JPH0813313A - Embroidery pattern input unit for giving control data - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an embroidery pattern input unit for giving control data, capable of obtaining stitch data, display data and control data from an original image involving symbols representing the contents of control. CONSTITUTION:An image scanner 2 is allowed to scan an original image involving symbols (S) and read the symbols (S') and the image. Control data are obtained by a program stored in a control data forming program storing unit 12 and stitch data and display data are thereby simultaneously obtained by a program stored in a stitch/display data conversion program storing unit 10. These data are stored in a control data and stitch/display data storing unit 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an embroidery pattern input device for creating embroidery stitch data for embroidery sewing on a sewing machine capable of embroidering, and embroidery patterns capable of giving control data to image data. Regarding the input device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When creating embroidery pattern data for an embroidery sewing machine, an embroidery pattern input device is known in which an original image is taken in by image input means such as an image scanner and converted into embroidery sewing data. It is widely used because even beginners can easily sew unique patterns.

[0003]

However, when embroidery sewing data is created from such image data and embroidery sewing is performed, since various shapes are used, patterns of such various shapes are formed. Correspondingly, it has been required to select the optimum sewing machine operating conditions. That is, a more beautiful embroidery sewing can be realized by setting conditions such as the thread tension of the sewing machine, the rotation speed, the type of the embroidery frame, and the sewing method to be appropriate according to the pattern shape and the size of the pattern.
It is desired to develop an embroidery pattern input device that can set these conditions. The present invention aims to meet such a demand.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an embroidery pattern input device for providing control data of the present invention is designed to provide a symbol and an image from a desired original image provided with a symbol representing the control content of a sewing machine. And means for generating stitch data for performing embroidery sewing of the sewing machine and display data for displaying the read image data from the read image data, and a symbol representing the control content of the read sewing machine for the sewing machine. It is characterized by comprising means for generating control data and means for storing the stitch data, display data and control data. Here, the control content does not necessarily mean the content automatically controlled by the sewing machine. This is because some sewing machines can automatically support some models, and some models cannot. Therefore, if the sewing machine cannot handle it, the control content is notified to the user, and the user manually executes the control content. For example, in a general sewing machine, the user changes the embroidery frame type etc. by himself / herself. The symbol indicating the control content of the sewing machine may be any symbol or a numeral or character, or may be a control data code such as a bar code. In addition, these symbols may be drawn directly on the original image, or may be written on a sheet that can be attached to the original image.
The symbols representing the control content of the sewing machine include, for example, control content regarding the thread tension of the sewing machine, control content regarding the operating speed of the sewing machine, control content regarding the color of the embroidery thread of the sewing machine,
The control content regarding the type of the embroidery frame of the sewing machine, the control content regarding the sewing method of the sewing machine, and the like may be mentioned, and the control content of one or a combination thereof may be represented. Of course, it is possible to represent any control content other than the above as a symbol. It is preferable that the read original image and the control content are displayed by a display unit or printed by a printing unit based on the generated display data and the control data.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the embroidery pattern input device X includes an image scanner 2 as image input means. The image scanner 2 is connected to the main body of the input device, and the image data read thereby is input to the central processing unit 1 shown in FIG.

The original image to be prepared here is provided with a symbol S indicating the control contents of the sewing machine together with the image. FIG. 4 shows an example thereof, and three symbols S are drawn on the upper left of the triangular image I, and respectively show the control contents such as thread tension, sewing machine frame type, sewing method and the like. As the symbol S, it is possible to use letters, numbers, etc., and it is also possible to use a code representing a bar code or the like. The symbol S may be directly written on the original image, or may be attached with a label or the like. Further, the position of the symbol S may be anywhere, but it is desirable to be above or below the original image. When the original image and the symbol S shown in FIG. 4 are read by the image scanner 2, stitch data and display data having a pattern as shown in FIG. 5 are generated as will be described later, and control data indicating the control content is provided at the head thereof. The pattern end code is attached to the end. Then, by successively reading the patterns A, B, ---, the data classified by the pattern end code is created as shown in the figure.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, one original picture is divided into four constituent parts, and each part is provided with a symbol S indicating different control contents. In this embodiment, the control code label 15 is used as the symbol S, which is 4 above the original image.
A sheet of control code label 15 is attached, and the control content of each component is defined. In the original image shown in FIG. 6, a flower shape is drawn as an image, and each component is divided by a discrimination display (hereinafter referred to as a pattern). That is, each image is divided and drawn by painting, dots, horizontal stripes, and vertical stripes.

For each pattern in FIG. 6, the control code label 15 defines, as control contents, color difference, thread tension, presence / absence of thread trimming, and presence / absence of upper speed limit. Is given. Such control contents are the bar code 16 of the control code label 15.
Is given by. And each control code label 1
A pattern display 17 is shown at 5, and the contents of the barcode 16 can be discriminated for each pattern.

As shown in FIG. 1, the input device main body is provided with a guide 24, and an original image of a pattern having a symbol S is placed on an original image placing portion 25 set on the guide 24. The image of the original image and the symbol S are read by running the scanner 2 on the original image.
It is also possible to freely travel on the original image and read the image without using such a guide 24. In addition,
20 is a scanner button for reading an image, 21
Is a scanner dial for adjusting the lightness and darkness of reading, 31 is a liquid crystal display for performing various displays which will be described later, 32 is a memory card take-out button of the control data and stitch / display data storing means 6, and 33 is a power switch.

As shown in FIG. 3, the input device main body is provided with an operation command section 5 composed of a plurality of function keys such as a read key 50, a memory key 51, and a pattern number input key 52. An image is read by operating a key and causing the image scanner 2 to run on the original image. That is, the operator reads the read key 50
When the central processing unit 1 is operated, the central processing unit 1 enters the reading mode, and when the number of patterns of the original image is input by the pattern number input key 52, the pattern number signal is input to the pattern number input means 3 to set the number of patterns. At the same time, a pattern code corresponding to the number of patterns is set, and these signals are sent to the central processing unit 1 to enter the image reading mode. At this time, pattern blocks corresponding to the respective patterns are formed in the symbol / image data storage means. In addition, the selected pattern is displayed on the liquid crystal display 31.
It can be displayed on the screen to check the selection pattern.

After performing the above operation, the image scanner 2 is moved on the original image on the original image placing portion 25 while pressing the scanner button 20 of the image scanner 2 so that the image and pattern of the original image and the symbol S are displayed. The image can be read by the image scanner 2.

Image data accompanied by the read pattern data is sequentially sent to the central processing unit 1, which stores the image data in the symbol / image data storage means 11.
Is configured to be stored in.

When the reading of the image is completed, the image data dividing means 4 reads the symbol S and the image data, and divides the symbol S and the image data based on the pattern. In the example of FIG. 6, based on the pattern display 17 of the control code label 15, patterns P1, P2, P3,
The symbol data is divided for each P4, and the symbol data is stored at the head of each pattern block in the symbol / image data storage means 11. Regarding the image, first, based on the discrimination data of the pattern P1, the image data having the pattern data belonging to this pattern P1 is searched, and the corresponding image data is the pattern P1 in the symbol / image data storage means 11. The block stores data next to the symbol data. Then, perform the same work up to P2, P3, P4,
The image data of the symbol / image data storage means is divided into pattern blocks P1 to P4 and stored. Note that the image data can be divided by various methods, such as by dividing each predetermined bit block unit.

Next, when the storage key 51 is operated, the central processing unit 1 causes the control data generation program storage means 1 to operate.
2 and the program instruction from the stitch / display data conversion program storage means 10, the symbol S data for each block stored in the symbol / image data storage means 11 is converted into control data, and the image data is embroidered on the sewing machine. After being converted into pattern stitch / display data, these data are input to the control data and stitch / display data storage means 6. At this time, the control data, the stitch data, and the display data are stored in association with the pattern code of the pattern block, and a data end code is added to the end of each block to form a data structure as shown in FIG. .

These images and control contents are displayed on the liquid crystal display 31 by the display means 8 based on the display data and the control data.
Is displayed in. FIG. 7 shows an example of display on the liquid crystal display 31. In this embodiment, the images are displayed in different colors, and the control data is configured so that the control contents are specifically displayed by, for example, characters. With this display, the user can read the specific image of the read original image and the control content such as the thread tension.

The control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 is a memory card in this embodiment.
As shown in, the memory card slot 30 of the input device body
It can be installed and removed. The control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 storing the control data, the stitch data and the display data is removed from the input device main body, and the memory card reading unit 3 of the embroidery sewing machine main body Y shown in FIG. 9 is removed.
When the sewing machine is mounted on the sewing machine 5, the sewing image is displayed in color on the display device 106 of the sewing machine main body Y according to the display data, and the operator can select a desired pattern. When a predetermined operation of the sewing machine is performed, the selected control data and the embroidery pattern and control data stored in the stitch / display data storage means 6 are called up, and the embroidery sewing machine main body Y is moved according to the control data and the stitch data. It operates so that a pattern of the same color as the original image and designated by the control data can be realized as an embroidery stitch.

The operation will be described with reference to FIG. When the operator operates the number-of-patterns input key 52 to input a predetermined number of patterns N (step 60), a pattern code corresponding to the number of patterns is set (step 61), and the central processing unit 1 displays a symbol / image. The reading mode is set. Next, when the operator presses the read key 50 of the input device main body and pushes the scanner button 20 of the image scanner 2 to run the image scanner 2 on the original image, the image scanner 2
Reads the symbols, images and patterns of the original image sequentially and sends the symbol / image data and pattern data to the central processing unit 1 (step 62). This symbol / image data is stored in the symbol / image data storage means 11 (step 63).

When the reading is completed, the image data dividing means 4 sets Ni = 1 and Pi = 1 (step 6).
4) The symbol / image data including the pattern data is read from the symbol / image data storage means 11, and the discrimination data of P1 is applied to each predetermined bit block of the data to extract the data belonging to the pattern of P1 (step). 65).
Then, Ni and Pi are incremented (step 6
6), sequentially extracting data belonging to the Pi pattern,
The symbol / image data is stored in the symbol / image data storage means 11 corresponding to the pattern code. The above operation is repeated until the set number N of patterns is reached (step 67,
68, 69).

The reading is completed for all patterns N,
When the operator operates the storage key 51, the central processing unit 1 generates control data from the symbol data read for each pattern based on the algorithm of the control data generation program storage means 12 (step 70). At the same time, according to the program of the stitch / display data conversion program storage means 10, the image data for each pattern stored in the symbol / image data storage means 11 is converted into stitch data and display data (step 71), and this control data and stitch data are converted. And display data are stored block by block in the control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 (step 7).
2). As described above, the stitch data and the display data including the control data for each block can be obtained from one original image having the image having the symbol S and divided and displayed in the pattern.

An example of the construction of the above-mentioned sewing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. XY is on the sewing machine body Y shown in FIG.
A carriage 118 as a moving unit, an embroidery frame 119 supported by the carriage 118, and a needle bar 120 and a needle 121 as a stitch forming mechanism 112 are provided. A cloth is attached to the embroidery frame 119, and control data and stitch / display data storage means 6
The desired embroidery sewing is performed by the movement of the carriage 118 in the xy directions and the vertical movement of the needle bar 120 and the needle 121 in accordance with the data from 1. The embroidery sewing can be selected by the sewing mode selection button 104. When the embroidery sewing is not performed, the normal sewing mode is set and the needle bar 120 and the needle 121 are moved up and down and a feeding device (not shown). The normal sewing is performed by feeding the cloth.

In FIG. 10, a CPU 100 controls a sewing machine in accordance with a program stored in a program storage device 101 connected via a BUS, and a rotation speed command device 103 which is a stepping type speed controller or the like.
The sewing machine motor drive circuit 110 is controlled at the speed instructed by to rotate the sewing machine motor 111, and the stitch forming mechanism 112 is driven at the sewing speed corresponding to the instructed speed. As shown in FIG. 9, the stitch forming mechanism 112 is composed of a needle bar 120, a needle 121, and a cloth feeding mechanism (not shown), and executes a predetermined sewing.
The rotation speed of the sewing machine motor 111 is the motor rotation detection sensor 1
It is detected by 13, and is fed back to the CPU 100 to be used for speed control. In addition to the sewing machine motor drive circuit 110, X
A Y motor drive circuit 115, an XY motor 116, and an XY moving mechanism 117 are provided. As shown in FIG. 9, the XY moving mechanism 117 is provided with the carriage 118 and the embroidery frame 119, and the cloth attached to the embroidery frame 119 is moved in the XY directions to execute embroidery sewing. The timing signal generator 114 is used to detect the vertical phase of the needle 121 by detecting the rotational phase of the upper shaft of the sewing machine main body, and to take the timing of the XY motor drive by the XY motor drive circuit 115. The CPU 100 inputs the timing signal and controls the XY motor drive circuit 115. As shown in FIG. 10, the display device 106 is adapted to perform various displays in response to a command from the CPU 100 by the display control device 105. CPU
100 controls the XY motor drive circuit 115 according to the stitch data of the pattern read by the memory card reading section 35 to realize embroidery sewing of a predetermined pattern. On the other hand, according to the control data read by the memory card reading unit 35, the designation of the embroidery frame and the designation of the color of the embroidery thread are displayed on the display device 106, and the user is prompted to perform the settings as designated. If the sewing machine Y has a function of automatically setting these, it is automatically set. Then, the thread tension controller 108 is set to the thread tension based on the control data via the thread tension control device 107, the sewing machine motor drive circuit 110 is controlled to control the sewing speed and the upper limit of the speed, and the thread trimming control is also performed. Is supposed to do.

Next, a method of using the apparatus of the above embodiment will be described. After first turning on the power switch 33, the memory card slot 30 is loaded with the control data and stitch / display data storage means 6. Then, the number of patterns input key 52 is pressed to set the number of patterns. The pattern code corresponding to this is set by setting the number of patterns.
At the same time, blocks of each pattern are formed in the symbol / image data storage means 11. Then, an original image having the image divided by the pattern with the above-mentioned control code label 15 attached is prepared, and the original image is placed on the original image placing portion 25 of the guide 24 (or another suitable place), and the guide image is displayed as shown in FIG. Two
The image scanner 2 is placed on the upper end of 4 and the reading key 50 is operated, and then the image scanner 2 is moved to the lower end while pressing the scanner button 20. As a result, the image reading unit 22 scans the top of the original image placing unit 25 from the upper end to the lower end, and reads the bar code 16 and the pattern display 17 of the control code label 15 on the original image placing unit 25 and the image and the pattern of the original image. .

After reading by the image scanner 2,
The bar code 16 and the image data are image data dividing means 4
The pattern / block data is separated into blocks and stored in the symbol / image data storage means 11.

After the reading by the image scanner 2 is completed, by pressing the storage key 51, the bar code 16 is converted into the control data, and the image data is converted into the stitch data and the display data, and the control data and the stitch / display data are converted. It is stored in the storage means 6 for each block. When all the steps are completed, the operator pushes the memory card eject button 3
2 is pressed to take out the control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 from the main body of the input device, mount the control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 on the memory card reading section 35 of the embroidery sewing machine main body Y, and embroider the sewing machine main body Y. By operating, the image corresponding to the original image can be sewn with the embroidery pattern under the control content designated by the control code label 15. At this time, a color image display based on display data and control contents are displayed on the display unit of the sewing machine main body Y by a predetermined operation, and pattern selection is performed while viewing a specific color image and control contents. You can

In the above embodiment, the pattern number input means 3, the image data division means 4, the image display means 8 and the like are constructed independently of the central processing unit 1, but the invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to integrally configure the central processing unit 1.

Although the embroidery pattern multi-step input device X is constructed separately from the embroidery sewing machine main body Y in the above embodiment, the main body of the input device except the guide 24 and the original image placing section 25 is embroidered. It is also possible to incorporate it in the sewing machine main body Y and connect the image scanner 2 to the embroidery sewing machine main body Y. In this case, the control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 can be constructed as a card type which can be inserted / removed as in the above embodiment, or can be constructed as a memory built in the embroidery sewing machine main body Y. It is possible. Further, it is also possible to separately input the symbol S and the image data by not reading the image data dividing means 4 and reading each pattern by the image scanner 2 at the time of reading. In this case, as the image scanner 2, it is necessary to use one that can be selected and input for each pattern. For example, the image scanner 2 divides the image according to the shade of the filling, and the image scanner 2 reads each density. Can be

According to the embodiment described above, data including the stitch data, the display data and the control data can be obtained based on the original image including the symbol S. Further, the symbol S and multicolored stitch / display data can be obtained by one reading operation from the original image divided and displayed by the pattern. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of original images, and the image scanner 2 does not need to read the colors, so that the cost can be reduced.

[0028]

As described above, the embroidery pattern input device for providing the control data of the present invention, from the desired original image provided with the symbols representing the control contents of the sewing machine, to the stitch data and the display data corresponding to the image and the sewing machine. The control data can be obtained and stored in the means for storing them. Therefore, it is possible to easily embroider a desired image based on proper sewing machine control. Claims 5 and 6
In the invention, the image of the original image and the contents of the control are displayed by means for displaying based on the generated display data and the control data, or printed by the printing means, so that the user can easily display the contents. There is an effect that can be grasped.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing an original image placing portion 25 in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an original image including a symbol S according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a data structure obtained according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of another example of the original image provided with the symbol S in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a display on the liquid crystal display 31 in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an external view of an example of a sewing machine to which control data and stitch / display data storage means 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached.

10 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system of the sewing machine shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Central processing unit, 2: Image scanner, 3: Pattern number input means, 4: Image data dividing means, 5: Operation command section, 6: Control data and stitch / display data storage means, 8: Display means, 10 : Stitch / display data conversion program storage means, 11: symbol / image data storage means, 1
2: control data generation program storage means, 15: control code label, 16: bar code, 17: pattern display,
20: Scanner button, 21: Scanner dial, 2
4: Guide, 25: Original image placement part, 30: Memory card slot, 31: Liquid crystal display, 32: Memory card eject button, 33: Power switch, 35: Memory card reading part, 50: Read key, 51: Memory Key, 52: pattern number input key, 100: CPU, 101: program storage device, 103: rotation speed command device, 104: sewing mode selection button, 105: display control device, 106: display device, 1
07: thread tension control device, 108: thread tension device, 110: sewing machine motor drive circuit, 111: sewing machine motor, 112:
Stitch forming mechanism, 113: Motor rotation detection sensor, 11
4: Timing signal generator, 115: XY motor drive circuit, 116: XY motor, 117: XY moving mechanism, 1
18: carriage, 119: embroidery frame, 120: needle bar, 1
21: Needle.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Haruhi Tanaka, inventor, 1463 Asama-cho, Hachioji, Hachioji, Tokyo Jam no Sewing Machine Co., Ltd. Within Sewing Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinichi Fukada 1463 Asama-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Janome Eye Machinery Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A means for reading a symbol and an image from a desired original image having a symbol representing the control content of the sewing machine, and stitch data for displaying embroidery sewing of the sewing machine from the read image data. Display data for the sewing machine, means for generating control data for the sewing machine from the read symbols representing the control content of the sewing machine, and means for storing the stitch data, the display data and the control data. An embroidery pattern input device for providing control data characterized by the above. 2. The embroidery pattern input device for giving control data according to claim 1, wherein the symbols representing the control contents of the sewing machine are described on a sheet attachable to the original image. 3. The embroidery pattern input device for providing control data according to claim 1, wherein the symbol representing the control content of the sewing machine is a control data code. 4. A symbol representing the control content of the sewing machine, the control content relating to the thread tension of the sewing machine, the control content relating to the operating speed of the sewing machine, the control content relating to the color of the embroidery thread of the sewing machine, and the control content relating to the type of the embroidery frame of the sewing machine. An embroidery pattern input device for providing the control data according to claim 1, 2 or 3, which represents one or more of the control contents regarding the sewing method of the sewing machine. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying an image corresponding to an original image based on the generated display data and displaying control contents based on the control data. An embroidery pattern input device for providing the control data described in 1. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for printing an image corresponding to an original image based on the generated display data, and printing control contents based on the control data. Alternatively, an embroidery pattern input device that provides the control data described in 5.