragraph 2, The step of providing the above multiple designs is A printing method for a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that it further includes a step of selecting an object to be printed through the portable printer.

4. In paragraph 3, The step to select what to print through the above portable printer is A printing method for a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that it provides a menu for a user to select any one of the above objects.

5. In paragraph 1, The step of detecting the editing of the above selected design is A printing method for a portable terminal equipped with a printing application characterized by detecting the size and color of the selected design or the addition of text to the selected design.

6. In paragraph 1, The step of printing the above edited design through the above portable printer is A printing method for a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that information and the number of prints of the above-mentioned edited design are transmitted to the portable printer.

7. In paragraph 5, The step of transmitting the above edited design to the above portable printer is A printing method for a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that printing information regarding the edited design, including information for correcting ink color according to the user's information, is transmitted to the portable printer.

8. In paragraph 1, The step of printing the above edited design through the above portable printer is A printing method of a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that transmission of the edited design is initiated based on whether the portable printer is connected.

9. In paragraph 1, The step of printing the above edited design through the above portable printer is A printing method for a portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that it further includes a step of providing a printing result in advance prior to transmitting the above-mentioned edited design.

10. In a portable terminal including an input / output unit that receives user input and outputs information, A portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that it displays a search section for entering a search word from the user on one screen displayed on the input / output section, a design list section for providing the user with designs classified by subject, and a setting switching section that can be switched to another screen for displaying a list of connectable portable printers.

11. In paragraph 10, A portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that an editing switching section capable of switching to another screen for editing a design selected by the user is displayed on one screen.

12. In paragraph 10, A portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that the color information of a design selected by the user can be changed based on the object to be printed selected by the user.

13. In paragraph 10, A portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that the printing result can be provided to the user in advance before printing the design edited by the user on the print target selected by the user.

14. In paragraph 10, A portable terminal equipped with a printing application, characterized in that it maintains the portable terminal in a state in which communication is possible between one printer selected by the user from the above connectable portable printers.

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