GRAPHICAL APPLICATION SYSTEM
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Abstract
The invention relates to a graphical application system to apply a desired pattern by multiple tiles onto a target surface. The system comprises a graphical application device comprising a base structure with a trackable optical feature, at least one nozzle for expelling paint, a driving unit for positioning the nozzle and a local camera for a local referencing of the nozzle. A controller controls the driving unit and the expelling of the nozzle to achieve an application of the desired pattern on the target surface. The system also comprises an external referencing device located remote from the graphical application device, for a global referencing of the application device according to the trackable optical feature. The desired pattern is applied with a primary alignment of the application range by the global referencing and with a fine-alignment of the actual tile to a previously applied tile according to the local referencing.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1-15. -15. (canceled)
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16. A graphical application system for applying a desired pattern onto a large area arbitrarily shaped target surface, the system comprising:
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a graphical application device comprising; a base structure, at least one trackable optical feature at the base structure, at least one nozzle configured to expel paint onto the target surface, a driving unit configured to position the nozzle with respect to the base structure in at least two dimensions, in order to adjust an expelling aim of the nozzle on the target surface, whereby an application range is defined as an area within which the nozzle is positionable by the driving unit, a local camera directed towards the target surface for a local referencing of the nozzle with respect to a visual feature by imaging the target surface, wherein the visual feature is a previously applied section of the desired pattern, and an external referencing device as a surveying instrument located remote from the graphical application device, for a global referencing of the base structure of the graphical application device with respect to the target surface according to the trackable optical feature of the application device in at least three degrees of freedom, wherein the desired pattern is larger than the application range, and the desired pattern is split into multiple tiles, which tiles are fitting within the application range and which tiles will be subsequently applied with a stepwise relocation of the graphical application device with respect to the target surface, wherein the graphical application system comprises a controller configured to control the driving unit and the expelling of the nozzle according to an actual position of the nozzle and the desired pattern in such a way that an application of the desired pattern on the target surface is achieved, with a primary alignment of the application range with respect to the target surface that is determined by the global referencing and with a fine-alignment of the actual tile to one or more previously applied tiles by the positioning of the nozzle within the application range that is determined by the local referencing. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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26. A method for applying a graphical application by an application system with an application device and an external referencing device, the method comprising:
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positioning of at least one nozzle for expelling material onto the target surface with respect to a base structure of the application device by a driving unit in at least two dimensions, which positioning adjusts an expelling aim of the nozzle onto the target surface within an application range, defined as an area within which the nozzle is positionable by the driving unit, local referencing of the nozzle with respect to a visual feature by imaging the target surface by a local camera directed towards the target surface, wherein the positioning of the nozzle also positions the local camera and/or the local referencing is done by image recognition of the visual feature in an image from the local camera wherein the visual feature can preferably be a previously applied section of the desired pattern, and global referencing of the base structure of the application device with respect to the target surface is done by an external referencing device as a surveying instrument located remote from the graphical application device according to the trackable optical feature of the application device and in at least three degrees of freedom; wherein the application is done with a splitting of the desired pattern into multiple tiles, so that the tiles are fitting within the application range and a subsequently application of the tiles by stepwise relocating the graphical application device with respect to the target surface, and wherein a controlling of the positioning of the driving unit and the expelling of the nozzle is done by a controller according to an actual position of the nozzle and the desired pattern in such a way to achieve an application of the desired pattern on the target surface, with a primary aligning of the application range with respect to the target surface which is determined by the global referencing and with a fine-aligning of the actual tile to a previously applied tile by the positioning of the nozzle within the application range according to the local referencing. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A computer program product comprising program code stored on a machine-readable medium, or computer-data-signal embodied as an electromagnetic wave, for computing the method comprising:
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positioning of at least one nozzle for expelling material onto the target surface with respect to a base structure of the application device by a driving unit in at least two dimensions, which positioning adjusts an expelling aim of the nozzle onto the target surface within an application range, defined as an area within which the nozzle is positionable by the driving unit, local referencing of the nozzle with respect to a visual feature by imaging the target surface by a local camera directed towards the target surface, wherein the positioning of the nozzle also positions the local camera and/or the local referencing is done by image recognition of the visual feature in an image from the local camera wherein the visual feature can preferably be a previously applied section of the desired pattern, and global referencing of the base structure of the application device with respect to the target surface is done by an external referencing device as a surveying instrument located remote from the graphical application device according to the trackable optical feature of the application device and in at least three degrees of freedom; wherein the application is done with a splitting of the desired pattern into multiple tiles, so that the tiles are fitting within the application range and a subsequently application of the tiles by stepwise relocating the graphical application device with respect to the target surface, and wherein a controlling of the positioning of the driving unit and the expelling of the nozzle is done by a controller according to an actual position of the nozzle and the desired pattern in such a way to achieve an application of the desired pattern on the target surface, with a primary aligning of the application range with respect to the target surface which is determined by the global referencing and with a fine-aligning of the actual tile to a previously applied tile by the positioning of the nozzle within the application range according to the local referencing.
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Specification