Drawing device and drawing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772292-B2
Application number	US-202117376877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jan 16, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A drawing device includes a pen fixed to a cartridge, a mover, a conveyer, a processor, and a memory. The memory stores for each classification of each of a plurality of objects, drawing data representing control conditions of the mover and the conveyer for drawing the object, and angle data representing a fixed angle of the pen with respect to the cartridge when drawing the object. The processor receives at least one of the classifications of the plurality of objects, reads out and acquires, from the memory, the drawing data and the angle data corresponding to the received at least one classification. The processor also displays, on a display, fixed angle information corresponding to the fixed angle represented by the acquired angle data, controls the mover and the conveyer on the basis of the acquired drawing data, and draws the object of the received classification on a target object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drawing device that draws on a target object using a pen fixed to a cartridge, the drawing device comprising:
a mover configured to move the cartridge in a first direction;
a conveyer configured to convey the target object in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
a processor configured to control the mover and the conveyer to cause the cartridge and the target object to move relative to each other, and to draw an object on the target object using the pen; and
a memory configured to store, for each classification of each of a plurality of the objects, drawing data representing control conditions of the mover and the conveyer for drawing the object, and angle data representing a fixed angle of the pen with respect to the cartridge when drawing the object, the fixed angle being an angle in a rotation direction with a direction in which an axis line of the pen fixed to the cartridge extends as a rotation axis, and the memory being configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
receiving at least one of the classifications of the plurality of objects;
reading out and acquiring, from the memory, the drawing data and the angle data corresponding to the received at least one classification;
displaying, on a display, fixed angle information corresponding to the fixed angle represented by the acquired angle data;
controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of the acquired drawing data; and
drawing the object of the received classification on the target object.

2. The drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of objects include a character,
the classifications are categorized for each of fonts of the character, and
the memory stores the angle data for each of the classifications.

3. The drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
acquiring a rotation command to rotate the object of the received classification; and
updating the fixed angle represented by the acquired angle data, in accordance with a rotation amount of the object to be rotated on the basis of the acquired rotation command, and
displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to the updated fixed angle.

4. The drawing device according to claim 3 , wherein
when the updated fixed angle matches a value of an integral multiple of a predetermined value, the processor displays, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to the updated fixed angle, and
when the updated fixed angle differs from a value of an integral multiple of the predetermined value, the processor displays, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a value closest to the updated fixed angle, of values of integral multiples of the predetermined value.

5. The drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
receiving the classifications of each of the plurality of objects;
acquiring, from the memory, first drawing data and first angle data corresponding to a first classification that is one of the received plurality of classifications;
displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a first fixed angle represented by the acquired first angle data;
controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of the acquired first drawing data;
drawing a first object of the received first classification on the target object;
acquiring, from the memory, second drawing data and second angle data corresponding to a second classification that is one of the received plurality of classifications other than the first classification;
after drawing the first object on the target object, displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a second fixed angle represented by the acquired second angle data; and
after displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to the second fixed angle, controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of the acquired second drawing data, and
drawing a second object of the received second classification on the target object.

6. The drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
receiving the classifications of each of the plurality of objects;
acquiring, from the memory, a plurality of the drawing data and a plurality of the angle data corresponding to the plurality of received classifications;
displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a specific first fixed angle, of a plurality of fixed angles represented by the acquired plurality of angle data;
controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of first drawing data corresponding to first angle data representing the first fixed angle, of the acquired plurality of drawing data;
drawing, on the target object, a segment corresponding to the first drawing data, of each of the plurality of objects of the received plurality of classifications;
after drawing the segment corresponding to the first drawing data on the target object, displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a second fixed angle, of the plurality of fixed angles represented by the acquired plurality of angle data, that is an angle other than the first fixed angle;
after displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to the second fixed angle, controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of second drawing data corresponding to second angle data representing the second fixed angle, of the acquired plurality of drawing data; and
drawing, on the target object, a segment corresponding to the second drawing data, of each of the plurality of objects of the received plurality of classifications.

7. The drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the object includes a plurality of line segments,
the memory stores, for each of the plurality of line segments, line segment drawing data representing control conditions of the mover and the conveyer for drawing each of the plurality of line segments, and line segment angle data representing the fixed angle of the pen with respect to the cartridge when drawing the line segment, and
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
acquiring, from the memory, first line segment drawing data and first line segment angle data corresponding to a first line segment that is one of the plurality of line segments included in the object of the received classification;
displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a third fixed angle represented by the acquired first line segment angle data;
controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of the acquired first line segment drawing data;
drawing the first line segment on the target object;
acquiring, from the memory, second line segment drawing data and second line segment angle data corresponding to a second line segment, of the plurality of line segments included in the object of the received classification, that is a line segment other than the first line segment,
after drawing the first line segment on the target object, displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to a fourth fixed angle represented by the acquired second line segment angle data;
after displaying, on the display, the fixed angle information corresponding to the fourth fixed angle, controlling the mover and the conveyer on the basis of the acquired second line

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yamada Yoshihiro
• Abe Daisuke

Classifications

• B26D5/005 Primary

  Computer numerical control means · CPC title

• B43L13/00

  Drawing instruments, or writing or drawing appliances or accessories not otherwise provided for (stencils for surface decoration B44D) · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G06F3/13

  Digital output to plotter {; Cooperation and interconnection of the plotter with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title