METHOD OF PRINTING ON A SURFACE OF A SPHERE AND AN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON A SURFACE OF A SPHERE

Abstract

A method of printing on a surface of a sphere and an apparatus for printing on a surface of a sphere are disclosed, which are used to apply images recorded by omnidirectional 360 cameras, which allow the recording of images in all directions simultaneously. In particular, the print is applied by a printing head over a line which enables printing of each fragment of the sphere surface only once. The apparatus is in the form of a sphere holder and a printing head, wherein the ball is mounted on the base on a rotary support, which rotates the sphere, and the printing head is located on the zone of the sphere surface.

Claims

1. A method of printing on a surface of a sphere by moving a printing head along the surface of a sphere, comprising of the print being applied by a printing head over a line which enables printing of each fragment of the sphere surface only once, characterized in that the printing head prints great circles passing through both poles of the sphere.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printing head prints the subsequent great circles, which are at a maximum distance from the previously printed great circles.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printing head prints the first great circle, and then the great circle at an angle of 90 degrees to the first great circle, then subsequently the two great circles at a 45 and 135 degrees angle to the first great circle, then subsequently four great circles at a 22.5, 67.5, 112.5 and 157.5 degree angles to the first great circle, then the remaining surface of the sphere.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printing head prints around the sphere a multi-directional image in a rectangular reference system divided into strips of a width which depends on the distance between the strip and the equator of the sphere, whereas the farther from the equator to the poles of the sphere, the narrower the printed strips.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the print is applied by a printing head over the sphere surface on a helix line from the first pole of the sphere to the second pole of the sphere.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first pole of the sphere is the south pole, and the second pole of the sphere is the north pole.

7. An apparatus for printing on the surface of the sphere, in the form of a sphere holder and a printing head, where the sphere is mounted on the base on a rotary support, in the form of a mandrel rotating along its lengthwise axis, and the printing head is located on the zone of the sphere surface, characterized in that an element with two arms is placed on the base, with a swinging half-ring installed at the end of the arms on swivels, whereas the swivel rotation axes are located in the sphere's equatorial plane, whereas on the half-ring a slider with a moving arm is installed, at the end of which a printing head is installed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image is applied on the surface of the sphere by a raster placement of pixels.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image is applied on the surface of the sphere by a random placement of pixels.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the head for the printing of images on the surface of the sphere are writing implements, advantageously a pen.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] The subject of the invention, in an example implementation, which is not limiting, was presented in diagrams on a figure, on which, to better present the invention, the apparatus for the printing of the sphere surface was presented first.

[0071] FIG. 1 illustrates the unit in a the first version of the implementation.

[0072] FIG. 2 illustrates the unit in the second version of the implementation.

[0073] FIGS. 3a-3e illustrate subsequent phases of printing the image in accordance with the present invention.

[0074] FIG. 4 illustrates the method of printing an image in cylindrical projection on the sphere surface.

[0075] FIG. 5 illustrates the unit in the second version of the implementation with a second set of pressure rollers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0076] In the apparatus for overprinting of the surface of the sphere 1, in the form of a sphere 1 holder 2 and a printing head 3, the sphere 1 is mounted on the base 4 on a rotary support 5, which rotates the sphere 1, and the printing head 3 is located on the zone of the sphere 1 surface.

[0077] There are versions of implementation shown on FIG. 1 where the rotary support 5 is a mandrel which rotates around its lengthwise axis, and an element with two arms 6 is placed on the base 4, with a swinging half-ring 9 installed at the end of the arms 7 on swivels 8, whereas the swivel 8 rotation axes are located in the sphere's 1 equatorial plane, whereas on the half-ring 9 a slider 10 with a moving arm 11 is installed, at the end of which a printing head 3 is installed.

[0078] In the second version of implementation, shown on FIG. 2 the rotary support 5 is a system of powered rollers 12 installed in the base 4, which rotates the sphere 1, whereas the printing head 3 is placed in the base 4.

[0079] In the second version of implementation, shown on FIG. 5 the rotary support 5 is placed on the base 4 and in the case of the roller 12 pressure system 13 a system of powered rollers 12 to rotate the sphere 1, whereas the printing head 3 is installed in the base 4.

[0080] There are versions of the implementation when the image is applied on the surface of the sphere 1 by a raster placement of pixels or by a random placement of the pixels.

[0081] There are moreover versions of the implementation where the head for the printing of images on the surface of the sphere 1 are writing implements, advantageously a pen.

[0082] In the first version according to FIG. 1 the sphere 1 is intended for printing, placed on the base 4 on a rotary support 5. During the rotation of the printed sphere 1 the head printing head 3 moves from the pole of the printed sphere 1 towards the equator, applying a helical print on the surface of the sphere 1. The rotation of the sphere 1 with the movement of the moving part of the half-ring 9 is selected in a manner which ensures that every fragment of the sphere 1 was printed over exactly once. The unit enables the printing of the sphere 1 with varying diameters, due to the placement of the printing head 3 on a moving arm 11. The sphere 1 is mounted on a support 5, which enables its placement ensuring that its centre is located in the axis of rotation of the half-ring 9.

[0083] In another version of the implementation, according to FIG. 2, the printing head 3 is placed in an immovable manner on the base 4. Directly in the zone of the head 3, on the system of rollers 12 the sphere 1 intended for printing is placed. The system of rollers 12 enables the rotation of the sphere 1 in a manner which allows the printing head 3 to overprint every fragment of the sphere 1. The printed sphere 1 is held in the apparatus by its own weight.

[0084] In another version of implementation, shown on FIG. 5 the sphere 1 is pressed by a second set 13 of rollers 12.

[0085] A special process of printing control is implemented by an electrical control device, which enables the rotation of the sphere 1 during the printing in a manner that ensures that every fragment of the sphere 1 is printed over only once.

[0086] An integral part of the solution according to the invention is a method for controlling the printing device. In accordance with the method according to the invention an omnidirectional image is transformed to a continuous strip of image data in the form of a helix line, for the solution presented in the first version of implementation, or to a series of rings subsequently printed over the surface of a specially rotated sphere 1.

[0087] For both versions of implementation a continuous strip of image data represents subsequent image pixels placed over the sphere 1 surface (in the form of dots of ink, toner etc.), which narrows at the beginning and at the end is printed as a helical line from the one pole, to the other pole of sphere 1, whereas the narrowing of the image data strip at the beginning and at the end means that less pixels are placed in this area (less dots of ink, toner etc.).

[0088] Omnidirectional images are frequently recorded/stored in an equidistant cylindrical projection.

[0089] In case of a print of an image recorded/stored in a equidistant cylindrical projection the image is divided into strips of varying width (thickness). The width of a given strip (number of image pixels) depends on the distance of the given strip from the sphere 1 equator. The farther from the equator, the lower width of the strip. Finally the strips taken from the image are scaled to a continuous strip, which widens at the beginning and narrows at the end.

[0090] In the second version the surface of the sphere 1 is transected by a plane along the line which connects the poles of the sphere 1. This operation results in prints on the sphere's 1 great circle. By changing the longitude of the transecting plane multiple subsequently printers great circles of the sphere 1 are obtained, as shown on FIG. 3.

[0091] The great circle with the latitude of 0 is printed firstFIG. 3a. The great circle with the latitude of 90 is printed second, with the exception of two fragments printed earlier when printing the great circle with the latitude of 0intersections of the 0 and 90 circlesFIG. 3b. Two great circles at 45 and 135 angles to the first great circle are printed afterwards, then great circles at 22.5, 67.5, 112.5 and 157.5 angles to the first great circle are printed, FIG. 3c, FIG. 3d, then the remaining area of the sphere 1FIG. 3e.