Tool for design and fabrication of knitted components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11913149-B2
Application number	US-202217859696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jun 15, 2018
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

Computer based systems and methods for designing and manufacturing consumer products, including knit footwear uppers, and the like. The system provides digital controls for the customization of knitted components, including complex multi-structured knitted components. The system simulates deformations of knit structures and allows the user to control and visualize compensations in the structure(s) of the knitted component to better match between an intended knit design and the actual physical knitted component outcome. The system may manufacture/fabricate a knitted component based on the predicted/estimated deformation behavior of the knit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, a knit design comprising one or more first knitted structures;
modifying the knit design to compensate for a deformation, wherein modifying comprises duplicating one or more rows of the one or more first knitted structures;
generating, by the computing device, knitting instructions associated with the modified knit design; and
sending, to a knitting machine, the knitting instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving design input data indicating at least one of a set of visual attributes and a set of physical attributes associated with the knit design.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining, based on a grayscale tone level associated with the design input data, an allocation of the one or more first knitted structures of the knit design.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the computing device, an allocation of the one or more first knitted structures of the knit design.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the allocation of the one or more first knitted structures further comprises:
generating, by the computing device, a data structure indicating the knitting instructions for the knitting machine; and
distributing, to the data structure, a plurality of rubrics associated with the one or more knitted structures.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the computing device, the deformation associated with the knit design.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein modifying the knit design further comprises:
determining, based on one or more compensation routines, a plurality of predicted compensation results corresponding to the knit design; and
determining, based on scores associated with the plurality of predicted compensation results, a compensation routine, of the one or more compensation routines, to compensate for the deformation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining first aspect ratios associated with the one or more first knitted structures;
determining, via one or more compensation routines, one or more second knitted structures; and
determining scores for the one or more first knitted structures, based on a comparison of the first aspect ratios and second aspect ratios, wherein the second aspect ratios are associated with the one or more second knitted structures.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, based on the scores associated with the one or more first knitted structures, a compensation routine, of the one or more compensation routines, for the knit design.

10. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:
receive a knit design comprising one or more knitted structures;
modify the knit design to compensate for a deformation, wherein modifying comprises duplicating one or more rows of the one or more knitted structures;
generate knitting instructions associated with the modified knit design; and
send, to a knitting machine, the knitting instructions.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
receive design input data indicating at least one of a set of visual attributes and a set of physical attributes associated with the knit design.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
determine, based on a grayscale tone level associated with the design input data, an allocation of the one or more knitted structures of the knit design.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
determine an allocation of the one or more knitted structures of the knit design.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to determine the allocation of the one or more knitted structures by:
generating a data structure indicating the knitting instructions for the knitting machine; and
distributing, to the data structure, a plurality of rubrics associated with the one or more knitted structures.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to determine the allocation of the one or more knitted structures of the knit design by:
generating, based on the knit design, a matrix data structure indicating a plurality of knitting instructions for a knitting machine; and
distributing, to the matrix data structure, a plurality of rubrics associated with the one or more knitted structures.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
determine the deformation associated with the knit design.

17. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
receive a knit design comprising one or more knitted structures;
modify the knit design to compensate for a deformation, wherein modifying comprises duplicating one or more rows of the one or more knitted structures;
generate knitting instructions associated with the modified knit design; and
send, to a knitting machine, the knitting instructions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:
determine an allocation of the one or more knitted structures of the knit design.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to determine the allocation of the one or more knitted structures by:
generating a data structure indicating the knitting instructions for the knitting machine; and
distributing, to the data structure, a plurality of rubrics associated with the one or more knitted structures.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:
receive design input data indicating at least one of a set of visual attributes and a set of physical attributes associated with the knit design.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Karmon Ayelet
• Nir Shoval
• Shaked Tom
• Sheffer Eyal
• Sterman Yoav

Classifications

• D04B15/66 Primary

  Devices for determining or controlling patterns {; Program-control arrangements} · CPC title

• D04B37/02 Primary

  with weft knitting machines · CPC title

• D04B7/28

  with stitch patterns · CPC title

• D04B37/00

  Auxiliary apparatus or devices for use with knitting machines (Jacquard cards, pattern chains, apparatus for punching same D03C) · CPC title

• G05B2219/45194

  Lace, braid, knitting · CPC title