IP Library Granted Patent US 10,022,984
Granted Patent B2
US 10,022,984 · App. 15/434,495 · Granted Jul 17, 2018

Drawing apparatus and drawing method for drawing apparatus

Inventor: Tamotsu Irie (Higashiyamato, JP)
Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
B41J3/4073A45D29/00A45D34/04B41J2/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,022,984
App. No.
15/434,495
Granted
Jul 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A drawing apparatus including a drawing unit that detachably holds a drawing tool that performs a drawing on an object and a drawing tool standby unit for causing at least one spare drawing tool to stand by. In a state where a first drawing tool is caused to be held in the drawing unit and a second drawing tool is caused to be held in the drawing tool standby unit, the drawing unit is controlled to perform a drawing within a first region of the object by using the first drawing tool and, when a first undrawn area occurred within the first region, the first undrawn area being an area where the first drawing tool was not performed correctly, the first drawing tool held is caused to be replaced with the second drawing tool; and the drawing unit is caused to perform a drawing in the undrawn area by using the second drawing tool.

Claims (47)

1. A drawing apparatus comprising:

a drawing head that detachably holds a first drawing tool for drawing on an object;

a drawing tool standby unit that causes a second drawing tool to stand by; and

a processor;

wherein the processor:

in a state where the first drawing tool is held in the drawing head and the second drawing tool is held in the drawing tool standby unit, controls the drawing head to perform drawing within a first region of the object by using the first drawing tool;

causes the first drawing tool to be replaced with the second drawing tool when a first undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool, the first undrawn area being an area where the drawing using the first drawing tool was not performed correctly; and

controls the drawing head to perform drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool; and

wherein each of the first drawing tool and the second drawing tool includes an ink cartridge that stores ink and an ink discharging portion that performs drawing on the object by discharging the ink on the object.

2. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first drawing tool is configured to perform drawing on the object by using a first ink stored in the ink cartridge of the first drawing tool;

the second drawing tool is configured to perform drawing on the object by using a second ink stored in the ink cartridge of the second drawing tool; and

the first ink and the second ink are different from each other.

3. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a camera provided for imaging the object;

wherein after the processor has controlled the drawing head to perform the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool, the processor causes the camera to image the first region of the object, and determines whether or not the first undrawn area exists within the first region based on information of an image of the first region imaged by the camera.

4. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the processor controls the drawing head to perform drawing in the first region by using the first drawing tool by causing the first drawing tool to move along a first direction in the first region; and

the processor controls the drawing head to perform drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool and causing the second drawing tool to move along a second direction different from the first direction in the first undrawn area.

5. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the first undrawn area exists within the first region and after the processor has controlled the drawing head to replace the first drawing tool held in the drawing head with the second drawing tool, the processor controls the drawing head to perform the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool and subsequently controls the drawing head to perform drawing in a second region different from the first region by using the second drawing tool.

6. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a display;

wherein when the first undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool, the processor causes the display to display a message prompting inspection of the first drawing tool or replacement of the first drawing tool with the second drawing tool.

7. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a display;

wherein when the first undrawn area exists in the first region after performing the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool and the processor has controlled the drawing head to replace the first drawing tool held in the drawing head with the second drawing tool, and when a second undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool, the second undrawn area being an area where the drawing using the second drawing tool was not performed correctly, the processor causes the display to display a first message indicating that the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool was not correctly performed or a second message prompting replacement of the second drawing tool.

8. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object is a nail of a finger or a toe.

9. A drawing method for a drawing apparatus, the drawing apparatus comprising a drawing head that detachably holds a first drawing tool for drawing on an object and a drawing tool standby unit that causes a second drawing tool to stand by, each of the first drawing tool and the second drawing tool including an ink cartridge that stores ink and an ink discharging portion that performs drawing on the object by discharging the ink on the object, and the drawing method comprising:

in a state where the first drawing tool is held in the drawing head and the second drawing tool is held in the drawing tool standby unit, controlling the drawing head to perform drawing within a first region of the object by using the first drawing tool;

causing the first drawing tool to be replaced with the second drawing tool when a first undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool, the first undrawn area being an area where the drawing using the first drawing tool was not performed correctly; and

controlling the drawing head to perform drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool.

10. The drawing method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the first drawing tool is configured to perform drawing on the object by using a first ink stored in the ink cartridge of the first drawing tool;

the second drawing tool is configured to perform drawing on the object by using a second ink stored in the ink cartridge of the second drawing tool; and

the first ink and the second ink are different from each other.

11. The drawing method according to claim 9 , wherein the drawing apparatus further comprises a camera provided for imaging the object; and

wherein the drawing method further comprises:

after the drawing head has been controlled to perform the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool, controlling the camera to image the first region of the object; and

determined determining whether or not the first undrawn area exists within the first region based on information of an image of the first region imaged by the camera.

12. The drawing method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the controlling the drawing head to perform the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool includes causing the first drawing tool to move along a first direction in the first region; and

the controlling the drawing head to perform the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool includes causing the second drawing tool to move along a second direction different from the first direction in the first undrawn area.

13. The drawing method according to claim 9 , further comprising, after the drawing head has been controlled to perform the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool, controlling the drawing head to perform drawing in a second region different from the first region by using the second drawing tool.

14. The drawing method according to claim 9 , wherein the drawing apparatus further comprises a display; and

wherein the drawing method further comprises: when the first undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool, controlling the display to display a message prompting inspection of the first drawing tool or replacement of the first drawing tool with the second drawing tool.

15. The drawing method according to claim 9 , wherein the drawing apparatus further comprises a display; and

wherein the drawing method further comprises, when the first undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing within the first region of the object by using the first drawing tool and the drawing head has been controlled to replace the first drawing tool held in the drawing head with the second drawing tool, and when a second undrawn area exists within the first region after performing the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool, the second undrawn area being an area where the drawing using the second drawing tool was not performed correctly, controlling the display to display a first message indicating that the drawing in the first undrawn area by using the second drawing tool was not correctly performed or a second message prompting replacement of the second drawing tool.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2017
From: IRIE, TAMOTSU
To: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 041277/0638 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-054637 · Mar 18, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170266983A1 · Sep 21, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,295,475