Applique data management apparatus, sewing machine, and storage medium storing applique data management program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11952691-B2
Application number	US-202217807969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2022
Priority date	Jul 30, 2021
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A controller acquires sewing data for sewing an applique piece on a sewing target material, the applique piece having a shape having a hole, the hole being a closed area surrounded by at least part of the applique piece, identifies a contour of the applique piece while distinguishing an inner contour and an outer contour, the inner contour being the contour defining the hole of the applique piece, the outer contour being the contour other than the inner contour, determines, based on the acquired sewing data, whether an inner stitch and an outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than a particular distance or at positions overlapping each other, and outputs an error notification in response to determining that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An applique data management apparatus comprising:
an output interface; and
a controller configured to:
acquire sewing data for sewing an applique piece on a sewing target material, the applique piece having a shape having a hole, the hole being a closed area surrounded by at least part of the applique piece;
identify a contour of the applique piece while distinguishing an inner contour and an outer contour, the inner contour being the contour defining the hole of the applique piece, the outer contour being the contour other than the inner contour;
determine, based on the acquired sewing data, whether an inner stitch and an outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than a particular distance or at positions overlapping each other, the inner stitch being formed along the inner contour, the outer stitch being formed along the outer contour; and
output an error notification through the output interface in response to determining that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.

2. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation interface configured to be operated by a user; and
a memory configured to store embroidery pattern data indicating an embroidery pattern having a particular size and shape,
wherein the sewing data includes at least:
stitch width data indicating a stitch width of a stitch formed along the contour of the applique piece, the stitch width being a width in a direction crossing the contour; or
offset data indicating an offset distance between a contour defining the shape of the embroidery pattern and the contour defining the shape of the applique piece, the shape of the applique piece being determined based on the shape of the embroidery pattern; and

wherein the controller is configured to:
receive, via the operation interface, an operation for changing a value of at least the stitch width data or the offset data; and
change the sewing data based on the value of at least the stitch width data or the offset data based on the received operation.

3. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the offset distance is changeable to a positive value and a negative value via the operation interface.

4. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire a contour image indicating the contour of the applique piece, the contour image being generated based on the sewing data;
based on the acquired contour image, identifying an inner contour image indicating the inner contour and an outer contour image indicating the outer contour; and
based on the identified inner contour image and outer contour image, determine whether the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.

5. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a coordinate position of each pixel indicating the inner contour image with reference to a particular origin;
determine a coordinate position of each pixel indicating the outer contour image with reference to the particular origin;
compare a pixel value of each pixel indicating the inner contour image and a pixel value of each pixel indicating the outer contour image at a same coordinate position; and
based on comparison, determine whether the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.

6. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
in response to determining that the pixel value of at least one pixel indicating the inner contour image and the pixel value of at least one pixel indicating the outer contour image at the same coordinate position match and have a value representing the contour, determine that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions overlapping each other; and
in response to determining that, for all pixels in the contour image, the pixel value of each pixel indicating the inner contour image and the pixel value of each pixel indicating the outer contour image at the same coordinate position do not match or do not have the value representing the contour, determine that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are not arranged at positions overlapping each other.

7. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an operation interface; and
a memory configured to store a threshold value indicating the particular distance,
wherein the controller is configured to:
acquires the threshold value stored in the memory;
receive a change of the threshold value via the operation interface and update the threshold value in the memory;
expand or contract an inner contour line in the inner contour image based on the threshold value by expansion-contraction processing;
expand or contract an outer contour line in the outer contour image based on the threshold value by the expansion-contraction processing;
in response to determining that the pixel value of at least one pixel indicating the inner contour image and the pixel value of at least one pixel indicating the outer contour image at the same coordinate position match and have a value representing the contour, determine that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance; and
in response to determining that, for all pixels in the contour image, the pixel value of each pixel indicating the inner contour image and the pixel value of each pixel indicating the outer contour image at the same coordinate position do not match or do not have the value representing the contour, determine that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are not arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance.

8. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an operation interface configured to be operated by a user; and
a memory configured to store embroidery pattern data indicating an embroidery pattern having a particular size and shape,
wherein the sewing data includes at least:
stitch width data indicating a stitch width of a stitch formed along the contour of the applique piece, the stitch width being a width in a direction crossing the contour; or
offset data indicating an offset distance between a contour defining the shape of the embroidery pattern and the contour defining the shape of the applique piece, the shape of the applique piece being determined based on the shape of the embroidery pattern; and

wherein the controller is configured to:
receive, via the operation interface, an operation for changing a value of at least the stitch width data or the offset data;
change the sewing data based on the value of at least the stitch width data or the offset data based on the received operation;
change the inner contour image and the outer contour image based on at least the stitch width data or the offset data; and
based on the changed inner contour image and outer contour image, determine whether the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.

9. The applique data management apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication interface configured to communicate with a server via a network,
wherein the controller is configured to:

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tokura Masashi

Classifications

• D05B19/08 Primary

  Arrangements for inputting stitch or pattern data to memory {; Editing stitch or pattern data} · CPC title

• D05B19/10

  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

• D05C5/06

  with means for recording the information · CPC title

• D05D2305/08

  Cutting the workpiece · CPC title

• D05C7/08

  for attaching cords, tapes, bands, or the like · CPC title