Patent Publication Number: US-9840796-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for visualizing the position of an operating head relative to a workpiece

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 13/358,232, filed Jan. 25, 2012. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     None. 
     REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING” 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a system for visualizing a position of an operating head relative to a workpiece. In one configuration, the present system assists a user in making a pattern on a workpiece using a free-motion machine. A further configuration relates to sewing machines for quilting and more specifically to a method and apparatus for sewing quilting patterns onto a workpiece by displaying a pattern and an indicator on a display apparatus, the indicator corresponding to a position of a sewing head relative to the workpiece, and moving the display apparatus to move the indicator relative to the displayed pattern and move the sewing head relative to the workpiece. 
     Description of Related Art 
     A quilt is a coverlet that typically has three layers: a decorative top layer, a middle layer of insulating material, and a backing layer. Traditionally, the top layer is made by piecing together small pieces of material to form patterns or designs. Optionally, a border is formed around the top layer by sewing strips of material around the perimeter of the sewn pieces as a border. The quilt is assembled by stitching together the three layers in a quilting pattern using a rocking stitch, running stitch or straight stitch around the entire area of the quilt to secure the layers and to add decorative effect. 
     Quilts have been made throughout American history to use as bed coverings. Today, some even use quilts as decorative wall hangings or to make quilt-like clothing products or textiles. Over the years, quilting has become a popular hobby, in part because of technological advances in quilting sewing machines that have made the machines more affordable and quilting easier and faster. Many quilters have home quilting machines that allow one to select intricate quilting patterns to be stitched onto many yards of material. In addition, these quilting sewing machines are used by the textile industry to create all types of affordable quilted products. 
     A problem with these machines, however, is that they are large and difficult to handle. Further, because the user is located farther away from the needle when using a paper pantograph, or scroll, as a guide, it is difficult to follow a quilting pattern on a pantograph and observe the sewing quality. 
     In addition, the need to acquire and retain numerous scrolls is expensive and requires significant storage space. 
     Despite the machine providing a more efficient quilting experience, many users are still not satisfied with the quality of the stitching of the quilt. 
     To improve the accuracy and speed of quilting, computer-controlled quilting machines can be used. However, these machines are not desired by many because the user does not have control over the stitching. While the user may have higher quality stitching on the quilt, the users do not experience the satisfaction of creating the quilting design and sewing the quilting pattern themselves. The difficulties identified above are also encountered by those using other types of machines to make patterns on a workpiece, for example, patterns in wood with routers and drill presses and patterns in material with home sewing machines. 
     Therefore, the need exists for a machine that allows a user to be more involved in the pattern making process. The need also exists for allowing manipulation of patterns that have traditionally been fixed on a scroll or generated by freehand. The need also exists for a machine that improves the look of the overall design. Further, the need exists for a machine that allows a user to create and manipulate patterns to be made in or on a workpiece. A need also exists for visualizing relative motion between the position of an operating head and a workpiece. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure provides a method of stitching a workpiece where a user moves a display to move an indicator relative to a displayed pattern, and a sewing head relative to the workpiece. The present disclosure also provides a method of stitching a workpiece where a user moves a display to move a displayed pattern relative to a fixed position of an indicator wherein the indicator corresponds to a location of a sewing head. Further, the present disclosure provides a method of stitching a workpiece where a user moves a display to move an indicator and a displayed pattern relative to the workpiece. The present method of stitching a workpiece implements the following steps: displaying a predetermined pattern on a display located adjacent to a control handle, the control handle operably connected to a sewing head moveable relative to the workpiece; displaying an indicator on the display, the indicator corresponding to a position of the sewing head relative to the workpiece; and moving the display and the control handle to move the indicator relative to a displayed pattern, and move the sewing head relative to the workpiece. 
     The present disclosure further provides for a method of stitching a workpiece. The method includes displaying a predetermined pattern on a display and manipulating the predetermined pattern on the display. An indicator is displayed on the display wherein the indicator corresponds to a position of a sewing head relative to the workpiece. Then, a control handle operably connected to the sewing head is moved, thereby moving the indicator relative to the pattern on the display and the sewing head relative to the workpiece. 
     The present disclosure also includes an apparatus for stitching a workpiece. The apparatus comprises a memory for retaining a plurality of patterns and a display connected to the memory for displaying a selected one of the patterns. The apparatus further comprises a sewing head moveable relative to the workpiece. A control handle is operably connected to the sewing head to move the sewing head relative to the workpiece, wherein the display is mounted relative to the control handle for movement with the control handle. 
     The present disclosure further includes a method of visualizing a position of an operating head relative to a workpiece. The method comprises displaying a pattern, such as a predetermined pattern, on a display, displaying an indicator on the display, the indicator corresponding to a position of the operating head relative to the workpiece, and manually moving a relative position of the pattern on the display corresponding to relative motion of at least one of the workpiece and the operating head. 
     Further, the present disclosure includes a method of visualizing a position of an operating head relative to a workpiece comprising tracking a relative physical position of the workpiece and the operating head in response to operator movement of at least one of the operating head and the workpiece; and displaying on a display an indicator relative to a workpiece image, the indicator corresponding to the tracked relative physical position. 
     In addition, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for making a pattern in a workpiece, the apparatus comprising a free-motion machine having an operating head and a tracking device; a memory for retaining a plurality of patterns; a display connected to the memory for displaying a selected one of the patterns; and an indicator on the display corresponding to the position of the operating head relative to the workpiece, wherein the selected pattern is made in the workpiece by manually moving the workpiece relative to the operating head corresponding to the relative motion of the selected pattern on the display relative to the indicator on the display. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description of the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a configuration of a sewing machine showing a workpiece being stitched. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of a sewing machine showing the display apparatus. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another configuration of a sewing machine showing workpiece being stitched. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the display apparatus of the sewing machine shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a method of stitching a workpiece. 
       FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of a portable sewing machine showing a workpiece being stitched by a user. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     At the outset, it should be appreciated that the use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element. 
     For purposes of the present disclosure and appended claims, the conjunction “or” is to be construed inclusively (e.g., “a bear or a pig” would be interpreted as “a bear, or a pig, or both”; e.g., “a bear, a pig, or a mouse” would be interpreted as “a bear, or a pig, or a mouse, or any two, or all three”), unless: i) it is explicitly stated otherwise, e.g., by use of “either . . . or”, “only one of . . . ”, or similar language; or ii) two or more of the listed alternatives are mutually exclusive within the particular context, in which case “or” would encompass only those combinations involving non-mutually-exclusive alternatives. 
     For purposes of the present disclosure or appended claims, the words “comprise”, comprising”, “have”, “having”, “include”, “including”, and so on shall be construed as being open-ended, e.g., “including” shall be construed as “including but not limited to.” 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the present disclosure provides for a sewing machine  10  in accordance with a first configuration of the system. The sewing machine  10  generally includes a table  12  and an optional template platform  14 . The workpiece assembly  18  includes a start roller  22  and a take-up roller  24 , wherein the workpiece  20  is secured within the start roller  22 , positioned tightly and fed into the take-up roller  24 , thereby exposing a section  24  of the workpiece  20  to be sewn by a sewing head  28  having a sewing needle  30 . The sewing machine  10  also includes a motor and power transmitting apparatus (not shown) for driving the sewing needle  30  axially in a repeating upward and downward motion. The sewing head  28  is mounted to an arm  32 . The arm  32  couples the sewing head  28  and a display apparatus  36 . The display apparatus includes a display screen or display  38 , including, for example, an LCD touch screen. It is also contemplated the display apparatus can include a separable component such as a tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, or phone (having a display). 
     In one configuration of the present disclosure, control handles  40  are adjacent the display apparatus  36 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , display apparatus  36  can be positioned between control handles  40 . However, it should be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that control handles  40  can be positioned above, below or at the side of the display apparatus  36 . Further, it should be appreciated that the sewing machine  10  may have only one control handle for moving the display apparatus  36 . The sewing machine  10  may have an additional control handle or set of control handles  42  positioned proximate the sewing head  28  allowing the user to sew a pattern onto the workpiece without the guidance of a pattern template  16 . The control handles  40  are operably connected to the sewing head  28 . Thus, the user controls the movement of the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece by moving the control handles  40  during the sewing of the pattern onto the workpiece  20 . In one configuration, the display apparatus  36  is mounted relative to the control handles  40  and moves with the control handles  40 . That is, motion of the display apparatus  36  is the motion of the control handles  40 . The sewing machine can include sensors or readers as well known in the art for monitoring the location of the sewing head. These sensors include, but are not limited to, optical sensors, counters, and mechanical position sensors, as well known in the art. 
     The display apparatus  36  displays on the screen  38 , a pattern  44  wherein the pattern can be any one of a plurality of patterns stored in an electronic memory. The pattern  44  can be manipulated on the screen  38  by the user. For example, a user may resize or multiply the pattern to create a desired pattern that fits any quilt size. The manipulation can also include rotation, resizing, and reorientation of the pattern. In addition, an indicator  46  is displayed on the screen  38 . The indicator  46  corresponds to a position of the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . More specifically, the display apparatus  36  includes a digital cross hair generator that accepts video input of the pattern  44  and then superimposes the indicator  46  on the output shown on the screen  38  to correspond with the position of the sewing head  28 . 
     Once the pattern  44  is determined, the user moves the control handles  40  and display apparatus  36  to move the indicator  46  relative to the displayed pattern  44 , and, therefore, the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . In another configuration, the user moves the control handles  40  and the display apparatus  36  to move the pattern  44  relative to a fixed position of the indicator  46  on the display screen, and, therefore, the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . In yet another configuration, the user moves the control handles  40  and the display apparatus  36  to move both the indicator  46  and the displayed pattern  44 , and therefore, the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . As the user moves the control handles  40 , during operation, the sewing head  28  sews the pattern traced by the indicator  46  on the screen  38  onto the exposed section  24  of the workpiece  20 . 
     In the configuration of  FIGS. 3-4 , the workpiece assembly  18  includes a start roller  22  and a take-up roller  24 , wherein the workpiece  20  is secured within the start roller  22  and fed into the take-up roller  24 , thereby exposing a section  24  of the workpiece  20  to be sewn by a sewing head  28  having a sewing needle  30 . The sewing head  28  is mounted to an arm  32 , which couples the sewing head  28  to a display apparatus  36  having a screen  38 . 
     A user can select and use a desired pattern  44  from an electronic pattern library. Alternatively, a user can acquire and use a desired pattern  44  from another source and store such pattern in the electronic pattern memory for later use. Further, the user can manipulate the pattern by resizing, reorientating, or multiplying the pattern to create a desired design that fits the workpiece size. The indicator  46  is displayed on the screen  38  of the display apparatus  36  which corresponds to a position of the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . Thus, in operation, a user moves the control handles  40  and display apparatus  36  to move the indicator  46  relative to the pattern  44  on the screen  38  and the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . As the user moves the control handles  40 , during operation, the sewing head  28  sews the pattern displayed on the screen  38  onto the exposed section  24  of the workpiece  20 . As stated supra, the indicator  46  or the pattern  44  may be in a fixed position on the display. Alternatively, both the indicator  46  and the displayed pattern  44  may move positions on the display when the user moves the control handles  40  to move the indicator  46  relative to the displayed pattern  44  and the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . It should be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that if the display  36  is parallel to the workpiece  20 , the movement of the control handles  40  along the x-axis and y-axis corresponds to the movement of the indicator  46  and/or pattern  44  on the screen  38 . However, if the display  36  is perpendicular to the workpiece  20 , the movement of the control handles  40  along the y-axis (moving the handles closer to or farther away from a user) will translate into movement of the indicator  46  and/or pattern  44  on the screen  38  along the z-axis (up and down). However, it is understood the screen  38  can be at any orientation to the workpiece  20 . 
     In all configurations, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the display apparatus  36  is controlled by a CPU, which can be a tablet computer having a touch screen  38 . The screen  38  provides a user interface to allow the user to control the pattern sewn on the workpiece  20  of the sewing head  28 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , for example, the sewing machine  10  may include a display apparatus  36  having a pattern selection section  48  having a plurality of patterns for selection. The pattern  44  selected by way of the pattern selection section  48  is displayed on the screen  38  in accordance with display image data stored in the ROM in advance. A user can also resize, multiply, reorient, or otherwise adjust a selected pattern. Alternatively, and as shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , the sewing machine  10  may comprise an additional touch screen  50  providing sewing head  28  operating switches including a start/stop switch  52  and controls to adjust the additional machine settings and functions as described supra. 
     It should be appreciated that the method of stitching a workpiece may be implemented by means of a computer software program.  FIG. 5  shows the main flow  100  of a computer program to be executed. First, according to step  102 , a user selects or creates a pattern to be sewn onto a workpiece  20 . According to step  104 , this predetermined pattern  44  is displayed on a display apparatus  36  located adjacent to a control handle  40  which is operably connected to a sewing head  28  moveable relative to a workpiece  20 . A user determines whether the predetermined pattern  44  needs manipulation, according to step  106 . If the predetermined pattern requires manipulation as set forth in step  108 , the user will use the touch screen  38  to manipulate the pattern  44  by, for example, resizing the pattern, multiplying all or portions of the pattern  44  to create a different or repeating pattern, or distorting the pattern to create a variation of the pattern. The user will then move to step  110  where the indicator  46  corresponding to a position of a sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20  is displayed on the screen  38 . 
     According to step  112 , a user will move the control handle  40  operatively connected to the sewing head  28  to simultaneously move the indicator  46  relative to the pattern  44  on the screen  38  and to move the sewing head  28  relative to the workpiece  20 . Thus, the pattern  44  displayed on the screen  38  is sewn onto the workpiece  20 . Once the pattern  44  is sewn across a first row of the workpiece  20 , the workpiece  20  is moved to allow a second row of the pattern to be sewn onto the workpiece  20 . This process is repeated until the user has sewn the desired pattern or patterns over the desired area of the workpiece  20 . Such computer software program can be run on sewing machine having a quilting head that is equipped with stitch regulation. 
     The predetermined pattern can be selected from a pattern library stored in the computer program. In yet another configuration, a pattern template can be displayed on the screen  38 . 
     It should be appreciated to those having ordinary skill in the art that the above described computer program can be used with other types of free-motion machines that are used to make, trace or impart patterns in workpieces by moving the workpiece relative to an operating head. Further, the workpiece can be any of a variety of materials or constructions, such as but not limited to fabrics, composites, laminates, wood, metal or plastic. 
     The operating head can be any of a variety of devices, including but not limited to sewing heads, routers, lasers, formers, welders, fastening heads and cutters. For example, the present system can be adapted for portable sewing machines, routers secured to a router table and drill presses, wherein the workpiece would be any type of fabric, composite, laminate, metal, plastic or wood material. In the configuration of the free-motion machine is a portable sewing machine, the operating head is a sewing head with a needle. Similarly, where the free-motion machine is a router table or drill press, the operating head is the router/drill press head and bit. 
     The free-motion machine includes a tracking device  208  for determining the position of a workpiece  20 . 
     The tracking device  208  can include any of the known devices for tracking a position or movement of an object, such as a roller ball, a laser, mechanical link or arm, wheel or other device that can be used to track movement of the workpiece  20 . 
     Typically, the tracking device  208  s adjacent the operating head to track the motion of the workpiece relative to the operating head. It is believed to be beneficial to locate the tracking device  208  proximal to the operating head for workpieces  20  that stretch, or are flexible or elastic. For workpieces  20  that are rigid or substantially inflexible, the tracking device  208  can be spaced from the operating head. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the present disclosure provides for a free-motion sewing machine  200 . The sewing machine  200  generally includes a workpiece supporting base  202 , a bracket arm  204  overhanging the workpiece supporting base  202 , and an operating head  206 . The sewing machine  200  further includes the tracking device  208  and a display  210 , which includes the display screen  212 . The screen  212  displays an image of the workpiece, the indicator  46  corresponding to a position of the operating head relative to the workpiece  20 , and a pattern overlaying the workpiece, and provides a user interface to allow the user to control the type of pattern sewn on the workpiece by the operating head  206 . The tracking device  208  is positioned on the sewing machine  200  to track the position and/or movement of the workpiece  20 . To sew a desired pattern into the workpiece  20 , the user selects a desired pattern and moves the workpiece  20  relative to the operating head  206  while the operating head  206  is sewing. The display  210  shows an indicator  214 , which corresponds to the position of the operating head  206  and the position and movement of the workpiece  20  relative to the operating head. The position of the pattern displayed on the screen  212  moves according to the position of the workpiece  20 . Thus, the user is able to sew the displayed pattern onto the workpiece  20  by moving the workpiece. Once the pattern is sewn across a portion of the workpiece  20 , the workpiece is moved to allow a new portion of the pattern to be sewn onto the workpiece. This process is repeated until the user has sewn the desired pattern or patterns over the desired area of the workpiece  20 . 
     Therefore, the present system provides a method of visualizing the operating head  206  relative to the workpiece  20 , by tracking a relative position of the operating head and at least a portion of the workpiece in response to operator movement of at least one of the operating head and the workpiece; and displaying on the display  212  (i) the indicator  214  corresponding to the operating head and (ii) movement of at least one of the indicator and the pattern on the display, the movement on the display corresponding to operator movement of at least one of the workpiece and the operating head. 
     The present system has been described in detail with particular reference to a presently preferred embodiment, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein.