Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-28
2001-09-25
Nerbun, Peter (Department: 3765)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S138000, C112S117000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295480
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an applicability determination device, which is capable of automatically determining whether a design of a quilt to be made can be pieced together using a suggested piecing method, for quilt design, and a memory medium storing a computer program thereof which allows the applicability determination device to perform such a function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional method for making a quilt is described below. First, a desirable quilt is designed. Next, patches called pieces, which are suitable for structuring a quilt design, are prepared. Then, the pieces are pieced together one by one using a sewing machine.
Recently, a method known as a paper piecing (also known as a paper foundation piecing) has become widespread. In accordance with this method, the pieces are stitched on a foundation. A quilt design is printed on the foundation with numbers showing a piecing order.
The advantages of this method are that chunks of fabric can be used, and it is not necessary to mark on a fabric or to cut the fabric to a suitable size for a foundation in advance. Therefore, a desirable quilt can be made extremely easily, and can be beautifully made even though the pieces are small, using the method described above.
However, the paper piecing is not applicable to all quilt designs because the method repeats stitching on only one side of a piece on a foundation with straight stitches using a sewing machine.
Quilt designs to which the paper piecing is not applicable will be described with reference to
FIGS. 31A through 32D
.
FIG. 31A
illustrates a quilt design called a “fish”;
FIG. 31B
illustrates a quilt design called “boxes”;
FIG. 31C
illustrates a quilt design called a “NorthWind”; and
FIG. 31D
illustrates a modified quilt design of the quilt design shown in FIG.
31
B.
FIGS. 32A through 32D
illustrate an example of a quilt design to which the paper piecing is not applicable.
In each figure, the letters and numbers show the pieces and the piecing order, respectively.
The quilt design “fish” shown in
FIG. 31A
can be made by piecing the pieces together, following the piecing order shown by numbers.
However, the quilt design “boxes” shown in
31
B, as shown in
FIGS. 32A through 32D
, is not applicable to the paper piecing because two sides of a piece T
4
have to be stitched with straight stitches, though a piece T
1
and a piece T
2
can be stitched together along a seam line M
1
, and also a piece T
3
can be stitched along a seam line M
2
, on a foundation
70
.
Further, triangles gathered on both sides of a line L
1
in the quilt design “NorthWind” shown in
FIG. 31C
cannot be pieced together using the paper piecing. However, it becomes possible to make the quilt design “NorthWind” when a block Q and a block R divided at the line L
1
are first made each by piecing each of the pieces together using the paper piecing, and then the block Q and the block R are joined.
As described above, quilt designs exist to which the paper piecing is not applicable. Further, a situation exists where a quilt design cannot be made unless the paper piecing and the joint of blocks are combined.
However, a problem arises that only the person who has the skill of determination can determine the quilt designs and whether the quilt design is applicable to the paper piecing or whether it becomes possible to make a quilt if the paper piecing and the joint of blocks are combined. At present, the specific designers having such a skill design the quilts for paper piecing. General quilters use the existing quilt designs, and a perception exists that it is difficult for one to design one's own quilts by oneself.
Further, the situation often arises where a person who has designed quilts finds it difficult to judge the complicated design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an applicability determination device, which is capable of automatically determining whether a design of a quilt to be made is applicable to a predetermined piecing method, for quilt design, and a memory medium storing a computer program thereof which allows the applicability determination device to perform such a function.
In order to achieve the above and other objects, an applicability determination device according to the invention comprises an analyzer that analyzes a design based on a quilt data showing a quilt design that includes a plurality of pieces, and a determiner that determines whether the design is applicable to a predetermined piecing method for making a quilt, based on the analytical results.
That is, the quilt design that includes a plurality of pieces is analyzed by the analyzer, and the determiner automatically determines whether the design is applicable to the predetermined piecing method for making a quilt based on the analytical results.
Therefore, it can be determined whether the quilt design is applicable to the predetermined piecing method for making a quilt, regardless of an individual's experience or inexperience in quilt making.
An applicability determination according to the invention can be performed by allowing a computer to execute an applicability determination program, which is stored in a memory medium, including an analyzing program that analyzes the design based on a quilt data showing a quilt design that includes a plurality of pieces and a determination program that determines whether the design is applicable to the predetermined piecing method for making a quilt, based on the analytical results.
That is, for example, as described later in embodiments of the invention, the analysis and the determination can be performed by installing the applicability determination program, which is stored in a CD-ROM or a floppy disk (FD) that is a memory medium, in the computer, or driving the memory medium by the computer when using the computer.
The analysis and the determination can be also performed by storing the applicability determination program on a memory medium provided in the computer or a controller like a computer before the computer or controller is shipped.
In one aspect of the invention, the analyzer can be structured so as to analyze a property of a demarcation line separating adjacent pieces, and the determiner can be structured so as to comprise a piece separator separating a piece from the design at the demarcation line that is a separation line on a piece-by-piece basis, and a piece separation determiner that determines whether all pieces can be separated by repeating the separation by the piece separator, wherein the determiner can be structured so as to determine whether the design is applicable to the piecing method that makes a quilt by stitching pieces on a piece-by-piece basis.
In such structures, the piece separator provided in the determiner separates a piece from the design at the demarcation line that is the separation line on a piece-by-piece basis based on the property of the demarcation line analyzed by the analyzer. The piece separation determiner automatically determines whether all pieces are separated into pieces, by repeating the separation by the piece separator. In other words, the piece separation determiner determines whether a quilt having the design described above can be made by repeating piecing pieces on a piece-by-piece basis.
The determiner automatically determines whether the design is applicable to the piecing method for making a quilt by piecing pieces on a piece-by-piece basis.
Therefore, it can be determined whether the design is applicable to such piecing method regardless of an individual's experience or inexperience in determining whether the design is appropriate to the quilt design made by repeating piecing pieces on a piece-by-piece basis.
In another aspect of the invention, the analyzing program can be structured so as to analyze the property of demarcation line separating adjacent pieces, and the determination program can be structured so as to comprise a piece separation program that separates a piece f
Amano Michiyo
Ikeda Toshihiko
Kawaguchi Takeshi
Kayanaka Yoshihisa
Komiya Ryohei
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Nerbun Peter
Oliff & Berridge, P.L.C.
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