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US 12,202,247 B2Granted
Printing utilizing a virtual mask
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorTodd W. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for printing on an article are disclosed. An embodiment of a method may include the generation of a virtual mask that can designate areas for printing and/or designate areas to exclude from printing. A method may include utilization of the virtual mask during either 2D or 3D printing such that a print design is printed in areas designated for printing by the virtual mask.
Claims20
A method of printing on an article, the method comprising:
- imaging a surface of the article with a sensor system and generating a digital representation of the article;
- applying an edge detection process to the digital representation to identify a presence of different surface types, the different surfaces types comprising at least a first surface type and a second surface type;
- receiving a print design for the article;
- and
- processing the digital representation to designate one or more print areas for the first surface type and to designate one or more no-print areas for the second surface type;
- wherein the one or more print areas designate areas on the surface of the article upon which printing of the print design is permitted, and the one or more no-print areas designate areas on the surface of the article upon which printing of the print design is not permitted.
3 more elements
An apparatus for printing on an article, the apparatus comprising:
- a sensor system including one or more image capture devices configured to generate a digital representation a surface of the article;
- and
- a computing system, the computing system configured to apply an edge detection process to the digital representation to identify the presence of different surface types, the different surfaces types comprising at least a first surface type and a second surface type;
- wherein the computing system is configured to process the digital representation to designate one or more print areas for the first surface type and to designate one or more no-print areas for the second surface type;
- and
- wherein the one or more print areas designate areas on the surface of the article upon which printing is permitted, and the one or more no-print areas designate areas on the surface of the article upon which printing is not permitted.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.