JP2002126381A - Embroidery data preparation apparatus, sewing machine and computer readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an embroidery data preparation apparatus capable of easily arranging patterns. SOLUTION: Pattern arrangement type data are previously stored in a data storage device 3, and by selecting an arrangement type by an arrangement type selection button 22, pattern arrangement is executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an embroidery data creating device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of embroidery sewing machines and the like,
Embroidery sewing has been performed at home and the like, and accordingly, there has been an increasing demand for embroidering an arbitrary pattern created by a user. In order to meet such a demand, an apparatus for creating an arbitrary pattern by a user and creating embroidery data in accordance with the pattern has been developed and marketed.
Such an embroidery data creating apparatus is usually provided in an embroidery sewing machine main body, or sold as software, so that a personal computer functions as the embroidery data creating apparatus.

[0003]

In the embroidery data creating apparatus as described above, it is relatively easy to create and combine the patterns, but there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately arrange the patterns. For example, it has been difficult to manually arrange the same pattern at four corners of a tablecloth or the like by manual operation. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, an embroidery data creating apparatus according to the present invention comprises means for giving a pattern to be embroidered, and means for selecting a predetermined arrangement of the pattern. Basically, there are provided means for displaying the pattern in the selected arrangement, and means for generating embroidery data so as to embroider the pattern in the selected arrangement. In the above configuration, the arrangement of the patterns is determined in advance, and the user can accurately arrange the patterns only by selecting the arrangement. The predetermined arrangement includes data such as the shape of the object (cloth) to be arranged, the position and angle of the pattern in the shape, the number of the patterns, and the like.
It is also possible to provide a means for changing the pattern after selecting the arrangement of the pattern, a means for changing the number of the patterns, or a means for changing the arrangement of the pattern. It is also possible to divide the embroidery area into predetermined areas, set the position of the pattern in one area, and duplicate the pattern and its position in another area. It is also necessary to provide a means for providing information on the size of the embroidery area and the size of the embroidery frame, and to perform sewing once without replacing the embroidery frame based on the size, and to perform sewing multiple times by replacing the embroidery frame. It is also possible to further comprise means for judging whether there is, and when the means for judging further judges that sewing is performed a plurality of times in addition to the above, the arranged pattern is displayed in actual size for embroidering. Means for generating template data for printing the template. This template is described in, for example,
It may be the same as the template described in US Pat. No. 3,337,390 or JP-A-11-164974, in which an actual size pattern and a mark for positioning are printed. The embroidery data creation device may be realized as a single unit, or may be incorporated in a sewing machine or an embroidery device capable of performing embroidery sewing. A step of giving a pattern to be embroidered,
Causing a computer to execute a step of arranging the pattern in accordance with a selected one of the predetermined arrangements of the pattern and a step of generating embroidery data so as to embroider the pattern in the selected arrangement. May be realized as a computer-readable recording medium on which the above program is recorded.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. An embodiment in which the embroidery data creating apparatus of the present invention is configured using a personal computer will be described with reference to FIG. The CPU 1 controls the entire system, and a program storage device 2 stores a program for performing a basic function as an embroidery data creating device.

[0006] The data storage device 3 stores stitch data and display data of a pattern to be embroidered, and an arbitrary pattern can be selected by operating a pattern selection button 21. The data storage device 3 stores arrangement type data defining the pattern of the pattern arrangement. For example, data such as an arrangement type arranged at four corners of a square table cloth and an arrangement type arranged around a round table cloth are stored. These layout types can be selected with the layout type selection button 22 after selecting the auto layout with the auto layout selection button 20.

FIG. 2 shows an auto layout screen. Here, the pattern m is selected by the pattern selection button 21, and the arrangement type for arranging the pattern at the four corners is selected by the arrangement type selection button 22. In response to the selection, the CPU 1 reads the display data and the arrangement type of the pattern from the data storage device 3, creates the entire display data by the pattern display data generation device 7, and causes the display device 50 to display the screen shown in FIG. It is configured as follows.

The CPU 1 is configured to simultaneously cause the embroidery data generator 10 to generate embroidery data corresponding to the screen of FIG. This embroidery data is stored in memory card 1
1 and so on.

When the pattern position setting device 4 does not select the auto layout by the auto layout selection button 20,
That is, when the manual is selected, the arrangement of the pattern selected by the manual button 23 is manually performed, and the number, position and angle of the pattern can be manually set. In addition, the number of patterns, and the position and the angle can be manually adjusted by the manual button 23 after the layout by the automatic layout.

In this embodiment, a function of copying a pattern by dividing the pattern into quadrants is provided as an automatic arrangement of the pattern. When the area dividing / arranging button 24 is operated, the area dividing / arranging device 5 divides the embroidery target area into a predetermined number of quadrants as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, it is divided into four quadrants. And 1
When the pattern m is selected for the quadrant and the position is set, the same pattern is arranged at the same position in the other quadrants as shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, a size setting button 25 is further provided so that the size of the embroidery target range (embroidery target, cloth) can be set. The embroidery frame replacement determination device 6 compares the size with the size of the embroidery frame, and calculates how many times the embroidery frame should be changed before embroidering is possible. At the same time, the allocation of the embroidery frame to the embroidery target range is also determined.

The information from the embroidery frame replacement discrimination device 6 is sent to the embroidery data generation device 10, and when the embroidery frame needs to be replaced, embroidery data is generated according to the allocation of the embroidery frames. The embroidery data may include embroidery frame replacement instruction data. At the same time, when the embroidery frame needs to be replaced, data for template creation is generated in the template data generation device 8, and the template is output by the printer 51. This template is printed with the embroidery pattern in actual size, and is marked with a mark for limiting the mounting position with the embroidery frame. By replacing the embroidery frame according to the display of the template, the pattern may be shifted. Not
Can perform embroidery sewing. Examples of the template include those described in JP-A-10-337390 and JP-A-11-164974, and data for creating these templates is created. If it is not necessary to change the embroidery frame, the embroidery data is generated so as to fit within the embroidery frame.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a temporary storage device. Although the above embodiment is an apparatus using a personal computer, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be realized as a dedicated device. It is also possible to equip an embroidery sewing machine or an embroidery machine. Also, a program for forming the pattern position setting device 4, the area dividing / arranging device 5, the embroidery frame replacement determining device 6, the pattern display data generating device 7, the template data generating device 8, the temporary storage device 9, and the embroidery data generating device 10 And the data of the data storage device 3, and further, an auto layout selection button 20, a pattern selection button 21, an arrangement type selection button 22, a manual button 23, an area division / arrangement button 24, and a size setting button 25. It can also be realized as a computer-readable recording medium on which a program to be assigned to the computer is recorded.

The operation will be described with reference to FIG. Pattern selection button 2
1 (step S1), an auto layout is selected by an auto layout selection button 20 (step S2), and an arrangement type is selected by an arrangement type selection button 22 (step S4). The pattern is displayed on the display device 50 according to the selected arrangement type (step S5). When the manual is selected in step S2, the position of the pattern is determined by the pattern position setting device 4 based on the operation of the manual button 23 (step S6), and the process jumps to step S14. When the user makes a change while watching the display in step S5 (step S5).
7) The number of patterns is manually set by operating the manual button 23 (steps S8 and S9). It is also possible to perform the pattern selection again (steps S10 and S11),
Further, the arrangement type can be reset (step S1).
2, 13). When the setting is completed, the size information of the embroidery range is input from the size setting button 25 (step S14),
The embroidery frame replacement determination device 6 determines whether or not the embroidery frame needs to be replaced based on a comparison with the size of the embroidery frame. If replacement is necessary and sewing is required a plurality of times, template data is generated by the template data generation device 8 (step S16). Then, the embroidery data generation device 10
Embroidery data is generated (step S17).

As described above, in the above embodiment, the pattern can be arranged simply by selecting a predetermined arrangement type, so that the pattern can be formed easily and accurately. In addition, any arrangement can be manually performed, and correction can be arbitrarily performed after automatic arrangement.
In addition, there is an effect that the embroidery frame replacement can be determined and template data can be created.

[0016]

As described above, according to the embroidery data creating apparatus, the sewing machine and the computer-readable recording medium of the present invention, there is an effect that the pattern can be easily and accurately arranged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: CPU, 2: Program storage device, 3: Data storage device, 4: Pattern position setting device, 5: Area division / placement device, 6: Embroidery frame replacement change determination device, 7: Pattern display data generation device, 8: Template Data generation device, 9: temporary storage device, 10: embroidery data generation device, 11: memory card, 20: auto layout selection button, 21: pattern selection button, 22: arrangement type selection button, 23: manual button,
24: area division / arrangement button, 25: size setting button, 50:
Display device, 51: printer.

Claims (9)

[Claims] A means for providing a pattern to be embroidered; a means for selecting a predetermined arrangement of the pattern; a means for displaying the pattern in the selected arrangement; and a means for displaying the pattern in the selected arrangement. Means for generating embroidery data so as to perform embroidery in an arranging arrangement. 2. The embroidery data creating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for changing the pattern after selecting the pattern arrangement. 3. The embroidery data creating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for changing the number of the patterns after selecting the arrangement of the patterns. 4. The embroidery data creating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for changing the arrangement of the pattern after selecting the arrangement of the pattern. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for dividing an embroidery area into predetermined areas, setting a position of the pattern in one area, and duplicating the pattern and its position in another area. Or, the embroidery data creation device according to 3 or 4. 6. A means for providing information on the size of an embroidery area and the size of an embroidery frame, and based on the size, can perform sewing once without changing the embroidery frame or change the embroidery frame a plurality of times. The embroidery data creation device according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit configured to determine whether it is necessary to perform sewing. 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: generating template data for printing a template displayed in full size for embroidering the arranged pattern when the determining unit determines that sewing is performed a plurality of times. Item 7. An embroidery data creation device according to Item 6. 8. An embroidery sewing machine capable of performing embroidery sewing, comprising the embroidery data creation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, 5, 6, or 7. 9. A step of providing a pattern to be embroidered, a step of arranging the pattern according to a selected one of a predetermined pattern arrangement, and a step of displaying the pattern in the selected arrangement. And a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute embroidery data so that the pattern is embroidered in the selected arrangement.