Print Image Control Device for Flexible Fabric Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge is to reduce the time required to adjust the position of a print image on fabric objects, which are not rigid and can stretch or change shape, leading to variations in placement, resulting in decreased productivity due to the need for manual adjustments.

Innovation Solution

A system that displays a generated graphic related to the fabric's characteristics, allowing users to easily verify the relative position of the print image, with processes such as superimposed display, relative position setting, and difference extraction to automate the alignment and adjustment of the print image, reducing manual intervention and improving productivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual adjustment of print image position is performed for each fabric placement state, then printing accuracy can be maintained, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprint image position accuracyVSAvoidprinting throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a photographic image (copy) of the fabric's characteristic portions to represent the actual fabric state. By displaying markers on this photographic image that correspond to the print image position, the system allows users to verify positioning accuracy without manually adjusting the physical fabric and print image for each placement state, thus maintaining precision while improving productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a display device as an intermediary between the fabric placement state and the print image positioning. The display shows the photographic image with markers indicating print image positions, serving as a mediator that eliminates the need for direct manual adjustment while ensuring accurate positioning relative to fabric characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the object to be printed is configured by flexible fabric, then versatility is improved, but placement consistency deteriorates due to fabric stretching and shape variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting on flexible materialsVSAvoidplacement consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent captures the actual state parameters of the fabric (shape, stretching, positioning) through photographic imaging and uses these parameters to dynamically generate and display markers on the display device. This allows the system to adapt to various fabric states while maintaining consistent print image positioning relative to the fabric's characteristic portions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3715135B1Non-transitory computer-readable medium, print image control device, and control method of print image control device
Publication Date: 2023.04.05 BROTHER KOGYO KK
  • EP3715135B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3715135B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3715135B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a print image control device, and a control method of the print image control device capable of reducing time required for an operation to adjust a position of a print image, and of improving productivity. A CPU performs part specification command input processing in which a command is input to specify a part of a photographic image captured by a camera, characteristic identification processing that identifies a characteristic of fabric on the basis of the command input by the part specification command input processing, generated graphic generation processing that generates a generated graphic relating to the characteristic identified by the characteristic identification processing, and display control processing that controls a display such that the generated graphic generated by the generated graphic generation processing is displayed along with the photographic image and a print image.