Virtual painting system and paint spray gun

• US 20060171771A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sata GmbH & Co. KG (SATA Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Sata Farbspritztechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Kruse, Albrecht
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 401/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools

Abstract

The invention concerns a virtual painting system for simulating a paint application process and the resulting application of paint to a surface. The system includes a virtual paint applicator device, a position detector to detect the spatial position of the paint applicator device with respect to the surface to be painted, a data processing unit and a display device, wherein the position data of the paint applicator device are routed to the data processing unit, where they are converted into video data for rendering the virtual paint application visible, and which are further routed to the display device, in order to show a visual image of the virtual paint application process on the surface to be painted. This painting system makes possible a quick and, at the same time, realistic virtual representation of painting with a paint spray gun.

Claims

1. Virtual painting system for simulating a paint application process and the resulting application of paint to a surface, comprising a virtual paint applicator device, a position detection to detect the spatial position of the paint applicator device with respect to the surface to be painted, a data processing unit and a display device, wherein the position data of the paint applicator device are routed to the data processing unit and transformed there into video data, which visualize the virtual paint application and which are further routed to the display device, in order to display a visual image of the virtual paint application process on the surface to be painted.

2. Panting system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual paint applicator device is a paint spray gun.

3. Painting system according to claim 1, wherein the position detection has a position transmitter, connected stationary to the data processing unit, for sending position signals, and a position receiver, connected to the paint applicator device, for receiving the position signals.

4. Painting system according to claim 1, wherein the display device has a projection apparatus for projecting the video data onto the paint application surface.

5. Painting system according to claim 1, wherein the paint application surface is the front end of a back projection disk.

6. Painting system according to claim 1, wherein the paint color and/or the spray parameters of the virtual paint applicator device can be set in the data processing system and are used when calculating the video data.

7. Painting system according to claim 6, wherein the data processing unit is designed to calculate the video data from the position of the paint applicator device, the position of the trigger of the paint applicator device and the settings for paint color and the spray parameters.

8. Painting system according to claim 1, wherein reference data records are kept in the data processing unit, which contain reference video data for different sets of spray parameters of the virtual paint applicator device, these reference data records having been recorded by actual paint application processes while maintaining the respective parameters and saved in a memory of the data processing unit.

9. Painting system according to claim 8, wherein the video data are calculated by comparison and interpolation of the detected or present spray parameters against the reference data records kept in the data processing unit.

10. Paint applicator device, especially for use in a virtual painting system according to claim 1, wherein the device has a sensor for detecting the spatial position of the paint applicator device.

11. Paint applicator device according to claim 10, wherein the paint applicator device is a paint spray gun.

12. Paint applicator device according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is a position receiver for receiving position signals sent by a stationary transmitter.

13. Paint applicator device according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is a position transmitter for transmitting position signals.

14. Paint applicator device according to claim 10, wherein the device has a trigger indicator for detecting and relaying the position of a trigger of the paint applicator device to a data processing unit.

15. Paint applicator device according to claim 14, wherein the device has a connection to the trigger indicator for a second data line in order to relay the position of the trigger.

16. Paint applicator device according to claim 14, wherein the device has a trigger transmitter connected to the trigger indicator for relaying the position of the trigger.

17. Paint applicator device according to claim 10, wherein the device has a paint selection device for setting the paint material and relaying that to a data processing unit to make it possible to consider the paint material setting when calculating the video data in the data processing unit.

18. Paint applicator device according to claim 10, wherein the device has a setting device for setting spray parameters at the paint applicator device and relaying same to a data processing unit, in order to be able to consider the spray parameter settings when calculating the video data in the data processing unit.