Color Dot Alignment on Rewritable Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printing color imagery onto a rewritable color surface requires precision alignment of color data to individual color dots, which is not effectively addressed by existing technologies, as shifting color data by a single dot can significantly alter the color of the printed image.
Innovation Solution
An applicator with a navigation subsystem and alignment markers that sense and align color data to individual color dots on the surface, using visible or non-visible responses to ensure accurate positioning and energy application for printing, allowing for precise alignment and correction of color imagery on electrophoretic displays or human skin tattooed with electrophoretic ink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If color data is printed without precision alignment to individual color dots, then printing process is simpler, but color accuracy deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining a global pattern of local color dot patterns on the rewritable surface before printing. This pre-established pattern provides reference points that guide the printing process, ensuring color data aligns precisely with individual color dots. The system prepares the surface with organized color dot arrangements (e.g., CMYK patterns) that facilitate accurate subsequent printing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through the use of alignment markers that are sensed during the printing process. These markers provide real-time information about the position and orientation of the color dot patterns, allowing the system to adjust and correct alignment deviations. The feedback mechanism ensures that color data is accurately mapped to the corresponding color dots despite variations in surface positioning or orientation.
2Measurement precision
If alignment markers and navigation subsystem are added, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses alignment markers as intermediaries between the printing system and the rewritable surface. These markers serve as a communication bridge, providing detectable reference points that enable the navigation subsystem to determine the position and orientation of color dot patterns without requiring complex direct measurement systems. The markers simplify the interaction between the applicator and the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with an optical or electromagnetic sensing approach. Instead of relying on purely mechanical alignment mechanisms, the system uses a navigation subsystem with sensors to detect alignment markers and determine positioning. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while improving measurement precision.
3Device complexity
If color dot patterns are used instead of internal addressing, then device structure is simplified, but alignment precision becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the rewritable surface into distinct local color dot patterns, each representing a specific color or set of colors. Instead of using a unified internal addressing system, the surface is segmented into manageable color dot groups (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, black dots). This segmentation simplifies the overall system structure while enabling precise alignment through pattern recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color changes as a basis for alignment and identification. Different color dot patterns emit or reflect distinct colors that can be detected by the navigation subsystem. This color-based identification system enables the system to distinguish between different color dot patterns and achieve accurate alignment without requiring complex internal addressing mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and precise printing of color imagery on rewritable color surfaces without the need for internal addressing, ensuring correct color representation and persistence of the printed image, even on flexible or curved surfaces, with the ability to adapt to various rewritable media technologies.
Implementation Method 1
an alignment subsystem for sensing an alignment marker of one or more color dots from multiple local dot patterns across the current scan
Implementation Method 2
Each sphere has a bichromal ball having two hemispheres of contrasting colors, e.g. black and white, red and white, each having different electrical properties. Each ball is enclosed within a spherical shell and a space between the ball and shell is filled with a liquid to form a microsphere so that the ball is free to rotate in response to an electrical field.
Data Source
AI summary
Printing of color imagery onto a rewritable color surface is accomplished by providing an applicator with an alignment subsystem capable of sensing an alignment marker of one or more colors dots from multiple local color dot patterns as the applicator scans the surface to align the applicator's print head to the local color dot patterns. The alignment subsystem uses the sensed alignment markers to determine an absolute position on the rewritable color surface at a resolution of the individual color dots in the local color dot pattern and to align the state values for the corresponding portion of the color image to the individual color dots in the local color dot patterns on said surface.