Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Detail of medium positioning
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-01-30
Rogers, Scott (Department: 2724)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Detail of medium positioning
C358S001180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181433
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of making a stamp by engraving a stamp image oriented in a different direction from an ordinary one on a stamp body orientation of which is difficult to discriminate, such as one of a square stamp and one of a circular stamp, and an apparatus therefor.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, a stamp-making apparatus engraves a stamp image on a stamp body loaded in a pocket formed in a body of the apparatus. The stamp body is set in the pocket with a longer side of a stamp surface thereof on the bottom of the pocket due to limitations of the shape of the pocket, and accordingly, images to be engraved in the stamp body, such as letters, figures, and symbols, are also mainly written or formed laterally, i.e. in lateral lines. Further, the stamp body is printed with a mark indicative of a top side of the stamp surface, and this mark is utilized in imprinting a stamp on an object. On the other hand, when a stamp body is to be engraved with vertical lines of images to obtain a vertically-written stamp, it is also set with a longer side of a stamp surface thereof on the bottom of the pocket due to the above limitations. Then, images of the stamp to be engraved in the stamp body, such as images of letters, formed in lateral lines, are each rotated anticlockwise through 90 degrees and arranged in order from left to right, whereby lines of characters which should be stamped vertically for being read from top to bottom of each line are realized. It should be noted that throughout the specification including claims appended hereto, the term “vertically-written” means that characters including letters and symbols (or their images) are arranged in a line or lines which should be read from top to bottom (or head to tail) of each line after they are set vertically for reading, as found in Japanese or Chinese writing.
When the vertically-written stamp has a larger vertical dimension, it is easy to discriminate the orientation of the stamp, so that the above-mentioned mark need not be utilized to avoid an erroneous lateral orientation of the stamp before imprinting a stamp. On the other hand, in the case of a vertically-written square stamp, it is difficult to discriminate the proper orientation of the stamp from its shape, and hence the above mark is necessary. Conventional vertically-written square stamps are, however, orientated sideways with respect to a direction indicated by the mark as can be understood from the above. That is, the mark is positioned at a side of the vertical lines of stamp image. Therefore, if such a conventional vertically-written square stamp is used to imprint a stamp on an object with reference to the mark in the same manner as a laterally-written square stamp, the stamp formed is oriented sideways. Therefore, users are required to carefully discriminate between vertically-written square stamps and laterally-written square stamps before applying them onto an object, and they are troublesome and not easy to use. Further, in the case of a circular stamp, there is not only a possibility of an imprinted stamp image being oriented laterally, but also a high possibility of the imprinted stamp image being orientated in a different angle from a proper one, so that it is still more necessary to provide a mark on a stamp, which serves an accurate indication of the top side of a stamp surface of the stamp.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide a stamp-making method which is capable of making square stamps and circular stamps each having a mark indicative of a top side of a stamp surface thereof with reference to which accurate imprinting of a stamp image can be effected without discrimination of the orientation of the stamp image engraved on each stamp surface.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a stamp-making apparatus which is capable of making square stamps and circular stamps each having a mark indicative of a top side of a stamp surface thereof with reference to which accurate imprinting of a stamp image can be effected without discrimination of the orientation of the stamp image engraved on each stamp surface.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a stamp-making method comprising the steps of setting a stamp body having a mark provided thereon in a manner such that the mark indicates a predetermined direction, forming first direction-oriented image data having each of a plurality of component elements of plate-making image data oriented in a first direction which is different from the predetermined direction, forming a second direction-oriented image data by causing whole of the first direction-oriented image data to be oriented in a second direction when it is detected that it is difficult to discriminate orientation of the stamp body having the mark without reference to the mark, and engraving the stamp body by the use of the second direction-oriented image data.
According to this stamp-making method, when it is detected that it is difficult to discriminate the orientation of the stamp body having the mark without reference to the mark, the first direction-oriented image data which is oriented in the first direction is converted to the second direction-oriented image data oriented in the second direction, and the resulting data is used as the stamp image data for use in the plate-making, whereby a circular or square stamp can be made which bears the top-indicating mark with reference to which the stamp body was set in the pocket of the stamp-making apparatus and, as a result of the above processing, can be suitably used as a guide when the stamp is imprinted. Therefore, the user can imprint the stamp properly with reference to the mark without discriminating the orientation of the stamp image engraved in the stamp surface.
Preferably, the whole of the first direction-oriented image data is caused to be oriented in the second direction in response to an instruction signal for causing the whole of the first direction-oriented image data to be oriented in the second direction.
According to this preferred embodiment, by generating the instruction signal manually or automatically, it is possible to designate conversion of the first direction-oriented image data to the second direction-oriented image data oriented in the second direction.
For example, the first direction-oriented image data is data of at least one line of vertically-written characters which extends in the first direction, and the second direction-oriented image data is data of at least one line of the vertically-written characters which extends in the second direction.
According to this preferred embodiment, when the vertical arrangement of vertically-written characters, i.e. arrangement of vertically-written characters in vertical lines (in the second direction) is instructed, predetermined vertically-written image data as image data of vertically-written characters arranged laterally (in the first direction) is converted to the vertically-arranged vertically-written character image data as image data of vertically-written characters arranged vertically (in the second direction), and the resulting image data is used in engraving the stamp body of a stamp, whereby it is possible to make a circular or square stamp which is vertically-written or vertically engraved and bears a top-indicating mark which is referred to in setting the stamp body in a proper position when the stamp image is engraved on the stamp body and can be utilized as it is for imprinting the stamp in a properly oriented manner.
Accordingly, the instruction signal is a signal instructing that the data of the at least one line of the vertically-written characters which extends in the first direction be converted to the data of the at least one line of the vertically-written characters which extends in the second direction.
Further preferably, the second direction-oriented image data is formed by rotating the first direction-oriented image data.
According to this
Hayama Hitoshi
Kameda Takanobu
Shimmura Tomoyuki
Watanabe Kenji
Hogan & Hartson LLP
Rogers Scott
Seiko Epson Corporation
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