Sewing machine and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450682-B2
Application number	US-201715803606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A sewing machine includes an image capture portion, a conveyance portion, a processor and a memory. The conveyance portion is configured to convey an object to be captured relative to the image capture portion. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes. The processes include identifying a target range that is wider than an image capture range and calculating a minimum number of times of conveyance in a first direction. The processes include setting a specified range and the relative position corresponding to the specified range, on the basis of color information of reference image data representing a reference image. The processes include controlling the image capture portion and the conveyance portion and synthesizing the plurality of generated partial image data to generate composite image data representing the whole of the target range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine comprising:
an image capture portion having a predetermined image capture range;
a conveyance portion configured to convey an object to be captured relative to the image capture portion;
a processor; and
a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
identifying a target range, the target range being a range wider than the image capture range, and being a range capable of being captured by the image capture portion as a result of the object to be captured being conveyed by the conveyance portion;
calculating a minimum number of times of conveyance in a first direction, when image capture of the whole of the target range is performed such that, while the conveyance portion is conveying the object to be captured in the first direction relative to the image capture portion, image capture of a part of the target range by the image capture portion is repeated by changing a relative position of the object to be captured with respect to the image capture portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
setting a specified range and the relative position corresponding to the specified range, on the basis of color information of reference image data representing a reference image, which is formed by a plurality of pixels and which is generated by the image capture portion capturing an image of a color reference member, the specified range being a range within the image capture range and being set such that the image capture of the whole of the target range is possible with the calculated minimum number of times of conveyance;
controlling the image capture portion and the conveyance portion so as to cause the image capture portion to capture an image of the object to be captured while conveying the object to be captured in the first direction relative to the image capture portion at the set relative position, and performing processing, the minimum number of times of conveyance, that generates a plurality of image data representing partial images captured in the specified range of the image capture portion; and
synthesizing the plurality of generated partial image data to generate composite image data representing the whole of the target range.

2. The sewing machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the reference image data represents a gray scale value of each of the plurality of pixels; and
the setting includes determining the specified range using, as the color information, the gray scale value of each of the plurality of pixels represented by the reference image data.

3. The sewing machine according to claim 2 , wherein
the setting includes setting, as the specified range, a range in which a difference between the gray scale values of pixels, of the plurality of pixels, at both ends of the range in the second direction is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

4. The sewing machine according to claim 2 , wherein
the setting includes setting, as the specified range, a range including a pixel whose gray scale value is a value closest to white among the plurality of pixels.

5. The sewing machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the setting includes setting, as the specified range, the same range regardless of the relative position.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, instruct a processor of a sewing machine including an image capture portion having a predetermined image capture range and a conveyance portion configured to convey an object to be captured relative to the image capture portion to perform processes comprising:
identifying a target range, the target range being a range wider than the image capture range, and being a range capable of being captured by the image capture portion as a result of the object to be captured being conveyed by the conveyance portion;
calculating a minimum number of times of conveyance in a first direction, when image capture of the whole of the target range is performed such that, while the conveyance portion is conveying the object to be captured in the first direction relative to the image capture portion, image capture of a part of the target range by the image capture portion is repeated by changing a relative position of the object to be captured with respect to the image capture portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
setting a specified range and the relative position corresponding to the specified range, on the basis of color information of reference image data representing a reference image, which is formed by a plurality of pixels and which is generated by the image capture portion capturing an image of a color reference member, the specified range being a range within the image capture range and being set such that the image capture of the whole of the target range is possible with the calculated minimum number of times of conveyance;
controlling the image capture portion and the conveyance portion so as to cause the image capture portion to capture an image of the object to be captured while conveying the object to be captured in the first direction relative to the image capture portion at the set relative position, and performing processing, the minimum number of times of conveyance, that generates a plurality of image data representing partial images captured in the specified range of the image capture portion; and
synthesizing the plurality of generated partial image data to generate composite image data representing the whole of the target range.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 6 , wherein
the reference image data represents a gray scale value of each of the plurality of pixels; and
the setting includes determining the specified range using, as the color information, the gray scale value of each of the plurality of pixels represented by the reference image data.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein
the setting includes setting, as the specified range, a range in which a difference between the gray scale values of pixels, of the plurality of pixels, at both ends of the range in the second direction is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein
the setting includes setting, as the specified range, a range including a pixel whose gray scale value is a value closest to white among the plurality of pixels.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 6 , wherein
the setting includes setting, as the specified range, the same range regardless of the relative position.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Imaizumi Kazutaka

Classifications

• D05B19/02

  Sewing machines having electronic memory or microprocessor control unit · CPC title

• G06T1/0007 Primary

  Image acquisition · CPC title

• D05B55/00

  Needle holders; Needle bars (needles D05B85/00) · CPC title

• D05C5/02

  by electrical or magnetic control devices · CPC title

• D05B19/10 Primary

  Arrangements for selecting combinations of stitch or pattern data from memory {; Handling data in order to control stitch format, e.g. size, direction, mirror image} · CPC title