Embroidery data processor for preparing high quality embroidery sewing
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShoichi Taguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An embroidery data processor includes: a thinning unit that reduces thickness of lines in image data to produce thin-line image data including at least one thin-line outline defining a bounded region corresponding to a region of the embroidery pattern; a thin-line following unit that follows the at least one thin-line outline to search for branch lines connected to the at least one thin-line outline and extending into the bounded region; and a branch deleting unit that deletes any branch lines discovered by the thin-line following unit.
Claims18
An embroidery data processor for processing image data to form an embroidery pattern, the embroidery data processor comprising:
- a thinning unit that reduces thickness of lines in the image data to produce thin-line image data including at least one thin-line outline defining a bounded region corresponding to a region of the embroidery pattern;
- a thin-line following unit that follows the at least one thin-line outline to search for branch lines connected to the at least one thin-line outline and extending into the bounded region;
- and
- a branch deleting unit that deletes any branch lines discovered by the thin-line following unit;
- wherein the branch deleting unit deletes any connecting branch lines that connect the at least one thin-line outline with a closed loop within the bounded region;
- wherein the thin-line following unit follows pixels of the at least one thin-line outline and further comprising:
- a closed loop processor that detects the closed loop when the thin-line following unit follows a pixel of the at least one thin-line outline twice;
- and
- further comprising a timing means for controlling the thin-line following unit to search for branch lines before the closed loop processor operates to detect the closed loop.
A method for processing image data to form an embroidery pattern, the method comprising the steps of:
- reducing thickness of lines in the image data to produce thin-line image data including at least one thin-line outline defining a bounded region corresponding to a region of the embroidery pattern;
- following the at least one thin-line outline to search for branch lines connected to the at least one thin-line outline and extending into the bounded region;
- and
- deleting any branch lines discovered during the step of following;
- wherein the deleting step includes deleting any connecting branch lines that connect the at least one thin-line outline with a closed loop within the bounded region;
- wherein the following step includes following pixels of the at least one thin-line outline with a thin-line following unit and further comprising the step of:
- detecting the closed loop when the thin-line following unit follows a pixel of the at least one thin-line outline twice with a closed loop processor;
- and
- further comprising the step of:
- controlling the thin-line following unit to search for branch lines before the closed loop processor operates to detect the closed loop.
A program storage medium for storing data of a program indicative of a process for controlling processing of image data to form an embroidery pattern, the program comprising:
- a program of reducing thickness of lines in the image data to produce thin-line image data including at least one thin-line outline defining a bounded region corresponding to a region of the embroidery pattern;
- a program of following the at least one thin-line outline to search for branch lines connected to the at least one thin-line outline and extending into the bounded region;
- and
- a program of deleting any branch lines discovered during the following program;
- wherein the program of deleting deletes any connecting branch lines that connect the at least one thin-line outline with a closed loop within the bounded region;
- wherein the program of following follows pixels of the at least one thin-line outline and further comprising:
- a program of detecting the closed loop when the program of following follows a pixel of the at least one thin-line outline twice;
- and
- further comprising a program of controlling the program of following to search for branch lines before the program of detecting operates to detect the closed loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.