JP7524566B2 - Printing device, printing control method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device, a printing control method, and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art Printing devices (drawing devices, nail print devices) that print nail designs on fingernails or the like are known.
In order to print a nail design on a nail, it is necessary to recognize the shape of the nail and fit the nail design to it.

However, since the color of the nail is similar to the color of the surrounding skin, it is difficult to correctly recognize the shape of the nail.
Therefore, it is conceivable to apply a base coat of a color that can be clearly distinguished from the color of the nail or skin, such as white, to the area where the design is to be printed, and then print the design within this area.
In this case, for example, the nail on which the base has been applied is photographed with a camera or the like, and the obtained image is subjected to image processing or the like, whereby the printing range can be specified automatically and accurately.
In addition, applying a base coat improves the adhesion of the ink when printing the design and allows the ink's original color to emerge more vividly, making it possible to achieve beautifully finished nail prints.

JP 2018-153525 A

However, when a user applies the base coat manually, it is difficult to apply the base coat evenly and accurately, and there is a risk that the base coat will be applied outside the intended area or that some areas will not be applied.

For example, if the base is applied unevenly, such as when there are areas where the white base is clearly painted white and areas where it is painted so lightly that the skin color shows through, the printing device may not be able to correctly recognize the entire area where the user has painted the base.
If the area where the base is applied is not correctly recognized, the printing range cannot be set to an appropriate range, and the finished product will not be of high quality.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has the advantage of providing a printing device, a printing control method, and a program that can appropriately set the printing area to perform high-quality printing.

In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the printing device of the present invention is to
An image acquisition means for acquiring an image of a nail to which a base is applied by a user ;
a base detection means for detecting a base detection region where the base is applied from the nail image acquired by the image acquisition means by applying a first parameter;
an evaluation receiving means for receiving an evaluation by a user regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected by the base detection means and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing means for printing on the base detection area detected by the base detection means;
Equipped with
When the evaluation receiving means receives an evaluation that the base application area extends beyond the base detection area, the base detection means detects the base detection area by applying a second parameter which has a lower standard for determining that the area is a base applied area than the first parameter.

The present invention has the effect of enabling high-quality printing by appropriately setting the print area.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a printing device according to the embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device linked thereto in the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a print control process in the present embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the print area setting process in FIG. 3 . FIG. 11 shows an example of a printing area confirmation screen, where (a) shows an example of the screen when there is no remaining base coat, (b) shows an example of the screen when there is remaining base coat but repainting is not required, and (c) shows an example of the screen when there is remaining base coat and repainting is required. 13 is a flowchart showing a modified example of a print area setting process.

An embodiment of a printing apparatus, a printing control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.
In the following embodiment, a printing device that prints on fingernails as a printing target will be described as an example, but the printing target of the printing device in the present invention is not limited to fingernails, and may be, for example, toenails, etc. Furthermore, nail-like objects other than human nails, such as nail tips and the surfaces of various accessories, may be printed on.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a main part of a printing apparatus according to this embodiment.
In the following embodiments, up/down, left/right, and front/rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. Also, the X direction and the Y direction refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape.
The housing 2 has an opening 21 formed over almost the entire surface in the left-right direction (the lateral direction of the printing device 1, the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the X direction) in the lower part on the front side (the front side of the printing device 1, the front side in FIG. 1). Also, a notch 22 is formed in the approximate center in the left-right direction of the housing 2, continuing to the upper side of the opening 21. The notch 22 functions as an entrance and exit when the print head 41, described later, is attached to and detached from the device.
Although not shown, the housing 2 may include a cover member or the like that covers the opening 21 and the cutout portion 22. The cover member may be a separate member from the housing 2, or may be attached to the housing 2 via a hinge or the like so as to be openable and closable.

An operation unit 12 of the printing device 1 is provided on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2. The operation unit 12 is, for example, an operation button (power switch button) that turns the power of the printing device 1 on and off. When the operation unit 12 is operated, an operation signal is output to the control device 30, and the control device 30 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each part of the printing device 1. For example, if the operation unit 12 is a power switch button, the power of the printing device 1 is turned on and off in response to button operation.
Instead of the operation unit 12, each unit of the printing device 1 may be operated in accordance with an operation signal input from an operation unit 71 of a terminal device 7 described later.
The shape and arrangement of each part of the housing 2 are not limited to the illustrated example and can be set as appropriate. For example, the operation unit 12 may be provided on the side or back of the housing 2 instead of on the top surface of the housing 2. In addition, the housing 2 may be provided with various other operation buttons as the operation unit 12, and may be provided with various display units, indicators, etc.

A device main body 10 is housed inside the housing 2 .
The device main body 10 includes a base 11, and a finger holder 6, a printing unit 40, and the like, which are attached to the base 11.

The finger holding portion 6 is located approximately in the center in the left-right direction (X direction) on the front side of the device on the base 11, and is a finger holding means that holds a finger U with a nail T, which is the printing target in this embodiment, within an area suitable for printing.
The finger holding portion 6 has an opening 61 on the front side of the device. A finger fixing member 62 is provided inside the finger holding portion 6. The finger fixing member 62 supports the finger U inserted from the opening 61 by pushing it up from below, and is made of, for example, a flexible resin.
A window 63 is formed on the upper surface of the finger holding portion 6 to expose the nail T of the finger U inserted through the opening 61 and held by the finger fixing member 62 .

The printing unit 40 is a printing means that performs printing on the nail T, which is the printing target, in accordance with print data generated by a print data generating unit 314 (see FIG. 2) described later.
The printing section 40 comprises a print head 41 which performs the printing operation, and a head moving mechanism 49 (see FIG. 2) for moving a print head unit 42 which includes the print head 41.

The print head 41 of this embodiment is an inkjet head that uses an inkjet system in which the surface facing the nail is an ink ejection surface (neither of which is shown) equipped with a plurality of nozzle openings that eject ink, and prints by atomizing the ink and spraying the ink from the ink ejection surface directly onto the nail surface, which is the printing surface of the printing target (nail T). The configuration of the print head 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be a cartridge-integrated head in which an ejection mechanism such as the ink ejection surface is integrated with an ink cartridge (neither of which is shown).
The print head 41 is capable of ejecting ink of, for example, cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW). However, the types of ink provided in the print head 41 are not limited to these.

The head movement mechanism 49 consists of an X-direction movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the print head 41 in the left-right direction (X direction) of the device, and a Y-direction movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the print head 41 in the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the device.
The X-direction movement mechanism includes an X-direction movement motor 46, which is driven to move the print head 41 in the left-right direction of the device (X direction). The Y-direction movement mechanism includes a Y-direction movement motor 48, which is driven to move the print head 41 in the front-rear direction of the device (Y direction).

The operation of the X-direction movement motor 46, the Y-direction movement motor 48, and the print head 41 (the ejection mechanism of the print head 41) of the head movement mechanism 49 is controlled by the print control unit 315 (see Figure 2) of the control device 30.

In addition, on the inside of the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2, at a position above the window portion 63 of the finger holding portion 6, an imaging unit 50 is provided which photographs the nail T (finger U including the nail T) exposed from the window portion 63 to obtain an image of the nail T (image of the finger U including the nail T, hereinafter referred to as the "nail image").
The photographing section 50 includes a photographing device 51, such as a camera, and an illumination device 52, such as a white LED, that illuminates the nail T, which is the subject of the photographing (see FIG. 2). As will be described later, in this embodiment, color information of the nail T is obtained from an image of the nail T. For this reason, it is preferable that the photographing device 51 has a performance (resolution, etc.) that allows the color to be identified from the photographed image.
The photographing section 50 is connected to a photographing control section 312 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 30 (described later) and is controlled by the photographing control section 312 .
The nail image captured by the photographing device 51 is acquired by the photographing control unit 312 .
The image data of the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 may be stored in the storage unit 32, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, an example is given of the photographing device 51 and the lighting device 52 being fixedly arranged on the inside of the top surface of the housing 2 in a position opposite to the nail T (surface of the nail T) of the finger U placed on the finger holding portion 6, but the photographing unit 50 need only be provided in a position where it can photograph the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding portion 6, and the specific arrangement is not particularly limited.
For example, the photographing unit 50 may be configured to be movable in the X and Y directions by a head moving mechanism 49 that moves the print head 41 .

The control device 30 is mounted on a board (not shown) disposed, for example, on the inside (lower side) of the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 2 .
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 30 is a computer including a control unit 31 composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a storage unit 32 composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (neither of which are shown).

The storage unit 32 has a program storage area 321 in which various programs for operating the printing device 1 are stored.
Specifically, the memory unit 32 stores various programs such as a printing program for performing printing processing, and the control unit 31 expands these programs, for example, into a working area of RAM, and the programs are executed in the control unit 31, thereby providing overall control of each part of the printing device 1.
The storage unit 32 also has a nail information storage area 322. In the nail information storage area 322, various information related to the nail T detected by the nail information detection unit 313 described below is stored.

The storage unit 32 may store data such as nail images acquired by the photographing unit 50, and may also store various other data.
Particularly in this embodiment, parameters, data, etc. necessary for performing various processes are stored. Specifically, parameters (default parameters) and the like applied by the nail information detection unit 313 to detect the base detection area PAr (detection area A) where the base is applied from the nail image are stored in the storage unit 32. The parameters referred to here are default learning data that are used when the nail information detection unit 313 recognizes the base detection area PAr.

In this embodiment, a base is applied to the area to be printed (for example, the entire area of the nail T) with the main purpose of distinguishing the area of the nail T from its surroundings.
The base-coated area is formed by applying a liquid (base coat) of a color such as white that easily blends with the color of skin (flesh color, etc.).
For this reason, the parameters applied by the nail information detection unit 313 to detect the base detection area (detection area A) distinguish between base colors such as white and other colors (e.g., skin color), and any area where a pure white base is applied is determined to be a base detection area.
It is desirable to apply the base agent as evenly as possible to the area to be printed (for example, the entire area of the nail T), but the base is formed by, for example, the user applying the base agent with a brush or a brush-like tool. For this reason, it is thought that color unevenness occurs, such as some areas being pure white with multiple layers of base agent applied, while other areas are only applied thinly enough to allow some skin color to show through.

For this reason, in this embodiment, in order to be able to deal with a certain degree of color unevenness, second parameters are provided that have a lower (loose) standard for determining that a background detection region is present than the default parameters. Note that the parameters may be changed, or learning data obtained by learning in advance may be changed.
Then, if the area that the user intended to be the part where the base was applied is not recognized as the base detection area, the nail information detection unit 313 applies this second parameter to re-detect the base detection area.
When the second parameter is used, the data stored in the storage unit 32 may be rewritten so that the second parameter is set as a default parameter. In this case, a parameter having a lower standard for determining that a region is a background detection region than the second parameter may be prepared in the storage unit 32 as a new second parameter.
By rewriting the applied parameters in this manner, a user who applies only a relatively thin layer of base coat can gradually perform detection that suits the user's application style as they use the printing device 1 (detecting even a thin base coat that allows some skin color to show through without error in the base detection area) without having to change their application style.

From a functional perspective, the control unit 31 includes a communication control unit 311, an image capture control unit 312, a nail information detection unit 313, a print data generation unit 314, a print control unit 315, etc. The functions of the communication control unit 311, the image capture control unit 312, the nail information detection unit 313, the print data generation unit 314, the print control unit 315, etc. are realized by cooperation between the control unit 31 and a program stored in the program memory area 321 of the memory unit 32.

The communication control unit 311 controls the operation of the communication unit 13 .
The communication unit 13 is equipped with a wireless communication module etc. capable of communicating with the communication unit 73 of the terminal device 7, and the communication control unit 311 controls the operation of the communication unit 13 when transmitting and receiving various data etc. between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7.
The printing device 1 of this embodiment is configured to print nail designs (hereinafter, simply referred to as "designs") in cooperation with a terminal device 7 described later. For example, data of a design to be printed on a nail T is stored on the terminal device 7 side, and the communication control unit 311 appropriately controls communication by the communication unit 13 and acquires the design data from the terminal device 7 side via the communication unit 13.

The communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 may use a network line such as the Internet, or may be wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. When communication is performed via a network, the network used for communication may use any line. Furthermore, communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 is not limited to wireless communication, and may be configured to enable transmission and reception of various data between the two devices via a wired connection.
The communication unit 13 may be any unit capable of communicating with the terminal device 7, and a communication standard that matches that of the communication unit 73 of the terminal device 7 is applied.

The photographing control unit 312 controls the photographing device 51 and the lighting device 52 of the photographing unit 50 to cause the photographing device 51 to photograph an image (nail image) of the finger U including an image of the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding unit 6.
In this embodiment, as described below, the photographing unit 50 photographs the nail T in a state where a base is applied, and the image of the nail T (nail image) acquired by the photographing unit 50 is sent to the photographing control unit 312. The photographing control unit 312 functions as an image acquiring means for acquiring such a nail image (image data of the nail T). The photographing control unit 312 may store the nail image in the storage unit 32.

The nail information detection unit 313 is a control unit that detects nail information about the nail T of the finger U based on an image of the nail T (nail image) acquired by the imaging control unit 2, which is an image acquisition unit.
In this embodiment, the nail information detection unit 313 functions in particular as a base detection unit that detects a base detection area PAr (detection area A) where a base is applied from a nail image.
The detection of the base detection area PAr (detection area A) is performed using parameters (default parameters, default learning data, etc.) stored in the memory unit 32. The nail information detection unit 313 detects the base detection area PAr formed by applying a white or other liquid agent (base agent) as an area to be printed (for example, when printing is to be performed on the entire nail T, the nail area which is the entire area of the nail T, an area that substantially coincides with the nail contour).
The detection of the base detection area PAr by the nail information detection unit 313 will be described in detail later.

It should be noted that the nail information detected by the nail information detection unit 313 is not limited to this.
The nail information detected by the nail information detection unit 313 may include, for example, the inclination angle of the surface of the nail T with respect to the XY plane (the inclination angle of the nail T, the nail curvature), etc. In addition, when the height of the nail T (the vertical position of the nail T) can be acquired from the image captured by the imaging device 51, the height of the nail T may also be included in the nail information.
Various information detected by the nail information detection unit 313, such as the base detection area PAr of the nail T, is stored in the nail information storage area 322.

The print data generating unit 314 functions as a print area setting unit that sets a print area to be printed based on the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detecting unit 313, which is a base detecting unit. That is, the print data generating unit 314 generates print data by fitting a desired design to the base detection area PAr of the nail T detected by the nail information detecting unit 313 and stored in the nail information storage area 322.
Specifically, the print data generation unit 314 cuts out image data of the nail design selected by the user, appropriately enlarges or reduces it, adjusts the position, etc., and fits it to the base detection area PAr detected from the image of the nail T.
When the nail information detection unit 313 acquires the curvature, etc., of the nail T, the print data generation unit 314 may perform appropriate curve correction on the print data based on the curvature, etc., of the nail T. When the curve correction is performed, print data that is more suited to the shape of the nail T can be generated.

The print control unit 315 controls the printing unit 40 to print on the nail T in accordance with the print data generated by the print data generating unit 314 .
Specifically, the print control unit 315 outputs a control signal to the print unit 40 based on the print data, and controls the X-direction movement motor 46, Y-direction movement motor 48, print head 41, etc. of the print unit 40 so as to print on the nail T in accordance with the print data.

In addition, in this embodiment, when a user performs an input operation by operating an operation button, a touch panel, or the like, an input signal corresponding to the input operation is output to the control unit 81 and further sent to the control unit 31 of the printing device 1. As a result, the input operation by the user is accepted by the control unit 31 of the printing device 1.
In particular, in this embodiment, the user operates an operation button, a touch panel, or the like to input an evaluation by the user regarding the degree of correspondence between the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detection unit 313, which is a base detection means, and the area of the nail T where the base is actually applied (the base application area WAr described below, see Figures 5(a) to 5(c)), and the control unit 31 functions as an evaluation receiving means for receiving the user's evaluation.

As described above, the printing device 1 of the present embodiment performs printing on the nail T in cooperation with the terminal device 7 .
The terminal device 7 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone. Note that the terminal device 7 is not limited to a smartphone. For example, the terminal device 7 may be a tablet personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a "PC"), a notebook PC, a stationary PC, a terminal device for games, or the like.
As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 7 includes an operation unit 71, a display unit 72, a communication unit 73, a control device 80, and the like.

The operation unit 71 is capable of performing various inputs, settings, etc. in response to user operations, and is, for example, a touch panel integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 72. When the operation unit 71 is operated, an input signal corresponding to the operation is transmitted to the control unit 81.
Various operation screens are displayed on the touch panel configured in the display unit 72 under the control of a display control unit 812 described later, and the user can perform various input and setting operations by touching the touch panel.
The operation unit 71 for performing various input and setting operations is not limited to a touch panel. For example, various operation buttons, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. may be provided as the operation unit 71.

In this embodiment, when the user operates the operation unit 71, various instructions such as starting printing are output from the terminal device 7 to the printing device 1, and the terminal device 7 also functions as an operation unit for the printing device 1.
In addition, the user can operate the operation unit 71 to select a nail design to be printed on the nail T, for example.

The display unit 72 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display, or another flat display.
As described above, a touch panel for performing various inputs may be integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 72. In this case, the touch panel functions as the operation unit 71.
In this embodiment, the display unit 72 can display a nail design input/selected by the user via the operation unit 71, various guide screens, warning display screens, and the like.

In addition, when the image capturing unit 50 of the printing device 1 captures an image of the user holding a finger U in the finger holding unit 6, this may be displayed as a live view image on the display unit 72. In this case, the user can insert the finger U while looking at the display unit 72, making it easier to position the finger U (nail T of the finger U) in the correct position within the finger holding unit 6.

The communication unit 73 is configured to be able to communicate with the communication unit 13 of the printing device 1 .
As described above, the communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 may be either a wireless connection method or a wired connection method, and there is no specific limitation on the method. The communication unit 73 may be any device that can communicate with the printing device 1, and a communication standard that matches the communication standard of the communication unit 13 of the printing device 1 is applied.
The communication unit 13 is connected to a communication control unit 811 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 80 (described later) and is controlled by the communication control unit 811 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 of this embodiment is a computer including a control unit 81 configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and a storage unit 82 configured with a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown).

The storage unit 82 stores various programs and various data for operating each unit of the terminal device 7.
Specifically, the ROM etc. of this embodiment stores various programs such as an operating program 821a for controlling each part of the terminal device 7 as well as a nail print application program 821b (hereinafter referred to as "nail print AP") for performing nail printing using the printing device 1, and the control unit 81 expands these programs, for example, in a working area of RAM, and the programs are executed in the control unit 81, thereby controlling each part of the terminal device 7.

The storage unit 82 of this embodiment is also provided with a design storage area 822 for storing nail design (design) data.
The nail design (designs) stored in the design storage area 822 may be existing designs prepared in advance or designs created by the user. In addition, if the terminal device 7 is connectable to various networks, it may be possible to import a nail design (designs) stored in a network-connectable server device (not shown) or the like.

From a functional perspective, the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7 includes a communication control unit 811, a display control unit 812, etc. The functions of the communication control unit 811, the display control unit 812, etc. are realized by cooperation between the CPU of the control unit 81 and a program stored in the ROM of the storage unit 82. Note that the functions of the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7 are not limited to these, and the control unit 81 may include various other functional units.
The communication control unit 811 controls the operation of the communication unit 73 .
Furthermore, the display control unit 812 controls the display unit 72 to cause the display unit 72 to display various display screens.

Next, the print control method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the printing process in this embodiment.
When performing nail printing using the printing device 1 of this embodiment, a user operates the operation unit 12 (operation buttons) of the printing device 1 to turn on the power and start it up.
The terminal device 7 is also turned on and the execution of nail print processing is selected from the operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7. This starts up the nail print AP 821b.

When the nail print AP 821b is started in the terminal device 7, the display control unit 812 of the terminal device 7 causes a design selection screen (not shown) from which a design can be selected to be displayed on the display unit 72. When the user selects one of the designs and operates the operation buttons, touch panel, or the like, an input signal indicating that the design has been selected is output to the control unit 81, and the design is set as the design to be printed on the nail T.
In addition, the display control unit 812 causes the display unit 72 to display an instruction screen that prompts the user to apply a base to the surface of the nail T to be printed and place the corresponding finger U on the finger holding unit 6.

When a finger U with nail T having a base applied thereto is set in the finger holding unit 6, as shown in FIG. 3, the photographing control unit 312 controls the photographing unit 50 to photograph the nail T and obtain a nail image (step S1).
Then, the nail information detection unit 313 detects the area of the nail T from the nail image. Specifically, the nail information detection unit 313 applies predetermined parameters to detect a base detection area PAr (detection area A) where a base is applied as the area of the nail T from the nail image (step S2).
Furthermore, the print data generating unit 314 sets the print area E based on the base detection area PAr (detection area A) and the design data selected by the user (step S3). Specifically, the print data generating unit 314 fits the design data to the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detecting unit 313, and sets the print area E.

Here, the process of setting the print area E (step S3) will be described with reference to FIG.
When the print data generating unit 314 sets the print area E, first, an extended area B is created by expanding the detection area A detected by the nail information detecting unit 313 by several pixels (step S21).
Next, the desired design is fitted into the expansion area B (step S22). That is, how the design is to be printed in the expansion area B is determined by enlarging or reducing the design.
Further, a difference region C between the detection region A and the extension region B is created (step S23).
Furthermore, for each pixel in the differential region C, the color distance d (color difference) between the background color and the color of the fitted design is calculated (step S24), and an additional region D is created based on this color distance d (color difference) (step S25). Specifically, pixels in the differential region C whose color distance d (color difference) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value are set as the additional region D.
Then, the print data generating unit 314 sets a print area E from the detection area A and the additional area D (step S26).

The color of the background compared in step S24 may be a predetermined color (e.g., white) or may be the average color of the detection area A. Also, in step S24, the color of the background and the color of the design are compared for each pixel, but the color of the design does not have to be compared with the color of the background. For example, a comparison with the pixel value of the captured image may be performed.
Since the areas where the base is applied are white or the like, if the printing area E is smaller than the area where the base is applied (i.e., the base application area WAr shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(c)), white or other areas will remain after printing, and the print result will not be of high quality.
In this regard, by setting the printing area E from the detection area A and the additional area D as described above, the printing area E can be set somewhat wider, and it is possible to prevent any background color such as white from remaining.

When the print data generation unit 314 sets the print area E, the set base detection area PAr is presented to the user (step S4). Specifically, the display control unit 812 controls the display unit 72 to display the print area confirmation screen 72a. The control unit 31 then determines whether or not it has been evaluated that there is base remaining (a portion where base will remain when printed in the print area E set based on the base detection area PAr), and whether or not it has been evaluated that repainting is necessary if there is base remaining (steps S5 and S6). Note that it is not necessary for the base detection area PAr to be presented to the user. The print area E set based on the base detection area PAr may be presented to the user.

5A to 5C are diagrams showing an example of the print area confirmation screen.
The content displayed on the printing area confirmation screen 72a is not limited to the illustrated example, but for example, an image based on the printing data generated by the printing data generation unit 314 is superimposed on an image (nail image) of a nail T including a finger U photographed by the photographing unit 50 of the printing device 1.
The nail image may be a still image or a live view image. The image based on the print data superimposed thereon may be an image of a design printed based on the print data, or may be an image in which a color (e.g., red, etc.) that is easily distinguishable from the color of the base (e.g., white) is added within the print area E. The base detection area PAr or a line that outlines the print area E may be superimposed. When the image of the design is superimposed, the print image is easily conveyed to the user and is easy to understand. However, when the design to be printed includes a whitish part, it may be difficult to distinguish between the part where the base is applied (base application area WAr) and the base detection area PAr (or the print area E based thereon), and in this case, it is preferable to show the base detection area PAr (or the print area E based thereon) only by color.
In Figures 5(a) to 5(c), for convenience of illustration, an example is shown in which an image of a design based on the printing data generated by the printing data generation unit 314 is superimposed on a nail image to indicate the range of the base detection area PAr (or the printing area E based thereon).

5(a) to 5(c), the area where the base is actually applied (this will be referred to as the "base application area WAr") is indicated by a solid line, and the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detection unit 313 is indicated by a dashed dotted line. Also, parts where the base is applied unevenly or incorrectly are referred to as failure areas NWAr (failure areas NWAr1 to NWAr3).
As mentioned above, the printing area E is set several pixels wider than the base detection area PAr (detection area A), so the printing area E in which the design image is printed actually extends slightly outside the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detection unit 313. However, in Figures 5(a) to 5(c), the image of the design to be printed is presented to the user by superimposing it in approximately the same range as the base detection area PAr.
The print area confirmation screen 72a is provided with an "OK button,""NGbutton," and "Repaint button" as operation sections for inputting the user's evaluation, and the user inputs the evaluation by operating these buttons.

The user looks at this print area confirmation screen 72a and confirms the area set as the print area E by the print data generating unit 314 and the area where the base is actually applied (base application area WAr).
Then, an evaluation is made as to whether or not there is any remaining base coat, and if there is, whether or not repainting is necessary, and the evaluation result is input.

Figure 5 (a) is an example of the display of the printing area confirmation screen 72a when the base is applied relatively evenly over the entire nail T, the base application area WAr where the user has applied the base (i.e., the area desired as the printing area) is detected exactly as the base detection area PAr by the nail information detection unit 313, and the printing area E where the design image is printed is set based on this range.
The user checks the print area confirmation screen 72a to evaluate whether any base remains, that is, whether the area where the base is actually applied (base application area WAr) is larger than the print area E set by the print data generation unit 314 (in Figures 5(a) to 5(c), the base detection area PAr which approximates the print area is shown by a dotted line) (whether or not there are any areas where white base will remain when printing is performed, i.e., whether or not there are any areas that extend beyond the print).
In the example shown in Fig. 5A, the user evaluates that there is no remaining base and operates the "OK button". As a result, the control unit 31 as an evaluation receiving means receives the evaluation that there is no remaining base (step S5; NO).

5B, the base is applied unevenly, and there is a failed area NWAr1 at the left end of the nail T that is not as white as the original base and was not recognized as the base detection area PAr by the nail information detection unit 313. Since the print area E is set based on the base detection area PAr, the area of the base application area WAr excluding the failed area NWAr1 becomes the print area E. Therefore, the image of the design printed in the print area E is also missing only the failed area NWAr1.
However, in the example shown in Figure 5 (b), the failed area NWAr1 is applied a little thinner than the surrounding base detection area PAr, and some skin color shows through, but it can be evaluated that it is possible to make it recognized as the base detection area PAr by adjusting the parameters.
5(b), the user evaluates that there is some base remaining but not enough to require repainting, and operates only the "NG button" but not the "repaint button." As a result, the control unit 31, which serves as evaluation receiving means, receives the evaluation that there is some base remaining but will not require repainting (step S5; YES, step S6; NO).

5(c), the base is applied unevenly, and there is a failure area NWAr2 at the right end of the nail T that is substantially the same color as the skin color and therefore was not recognized as the base detection area PAr by the nail information detection unit 313. Since the print area E is set based on the base detection area PAr, the area of the base application area WAr excluding the failure area NWAr2 becomes the print area E.
Furthermore, there is a failure area NWAr3 where the base is painted outside the area of the nail T. This part is recognized as the base detection area PAr by the nail information detection unit 313. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 5C, if printing is performed as is, the failure area NWAr3 will also be included in the print area E that is set based on the base detection area PAr, and the design image will be printed even in this part.

In such a case, it may be difficult to correctly recognize the base-coated area WAr as the base-detected area PAr even if the parameters are adjusted to some extent.
5C, the user evaluates that there is remaining base coat and that the base coat needs to be repainted, and operates the "NG button" and the "repaint button." As a result, the control unit 31, which serves as an evaluation receiving means, receives the evaluation that there is remaining base coat and that the base coat needs to be repainted (step S5; YES, step S6; YES).
Note that Figure 5 (c) illustrates a case where there are failure areas NWAr2 and NWAr3; however, since it is considered difficult to achieve high-quality printing when only one of failure areas NWAr2 or NWAr3 is present, a similar evaluation is expected.

If an evaluation is received that there is remaining base coat and that repainting is necessary (step S5; YES, step S6; YES, see FIG. 5(c)), a message screen urging the user to repaint the base coat, such as "Please remove finger U from finger holder 6 and repaint the base coat," is displayed on display unit 72 (step S7), and the printing process is terminated.

On the other hand, if there is no remaining base (step S5; NO, see FIG. 5(a)), the photographing unit 50 photographs the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding unit 6, and the photographing control unit 312 acquires a nail image (step S8).
Then, the nail information detection unit 313 applies the default parameters (first parameters) to detect the base detection area PAr (detection area A) where the base is applied from the nail image as the area of the nail T (step S9).
Furthermore, the print data generating unit 314 sets a print area E based on the base detection area PAr (detection area A) and the design data selected by the user (step S10).
The process of setting the print area E by the print data generating unit 314 is similar to the process shown in FIG. 4 and explained in step S3, and therefore will not be explained further.

When the print data generating unit 314 sets the print area E, printing is performed in the set print area E according to the print data (step S11).
If it is determined that there is no remaining base (step S5; NO, see FIG. 5(a)), and if there has been no time since the printing area E was set in step S3 and there has been no change in the position of the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding unit 6, steps S8 to S10 after it has been determined that there is no remaining base may be omitted. In this case, by printing in accordance with the print data in the printing area E set in step S3, it is possible to shorten the time required for processing.

On the other hand, if an evaluation is received indicating that there is remaining base coat but no need to repaint (step S5; YES, step S6; NO, see FIG. 5(b)), the photographing unit 50 photographs the nail T of the finger U held in the finger holding unit 6, and the photographing control unit 312 acquires the nail image (step S12).
Then, the background detection area PAr is redetected by applying parameters for detecting the background detection area PAr more widely, i.e., second parameters having a lower (looser) standard for determining that the background detection area PAr is a background detection area than the default parameters (first parameters) (step S13).

This makes it possible to obtain a detection result that includes even areas that would not be detected as base detection area PAr when using default parameters (first parameters), such as areas that are painted in a color that is slightly closer to skin color than the original base color (e.g., white) (areas where the base is applied thinly and the color of the nail or skin shows through somewhat) (e.g., see "failed area NWAr1" shown in Figure 5 (b)).
After re-detection of the background detection area PAr, the process returns to step S3 and is repeated, where the user is asked to evaluate whether the background residue has been eliminated, and further processing is carried out depending on the evaluation result.
In this way, by asking the user for their evaluation on the presence or absence of remaining base, etc., it is possible to perform high-quality nail printing as intended by the user.

As described above, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, a nail image of the nail T with a base applied is acquired, and from this nail image, the nail information detection unit 313 detects the base detection area PAr by applying the default first parameters.
Then, a user's evaluation is received regarding the degree of correspondence between the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detection unit 313 and the area on the nail where the base is actually applied when the base has been applied, and when an evaluation is received that the base application area WAr where the base is actually applied extends beyond the base detection area PAr, the nail information detection unit 313 re-detects the base detection area PAr by applying second parameters which have a lower standard for determining the base detection area PAr than the first parameters.
Since the printing area E is set based on the base detection area PAr, if the base detection area PAr is not correctly recognized, the printing area E will not be set to an appropriate range. In this regard, in this embodiment, even if the nail information detection unit 313 does not correctly recognize the area where the user thinks the base has been applied, the printing area E can be adjusted so that it is set to a range that matches the user's recognition. Therefore, even if the base is applied unevenly, printing with remaining base can be prevented, and high-quality printing can be performed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the base application area WAr where the base is actually applied is larger than the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detection unit 313 and the user's evaluation that reapplication is not necessary is received, the nail information detection unit 313 re-detects the base detection area PAr by applying the second parameter.
Since the range of unevenness (level of unevenness) that can be included in the base detection area PAr by changing the parameters is not very wide, in cases where the base color is so light that it is almost indistinguishable from skin, re-detection is unlikely to produce good results.
Therefore, by allowing the user to select repainting, it is possible to prevent the process from being repeated unnecessarily.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the nail information detection unit 313 redetects the base detection area PAr, the first parameter is updated so that the second parameter becomes the first parameter.
With this configuration, for example, even if a user has a tendency to apply a thin layer of primer, the printer can correctly recognize and detect the primer application style that suits the user's tendency as the user continues to use the printer, making it possible to customize the printer to suit the user's preferences. This reduces the stress of repeated errors and makes it possible to realize a user-friendly printer 1.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, an image in which the base detection area PAr detected by the nail information detection unit 313 is superimposed on the nail image is displayed on the display unit 72, and is presented to the user.
This allows the user to easily determine and evaluate whether printing in the set print area will leave any base coat remaining, whether the level of printing is such that repainting is necessary, etc.

Although the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in this embodiment, when setting the print area E, an additional area D is created, and the print area E is generated based on the detection area A and the additional area D. However, the print area E only needs to be set somewhat broad so that no background, such as white, remains, and the method of setting the print area E is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the print area E may be expanded by changing the print density.
In this case, first, as in the case described with reference to FIG. 4, an extended area B is created by expanding the periphery of the detection area A detected by the nail information detection unit 313 by several pixels (step S31), and the desired design is fitted into the extended area B (step S32).
Then, a difference region C between the detection region A and the extension region B is created (step S33).
Furthermore, for each pixel in the differential area C, the color distance d (color difference) between the background color and the color of the fitted design is calculated (step S34), and the color distance d (color difference) for each pixel is converted to print density to create a density map M (step S35). At this time, the density of the area corresponding to the detection area A is set to 100%.
A print area E is then set from the detection area A and the difference area C (step S36), and printing processing is performed on the set print area E based on the density map M (step S37).
When such processing is performed, the boundaries can be blurred, unlike when creating the additional region D. This makes it possible to achieve a smoother looking, higher quality finish.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printing device 1 is configured to include an inkjet type print head 41 as the print head 41, but the configuration of the print head 41 is not limited to this.
The print head 41 may have a different configuration from the inkjet type print head 41, such as a syringe type head or a pen type head.
In this case, it is also possible to print ink or liquid with a certain degree of viscosity. For this reason, for example, a configuration may be made in which a base ink such as white ink is printed on the nail T using the printing device 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example is given of the printing device 1 working in cooperation with the terminal device 7 to print on nails, but the printing device 1 is not limited to the one shown here and may be configured to complete the printing operation on its own.
For example, in the present embodiment, input of a command to start printing and selection of a nail design (design) are performed from the operation unit 71 on the terminal device 7 side, but input of various commands may be performed on the operation unit 12 on the printing device 1 side. In this case, the printing device 1 may be provided with a touch panel type operation unit. Also, the printing device 1 may be provided with a display unit, in which case the touch panel may be provided integrally with the display unit.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a case has been exemplified in which the nail design memory area 822 for storing data on the nail design (design) is provided in the memory unit 82 of the terminal device 7, but the nail design data is not limited to being stored in the memory unit 82 of the terminal device 7, and may be stored in the memory unit 32 of the printing device 1.
In addition, image data of the nail design may be stored in a server device or the like that can be connected via a network line, etc., and the nail design data may be referenced by accessing the server device or the like.
In this way, it becomes possible to select the design to be printed from a larger number of nail designs without increasing the capacity of the storage unit 82 or the like.

In this embodiment, the nail information detection unit 313 and the print data generation unit 314 are provided in the printing device 1, and the control device 30 of the printing device 1 is configured to detect nail information from nail images and generate print data, but the configuration of the printing device 1 is not limited to this.
For example, the printing device 1 may include only the printing unit 40 and the photographing unit 50, and detection of nail information and generation of print data may be performed by an external terminal (for example, the terminal device 7 such as a smartphone).
In this case, when the nail T is photographed by the photographing device 51 of the photographing section 50 and a nail image (an image of the nail T including the finger U) is acquired, the nail image acquired by the photographing section 50 is sent to the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 via the communication section 13. In this case, the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 serves as an image acquiring means.
Then, the control device 80 on the terminal device 7 side detects the base coating area WAr etc. from the nail image and generates print data based on the base coating area WAr. In this case, a corresponding program is installed in the storage unit 82 etc. on the terminal device 7 side.
When print data is generated on the terminal device 7 side, the print data is transmitted to the printing device 1 side, and printing is performed according to the print data.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.
The invention as described in the claims originally attached to this application is set forth below. The claim numbers in the appended claims are the same as those in the claims originally attached to this application.
[Additional Notes]
<Claim 1>
An image acquisition means for acquiring an image of the nail with a base applied thereto;
a base detection means for detecting a base detection region where the base is applied from the nail image acquired by the image acquisition means by applying a first parameter;
an evaluation receiving means for receiving an evaluation by a user regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected by the base detection means and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing means for printing on the base detection area detected by the base detection means;
Equipped with
A printing device characterized in that when the evaluation receiving means receives an evaluation that the base application area extends beyond the base detection area, the base detection means detects the base detection area by applying second parameters which have a lower standard for determining that the area is a base applied area than the first parameters.
<Claim 2>
The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the evaluation receiving means receives an evaluation that the base application area extends beyond the base detection area and that repainting is not necessary, the base detection means detects the base detection area by applying the second parameter.
<Claim 3>
A printing device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the base detection area is detected by applying the second parameter by the base detection means, the first parameter is updated so that the second parameter becomes the first parameter.
<Claim 4>
4. The printing device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the base detection area detected by the base detection unit superimposed on the nail image acquired by the image acquisition unit and presents the superimposed area to a user.
<Claim 5>
a print area setting means for setting an expanded area, which is an extension of the base detection area detected by the base detection means, as a print area,
5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing means performs printing in the printing area set by the printing area setting means.
<Claim 6>
An image acquisition step of acquiring a nail image of the nail in a state where a base is applied;
a base detection step of detecting a base detection region where the base is applied from the nail image acquired in the image acquisition step by applying a first parameter;
an evaluation receiving step of receiving an evaluation by a user regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected in the base detection step and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing step of printing the base detection area detected in the base detection step;
Realize this,
A printing control method characterized in that, when an evaluation is received in the evaluation receiving process that the base coating area where the base is actually applied extends beyond the base detection area detected in the base detection process, a second base detection process is performed by applying second parameters which have a lower standard for determining that the area is a base coated area than the first parameters, to detect the base detection area.
<Claim 7>
On the computer,
an image capture function for capturing images of the nails with the base applied;
a base detection function that detects a base detection region where the base is applied by applying a first parameter from the nail image acquired by the image acquisition function;
an evaluation receiving function that receives a user's evaluation regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected by the base detection function and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing function for printing on the base detection area detected by the base detection function;
Realize this,
When the evaluation receiving function receives an evaluation that the base coating area where the base is actually applied extends beyond the base detection area detected by the base detection function, the base detection function detects the base detection area by applying a second parameter which has a lower standard for determining that the area is an area where the base is applied than the first parameter.

1 Printing device 6 Finger holding unit 7 Terminal device 31 Control unit 32 Storage unit 40 Printing unit 41 Print head 313 Nail information detection unit 314 Print data generation unit 315 Print control unit 322 Nail information storage area T Nail U Finger

Claims (7)

An image acquisition means for acquiring an image of a nail to which a base is applied by a user ;
a base detection means for detecting a base detection region where the base is applied from the nail image acquired by the image acquisition means by applying a first parameter;
an evaluation receiving means for receiving an evaluation by a user regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected by the base detection means and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing means for printing on the base detection area detected by the base detection means;
Equipped with
A printing device characterized in that when the evaluation receiving means receives an evaluation that the base application area extends beyond the base detection area, the base detection means detects the base detection area by applying second parameters which have a lower standard for determining that the area is a base applied area than the first parameters. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the evaluation receiving means receives an evaluation that the base application area extends beyond the base detection area and that repainting is not necessary, the base detection means detects the base detection area by applying the second parameter. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the base detection means detects the base detection area by applying the second parameters, the first parameters are updated so that the second parameters become the first parameters. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display means for displaying the base detection area detected by the base detection means superimposed on the nail image acquired by the image acquisition means and presenting it to a user. a print area setting means for setting an expanded area, which is an extension of the base detection area detected by the base detection means, as a print area,
5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing means performs printing in the printing area set by the printing area setting means. an image acquisition step of acquiring a nail image of a nail to which a base is applied by a user ;
a base detection step of detecting a base detection region where the base is applied from the nail image acquired in the image acquisition step by applying a first parameter;
an evaluation receiving step of receiving an evaluation by a user regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected in the base detection step and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing step of printing the base detection area detected in the base detection step;
Realize this,
A printing control method characterized in that, when an evaluation is received in the evaluation receiving process that the base coating area where the base is actually applied extends beyond the base detection area detected in the base detection process, a second base detection process is performed by applying second parameters which have a lower standard for determining that the area is a base coated area than the first parameters, to detect the base detection area. On the computer,
an image capture function for capturing an image of a nail to which a base is applied by a user ;
a base detection function that detects a base detection region where the base is applied by applying a first parameter from the nail image acquired by the image acquisition function;
an evaluation receiving function that receives a user's evaluation regarding a degree of coincidence between the base detection area detected by the base detection function and a base application area where the base is actually applied on the nail in a state where the base is applied;
a printing function for printing on the base detection area detected by the base detection function;
Realize this,
When the evaluation receiving function receives an evaluation that the base coating area where the base is actually applied extends beyond the base detection area detected by the base detection function, the base detection function detects the base detection area by applying a second parameter which has a lower standard for determining that the area is an area where the base is applied than the first parameter.

Images