Granted Patent B2

US 12,465,739 · App. 18/538,923 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Inventors: Yan Azdoud (Austin, TX); Joel Richard Pennington (Austin, TX); Eric Nelson Watts (Austin, TX); Deniz Ozturk (Philadelphia, PA); Anna Ailene Scott (Austin, TX); Christopher Daniel Kelley (Georgetown, TX)

Assignee: Blackdot, Inc.

A61M37/0076A61B34/30A61M37/0084B25J9/1679B25J9/1697B25J15/0019G05B19/4155G06Q20/1235G06Q20/3825G06Q20/40G06V10/225G06V10/56H04L67/12A61M2205/3306A61M2205/6063A61M2210/04G05B2219/50391G06V10/245

Abstract

Claims (35)

1 . A method for applying a tattoo, comprising:

receiving data associated with a tattoo design selected by a subject;

generating a tattoo protocol based on a tattoo design;

measuring at least one characteristic of the subject's skin using at least one sensor while one or more layers of the subject's skin are punctured by at least one needle of an automated tattooing apparatus;

modifying the tattoo protocol based on the at least one characteristic; and

robotically executing the tattoo protocol to robotically apply the tattoo using the automatic tattooing apparatus.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating tattooing instructions for the automatic tattooing apparatus based on the selected tattoo design and the measuring of the at least one characteristic.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing payment to an artist who created the selected tattoo design, wherein the payment is a commission or royalty-based payment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting needle extension, number of needle punctures, needle tip configuration, and/or number of needles to affect tattoo dot size, aesthetic quality, color saturation, color gradient, and/or color tone.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a digital representation of the tattoo design; and

wherein the tattooing protocol is generated for applying ink according to the digital representation of the tattoo design.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting needle extension of a needle used to apply ink to the subject so as to compensate for dimensional information of needle and/or skin position information.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the selection of the tattoo design is via an online tattoo marketplace that allows browsing of tattoo designs and selecting of the tattoo design via a mobile application or a web browser.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the tattoo designs available on the online tattoo marketplace are contributed by at least one of an artist, another user, company, or the subject.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising converting the tattoo design into dot position settings and puncture settings.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating actuator commands using a tattoo protocol executable by the automatic tattooing apparatus based on the dot position and puncture settings.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the dot position settings are configured for injecting pigment at determining injection sites.

12 . A method for robotically applying a tattoo, comprising:

measuring at least one characteristic of a subject's skin using at least one sensor of a tattoo apparatus while one or more layers of the subject's skin are punctured by at least one needle of the tattoo apparatus;

identifying locations for dots at a target site along the subject;

analyzing the measured at least one characteristic to determine that a tip of the at least one needle is positioned in a target layer of the subject; and

injecting ink at the identified locations and in the target layer using the at least one needle of the tattoo apparatus to robotically form portion of the tattoo.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising using the same at least one needle to puncture the one or more layers and to inject the ink.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising automatically adjusting needle extension to apply ink to the subject to compensate for at least one of

dimensional information of a needle, or

skin position information.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining needle extension for applying ink to the subject based on dimensional information of the needle and/or skin position information; and

robotically applying ink by varying needle extension based on the determined needle extension.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting needle extension to apply ink to the subject to compensate for a length of the needle.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting needle extension to apply ink to the subject to compensate for a skin height position.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

generating a tattoo protocol based on a tattoo design; and

injecting ink at the identified locations and in the target layer using the at least one needle according to the tattoo protocol.

Continuity (8)

References Cited (131)