US 12,466,200 B2
System and methods for controlling a printing array
Luke Charles Ingram, Summerville, SC (US); Anthony Wayne Baker, Gilbertsville, PA (US); and Steven A. Dorris, Willard, MO (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/192,434.
Prior Publication US 2024/0326472 A1, Oct. 3, 2024
Int. Cl. B41J 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 11/00212 (2021.01) [B41J 11/00214 (2021.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computing system comprising:
an input sensor;
a processor; and
a memory storing executable instructions that, in response to execution by the processor cause the processor to:
collect input data related to at least a portion of an object from the input sensor;
generate a UV coordinate map based on the input data;
use a predetermined process ink density lookup table to produce an ink density bitmap corresponding to the UV coordinate map, the ink density bitmap including process ink densities for each bit in the ink density bitmap, the lookup table configured to convert each bit in the ink density bitmap into a process ink density;
produce and output a dithering of the ink density bitmap to thereby generate dithered image pixel data; and
compile and output a control plan, based on the dithered image pixel data, to control a printing array to print an image on a contoured surface of the object, wherein
the dithering of the ink density bitmap is produced and outputted using a predetermined sphere radius lookup table to translate each process ink density in the ink density bitmap into a sphere radius.