Print Control Device for Irregular Media Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manual scanning type printers without a paper transport system face challenges in printing images larger than the print medium, resulting in unprinted areas due to shape mismatches between the image and print medium, limiting desired printing on the entire surface of irregularly shaped media.
Innovation Solution
A print control device that includes a specifying section to identify the print target, a display section to show a trimmed image on the captured image, a setting receiving section to adjust the relative position, and a control section to instruct the printing device to print based on the original data and relative position, allowing for precise alignment and printing on the entire surface of irregularly shaped media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the image is reduced to fit within the print medium, then the image falls within the print medium boundaries, but unprinted areas remain around the image when the print medium and image have different shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic preview image adjustment by allowing the preview image to be movable and resizable on the display screen. The user can drag and drop the preview image to different positions and adjust its size to match various print medium shapes. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to adapt to different print medium shapes while maintaining precise alignment, resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and shape adaptability.
2Device complexity
If a manual scanning type printer without a paper transport system is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to print on the entire surface of irregularly shaped media is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a display screen as an intermediary between the user and the printing system. The preview image displayed on the screen serves as a visual mediator that allows users to plan and adjust the printing layout before actual printing occurs. This intermediary interface enables users to achieve full-surface printing on irregularly shaped media by carefully positioning and sizing the preview image, compensating for the lack of automated paper transport while maintaining simple device architecture.
3Loss of information
If the preview image is displayed without trimming, then the full original print data is visible, but the preview image may overlap beyond the print medium boundaries causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a trimming mechanism that selectively displays only the portion of the preview image that falls within the print medium boundaries. By trimming the preview image to match the print medium shape and size, the system prevents overlap beyond boundaries while maintaining print alignment precision. This partial display approach ensures that users see exactly what will be printed, avoiding misalignment issues while preserving the necessary image information for accurate reproduction.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a print control device that causes a printing device to perform printing, the print control device including: a specifying section that specifies a print target from a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor; a display section that displays, on a display, a screen in which a trimmed image is superimposed on the captured image, the trimmed image being obtained by trimming a preview image of original print data in accordance with the print target; a setting receiving section that receives a setting of a relative position of the preview image with respect to the print target; a print instruction receiving section that receives a print instruction at the relative position; and a control section that causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the original print data and the relative position according to the print instruction.