METHOD OF PRINTING AN OBJECT HAVING A SURFACE OF VARYING HEIGHT

• US 20160318258A1
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: VALADE, Cdric T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,105,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2207/58 Indexing scheme relating to groups G06F7/58 - G06F7/588
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/58 Random or pseudo-random number generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/105 Multipass or interlaced printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00827 Arrangements for reading an image from an unusual original, e.g. 3-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/54 Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing

Abstract

A printing system and method of printing an object having a surface (36) of varying height, by a printer configured to print a number of pass images (1; 2; 3; . . . ) on top of each other in a number of passes, including: deriving (S12) from an object image a number of pass images (1; 2; 3; . . . ) to be printed on top of each other, including: establishing (S28; S40) pass pixels of the pass images for which pass pixels a pass pixel height is defined, wherein a sum of the defined heights of a sequence of pass pixels that corresponds to a respective pixel (A; B) of the object image equals the height of that pixel of the object image; and printing the pass images (1; 2; 3; . . . ) on top of each other. An amount of printed material that is printed per printed pass pixel is varied in accordance with the defined pass pixel heights. The pass pixels heights are selected S26), based on random data, from a respective set of at least two positive pass pixel heights.

Claims

1. A method of printing an object on a support, said object having a surface of varying height, by a printer configured to print a number of pass images on top of each other in a number of passes, the method comprising the steps of:

defining an object image comprising height data for indicating a height of each pixel of the object image;

deriving from the object image a number of pass images to be printed on top of each other, comprising;

establishing pass pixels of the pass images for which pass pixels a pass pixel height is defined, wherein a sum of the defined heights of a sequence of pass pixels that corresponds to a respective pixel of the object image equals the height of that pixel of the object image; and

printing the pass images on top of each other, comprising;

varying an amount of printed material that is printed per printed pass pixel of a pass image in accordance with the defined pass pixel heights of the pass pixels,

wherein said establishing of pass pixels comprises;

selecting, based on random data, pass pixel heights for pass pixels to be established from a respective set of at least two positive pass pixel heights.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said establishing of pass pixels further comprises:

choosing a set of at least two positive pass pixel heights from different sets of respective at least two positive pass pixel heights, dependent on a remaining height in form of the difference between the target height of the corresponding pixel of the object image and the sum of pass pixel heights of any other established pass pixels of the corresponding sequence of pass pixels, and wherein the chosen set is used for said selecting of pass pixel heights based on random data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one set of respective pass pixel heights is used for said selecting, which set comprises a first pass pixel height and a second pass pixel height, which is at least 1.5 times the first pass pixel height.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selecting based on random data comprises:

obtaining random data in the form of a random number,

comparing the obtained random number to at least one threshold level associated with the respective set of pass pixel heights, and

selecting one of the pass pixel heights of the respective set of pass pixel heights based on the result of the comparison.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selecting based on random data is mainly a selecting between equally probable first and second pass pixel heights of the respective set of pass pixel heights.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein pass pixel heights are individually assigned to the respective pass pixels.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pass images include pass images which each comprise pass pixels of at least two different positive respective pass pixel heights.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the method is a method of printing an object on a support, said object having a surface of varying height, by a printer comprising a number of colorants, said printer being configured to print a number of pass images on top of each other in a number of passes, and

wherein said step of defining an object image is a step of defining an object image comprising height data for indicating a height of each pixel of the object image and comprising color data for indicating a color of each pixel, and

wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

discriminating in the object image for each pixel from the support to the surface of the object an elevation part, an optional isolation part, and a skin part; and

establishing a colorant composition of pass pixels based on a part of the pixel to which the pass pixel contributes; and

wherein the step of printing the pass images on top of each other is a step of printing the pass images on top of each other by applying said established colorant composition for printing the pass pixels, comprising said varying an amount of printed material that is printed per pass pixel, and

wherein the elevation part comprises an arbitrary colorant composition, the optional isolation part comprises mainly one of the colorants, and the skin part comprises colorants according to the color of the corresponding pixel.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printer comprises a number of colorants, and wherein varying the amount of printed material that is printed per printed pass pixel of a pass image comprises varying a number of colorants used for printing a respective pass pixel and varying an amount of at least one of said colorants used per printed pass pixel of the pass image.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of deriving a number of pass images, at least for pixels of the object image that have a height which exceeds a predetermined height threshold by an exceeding height, the heights of the pass pixels of the corresponding sequence of pass pixels are established based on random data at least for pass pixels that make up for a predominant portion of the exceeding height.

11. A print system for printing an object on a support, said object having a surface of varying height, the print system being configured to print a number of pass images on top of each other in a number of passes, the print system comprising:

a print controller; and

a print engine,

wherein the print controller is configured to;

receive an object image comprising height data for indicating a height of each pixel of the object image;

derive from the object image a number of pass images to be printed on top of each other, comprising;

establishing pass pixels of the pass images for which pass pixels a pass pixel height is defined, wherein a sum of the defined heights of a sequence of pass pixels that corresponds to a respective pixel of the object image equals the height of that pixel of the object image; and

transfer said pass images to the print engine, which is configured to print the pass images on top of each other in a predetermined order, comprising;

varying an amount of printed material that is printed per printed pass pixel of a pass image in accordance with the defined pass pixel heights of the pass pixels, and

wherein said establishing of pass pixels comprises;

selecting, based on random data, pass pixel heights for pass pixels to be established from a respective set of at least two positive pass pixel heights.

12. The print system according to claim 11,

wherein the print engine comprises a number of colorants,

wherein the print controller is configured to:

receive an object image comprising height data for indicating a height of each pixel of the object image and comprising color data for indicating a color of each pixel;

discriminate in the object image for each pixel from the support to the surface of the object an elevation part, an optional isolation part, and a skin part; and

establish a colorant composition of pass pixels based on a part of the pixel to which the pass pixel contributes, wherein the elevation part comprises an arbitrary colorant composition, the optional isolation part comprises mainly one of the colorants, and the skin part comprises colorants according to the color of the corresponding pixel; and

wherein the print engine is configured to print the pass images on top of each other in a predetermined order by applying said established colorant composition for printing the pass pixels, comprising said varying an amount of printed material that is printed per pass pixel.