JP4109753B2 - sewing machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sewing machine that displays information used by a worker who operates the sewing machine, such as embroidery pattern information and work instruction information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The operator who operates the sewing machine has embroidery pattern information (pattern picture, color number of each part of the pattern, number of needles, etc.) and work instruction information (production quantity, production end schedule, color / type / use of thread used for production) Based on the quantity etc.), the sewing machine reads the pattern data to be produced, sets the operating conditions of the sewing machine, and operates the sewing machine.
[0003]
Generally, such information is created using a computer. As shown in FIG. 8A, conventionally, such information is often printed on a paper 52 by a printer 51 from a computer 50 and used for operating a sewing machine 53. However, since this requires time for printing and the like, as shown in FIG. 8B, the computer 50 and the sewing machine 56 are connected via the communication line 55, and data representing these pieces of information is transferred to the sewing machine 56. It is conceivable to display it on the display unit 57 of the sewing machine 56.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the operator cannot understand even if only the data is displayed, it is necessary to display a guide character string in a language understood in the country where the sewing machine 56 is used together with the data. In addition, there is a demand for the display format to be the same as the format used when printing on the paper 52 by the computer 50 which is a format familiar to the operator. In this way, the display content on the display unit 57 of the sewing machine 56 can be appropriately changed on the sewing machine 56 side in accordance with the language understood in the country in which the sewing machine 56 is used and the format familiar to the operator. There is a problem that the development takes time and cost.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is a sewing machine that can solve the above-described problems and can display information used by an operator created by another apparatus such as a computer in a format that the operator is familiar with at a low cost. Is to provide.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a sewing machine according to the present invention is a character string that is input to a computer and describes the pattern information of embroidery data or work instruction information and the contents of the data in the language of the country in which the sewing machine is used. and data an image data obtained by converting in the computer, an image data input means for inputting image data representing an image including the pattern information or the work instruction information of the embroidery data and the character string, Image data conversion means for converting the input image data into display data, and a display for displaying the character string simultaneously with the pattern information of the embroidery data or the work instruction information by displaying the image based on the display data And the contents of the image to be displayed need not be changed appropriately on the sewing machine side .
[0007]
The image data is data including data representing an image and is not particularly limited as long as the data is in a format different from that of the display data. The following data can be exemplified.
(1) Print data that can be input by the printer.
(2) Facsimile data that can be received by a facsimile.
(3) Image scanner data output from the image scanner.
(4) Graphics data that can be read and written by graphics software.
(5) CAD data that can be read and written by CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software.
[0008]
Although it does not specifically limit as said image data input means, The following aspect can be illustrated.
(1) The image data from a device that outputs the image data, such as a computer, an image scanner, or a facsimile, connected via a communication line (including a one-to-one connection cable for connecting a printer or an image scanner). The mode to input.
(2) A mode in which image data stored in a removable disk such as a floppy disk (FD) or a magneto-optical (MO) disk is input via a drive device of the disk.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 to 6 show a sewing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A control device 2 of the sewing machine 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10, and the CPU 10 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 11, RAM (Random Read / Write Memory) 12, HD (Hard Disk) Device 13, Printer Input IF (Interface) Unit 14 as Image Data Input Means, Display IF (Interface) Unit 15, Operation Input IF (Interface) Unit 16, Sewing Machine Body An IF (interface) unit 17 and the like are connected via an internal bus 18.
[0010]
The display unit 3 of the operation panel 6 as a display unit is connected to the display IF unit 15 of the control device 2, and the operation input unit 4 of the operation panel 6 is connected to the operation input IF unit 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation input unit 4 includes an image displayable lamp 4a that is turned on when an image expressed by print data as image data is in a state where it can be displayed on the display unit 3, and the image. In addition to the image display switch 4b to be displayed on the display unit 3, various kinds of commands for reading pattern data to be produced, setting operating conditions for the sewing machine, and inputting instructions for starting and stopping the sewing machine A switch is provided. The display unit 3 displays the image, the state of the sewing machine 1, the operation content of the sewing machine 1, the pattern information of the embroidery data, and the like according to the operation from the operation input unit 4.
[0011]
The sewing machine main body IF section 17 is connected to a sewing machine main body 5 including an embroidery frame, a driving device for the embroidery frame, a plurality of sewing heads, and a spindle motor (all not shown).
[0012]
The printer input IF unit 14 of the control device 2 can receive a parallel data signal, and is connected to a printer output IF (interface) unit 22 of a computer 21 via a parallel data signal cable 20 as a communication line. When a block (described later) of print data output from the computer 21 is received, the CPU 10 is notified accordingly. Upon receiving this notification, the CPU 10 executes print data conversion processing (step S30, which will be described later) as image data conversion means.
[0013]
The HD device 13 of the control device 2 stores a control program such as an OS (operating system), a print data conversion process (step S30, described later), and the like. The print data conversion process (step S30) converts the input print data into display data as image data that can be displayed on the display unit 3. These programs are read into the RAM 12 when the power of the sewing machine 1 is turned on, and are appropriately executed.
[0014]
The RAM 12 includes a display data storage area 12a for storing display data converted by the print data conversion process (step S30), and a printer status storage area 12b for simulating the printer status during the conversion process. Is provided.
[0015]
The computer 21 connected to the control device 2 corresponds to the language of the country in which the sewing machine 1 is used. The pattern information of the embroidery data (the pattern picture, the color number of each part of the pattern, the number of needles, etc.), the work instruction Information used by the operator such as information (the number of production, the production end date, the color / type / consumption of yarn used for production, etc.) can be input. A character string describing the contents of the data in the language of the country in which the sewing machine is used can also be input so that the operator can understand the contents of the data. The computer 21 converts these data and character string data into print data that can be input by the printer, and outputs the print data from the printer output IF unit.
[0016]
If a printer is connected to the printer output IF unit, an image (an image printed on a paper 52 of [Conventional Technology]) displaying pattern information and work instruction information of embroidery data and a character string explaining the information. Can be printed on paper. An operator can also drive the sewing machine using this.
[0017]
The print data is transferred from the computer 21 for each block 25 shown in FIG. 3A or FIG. At the head of the block 25, a block ID portion 25a for displaying the contents stored in the block 25 and a block length portion 25b for storing the length of the entire block are provided. If the content of the block ID portion 25a is “D” as shown in FIG. 10A, it indicates that the image data elements constituting the image represented by the print data are stored. As shown in b), “C” indicates that a control command to the printer is stored.
[0018]
When the block ID portion 25a is “D”, a continuation flag portion 25c and an image data element portion 25d are provided after the block length portion 25b. If the content of the continuation flag portion 25c is “ON”, it indicates that the subsequent image data element is stored in another subsequent block 25. If it is “OFF”, the block 25 is the final block 25 of the print data. It is shown that.
[0019]
When the block ID section 25a is “C”, a control command section 25e for storing a control command for the printer is provided after the block length section 25b. Examples of the control command include designation of a print position and page break instruction.
[0020]
Next, print data conversion processing (step S30) for converting print data into display data will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. This process is executed each time the CPU 10 receives a notification that the block 25 of print data has been received from the printer input IF unit 14. In the initial state before the start of the print data conversion process (step S30), the image display enable lamp 4a is turned off, the display data storage area 12a is cleared, and the printer status storage area 12b is waiting for receiving new print data. Suppose you are in a state of
[0021]
First, the CPU 10 reads the block 25 of print data from the printer input IF unit 14 (step S31).
[0022]
Next, the content of the block ID portion 25a of the received block 25 is discriminated (step S32), and if it is “C” indicating the control command, according to the control command stored in the control command portion 25e, the printer status storage area 12b is stored. The contents are updated (step S33), and the process is terminated (step S38). For example, if the control command is a print position designation, the print position stored in the area 12b is set to a designated value.
[0023]
If the content of the block ID portion 25a is “D” indicating an image data element in step S32, the image data element stored in the image data element portion 25d is converted into display data (step S34). The display data is stored in the display data storage area 12a based on the print position in the printer status storage area 12b, and the content at the print position is updated to a value moved backward by this display data (step S35). Then, the continuation flag stored in the continuation flag unit 25c is checked (step S36). If the flag is “ON”, the process is immediately terminated (step S38). If the flag is “OFF”, the operation is completed. The image displayable lamp 4a of the input unit 4 is turned on (step S37), and the process is terminated (step S38).
[0024]
The operation of the sewing machine 1 configured as described above will be specifically described. First, when the computer 21 inputs pattern information of, for example, embroidery data and operates in the same way as printing out when the printer is connected to the printer output IF unit 22, data representing these pieces of information becomes image data. Is output from the printer output IF unit 22 for each block 25. When the print data block 25 is received by the printer input IF unit 14 of the control device 2, it is converted into display data by the print data conversion process (step S30) and stored in the display data storage area 12a. When the conversion of the print data is completed in the same process, the image displayable lamp 4a of the operation input unit 4 is turned on. When the operator presses the image display switch 4b after the image display capable lamp 4a is turned on, for example, an image represented by display data (an image representing pattern information of embroidery data) as shown in FIG. Is displayed. Similarly, when the work instruction information is output from the computer 21, for example, an image (an image representing the work instruction information) shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display unit 3.
[0025]
Since FIG. 5 is represented by a black and white line diagram, the relationship between each part of the pattern of the image displayed on the display unit 3 and the color cannot be read in FIG. Since the image is displayed in color, the relationship can be easily read.
[0026]
According to the sewing machine 1 configured as described above, data representing information used by the operator such as pattern information of the embroidery data created by the computer 21 and work instruction information is output as image data from the printer output IF unit 14. Output in the print data format, an image expressed by the print data can be displayed on the display unit 3 of the sewing machine 1. This image is the same as the image printed on the paper 52 of [Prior Art], and includes information used by the operator, such as pattern information of embroidery data and work instruction information, and a character string explaining the information In addition, the display format is the same as the format when printed on the paper 52 by the conventional computer 50 which is a format familiar to the operator. Therefore, the sewing machine 1 needs to be able to appropriately change the display contents on the display unit 3 of the sewing machine 1 in accordance with the language understood in the country in which the sewing machine is used and the format familiar to the operator. This can be realized at low cost.
[0027]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the structure of the said embodiment, For example, as follows, it can also be changed and embodied suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of invention.
(1) Instead of print data as image data, facsimile data that can be received by a facsimile, image scanner data output from an image scanner, graphics data that can be read and written by graphics software, and CAD data that can be read and written by CAD software Input data in other formats such as
[0028]
(2) The printer input IF unit 14 receives data of other signal formats such as a serial data signal and a network data signal such as Ethernet. In FIG. 7, instead of the printer input IF unit 14 and the printer output IF unit 22, Ethernet network IF units 41 and 44 are provided, and a plurality of sewing machines 1 are connected to one computer 21 via the network 42. An example configured as described above is shown. With this configuration, the same image data can be transferred from a single computer 21 to a plurality of sewing machines 1, or different image data can be transferred to each sewing machine 1.
[0029]
(3) Even before the image display enable lamp 4a is turned on (before receiving all the blocks 25 of the print data), if the image display switch 4b is turned "ON", the image has been received and converted so far. Display data is displayed on the display unit 3 and each time the print data block 25 is received, the received image data elements are sequentially converted into display data for display.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, according to the sewing machine according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, information used by an operator created by another device such as a computer is displayed in a format that the operator is familiar with. Can be realized at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of a sewing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an operation panel of the sewing machine.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a block format of print data input to a printer input IF unit of the sewing machine.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of print data conversion processing of the sewing machine.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of an image on the display unit of the sewing machine.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of another image on the display unit of the sewing machine.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a modification example of the sewing machine.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a conventional sewing machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sewing machine 3 Display part 14 Printer input IF part 20 Parallel data signal cable 21 Computer 25 Print data block S30 Print data conversion process

Claims (3)

Image data obtained by converting the pattern information or work instruction information data of the embroidery data and the character string data described in the language of the country in which the sewing machine is used, into the computer. there are an image data input means for inputting image data representing an image including the embroidery pattern information or the work instruction information data and said character string,
Image data conversion means for converting the input image data into display data;
Display means for displaying the character string simultaneously with the pattern information of the embroidery data or the work instruction information by displaying the image based on the display data ;
A sewing machine characterized in that it is not necessary to appropriately change the contents of the image to be displayed on the sewing machine side .   The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the image data is print data that can be input by a printer.   The sewing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image data input means inputs the image data from a computer connected via a communication line.

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