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).

  • Patent number: 12194636
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Publication number: 20240269992
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus executes a first printing operation in which a liquid is ejected into a first band region and a second printing operation in which the liquid is ejected into a second band region. When an angle formed by a vector at a first position in a first path and a vector at a second position in a second path is set as a first angle and an angle formed by a vector at a third position in the first path and a vector at a fourth position in the second path is set as a second angle, the first angle is more than the second angle, and a width in which the first band region overlaps with the second band region at the first position is less than a width in which the first band region overlaps with the second band region at the third position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshinori NAKAJIMA, Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Masaru KUMAGAI, Yuki ISHII
  • Publication number: 20240269855
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus prints on a workpiece including a first printing region onto which a liquid is applied in a first printing operation and a second printing region onto which the liquid is applied in a second printing operation. When, in an overlapping region in which the first printing region and the second printing region overlap with each other, a region in which an ejection distance of the liquid from a plurality of nozzles to the overlapping region in the first printing operation is less than an ejection distance of the liquid from the plurality of nozzles to the overlapping region in the second printing operation is set as a first overlapping region, in the first overlapping region, a ratio of recording pixels by the first printing operation is more than a ratio of recording pixels by the second printing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventor: Kohei UTSUNOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20240269933
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a head that ejects a liquid to a printing region on a workpiece, and a movement mechanism that changes a relative position and posture between the workpiece and the head, and executes a first printing operation and a second printing operation. The printing region includes a first band region into which the liquid is ejected in the first printing operation and a second band region into which the liquid is ejected in the second printing operation. When a width of the first band region at a first position is set as a first width and a width of the first band region at a second position is set as a second width, the first width is less than the second width, and a part of the printing region overlaps with a part of the second band region at the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: Masaru KUMAGAI, Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Yuki ISHII
  • Publication number: 20240246336
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a head including a nozzle surface; and a robot changes a relative position of the head with respect to a workpiece, in which a first printing operation of performing printing on the workpiece is executed by causing the head to eject the liquid, and when a timing at which the first printing operation is started is set as a first timing, a timing at which the first printing operation ends is set as a second timing, a timing between the first timing and the second timing is set as a third timing, and a distance between the plurality of nozzles and the workpiece along a normal direction of the nozzle surface is set as an ejection distance, the ejection distance at one or both of the first timing and the second timing is more than the ejection distance at the third timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Masamichi SUZUKI, Kohei UTSUNOMIYA, Yoshinori NAKAJIMA, Masaru KUMAGAI, Yuki ISHII
  • Patent number: 11951675
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Masayuki Okuyama, Yuki Ishii
  • 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: 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
  • 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
  • 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