Patents by Inventor Kohei Utsunomiya

Kohei Utsunomiya has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240100700
    Abstract: A robot teaching method includes: a printing posture setting step of setting a printing posture that is a relative posture between the head and the workpiece in the printing operation. When a position where a positional relationship with the nozzle surface is fixed is a first position and a position different from the first position where a positional relationship with the nozzle surface is fixed is a third position, the printing posture is set in a virtual space in the printing posture setting step based on a positional relationship between the first position and the workpiece and a positional relationship between the third position and the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventor: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA
  • Patent number: 11919319
    Abstract: Wherein, in the first dither mask, when the first space is cut by the first plane, a plurality of threshold values in the first plane has a blue noise characteristic in the spatial frequency domain, and when the first space is cut by a second plane extending in a direction different from that of the first plane, a plurality of threshold values in the second plane has a blue noise characteristic in the spatial frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Satoshi Yamazaki, Nobuaki Ito
  • Patent number: 11840062
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing method includes first operation of concurrently performing ejection of liquid toward a workpiece by a head, emission of energy toward the workpiece by an energy emitter, and movement of the head and the energy emitter with respect to the workpiece by a moving mechanism, and second operation of concurrently performing emission of energy toward the workpiece by the energy emitter and movement of the head and the energy emitter with respect to the workpiece by the moving mechanism, without performing ejection of liquid by the head. A first irradiation distance, which is a distance between the workpiece and an emission face during execution of the first operation, and a second irradiation distance, which is a distance between the workpiece and the emission face during execution of the second operation, are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Tomonaga Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11769023
    Abstract: A distribution portion that distributes an error based on quantization of a gradation value corresponding to the one pixel, to a first pixel located in a first direction of the one pixel at a first distribution rate, to a second pixel located in a second direction of the one pixel at a second distribution rate, and to a third pixel located in a third direction of the one pixel at a third distribution rate, the second direction is a direction that intersects the first direction, and the third direction is a direction different from an extension direction of a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Nobuaki Ito, Satoshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11715250
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus for supplying display information indicating a three-dimensional image to a recording device including a discharge section that discharges liquid to an object having a three-dimensional shape to form a three-dimensional image on the object. The image processing apparatus includes an obtaining section that obtains virtual space information and a generating section that generates the display information based on the virtual space information. The virtual space information indicates a virtual image in which the three-dimensional image is represented in a three-dimensional virtual space, and a virtual discharge section, in which the discharge section is represented in the virtual space. The relative positional relationship in the virtual space between the virtual image and the virtual discharge section indicated by the virtual space information corresponds to the relative relationship between the three-dimensional image and the discharge section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Publication number: 20230064877
    Abstract: A surface of a workpiece has a smooth region, and a stepped region including a step. A three-dimensional object printing method includes first print operation of ejecting liquid from a head onto the smooth region, and second print operation, antecedent to or subsequent to the first print operation, of ejecting liquid from the head onto the stepped region. The amount of change in an angle of ejection, which is angle formed by a first normal line and a second normal line, during execution of the second print operation is larger than the amount of change in the angle of ejection during execution of the first print operation. The first normal line is a line normal to the ejection face. The second normal line is a line normal to the surface of the workpiece at a point of intersection with the first normal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Masayuki OKUYAMA, Yuki ISHII
  • Publication number: 20220410466
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing method includes first operation of concurrently performing ejection of liquid toward a workpiece by a head, emission of energy toward the workpiece by an energy emitter, and movement of the head and the energy emitter with respect to the workpiece by a moving mechanism, and second operation of concurrently performing emission of energy toward the workpiece by the energy emitter and movement of the head and the energy emitter with respect to the workpiece by the moving mechanism, without performing ejection of liquid by the head. A first irradiation distance, which is a distance between the workpiece and an emission face during execution of the first operation, and a second irradiation distance, which is a distance between the workpiece and the emission face during execution of the second operation, are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Tomonaga HASEGAWA
  • Publication number: 20220305655
    Abstract: Disclosed is a three-dimensional object printing method using a head and a robot that changes relative position and relative orientation of a workpiece and the head. The method includes a first data processing step of acquiring first initial route data that represents, in a workpiece coordinate system, a route along which the head is to move; a second data processing step of acquiring first head reference point data that represents, in a robot coordinate system, position and orientation of the head; a third data processing step of generating, based on the first initial route data and the first head reference point data, first print route data that represents, in the robot coordinate system, the route along which the head is to move; and a first printing step of ejecting the liquid from the head onto the workpiece while the robot is operated based on the first print route data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventor: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20220097434
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid to a three-dimensional workpiece, a moving mechanism that changes a position of the liquid discharge head relative to the workpiece, and a detection section that detects the position of the liquid discharge head relative to the workpiece, in which the apparatus executes a first detection operation in which the detection section detects a position on the first scanning path while the moving mechanism causes the liquid discharge head to scan relative to the workpiece along a first scanning path, and a first printing operation in which the liquid discharge head discharges the liquid to a first region of the workpiece while the moving mechanism causes the liquid discharge head to scan relative to the workpiece along a second scanning path based on a detection result by the detection section in the first detection operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Keigo SUGAI, Kenju MOCHIZUKI, Kohei UTSUNOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20220032650
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus for supplying display information indicating a three-dimensional image to a recording device including a discharge section that discharges liquid to an object having a three-dimensional shape to form a three-dimensional image on the object. The image processing apparatus includes an obtaining section that obtains virtual space information and a generating section that generates the display information based on the virtual space information. The virtual space information indicates a virtual image in which the three-dimensional image is represented in a three-dimensional virtual space, and a virtual discharge section, in which the discharge section is represented in the virtual space. The relative positional relationship in the virtual space between the virtual image and the virtual discharge section indicated by the virtual space information corresponds to the relative relationship between the three-dimensional image and the discharge section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventor: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20210406620
    Abstract: A distribution portion that distributes an error based on quantization of a gradation value corresponding to the one pixel, to a first pixel located in a first direction of the one pixel at a first distribution rate, to a second pixel located in a second direction of the one pixel at a second distribution rate, and to a third pixel located in a third direction of the one pixel at a third distribution rate, the second direction is a direction that intersects the first direction, and the third direction is a direction different from an extension direction of a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Nobuaki ITO, Satoshi YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210402794
    Abstract: Wherein, in the first dither mask, when the first space is cut by the first plane, a plurality of threshold values in the first plane has a blue noise characteristic in the spatial frequency domain, and when the first space is cut by a second plane extending in a direction different from that of the first plane, a plurality of threshold values in the second plane has a blue noise characteristic in the spatial frequency domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Satoshi YAMAZAKI, Nobuaki ITO
  • Patent number: 10762402
    Abstract: An image conversion device that performs conversion processing on image data before compression processing is performed includes: a pixel designation unit that sequentially designate, as a second pixel, pixels in a raster line that forms the image data in a direction away from a first pixel, which is a pixel included in the raster line, starting from a pixel adjacent to the first pixel in the raster line as a start point of the designation; an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates, as an evaluation value, an absolute value of a difference between pixel values of the first pixel and the second pixel or a square value of the difference; a determination unit that determines whether or not the evaluation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a conversion unit that calculates a representative value of pixel values from the first pixel to a third pixel that is a pixel adjacent to the second pixel at a side of the first pixel and converts the pixel values from the first pixel to the third pi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masakazu Isomura, Kiyoshi Kawai, Kohei Utsunomiya, Tadashi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20200160128
    Abstract: An image conversion device that performs conversion processing on image data before compression processing is performed includes: a pixel designation unit that sequentially designate, as a second pixel, pixels in a raster line that forms the image data in a direction away from a first pixel, which is a pixel included in the raster line, starting from a pixel adjacent to the first pixel in the raster line as a start point of the designation; an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates, as an evaluation value, an absolute value of a difference between pixel values of the first pixel and the second pixel or a square value of the difference; a determination unit that determines whether or not the evaluation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a conversion unit that calculates a representative value of pixel values from the first pixel to a third pixel that is a pixel adjacent to the second pixel at a side of the first pixel and converts the pixel values from the first pixel to the third pi
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Masakazu ISOMURA, Kiyoshi KAWAI, Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Tadashi HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10516804
    Abstract: A technique capable of keeping image quality and speeding up a halftone process is provided. An image processing device performs the halftone process on image data in which a pixel has a pixel value conforming to a bit count N. Bits conforming to the bit count N include higher H bits (where H is an integer satisfying an inequality of 1?H<N) and lower L bits following the higher H bits (where L is an integer satisfying an inequality of 1?L?N?H). The image processing device includes a first halftone processing unit configured to generate dot data indicative of a formation state of a dot, with respect to a first pixel allowing a determination of a formation state of a dot, based on the higher H bits in the pixel value and higher H bits in a dither mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 10449720
    Abstract: A solid object shaping apparatus includes a head unit, and a curing unit, in which a model indicating a shape and a color of a solid object to be shaped is approximated with a set of voxels each having a predetermined rectangular parallelepiped shape, a unit shaping body formed by a single dot or a plurality of dots is formed in the voxel, and the solid object is shaped by using the plurality of unit shaping bodies, and in which the plurality of unit shaping bodies constituting the solid object include a first and second unit shaping body. In the second unit shaping body, two or more faces forming a surface of the second unit shaping body correspond to a surface of the solid object, and a proportion of an inner portion of the model occupying the second unit shaping body is equal to or less than a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Satoshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10442177
    Abstract: Provided is a three-dimensional object formation apparatus including: a head unit which discharges a plurality of types of liquid including first liquid and second liquid and forms dots with the discharged liquid; and a curing unit which cures the dots, in which the three-dimensional object formation apparatus forms a three-dimensional object with the cured dots, and the three-dimensional object is formed in a plurality of formation modes including a first formation mode of forming an inner portion of the three-dimensional object with a plurality of dots formed of the first liquid, and a second formation mode of forming the inner portion of the three-dimensional object with a plurality of dots not including dots formed of the first liquid and including dots formed of the second liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 10336051
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object forming apparatus includes: a head unit; a curing unit that cures the liquid discharged from the head unit, and forms a dot; and a forming control unit that controls an operation of the head unit such that a three-dimensional object is formed as an aggregate of dots by representing a shape of the three-dimensional object to be formed as a voxel-set and forming a dot in a voxel of the voxel-set which is determined as a target in which the dot is formed by a determination unit. The determination unit determines a target voxel in which a dot is formed depending on a result of comparing a forming index value which is a value depending on a dot forming rate in a voxel of the voxel-set which is positioned on an inside of the three-dimensional object with a threshold of a dither mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 10279579
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object forming apparatus includes: a head unit; a curing unit; and a forming control unit. The determination unit determines a target voxel in which a dot is formed such that one or a plurality of pillars that extends in a predetermined direction is formed depending on a forming index value which is a value based on a probability that the dot is formed in the voxel on an inside of the three-dimensional object, and the number of pillars of the one or the plurality of pillars, which have a cross section of which a length in a first direction is greater than a length in a second direction crossing the first direction, is greater than the number of pillars, which have a cross section of which the length in the second direction is greater than the length in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Publication number: 20190077091
    Abstract: A color three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a data acquisition unit configured to acquire data on a 3D object as input data, a data creation unit configured to create first data regarding shapes of layers obtained by dividing the 3D object into multiple layers and second data regarding a surface color of the 3D object from the input data, a three-dimensional shaping unit configured to three-dimensionally shape the 3D object, based on the first data, a conveyance unit configured to convey a three-dimensional shaped object three-dimensionally shaped by the three-dimensional shaping unit, and a coloring unit configured to impart the surface color to the three-dimensional shaped object conveyed by the conveyance unit, based on the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Takuya WAKAYAMA, Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Eishin YOSHIKAWA, Seiichi TANIGUCHI