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US 2019/0315117 A1Published application
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 partially printing a print design, the method comprising:
- receiving an article on a surface of a print system;
- forming a digitized image of the article using a sensor system;
- identifying tangible areas of the article represented in the digitized image using a computing system, the tangible areas being portions of the article that form a surface of the article that can receive a print material thereon;
- identifying a plurality of apertures in the surface of the article represented in the digitized image, respective ones of the plurality of apertures being at least partially surrounded by the tangible areas;
- receiving a print design for the article;
- and
- printing less than all of the print design on the article by instructing the print system to:
- print portions of the print design that are correspond to tangible portions in the digitized image, and
- exclude portions of the print design that correspond to apertures in the digitized image.
6 more elements
An apparatus for partially printing a print design on an article, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing, the housing including a surface configured to receive the article;
- a printing device including a nozzle assembly configured to discharge a print material;
- a sensor system configured to generate a digitized image of the article on the surface of the housing;
- and
- a computing system, the computing system configured to:
- identifying tangible areas of the article represented in the digitized image using a computing system, the tangible areas being portions of the article that form a surface of the article that can receive a print material thereon;
- identifying a plurality of apertures in the surface of the article represented in the digitized image, respective ones of the plurality of apertures being at least partially surrounded by the tangible areas;
- receiving a print design for the article;
- and
- instruct the printing device to print portions of the print design that are correspond to tangible portions in the digitized image and exclude portions of the print design that correspond to apertures in the digitized image.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.