# US 11,305,556 B2 · Print control device, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing print control program, and printed matter production method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,556 B2 - Document ID: US11305556B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/914,507 - Filed: 2020-06-29 - Published: 2021-01-07 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-01 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Hiroaki Nakanishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305556B2 ## CPC - B41J 3/46: Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication - B41J 3/28: for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes {, envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers} - B41J 3/36: for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} - B41J 3/445: {Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras} - B41J 11/008: {Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins} - B41J 2203/01: Inspecting a printed medium or a medium to be printed using a sensing device - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract 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, as a print target, an area which is continuous in a predetermined range of colors based on a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor and an object distance of each pixel of the captured image; and a control section that generates print data corresponding to the specified print target and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A print control device that causes a printing device to perform printing, the print control device comprising: a specifying section that specifies, as a print target, an area of a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor based on both the captured image and an object distance of each pixel of the captured image, the specifying section specifying the area of the captured image by repeatedly detecting adjacent pixels of the captured image that are continuous relative to each other and have colors in a predetermined range of colors and object distance in another predetermined range of the object distance; and a control section that generates print data corresponding to the specified print target and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the specifying section includes an extraction section that extracts, as a print target candidate, the area of the captured image, and a print target receiving section that receives an operation of specifying the print target from the print target candidate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The print control device according to claim 2, wherein the extraction section extracts, as the print target candidate, the area of the captured image such that the area of the captured image has a size equal to or larger than a predetermined size. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the control section generates the print data by cutting original print data associated with the print target in accordance with a shape of the print target, and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the control section generates the print data by modifying original print data associated with the print target such that the print target is included, and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The print control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a relative position specifying section that specifies a relative position relationship between the printing device and the print target included in a captured image group, wherein the control section generates the print data based on the relative position relationship, and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The print control device according to claim 6, wherein the control section generates the print data including information indicating the relative position relationship, and transmits the print data to the printing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a manual scanning type printer or an automatic scanning type printer. ### Claim 9 A print control device that causes a printing device to perform printing, the print control device comprising: a specifying section that specifies, as a print target, an area of a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor based on both the captured image and an object distance of each pixel of the captured image; and a control section that generates print data corresponding to the specified print target and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data, the control section generating the print data by cutting original print data associated with the print target in accordance with a shape of the print target, and causing the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data, and the control section obtaining a facing shape of the print target when facing the print target based on a view angle of the captured image included in a captured image group, generating the print data by cutting the original print data in accordance with the facing shape of the print target, and causing the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 10 A print control device that causes a printing device to perform printing, the print control device comprising: a specifying section that specifies, as a print target, an area of a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor based on both the captured image and an object distance of each pixel of the captured image; and a control section that generates print data corresponding to the specified print target and causes the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data, the control section estimating an actual size of the print target based on an object distance between the print target and the image capturing sensor and a size of the print target in a captured image group, generating the print data by modifying original print data associated with the print target based on the actual size of the print target, and causing the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a print control program causing a printing device to perform printing, the program causing a computer to realize: a specifying function of specifying, as a print target, an area of a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor based on both the captured image and an object distance of each pixel of the captured image, the specifying function specifying the area of the captured image by repeatedly detecting adjacent pixels of the captured image that are continuous relative to each other and have colors in a predetermined range of colors and object distance in another predetermined range of the object distance; and a control function of generating print data corresponding to the specified print target and causing the printing device to perform printing on the print target based on the print data. ### Claim 12 A printed matter production method of producing a printed matter by a printing device, the method comprising: a specifying step of specifying, as a print target, an area of a captured image captured by an image capturing sensor based on both the captured image and an object distance of each pixel of the captured image, the specifying step specifying the area of the captured image by repeatedly detecting adjacent pixels of the captured image that are continuous relative to each other and have colors in a predetermined range of colors and object distance in another predetermined range of the object distance; and a printing step of generating print data corresponding to the specified print target and forming the printed matter based on the print data by the printing device.