Drawing apparatus and drawing control method for drawing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185154-A1
Application number	US-201514981205-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A drawing apparatus includes a drawing unit, a test-writing portion, and a control unit including a drawing tool identification unit.
At least one drawing tool is loaded in the drawing unit and the drawing tool draws on a drawing target and a drawing medium different from the drawing target. A drawing medium is placed on the test-writing portion. The drawing tool identification unit acquires a test target image from an area on the drawing medium drawn with the drawing tool in the test-writing portion, and identifies a type of the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit on the basis of the test target image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A drawing apparatus comprising:
a drawing unit in which at least one drawing tool is loaded, the drawing tool drawing on a drawing target and a drawing medium different from the drawing target; a test-writing portion on which the drawing medium is placed; and a control unit which includes a drawing tool identification unit configured to identify a type of the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit on the basis of a test target image acquired from an area on the drawing medium drawn with the drawing tool in the test-writing portion.

2 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drawing tool is a pen having a tip part which applies ink to the drawing target and the drawing medium to draw on the drawing target and the drawing medium, and the type of drawing tool corresponds to at least one of a kind of ink and a thickness of the tip part.

3 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drawing tool identification unit determines whether at least one particular kind of the drawing tool, which is necessary to draw a particular nail design selected by a user, is loaded in the drawing unit on the basis of the identification result.

4 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a display unit, wherein
the control unit includes a display control unit which causes the display unit to display image information representing that the particular drawing tool is not loaded in the drawing unit to notify the user in a case where the drawing tool identification unit has determined that the particular drawing tool is not loaded in the drawing unit.

5 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case where the drawing tool identification unit has determined that the particular drawing tool is not loaded in the drawing unit, the display control unit executes at least one of the following: (i) causing the display unit to display an image showing how the nail design looks like in a case where the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit is used; and (ii) causing the display unit to display other candidate or candidates of the nail design, which is different from the particular nail design and which can be drawn with the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit, so that the user can decide a drawing procedure to draw on the drawing target with the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit.

6 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit includes a drawing position correction unit configured to determine whether a drawing position of the drawing tool on the drawing medium is displaced from a preset normal drawing position on the basis of the test target image, and in a case where it has been determined that the drawing position is displaced from the preset normal drawing position, calculate a correction value for correcting the drawing position to the normal drawing position.

7 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the control unit includes: a drawing control unit configured to control the drawing unit to control drawing on the drawing medium in the test-writing portion with the drawing tool and drawing of the particular nail design on the drawing target; and a drawing data generation unit configured to generate drawing data for drawing the particular nail design on the drawing target with the drawing tool on the basis of image data of the particular nail design, wherein the drawing data generation unit applies the correction value to the drawing data, and the drawing control unit controls the drawing unit on the basis of the drawing data after the correction value is applied, when the particular nail design is drawn on the drawing target with the drawing tool.

8 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the drawing target is a finger nail of a hand or a foot; and the drawing medium is a sheet of paper.

9 . A drawing apparatus comprising:
a drawing unit in which at least one drawing tool, which draws on a drawing target and a drawing medium different from the drawing target, is loaded; a test-writing portion on which the drawing medium is placed; and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes a drawing position correction unit configured to determine whether a drawing position of the drawing tool is displaced from a preset normal drawing position on the basis of a test target image acquired from an area of the drawing medium drawn with the drawing tool in the test-writing portion, and in a case where it has been determined that the drawing position is displaced from the preset normal drawing position, calculate a correction value for correcting the drawing position to the normal drawing position.

10 . The drawing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the control unit includes: a drawing control unit configured to control the drawing unit to control drawing on the drawing medium in the test-writing portion with the drawing tool and drawing of the particular nail design on the drawing target; and a drawing data generation unit configured to generate drawing data for drawing the particular nail design on the drawing target with the drawing tool on the basis of image data of the particular nail design, wherein the drawing data generation unit applies the correction value to the drawing data, and the drawing control unit controls the drawing unit on the basis of the drawing data after the correction value is applied, when the particular nail design is drawn on the drawing target with the drawing tool.

11 . A drawing control method of a drawing apparatus,
wherein the drawing apparatus includes a drawing unit in which at least one drawing tool, which draws on a drawing target and a drawing medium different from the drawing target, is loaded, and a test-writing portion on which the drawing medium is placed, the drawing control method comprising: a test-writing step of drawing with the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit on the drawing medium placed on the test-writing portion; an image acquiring step of acquiring a test target image from an area of the drawing medium on which drawing with the drawing tool is carried out; and a identifying step of identifying a type of the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit on the basis of the test target image.

12 . The drawing control method of a drawing apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a determining step of determining whether at least one particular kind of the drawing tool, which is necessary to draw a particular nail design selected by a user, is loaded in the drawing unit on the basis of a result of the identifying step.

13 . The drawing control method of a drawing apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a notifying step of displaying image information representing that the particular drawing tool is not loaded in the drawing unit on a display unit to notify the user in a case where it has been determined that the particular drawing tool is not loaded in the drawing unit in the determining step.

14 . The drawing control method of a drawing apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a deciding step, in a case where it has been determined that the particular drawing tool is not loaded in the drawing unit in the determining step, executing at least one of the following: (i) causing the display unit to display an image showing how the nail design looks like in a case where the drawing tool loaded in the drawing unit is used; and (ii) causing the display unit to display other candidate or candidates of the nail design, which is different from the particu

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bitoh Hiroyasu

Classifications

• A45D2029/005

  Printing or stamping devices for applying images or ornaments to nails · CPC title

• A45D29/00 Primary

  Manicuring or pedicuring implements · CPC title

• B43L13/00 Primary

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

• B41J3/4073

  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) · CPC title