Drawing apparatus and drawing method for drawing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894978-B2
Application number	US-201615233607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Sep 4, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A drawing apparatus including a drawing head to which a drawing tool is mounted, the drawing tool drawing on a drawing object; a drawing testing portion having a drawing media on which an image is drawn by the drawing tool; and a control unit.
The control unit interrupts drawing on the drawing object by the drawing tool and attempts drawing on the drawing media by the drawing tool in the drawing testing portion when the drawing on the drawing object by the drawing tool is not performed correctly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drawing apparatus comprising:
a drawing head to which a drawing tool for drawing on a drawing object is exchangeably mounted;
a stocker for storing at least one drawing tool;
an exchanging unit capable of exchanging the drawing tool mounted to the drawing head with the drawing tool stored in the stocker;
a drawing testing portion which has a drawing media on which an image is to be drawn by the drawing tool mounted to the drawing head; and
a processor;
wherein:
when a first drawing tool is mounted to the drawing head and a second drawing tool that is a different type than the first drawing tool is stored in the stocker, and the drawing on the drawing object by the first drawing tool is not performed correctly, the processor interrupts drawing on the drawing object by the first drawing tool and attempts drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool in the drawing testing portion, and the processor prompts a user to decide whether or not to exchange the first drawing tool mounted to the drawing head with the second drawing tool stored in the stocker by using the exchanging unit when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool is not performed correctly.

2. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera which images an object;
wherein the processor determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing object by the first drawing tool is performed correctly based on a result of imaging of the drawing object by the camera while the first drawing tool is caused to perform the drawing on the drawing object.

3. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera which images an object;
wherein:
the processor determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly after the attempting of the drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool in the drawing testing portion, based on a result of imaging the drawing media by the camera; and
the processor resumes the drawing on the drawing object by the first drawing tool when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly.

4. The drawing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a display;
wherein the processor displays a command prompting the user to replace the first drawing tool when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool is not performed correctly.

5. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera which images an object;
wherein:
when a third drawing tool that is of a same type as the first drawing tool, and that can be a replacement for the first drawing tool is stored in the stocker, the processor:
determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly after the attempting of the drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool in the drawing testing portion, based on a result of imaging the drawing media by the camera; and
exchanges the first drawing tool mounted to the drawing head with the third drawing tool stored in the stocker using the exchanging unit when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool is not performed correctly.

6. The drawing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor:
attempts the drawing on the drawing media by the third drawing tool in the drawing testing portion after exchanging the first drawing tool on the drawing head with the third drawing tool using the exchanging unit;
determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing media by the third drawing tool is performed correctly, based on a result of imaging the drawing media by the camera; and
resumes the first drawing on the drawing object by the third drawing tool when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media by the third drawing tool is performed correctly.

7. The drawing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera which images an object; and
a display;
wherein the processor:
determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly after the attempting of the drawing on the drawing media by the first drawing tool in the drawing testing portion, based on a result of imaging the drawing media by the camera; and
when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media is not performed correctly, generates and causes the display to display an image expected to be drawn on the drawing object when the drawing on the drawing object is continued by the second drawing tool, and causes the display to display a command prompting the user to decide whether or not to continue the drawing on the drawing object by the second drawing tool.

8. The drawing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor:
exchanges the first drawing tool mounted to the drawing head with the second drawing tool stored in the stocker using the exchanging unit when the user commands that the drawing by the second drawing tool be continued;
attempts drawing on the drawing media by the second drawing tool in the drawing testing portion after exchanging the first drawing tool on the drawing head with the second drawing tool using the exchanging unit;
determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly, based on a result of imaging the drawing media by the camera; and
resumes the drawing on the drawing object by the second drawing tool when the processor determines that the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly.

9. The drawing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the stocker stores a plurality of the second drawing tools, and each of the plurality of second drawing tools is of a different type from each other; and
the processor:
when determination is made that the drawing on the drawing media is not performed correctly, generates and displays on the display a plurality of images expected to be drawn on the drawing object when the drawing on the drawing object is continued by each of the plurality of second drawing tools and displays on the display a command prompting the user to decide whether or not to continue the drawing, and with which of the plurality of second drawing tools;
when the user commands that the drawing be continued by a specific drawing tool of the plurality of second drawing tools, exchanges the first drawing tool mounted to the drawing head with the specific drawing tool of the plurality of second drawing tools stored in the stocker by the exchanging unit;
attempts drawing on the drawing media by the specific drawing tool in the drawing testing portion after the first drawing tool on the drawing head has been exchanged with the specific drawing tool by the exchanging unit;
determines whether or not the drawing on the drawing media is performed correctly based on a result of imaging the drawing media by the camera; and
resumes the drawing on the drawing object by the specific drawing tool when the drawing on the drawing media is determined to be performed correctly.

10. A drawing method for a drawing apparatus, the drawing apparatus comprising: a drawing head to which a drawing tool for drawing on a drawing object is exchangeably mounted; a stocker for storing at least one drawing tool; an exchanging unit capable of exchanging the drawing tool mounted to the drawing head with the drawing tool stored in the stocker; and a drawing testing portion which has a drawing media on which an image is to be drawn by the drawing tool mounted to the drawing head;
wherein, when a first drawing tool is mounted to the drawing head, and a second drawing tool that is a differ

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagao Tomoyuki

Classifications

• A45D29/22 Primary

  Finger-supports · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  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

• G06T7/0002

  Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection · CPC title

• G06T7/001 Primary

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• A45D34/041

  using a roller, a disc or a ball · CPC title