Embroidery data processor for preparing high quality...

Details Embroidery data processor for preparing high quality... Embroidery data processor for preparing high quality...

1998-02-18

2001-02-20

Grant, William (Department: 2786)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Product assembly or manufacturing

C112S102500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06192292

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an embroidery data processor for preparing embroidery sewing data used by a sewing machine to sew a predetermined embroidery pattern in a workpiece cloth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some home-use sewing machines are able to sew embroidery patterns in a workpiece cloth based on prestored embroidery data. However, consumer desire for more versatile and fancy sewing machines and also improvements in performance of embroidery sewing machines have lead to the development of comparatively inexpensive and easy to use embroidery processors that are capable of sewing embroidery patterns designed by a user in addition to prestored embroidery patterns.
There are known embroidery data processors capable of automatically preparing embroidery data having a plurality of different colors. These automatic processors save a great amount of time and effort compared to manual preparation of stitch data. In one such embroidery data processor, a user draws an original picture on which a color embroidery pattern is to be based. The user then draws each different colored region of the picture separately on separate sheets. The different sheets are then scanned one at a time to input all different colored regions of the picture.
Here, an example will be given for using this type of processor to prepare data for a leaf pattern shown in
FIGS. 18
,
19
, and
20
. In this example, the outline is to be sewn in a narrow satin stitch or in a running stitch and the bounded region is to be sewn using tatami stitch. First, the user draws the outline drawing shown in FIG.
18
and scans it to produce data for the outline. Then the user prepares the drawing shown in
FIG. 19
with the bounded region completely colored in and scans the drawing to produce data for the bounded region. Under ideal circumstances, data can be prepared for sewing the leaf with no gaps between the outline and the bounded region as shown in FIG.
20
.
However, because data for the outline and for the bounded region are retrieved by scanning two different pictures, i.e., the pictures shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
, there is a potential that the pictures can deviate from each other. Even if a user carefully traces an original pattern to obtain a sheet with one outline fairly faithful to that of the original picture, drawn lines will normally have a non-uniform width. The variation in width is sufficient to produce positional shifts in the traced outline from the original pattern so that the resultant data will be different. Even when the two different pictures do not deviate from each other, deviation can occur during the separate scanning operations for each picture so that the resultant data will be different. Deviations like these can result in different colored regions undesirably overlapping each other or the bordering outlines. Producing data without deviations, so that embroidery can be sewn with no gaps between outlines and bounded regions, is surprisingly troublesome and time consuming and requires an operator with exceptional skill to perform.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,589 describes another type of embroidery data processor wherein a user draws an original picture first as an outline on a single sheet of paper and scans the sheet to input data for the outlines. Then, the user fills in a particular portion with a particular color and scans the sheet again. The user fills in different colored regions and scans the same sheet each time until all different colored regions have been colored in and scanned. The user need not fill in the colored regions completely, but only to a certain amount to enable the processor to recognize the indicated region.
The embroidery data processor described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,589 can produce embroidery data for sewing embroidery from a single sheet drawn with the desired picture in outline form. Therefore, there is no need to draw a separate sheet for each different colored portion of the desired picture. Further, since the same drawing on a single sheet is used to indicate all different colored regions, gaps will not appear between outlines and bounded regions as a result of positional deviation between sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, for the following reasons, when the bounded regions are to be sewn in a tatami stitch, but outlines are to be sewn in a narrow satin stitch or a running stitch, there is a great potential that gaps will appear between outlines and bounded regions of the resultant embroidery. Tatami stitch is used to fill in regions. The thread of a tatami stitch is aligned in parallel rows side by side and extends in one direction. Satin stitch and running stitch are for sewing lines. In a satin stitch, the threads zigzag back and forth across a central line. In a running stitch, the treads follow the line.
As mentioned above, embroidery data can be automatically produced by scanning image data of an original pattern or picture using an image scanner and then automatically converting the image data into embroidery data. In one method, contour lines of the original pattern are extracted from the image data. However, at the pixel level contour lines retrieved by a scanner will appear as regions many pixels across. The outer edges of the outline regions are defined by two borderlines, one on either side of the outline region they border. For example, a circular outline will appear at the pixel level as a thick ring defined from two borderlines, one at the outer periphery of the circle and one at the inner edge of the circle.
When an outline of an original pattern is to be sewn in a tatami stitch, first the outline is retrieved and borderlines of the outline are determined using well-known border following algorithms. Once the outline region bounded by the borderlines is extracted, sewing data for filling in the outline region in tatami stitch can be prepared. Since tatami stitch is used for filling in regions, such thick outlines can be sewn without gaps appearing between outlines and bounded regions of the embroidery pattern when both the outline and bounded region are sewn using tatami stitch.
However, it is impossible to prepare sewing data for sewing an outline in a running stitch or a satin stitch based on such a thick outline. Sewing data for sewing an outline in a running stitch or a satin stitch is prepared based on a thin-line outline formed from a continuous single path of pixels. Therefore, before the sewing data is prepared for sewing an outline in a running stitch or satin stitch, the image data having broad lines is subjected to well-known thinning processes to produce thin-line data including trains of pixels forming lines that are at maximum a single pixel in width. When sewing data for sewing outlines is prepared based on the thin lines, then data conversion can be freely performed to produce sewing data for running stitches and satin stitches.
To slim down a broad line several pixels in width in this way to form a thin line, pixels are shaved off from the outer edges until only a single pixel width remains. Because tatami stitch data for the bounded region is prepared from the broad line data, the tatami stitch data for the bounded region will not reflect this shift in the outer edge of the outline. Therefore, gaps will appear between the outlines sewn using a running stitch or a satin stitch of extremely narrow width and bounded regions sewn in a tatami stitch.
FIG. 21
shows an embroidery pattern of a leaf. The leaf includes a branch portion F. The term “branch” as used hereinafter refers to any line that extends from an outline into a bounded region defined by the outline. The branch portion F can be considered a branch because it extends into the bounded region defined by the outline of the leaf. Tatami stitch data that is prepared from bit map data having branches extending into bounded regions is complicated and is also voluminous because it includes data for driving the sewing machine needle around the branches to avoid the branches when sewing the tatami stitch area.

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