Patent Abstract:
An embroidery method is provided. An individual can provide a design such as images of the parts of a human being. The embroidery method can have it converted into a digitized image and use same to generate customized embroidery that can be placed onto a product such as fabric. The embroidery method can enlarge the design in the first step or not.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to embroidery method and more particularly to a embroidery method. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. A characteristic of embroidery is that the basic techniques or stitches of the earliest work such as chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch remain the fundamental techniques of hand embroidery today. 
         [0005]    Contemporary embroidery is stitched with a computerized embroidery machine using patterns “digitized” with embroidery software. In machine embroidery, different types of “fills” add texture and design to the finished work. Machine embroidery is used to add logos and monograms to business shirts or jackets, gifts, and team apparel as well as to decorate household linens, draperies, and decorator fabrics that mimic the elaborate hand embroidery of the past. 
         [0006]    Regarding embroidery software, a number of issues should be noted. The semantics and intent of a supplied custom design may be difficult to detect in an automated fashion. Further, the task of translating an image into stitches of colored threads requires interpretation and artistic judgment during key parts of the process. There are conventional systems that provide a partial solution for automated production of embroidery from a digital image. Typically these systems start with a raster image and perform the steps of translating the raster image into a vector image, applying a stitch pattern and color to each region of the vector image, determining stitching for underlayment using stored data, determining stitch order based on minimizing connecting stitches, and outputting a file containing instructions which embroidery software may edit. However, quality of grayscale images having a resolution about 80 DPI (dot per inch) is poor. 
         [0007]    Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel embroidery method that allows a consumer to provide user content to generate customized embroidery on a product when resolution of a grayscale image (i.e., the custom design) is about 80 DPI. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an embroidery method comprising the steps of enlarging an image as custom design by a predetermined percentage; converting the enlarged image by running embroidery software to generate a stitch file which is divided into a plurality of regions of shade of gray, each region having a serial number; modifying grayscale of at least one of the regions of shade of gray; determining stitches for underlayment by using the regions of shade of gray; determining a stitch order based on minimizing connecting stitches; and outputting a file containing instructions which embroidery software edits to an embroidery product design tool for designing a product having the custom design for embroidery. 
         [0009]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart illustrating four steps of generating customized embroidery on a product according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the product (e.g., human head embroidery on a fabric); 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating three steps of generating customized embroidery on a product according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the product (e.g., building embroidery on a fabric). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a flow chart of generating customized embroidery on a product according to a first preferred embodiment of embroidery method of the invention is illustrated. 
         [0015]    In step  1 , an image (e.g., the bust of a man as shown in  FIG. 2 ) as custom design is enlarged 101-140% including the eyes  2 , the nose  3 , the mouth  4 , the ears  5  and the eyebrows  6 . The image can be selected from an embroidery design library that stores one or more embroidery designs. 
         [0016]    In step  10 , the image is converted by running embroidery software to generate a stitch file. The stitch file is divided into a plurality of regions of shade of gray, each region having a serial number for identification. 
         [0017]    In step  11 , grayscale of each of all regions of shade of gray or grayscale of each of some regions of shade of gray is modified based on artistic judgment and/or designer&#39;s experience. Each of the modified regions of shade of gray is stored in a specified file location so that a stitching for underlayment can be determined by using the digitized regions of shade of gray. It is noted that the stitches can be comprised of at least three shades of gray of black and at least three shades of gray of white. Alternatively, the stitches can be comprised of a plurality of shades of gray having a color other than black and white (i.e., stitches of colored threads). 
         [0018]    In step  12 , stitch order based on minimizing connecting stitches is determined, and a file containing instructions which embroidery software may edit is outputted to an embroidery product design tool for designing a product (e.g., fabric) having the design for embroidery. 
         [0019]    It is envisaged by the invention that the stitches can be comprised of at least three shades of gray of black and at least three shades of gray of white because quality of the design for embroidery formed on the product can be very high. Also, this is characteristic of the invention that prior art black and white images cannot achieve. Moreover, color stitching of the invention rendered on the product has many improved characteristics including vividness compared with that rendered by the prior art. 
         [0020]    Preferably, the first preferred embodiment of embroidery method of the invention is applicable to designs of human being, animals, or the like. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a flow chart of generating customized embroidery on a product according to a second preferred embodiment of embroidery method of the invention is illustrated. The characteristics of the second preferred embodiment are substantially the same as that of the first preferred embodiment except that step  1  of the first preferred embodiment of embroidery method is eliminated. Details of the second preferred embodiment of embroidery method of the invention are illustrated below. 
         [0022]    In step  7 , an image  8  (e.g., a building as shown in  FIG. 4 ) is converted by running embroidery software to generate a stitch file. The stitch file is divided into a plurality of regions of shade of gray, each region having a serial number for identification. 
         [0023]    In step  70 , grayscale of each of all regions of shade of gray or grayscale of each of some regions of shade of gray is modified based on artistic judgment and/or designer&#39;s experience. Each of the modified regions of shade of gray is stored in a specified file location so that a stitching for underlayment can be determined by using the digitized regions of shade of gray. It is noted that the stitches can be comprised of at least three shades of gray of black and at least three shades of gray of white. Alternatively, the stitches can be comprised of a plurality of shades of gray having a color other than black and white (i.e., stitches of colored threads). 
         [0024]    In step  71 , stitch order based on minimizing connecting stitches is determined, and a file containing instructions which embroidery software may edit is outputted to an embroidery product design tool for designing a product (e.g., fabric) having the design for embroidery. 
         [0025]    It is envisaged by the invention that the stitches can be comprised of at least three shades of gray of black and at least three shades of gray of white because quality of the design for embroidery formed on the product can be very high. Also, this is characteristic of the invention that prior art black and white images cannot achieve. Moreover, color stitching of the invention rendered on the product has many improved characteristics including vividness compared with that rendered by the prior art. 
         [0026]    Preferably, the second preferred embodiment of embroidery method of the invention is applicable to designs of buildings, ships, airplanes, automobiles, lotus, etc. 
         [0027]    While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3