Nail Print Apparatus Automatic Layout Calculation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional nail print apparatuses face issues with image distortion and improper fitting of design images on nails due to inadequate adjustment capabilities, requiring time and care from users to achieve desired designs.

Innovation Solution

A nail print apparatus with a storage unit for design parts data, including size, position, and image data, along with a photographing unit, nail region detection, and a part layout calculation unit to automatically adjust and print design images on nails, ensuring accurate placement and size based on detected nail region dimensions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the scale of the entire image data is merely changed to fit the nail region, then the design image can be printed on the nail region, but the graphics included in the design image become distorted and spaces between graphic portions and borderlines become excessively spaced or narrow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different nail region sizesVSAvoidimage distortion and spacing accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The design image is divided into multiple graphic portions, and each graphic portion is independently scaled and positioned. This allows each graphic to maintain its proper size and spacing relationships while adapting to different nail region dimensions, preventing distortion that occurs when the entire image is scaled uniformly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically calculates and adjusts the scale and position of each graphic portion based on the detected nail region size and shape. This dynamic adjustment ensures that graphic portions are optimally sized and spaced for each specific nail region, maintaining image quality across different nail types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If each graphic in the design image is manually adjusted to prevent distortion, then the image can be printed accurately, but the process requires time and great care from the user making it troublesome

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage accuracy and proper spacingVSAvoiduser effort and time required

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs the scaling and positioning calculations for each graphic portion based on the detected nail region. The computer autonomously adjusts each graphic's size and position without requiring manual user intervention, making the process simple and time-efficient while maintaining high accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical adjustment process is replaced with automated computer-based calculation and control. The system uses image processing and mathematical calculations to automatically determine the optimal scale and position of each graphic, eliminating the need for user manual adjustment while ensuring precise results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the design image is manually adjusted to fit the nail region, then the design can be printed properly, but the process is troublesome and time-consuming for the user

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign printing accuracyVSAvoidtime required for adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of the nail region size and shape using image processing, and pre-calculates the optimal scale and position for each graphic portion before printing. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming manual adjustment during the printing process, ensuring accurate design reproduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The time-consuming manual adjustment process is replaced with automated computer-based detection and calculation. The system uses image processing algorithms to detect nail region dimensions and automatically computes the correct graphic positioning, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining high printing accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8695495B2Nail print apparatus and print control method

Publication Date: 2014.04.15 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a nail print apparatus including a storage unit in which a plurality of sets of data relating to a plurality of design parts constituting each of a plurality of design images are stored, a photographing unit which obtains a finger image by photographing a finger, a nail region information detection unit which extracts a nail region from the finger image and detects an area, a length in horizontal direction and a length in vertical direction of the nail region, a design selection unit which selects one design image from the design images which are stored in the storage unit, a part layout calculation unit which reads out the one design image and calculates a print size and a print position of each of the design parts, and a print unit which performs a printing to the nail region according to printing data.