Overcoat Transfer Data Glossiness Pattern for Line Image Visibility

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing thermal printer technologies face challenges in ensuring the visibility of line images on the overcoat surface without impairing the appearance of the underlying color image, particularly due to issues with overcoat separation and varying visibility based on outline width.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus generates overcoat transfer data by creating a mixed pattern on the overcoat surface, where the outline is formed from low-gloss pixels and the area inside the outline is a combination of low- and high-gloss pixels, while the area outside the outline is high-gloss, to enhance visibility without compromising image appearance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a low-gloss overcoat surface is formed in the area inside the outline to ensure visibility of the line image, then the visibility of the drawing part is improved, but the overcoat surface contacting the ink ribbon increases resulting in decreased separability and overcoat separation failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of line imageVSAvoidovercoat separation

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating different overcoat surface characteristics in different regions: the outline part has low-gloss pixels for visibility, while the area inside the outline has mixed high-gloss and low-gloss pixels to maintain separability. This spatial differentiation of surface properties allows simultaneous achievement of visibility and separation reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by mixing high-gloss and low-gloss pixels in the area inside the outline, creating a composite overcoat surface structure. This mixture provides both the visibility benefits of low-gloss surfaces and the separation benefits of high-gloss surfaces, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Illumination intensity

If a high-gloss overcoat surface is formed in the area inside the outline to maintain image appearance, then the image appearance is preserved, but the visibility of the line image on the overcoat surface cannot be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of line imageVSAvoidimage appearance

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating different overcoat surface characteristics in different regions: the outline part has low-gloss pixels for visibility, while the area inside the outline has mixed high-gloss and low-gloss pixels to maintain separability. This spatial differentiation of surface properties allows simultaneous achievement of visibility and separation reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by mixing high-gloss and low-gloss pixels in the area inside the outline, creating a composite overcoat surface structure. This mixture provides both the visibility benefits of low-gloss surfaces and the separation benefits of high-gloss surfaces, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Illumination intensity

If the outline area is made thin to maintain image appearance, then the image appearance is preserved, but the visibility of the line image decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of line imageVSAvoidoutline width

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating different overcoat surface characteristics in different regions: the outline part has low-gloss pixels for visibility, while the area inside the outline has mixed high-gloss and low-gloss pixels to maintain separability. This spatial differentiation of surface properties allows simultaneous achievement of visibility and separation reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This approach ensures the visibility of the overcoat drawing part without impairing the image appearance, reducing the risk of overcoat separation failure and maintaining consistent visibility across different outline widths.

Implementation Method 1

A thermal printer causes ink to sublimate from a solid to a gas and transfers the ink onto a recording sheet by pressing a heated thermal head against an ink ribbon

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSublimation: Sublimation

Implementation Method 2

A thermal printer causes ink to sublimate from a solid to a gas and transfers the ink onto a recording sheet by pressing a heated thermal head against an ink ribbon

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11833839B2Image processing apparatus and control method

Publication Date: 2023.12.05 CANON KK

AI summary

An image processing apparatus that generates overcoat transfer data for transferring an overcoat onto an image formed on a recording sheet, generates a line image to be added to the overcoat, and converts the line image into a drawing part to be added to the overcoat. The drawing part includes an outline part and an area inside the outline part, the outline part is formed from pixels having a first glossiness, the area inside the outline part is formed as a mixed pattern part in which pixels having the first glossiness and pixels having a second glossiness higher than the first glossiness are mixed, and the area outside the outline part is formed from pixels having the second glossiness.