# US 9,434,181 B1 · Printing device and printing method

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- Number: US 9,434,181 B1
- Document ID: US9434181B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/744,343
- Filed: 2015-06-19
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-19
- Assignees: Roland Dg Corporation
- Applicants: Roland DG Corporation
- Inventors: Yasutoshi Nakamura; Jun Ueda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434181B1

## CPC

- B41J 3/4073: {Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112)}
- B41J 3/28: for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes {, envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A printing device includes a table that allows a plurality of printing subjects to be placed thereon, a projection device that projects a binary pattern to the printing subjects placed on the table, an image capturing device that captures an image of the printing subjects having the binary pattern projected thereon, a three-dimensional information acquirer that acquires a spatial code image from the image captured by the image capturing device and acquires three-dimensional information on the printing subjects from the acquired spatial code image, a recognizer that recognizes a position and a posture of each of the printing subjects from the acquired three-dimensional information, a disposer that disposes a printing image on each of the printing subjects in accordance with the position and posture thereof, and a printing data generator that generates printing data on the printing image disposed on each of the printing subjects.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing device that acquires three-dimensional information on at least one printing subject having a three-dimensional shape and prints a predetermined printing image as a two-dimensional image on the at least one printing subject, the printing device comprising:
a table that allows the at least one printing subject to be placed thereon;
a projector that projects a predetermined pattern to the at least one printing subject placed on the table;
an image generator that captures an image of the at least one printing subject having the predetermined pattern projected thereon;
a three-dimensional information acquirer that acquires a spatial code image from the image captured by the image generator and acquires the three-dimensional information on the at least one printing subject from the acquired spatial code image;
a recognizer that recognizes a position and a posture of each of the at least one printing subject from the acquired three-dimensional information;
a disposer that disposes the printing image on each of the at least one printing subject in accordance with the position and the posture thereof; and
a printing data generator that generates printing data representing the printing image disposed by the disposer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A printing device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a printing head that performs printing on the at least one printing subject; and
an adjuster that acquires height information on a greatest height of the at least one printing subject from the three-dimensional information and adjusts a gap between the table and the printing head by use of the acquired height information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A printing device according to claim 1, wherein:
the projector projects a binary pattern as the predetermined pattern to the at least one printing subject while shifting the binary pattern;
the image generator captures an image of the projected binary pattern each time the binary pattern is shifted; and
the three-dimensional information acquirer acquires a phase shift image formed by synthesis of the images of the binary pattern captured each time the binary pattern is shifted, and acquires the three-dimensional information from a synthesis image formed by synthesis of the acquired phase shift image and the spatial code image.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A printing device according to claim 1, wherein
the at least one printing subject includes a plurality of printing subjects, and the recognizer includes:
a divider that divides point group data as the three-dimensional information on the plurality of printing subjects placed on the table into a plurality of pieces of point group data, each of which represents one of the plurality of printing subjects;
a setter that sets, as first point group data, point group data on one of the plurality of printing subjects onto which the printing image is allowed to be input by an operator, among the plurality of pieces of point group data, and sets each of all the plurality of pieces of point group data as second point group data;
a distance image generator that generates a first distance image as two-dimensional information from the first point group data, and generates a second distance image as two-dimensional information from the second point group data;
a first calculator that calculates a first transformation matrix usable to make the first distance image close to the second distance image;
a second calculator that expands the first transformation matrix into a transformation matrix usable to perform transformation into three-dimensional coordinates, and calculates a second transformation matrix usable to transform the first point group data such that the first point group data is made close to the second point group data; and
a third calculator that calculates, from the second transformation matrix, a third transformation matrix usable to dispose the printing image, input onto the first distance image, on the second distance image; and
the disposer transforms the printing image on the first distance image by use of the third transformation matrix and disposes the printing image on the second distance image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

A printing device according to claim 2, wherein the printing head is an ink head that injects ink by an inkjet system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A printing device according to claim 4, wherein to calculate the first transformation matrix, the first calculator moves the first distance image such that a center of gravity of the first distance image overlaps a center of gravity of the second distance image, and rotates the first distance image in units of a predetermined angle such that the first distance image is close to the second distance image.

### Claim 7

A printing method by which three-dimensional information on at least one printing subject having a three-dimensional shape that is placed on a table is acquired, and a predetermined printing image as a two-dimensional image is printed on the at least one printing subject, the printing method comprising:
projecting a predetermined pattern onto the at least one printing subject placed on the table;
capturing an image of the at least one printing subject having the predetermined pattern projected thereon;
acquiring a spatial code image from the captured image, and acquiring the three-dimensional information on the at least one printing subject from the acquired spatial code image;
recognizing a position and a posture of each of the at least one printing subject from the acquired three-dimensional information;
disposing the printing image on each of the at least one printing subject in accordance with the position and the posture thereof; and
generating printing data on the printing image disposed on the at least one printing subject.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A printing method according to claim 7, further comprising:
acquiring height information on a greatest height of the at least one printing subject from the three-dimensional information; and
adjusting, by use of the acquired height information, a gap between the table and a printing head that performs printing on the at least one printing subject.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A printing method according to claim 7, wherein:
a binary pattern as the predetermined pattern is projected onto the at least one printing subject while being shifted;
an image of the projected binary pattern is captured each time the binary pattern is shifted; and
a phase shift image formed by synthesis of the images of the binary pattern captured each time the binary pattern is shifted is acquired, and the three-dimensional information is acquired from a synthesis image formed by synthesis of the acquired phase shift image and the spatial code image.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A printing method according to claim 7, wherein:
the at least one printing subject includes a plurality of printing subjects;
point group data as the three-dimensional information on the plurality of printing subjects placed on the table is divided into a plurality of pieces of point group data, each of which represents one of the plurality of printing subjects;
point group data on one of the plurality of printing subjects onto which the printing image is allowed to be input by an operator, among the plurality of pieces of point group data, is set as first point group data, and each of all the plurality of pieces of point group data is set as second point group data;
a first distance image as two-dimensional information is generated from the first point group data, and a second distance image as two-dimensional information is generated from the second point group data;
a first transformation matrix usable to make the first distance image close to the second distance image is calculated;
the first transformation matrix is expanded into a transformation matrix usable to perform transformation into three-dimensional coordinates, and a second transformation matrix usable to transform the first point group data such that the first point group data is made close to the second point group data is calculated; and
a third transformation matrix usable to dispose the printing image, input onto the first distance image, on the second distance image is calculated from the second transformation matrix; and
the printing image on the first distance image is transformed by use of the third transformation matrix, and the printing image is disposed on the second distance image.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

A printing method according to claim 8, wherein the printing head is an ink head that injects ink by an inkjet system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A printing method according to claim 10, wherein, to calculate the first transformation matrix, the first distance image is moved such that a center of gravity of the first distance image overlaps a center of gravity of the second distance image, and the first distance image is rotated in units of a predetermined angle such that the first distance image is close to the second distance image.