Embroidery data generating device and non-transitory computer-readable medium storing embroidery data generating program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441319-B2
Application number	US-201514618529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Feb 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

An embroidery data generating device has a hole data acquisition portion, an embroidery data acquisition portion, a polygon acquisition portion, a line segment generating portion and a bridge data generating portion. The hole data acquisition portion acquires hole data to form a hole in a sewing workpiece. The embroidery data acquisition portion acquires embroidery data corresponding to an embroidery pattern that is arranged on the inside of the hole. The polygon acquisition portion acquires a minimum polygon that encompasses the embroidery pattern, based on the acquired embroidery data. The line segment generating portion generates a line segment that joins the polygon and a peripheral edge portion of the hole. The bridge data generating portion generates bridge data to form bridge stitches between the embroidery pattern and the peripheral edge portion of the hole, based on the generated line segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An embroidery data generating device comprising:
a hole data acquisition portion that acquires hole data to form a hole in a sewing workpiece;
an embroidery data acquisition portion that acquires embroidery data corresponding to an embroidery pattern to be arranged on the inside of the hole;
a polygon acquisition portion that, based on the acquired embroidery data, acquires a minimum polygon that encompasses the embroidery pattern;
a line segment generating portion that generates a line segment that joins the polygon and a peripheral edge portion of the hole, the line segment generating portion generating a plurality of line segments that join the polygon and the peripheral edge portion of the hole by generating the line segment for each of a plurality of different points on the polygon; and
a bridge data generating portion that, based on the generated line segments, generates bridge data to form bridge stitches between the embroidery pattern and the peripheral edge portion of the hole.

2. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 1 , wherein
when an angle formed between two adjacent sides of the polygon is equal to or less than a threshold value, the line segment generating portion generates a line segment that passes through a vertex between the two adjacent sides of the polygon such that the generated line segment bisects the angle formed by the two adjacent sides.

3. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 1 , wherein
when a sum of lengths of two adjacent sides of the polygon is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the line segment generating portion generates a line segment that passes through a vertex between the two adjacent sides of the polygon such that the generated line segment bisects an angle formed by the two adjacent sides.

4. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the line segment generating portion generates at least three of the line segments.

5. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an underlay sewing data generating portion that generates underlay sewing data based on the line segments, the underlay sewing data being data to perform underlay sewing, the underlay sewing being performed before sewing of the embroidery pattern, and stitches of the underlay sewing being covered by the sewing of the embroidery pattern.

6. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an identification portion that identifies a specific line segment, the specific line segment being a line segment for which an angle formed between the specific line segment and a target line segment is closest to 180 degrees, the target line segment being one of the plurality of line segments, and the specific line segment being another of the plurality of line segments;
wherein
the underlay sewing data generating portion generates the underlay sewing data such that the stitches of the underlay sewing are formed in a direction to join an end point on the embroidery pattern side of the target line segment with an end point on the embroidery pattern side of the specific line segment.

7. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an identification portion that identifies a vertex of the polygon, the vertex having the closest distance to an intersection point between an extension line of a target line segment and the polygon, the target line segment being one of the plurality of line segments;
wherein
the underlay sewing data generating portion generates the underlay sewing data such that the stitches of the underlay sewing are formed in a direction to join an end point on the embroidery pattern side of the target line segment with the vertex identified by the identification portion.

8. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an average angle acquiring portion that acquires angles formed between each of the plurality of line segments and a specific reference line, and also acquires an average angle that is an average of all of the acquired angles;
wherein
the underlay sewing data generating portion generates the underlay sewing data such that the stitches of the underlay sewing are formed in a direction in which the angle formed with the reference line becomes the average angle.

9. The embroidery data generating device according to claim 1 , wherein,
the hole data acquisition portion acquires, as the hole data, one of cutting data that is data to form the hole using a sewing machine on which is mounted a cutting needle that is provided with a blade on a leading end thereof, and stitch data that is data to form stitches indicating a cutting line that is used by a user to manually form the hole in the sewing workpiece.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an embroidery data generating device, cause the embroidery data generating device to perform processes comprising:
acquiring hole data to form a hole in a sewing workpiece;
acquiring embroidery data corresponding to an embroidery pattern to be arranged on the inside of the hole;
acquiring, based on the acquired embroidery data, a minimum polygon that encompasses the embroidery pattern;
generating a plurality of line segments that join the polygon and a peripheral edge portion of the hole by generating a line segment that joins the polygon and the peripheral edge portion of the hole for each of a plurality of different points on the polygon; and
generating, based on the generated line segments, bridge data to form bridge stitches between the embroidery pattern and the peripheral edge portion of the hole.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein,
when an angle formed between two adjacent sides of the polygon is equal to or less than a threshold value, the process to generate the line segment generates a line segment that passes through a vertex between the two adjacent sides of the polygon such that the generated line segment bisects the angle formed by the two adjacent sides.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein,
when a sum of lengths of two adjacent sides of the polygon is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the process to generate the line segment generates a line segment that passes through a vertex between the two adjacent sides of the polygon such that the generated line segment bisects an angle formed by the two adjacent sides.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein,
the process to generate the line segment generates at least three of the line segments.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the embroidery data generating device to perform the processes further comprising:
generating underlay sewing data based on the line segments, the underlay sewing data being data to perform underlay sewing, the underlay sewing being performed before sewing of the embroidery pattern, and stitches of the underlay sewing being covered by the sewing of the embroidery pattern.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the embroidery data generating device to perform the processes further comprising:
identifying a specific line segment, the specific line segment being a line segment for which an angle formed between the specific line segment and a targe

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ihira Yuki
• Katano Tomotaka
• Yamada Kenji

Classifications

• D05B19/12 Primary

  characterised by control of operation of machine · CPC title

• D05B3/00

  Sewing apparatus or machines with mechanism for lateral movement of the needle or the work or both for making ornamental pattern seams, for sewing buttonholes, for reinforcing openings or for fastening articles, e.g. buttons, by sewing (program-controlled sewing machines D05B19/00; with devices for automatically controlling movement of work-carrier D05B21/00) · CPC title

• D05C7/00

  Special-purpose or automatic embroidering machines · CPC title

• D05C5/00

  Embroidering machines with arrangements for automatic control of a series of individual steps · CPC title