Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Pre or post image recording treatment
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-21
2004-10-12
Feggins, K. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Pre or post image recording treatment
Reexamination Certificate
active
06803935
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for generating an image on a photo picture using a thermal printer, and more particularly, to a method for generating a watermark on a photo picture using a thermal printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A processed image in a digital camera can usually be stored in two ways; one is to store it into memory, the other is to print a photo picture with a thermal printer. Just as some letters have watermarks to provide hidden information, patterns can be printed on conventional photo pictures, such as a pearl photo picture, shown in FIG.
1
.
Please refer to FIG.
2
.
FIG. 2
is a function block diagram of a color frame positioning system
10
of a thermal printer (not shown) according to a prior art. The color frame positioning system
10
comprises an ink ribbon
18
windably installed inside a ribbon cartridge (not shown).
FIG. 3
is a schematic diagram of the ink ribbon
18
of the color frame positioning system
10
shown in FIG.
2
. The ink ribbon
18
comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged color frames. Each color frame comprises four dye frames
20
,
22
,
24
, and
26
for separately storing yellow, magenta, cyan, and an overcoating dye. The color frame positioning system
10
also comprises a thermal printhead
12
, a winding mechanism
14
, a controller
16
, an optical sensor
30
, a light source
32
, and an identification device
38
. The winding mechanism
14
drives each dye frame passing through the thermal printhead
12
. The light source
32
is installed on the same side as the ink ribbon
18
for generating a predetermined color light beam
34
to project on the ink ribbon
18
. The optical sensor
30
is installed on the opposite side to the ink ribbon
18
for detecting light beams
36
passed through the ink ribbon
18
and for generating corresponding sensing voltages. The identification device
38
identifies the position of the dye frame
20
,
22
,
24
,
26
of the ink ribbon
18
by determining the sensing voltages generated by the optical sensor
30
. The controller
16
administers the operations of the winding mechanism
14
and the print procedures for the thermal printer on a photo picture by determining position signals provided by the identification device
38
.
The light beam
34
generated from the light source
32
has a different penetration rate for each dye frame of a color frame. Therefore, when two adjacent dye frames pass by the optical sensor
30
sequentially, the optical sensor
30
will generate different sensing voltages. The identification device
38
identifies the position of the color frame, the dye frames of the color frame, and generates corresponding position signals by determining the sensing voltages generated by the optical sensor
30
. The controller
16
controls the winding mechanism
14
to wind the ink ribbon
18
and causes the ink ribbon
18
to pass through the thermal printhead
12
according to the position signals generated by the identification device
38
. The thermal printhead
12
generates heat and sublimates the dyes stored in the ink ribbon
18
onto photo paper. Finally, the thermal printhead
12
heats the dye frame storing the overcoating for a single time period to form a single-thickness overcoating to attain waterproofing and light-resistance effects.
Please refer to FIG.
4
.
FIG. 4
is a schematic diagram of a visual effect as seen by eyes
49
sensing light beams reflected by a photo picture
40
without an overcoating. A first incident light beam
42
is parallel to a second incident light beam
44
and a first reflected light beam
46
is parallel to a second reflected light beam
48
. The above four light beams are not perpendicular to the photo picture
40
. The two mutually parallel reflected light beam
46
,
48
are exactly the two light beams that are projected from the two mutually parallel incident light beams
42
,
44
on the photo picture
40
and reflected by the photo picture
40
. Therefore, the image on the photo picture
40
, as seen by the eyes
49
when the two incident light beams
42
,
44
are not perpendicular to the photo picture
40
, is identical to that when the two incident light beams
42
,
44
are perpendicular to the photo picture
40
.
Please refer to FIG.
5
.
FIG. 5
is a schematic diagram of a visual effect as seen by eyes
59
sensing light beams projected on a photo picture
50
with a single-thickness overcoating
51
. A first incident light beam
52
is parallel to a second incident light beam
54
and a first reflected light beam
56
is parallel to a second reflected light beam
58
. The above four light beams are not perpendicular to the photo picture
50
. Two dotted lines, shown in
FIG. 5
, are the paths of two reflected light beams that are projected on the photo picture
50
from the two incident light beams
52
,
54
and reflected by the photo picture
50
if the photo picture
50
does not have any overcoating
51
. A P
1
and a P
2
are the two reflecting points for the two incident light beams
52
,
54
if the photo picture
50
does not have any overcoating
51
. The incident light beams
52
,
54
projected on the photo picture
50
with a single-thickness overcoating
51
are reflected by the photo picture
50
as the mutually parallel reflected light beams
56
,
58
. A P
3
and a P
4
are the two perceived reflecting points for the two incident light beams
52
,
54
as seen by the eyes
59
if the photo picture
50
has the single-thickness overcoating
51
.
The locational shift occurring between the points P
3
and P
1
is the same as that between the points P
4
and P
2
on the photo picture
50
having the single-thickness overcoating
51
. Therefore, the image on the photo picture
50
as seen by the eyes
59
when the two incident light beams
52
,
54
are not perpendicular to the photo picture
50
is identical to that when the two incident light beams
52
,
54
are perpendicular to the photo picture
50
. A single-thickness overcoating
51
provides no perceptual change in the image.
As illustrated in
FIG. 5
, a photo picture with a single-thickness overcoating only protects the photo without effectively altering the photo. This single protection effect performed by a thermal printer on a photo picture cannot compete with a variety of special effects, such as a watermark or other special visual effects, which are available through conventional skill on a conventional photo picture. When special visual effects are desired on a photo picture, a thermal printer is unable to meet the need, forcing users to turn to conventional photo pictures. The inability of a thermal printer to provide visual special effects on a printed photo picture retards sales and development of thermal printers.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a method for generating not only a dual-thickness overcoating on a photo picture, but a variety of specially designed patterns on a printed photo picture.
According to the claimed invention, a thermal printer includes a thermal printhead for heating an ink ribbon and sublimating color dyes stored in the ink ribbon on a photo picture. The ink ribbon includes a plurality of sequentially arranged color frames. Each color frame includes a plurality of dye frames with different color dyes and a dye frame with overcoating. A method for generating a dual-thickness overcoating on a photo picture using a thermal printer includes first using the thermal printhead to heat a color frame with a plurality of different color dyes and to sublimate the color dyes on a photo picture. This is followed by using the thermal printhead to heat the dye frame with the overcoating and to heat a different area on the color frame in two distinct time periods.
It is an advantage of the claimed invention that users can use this method to print a variety of pattern images on a photo picture.
These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to thos
Chien Hsu-Chu
Huang Kuan-Chih
Feggins K.
Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies Co., Ltd.
Hsu Winston
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