Sewing machine and non-transitory computer-readable medium storing sewing machine control program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315932-B2
Application number	US-201313789046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2012
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A sewing machine includes at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion, a thickness detecting portion, a processor, and a memory. The at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion is configured to detect an ultrasonic wave. The thickness detecting portion is configured to detect a thickness of a work cloth. The memory configured to store computer-readable instructions that instruct the sewing machine to execute steps that includes identifying a position, on the work cloth, of a transmission source of the ultrasonic wave, based on information pertaining to the ultrasonic wave that has been detected by the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion and on the thickness that has been detected by the thickness detecting portion, and controlling sewing on the work cloth based on the position of the transmission source that has been identified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine comprising:
at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion configured to detect an ultrasonic wave;
a thickness detecting portion configured to detect a thickness of a work cloth;
a processor; and
a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions that instruct the sewing machine to execute steps comprising:
identifying a position, on the work cloth, of a transmission source of the ultrasonic wave, based on information pertaining to the ultrasonic wave that has been detected by the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion and on the thickness that has been detected by the thickness detecting portion; and
controlling sewing on the work cloth based on the position of the transmission source that has been identified.

2. The sewing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a presser bar whose lower end a presser foot is attachable to, the presser foot being configured to press the work cloth, wherein
the thickness detecting portion is configured to detect the thickness by detecting a height position of the presser bar when the presser foot presses the work cloth.

3. The sewing machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the sewing machine to execute steps comprising:
calculating a first distance value based on a distance between the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion and one of a bed of the sewing machine and a needle plate and on the thickness that has been detected by the thickness detecting portion, the needle plate being provided on the bed, the distance being in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to an upper surface of the one of the bed and the needle plate, the first distance value being a distance in the orthogonal direction between the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion and an upper surface of the work cloth; and
identifying the position of the transmission source on the work cloth based on the first distance value that has been calculated and on the information pertaining to the ultrasonic wave that has been detected by the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion.

4. The sewing machine according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion includes a plurality of ultrasonic wave detecting portions that are provided in first installation positions being different positions,
the sewing machine further comprises a first storage portion configured to store the first installation positions,
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the sewing machine to execute steps comprising:
acquiring a transmission timing at which the ultrasonic wave has been transmitted; and
calculating a second distance value based on the transmission timing that has been acquired and on a detection timing at which the ultrasonic wave is detected by each of the plurality of ultrasonic wave detecting portions, the second distance value being a distance between the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave and each of the plurality of ultrasonic wave detecting portions; and

the identifying the position of the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave includes identifying the position of the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave on the work cloth based on the first distance value that has been calculated, on the second distance value that has been calculated, and on the first installation positions that are stored in the first storage portion.

5. The sewing machine according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an ultrasonic wave transmitting portion configured to transmit the ultrasonic wave; and
a notifying portion configured to notify the transmission timing of the ultrasonic wave that has been transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitting portion; wherein
the acquiring the transmission timing includes acquiring the transmission timing that has been notified by the notifying portion.

6. The sewing machine according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion includes three ultrasonic wave detecting portions that are provided in second installation positions being different positions,
the sewing machine further comprises a second storage portion configured to store the second installation positions,
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the sewing machine to execute a step comprising:
calculating a third distance value based on a detection timing at which the ultrasonic wave has been detected by each of the three ultrasonic wave detecting portions, the third distance value being a distance between the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave and each of the three of ultrasonic wave detecting portions, and

the identifying the position of the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave includes identifying the position of the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave on the work cloth based on the first distance value that has been calculated, on the third distance value that has been calculated, and on the second installation positions that are stored in the second storage portion.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a control program executable on a sewing machine, the program comprising computer-readable instructions, when executed, to cause the sewing machine to perform the steps of:
identifying a position, on a work cloth, of a transmission source of the ultrasonic wave, based on information pertaining to a ultrasonic wave that has been detected by at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion of the sewing machine and on a thickness that has been detected by a thickness detecting portion of the sewing machine, the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion being configured to detect the ultrasonic wave, and the thickness detecting portion being configured to detect the thickness of the work cloth; and
controlling sewing on the work cloth based on the position of the transmission source that has been identified.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein
the thickness is detected by detecting a height position of a presser bar of the sewing machine when a presser foot presses the work cloth, the presser foot being attachable to a lower end of the presser bar and being configured to press the work cloth.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein
the program further comprising computer-readable instructions, when executed, to cause the sewing machine to perform the steps of:
calculating a first distance value based on a distance between the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion and one of a bed of the sewing machine and a needle plate and on the thickness that has been detected by the thickness detecting portion, the needle plate being provided on the bed, the distance being in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to an upper surface of the one of the bed and the needle plate, the first distance value being a distance in the orthogonal direction between the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion and an upper surface of the work cloth; and
identifying the position of the transmission source on the work cloth based on the first distance value that has been calculated and on the information pertaining to the ultrasonic wave that has been detected by the at least one ultrasonic wave detecting portion.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein
the program further comprising computer-readable instructions, when executed, to cause the sewing machine to perform the steps of:
acquiring a transmission timing at which the ultrasonic wave has been transmitted; and
calculating a second distance value based on the transmission ti

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Abe Daisuke
• Ichiyanagi Satoru
• Nakamura Yoshinori
• Nishimura Yoshio
• Shimizu Akie
• Ihira Yuki
• Makino Satoru

Classifications

• D05B19/12 Primary

  characterised by control of operation of machine · CPC title