Patent ID: 8840206
Filing Date: 2014-09-23
Classification: A45D,B41J

Abstract:
1. A nail print apparatus which prints on a nail comprising: an imaging section which obtains a finger image by photographing a finger including the nail; a nail region information detecting section which extracts a nail region corresponding to a surface of the nail from the finger image and detects a coordinate value of an outline of the nail region and an area of the nail region; a print design image generating section which generates a print design image in which at least one design element is positioned in a region including the nail region based on a specific design image; an element position judging section which judges whether or not the design element of the print design image is contained within the nail region; a design image adjusting section which adjusts at least one of a position of the print design image with respect to the nail region and a size of the print design image; and a printing section which includes a printing head to apply ink to the nail based on the print design image; wherein: the design element is set in a certain figure; the specific design image is an image which includes the design element positioned on a pre-set shaped standard nail model; the print design image generating section sets (i) a standard frame including sides which come into contact with an outline of the standard nail model, the sides of the standard frame extending along a first direction and a second direction which intersects with the first direction, and (ii) a nail region frame including sides which come into contact with an outline of the nail region, the sides of the nail region frame extending along the first direction and the second direction; the print design image generating section sets a center position of the design element in the first direction in the print design image in a position in proportion with a center position of the design element in the first direction in the specific design image; the print design image generating section sets a center position of the design element in the second direction in the print design image in a position in proportion with a center position of the design element in the second direction in the specific design image; in the print design image, the print design image generating section sets a size of the design element to a value in proportion with a ratio of the area of the nail region with respect to an area of the standard nail model; and the design image adjusting section includes a design image moving section which moves a position of the print design image in the nail region, the design image moving section including: an outer perimeter frame setting section which sets an outer perimeter frame each side of which is in contact with an outermost edge of the design element of the print design image; an outer perimeter frame position judging section which judges whether or not the outer perimeter frame is contained within the nail region based on a comparison with a coordinate value of the outer perimeter frame with a coordinate value of the outline of the nail region; and an outer perimeter frame adjusting section which adjusts at least one of the position and the size of the outer perimeter frame when the outer perimeter frame judging section judges that the outer perimeter frame is not contained within the nail region; wherein the design image moving section moves the print design image to a position where a center point of the print design image matches a center point of the outer perimeter frame after adjustment by the outer perimeter frame adjusting section when the outer perimeter frame position judging section judges that the outer perimeter frame after the adjustment is contained within the nail region.