# US 12,178,980 B2 · Robotic tattooing systems and related technologies > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,980 B2 - Document ID: US12178980B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/583,154 - Filed: 2022-01-24 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-25 - Assignees: Blackdot, Inc. - Applicants: Blackdot, Inc. - Inventors: Yan Azdoud; Christopher Daniel Kelley; Joel Richard Pennington; Anna Ailene Scott; Eric Nelson Watts; Deniz Ozturk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178980B2 ## CPC - A61M 37/0076: {Tattooing apparatus (apparatus for marking animals A01K11/00; vaccine applicators having needles or other puncturing means A61B17/205)} - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61M 37/0084: {Tattooing apparatus with incorporated liquid feeding device} - B25J 9/1679: {characterised by the tasks executed} - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers} - G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program - G06Q 20/1235: {with control of digital rights management [DRM]} - G06Q 20/3825: {Use of electronic signatures} - G06Q 20/40: Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists - G06V 10/225: {based on a marking or identifier characterising the area} - G06V 10/56: relating to colour - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 2034/2068: {using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points} - A61B 2090/365: {augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image} - A61B 2090/372: {Details of monitor hardware} - A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers} - A61M 2205/3306: Optical measuring means - A61M 2205/6063: Optical identification systems - A61M 2210/04: Skin - G05B 2219/50391: Robot - G06N 3/0464: Convolutional networks [CNN, ConvNet] - G06N 3/09: Supervised learning - G06V 10/245: {by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning} - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract An automatic tattoo apparatus can be used to robotically apply tattoos. A customer can shop on an online tattoo marketplace to select designs created by various artists located anywhere. The online tattoo marketplace can process and manage payments, artist and/or customer profiles, bookings, tattoo design uploads, browsing and design selection, design changes, and/or perform other actions. The automatic tattoo device can apply tattoos precisely, quickly, and may with reduced pain. The tattoo apparatus can apply a wide range of different types of tattoos, including but not limited to micro tattoos, dotwork, blackwork tattoos, realism tattoos, fine-line tattoos, etc. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tattoo apparatus for applying a tattoo, comprising: a tattoo device having at least one needle; a target site analyzer configured to obtain information about a subject's skin; and a controller in communication with the target site analyzer, wherein the controller executes programming which causes the tattoo apparatus to: receive data from an online tattoo marketplace corresponding to a tattoo design to be applied to a user, wherein the online tattoo marketplace enables users to at least one of upload, browse, select, and/or download tattoo designs; convert the received data to a tattoo protocol including tattoo dots for applying the tattoo on the user; analyze, using the target site analyzer, the subject's skin, and robotically apply, via the tattoo device, the tattoo corresponding to the tattoo design by executing the tattoo protocol based on the analysis of the subject's skin. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tattoo apparatus of claim 1, wherein the online tattoo marketplace is configured to accept a payment, via a mobile application or a website, prior to allowing downloading of an available tattoo design on the online tattoo marketplace, and wherein at least a portion of the payment is designated to be distributed to a user who contributed the downloaded available tattoo design. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tattoo apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received data from the online tattoo marketplace corresponding to the tattoo design is received by the tattooing apparatus after receiving payment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tattoo apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received data from the online tattoo marketplace corresponding to the tattoo design is utilized by the tattoo apparatus during robotic application of the tattoo design at least in part by being compared to data measured by the target site analyzer during robotically applying the tattoo. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tattoo apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller executing the programming further causes the tattoo apparatus to: in response to a user selecting the tattoo design, receive, via the online tattoo marketplace for tattoo designs, authorization data for the user's selection of the tattoo design, wherein the authorization data includes a token or a credit for applying the selected tattoo design to the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tattoo apparatus of claim 1, wherein after the tattoo design is selected in the online tattoo marketplace, an artist who created the selected tattoo design receives payment for the tattoo design. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tattoo apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tattoo designs available on the online tattoo marketplace were contributed by at least one of an artist, another user, company, or the subject. ### Claim 8 A method for applying a tattoo, the method comprising: receiving, by a tattoo apparatus, data from an online tattoo marketplace corresponding to a tattoo design to be applied to a user, wherein the online tattoo marketplace enables users to at least one of upload, browse, select, or download tattoo designs; converting, by the tattoo apparatus, the received data to a tattoo protocol including tattoo dots for applying the tattoo on the user; and robotically applying, via a tattoo device of the tattoo apparatus having at least one needle, the tattoo corresponding to the tattoo design by executing the tattoo protocol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the online tattoo marketplace is configured to accept a payment prior to allowing the user to download an available tattoo design on the online tattoo marketplace, and wherein at least a portion of the payment is designated to be distributed to a user who contributed the downloaded available tattoo design. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the data from the online tattoo marketplace corresponding to the tattoo design is received by the tattooing apparatus after receiving payment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the data from the online tattoo marketplace corresponding to the tattoo design is utilized by the tattoo apparatus during robotic application of the tattoo design at least in part by being compared to data measured from a subject's skin during robotically applying the tattoo. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: in response to a user selecting the tattoo design, receiving, via the online tattoo marketplace for tattoo designs, authorization data for the user's selection of the tattoo design, wherein the authorization data includes a token or a credit for applying the selected tattoo design to the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein after the tattoo design is selected in the online tattoo marketplace, an artist who created the selected tattoo design receives payment for the tattoo design. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the tattoo designs available on the online tattoo marketplace were contributed by at least one of an artist, another user, company, or the user. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform a process for applying a tattoo, the process comprising: receiving, by a tattoo apparatus, data from an online tattoo marketplace corresponding to a tattoo design to be applied to a user, wherein the online tattoo marketplace enables users, via a mobile application, to upload, browse, select, or download tattoo designs; converting, by the tattoo apparatus, the received data to a tattoo protocol including tattoo dots for applying the tattoo on the user; and robotically applying, via a tattoo device having at least one needle, the tattoo corresponding to the tattoo design by executing the tattoo protocol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the online tattoo marketplace is configured to accept a payment prior to allowing the user to download an available tattoo design on the online tattoo marketplace, and wherein at least a portion of the payment is designated to be distributed to a user who contributed the downloaded available tattoo design. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the data from the online tattoo marketplace corresponding to the tattoo design is received by the tattooing apparatus after receiving payment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the data from the online tattoo marketplace corresponding to the tattoo design is utilized by the tattoo apparatus during robotic application of the tattoo design at least in part by being compared to data measured from a subject's skin during robotically applying the tattoo. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the process further comprises: in response to a user selecting the tattoo design, receiving, via the online tattoo marketplace for tattoo designs, authorization data for the user's selection of the tattoo design, wherein the authorization data includes a token or a credit for applying the selected tattoo design to the user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein after the tattoo design is selected in the online tattoo marketplace, an artist who created the selected tattoo design receives payment for the tattoo design, and wherein the tattoo designs available on the online tattoo marketplace were contributed by at least one of an artist, another user, company, or the user.