Fabric Pattern Alignment for Printing Without Interpolation Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies face challenges in accurately generating printing data for fabrics with patterns, as they often rely on limited information like center coordinates, requiring interpolation to determine pattern corners, which increases computation burden and slows processing speed.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus and method that includes a pattern correction unit to transform image data into corrected data with defined corners, a pattern extracting unit to match these corners with imaged patterns, and a printing image generation unit to align printing data with the pattern regions, reducing the need for interpolation and enhancing processing speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If interpolation operations are performed to determine pattern corners from center coordinates, then printing data can be generated, but computation burden increases and processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the relationship between pattern centers and corners in the pattern data structure. Instead of performing interpolation calculations during printing data generation, the pattern corners are predetermined and stored as reference points, allowing direct mapping to fabric patterns without real-time computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a reference pattern data structure that contains predetermined corner coordinates corresponding to pattern centers. This reference data is copied and applied directly to multiple pattern instances on the fabric, eliminating the need to recalculate corner positions for each pattern through interpolation operations.
2Device complexity
If only center coordinates are extracted from captured images, then extraction is simplified, but insufficient information is obtained for generating printing data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing complete pattern data including both center coordinates and corner coordinates in a database before the printing process. When a pattern is detected in the captured image, the system retrieves the pre-prepared pattern data that already contains all necessary geometric information, eliminating the need for complex real-time extraction of corner positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary pattern data structure that acts as a bridge between the simple center coordinate extraction from images and the complete pattern information needed for printing. This intermediary data contains predetermined corner coordinates that are associated with pattern centers, allowing the system to obtain full pattern information without complex extraction operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive interpolation operations are performed to determine pattern corners, then printing data can be generated, but computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing pattern corner coordinates in the pattern data structure before the printing process begins. This eliminates the need to perform energy-consuming interpolation calculations during actual printing data generation, as all geometric information is already prepared and readily available for direct use.
Data Source
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AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a pattern correction unit configured to change a mutual positional relationship among a plurality of divided pieces of first image data obtained by dividing first image data representing a first pattern formed in a fabric to generate corrected first image data having a center made up of four corners of the first image data, a pattern extracting unit configured to compare the corrected first image data with second image data generated by imaging the fabric to extract a pattern region corresponding to a second pattern represented by the corrected first image data from the second image data, a printing image generation unit configured to arrange third image data representing an image to be printed overlaid on the first pattern so as to match a region having centers of the pattern regions as four corners to generate printing image data, and a printing control unit configured to cause a printing unit to print the printing image data on the fabric.