Patent Abstract:
A sewing machine includes a transfer device that includes a carriage to which an embroidery frame can be attached under a plurality of attaching conditions and that is adapted to transfer the carriage, a sewing device that moves a needle bar up and down, a specification device that specifies an embroidery pattern to be sewn, an allocation device that allocates pattern data to one of the plurality of attaching conditions, a data acquisition device that acquires pattern data allocated to a current condition, an image capture device that is adapted to capture an image of at least one marker, a computation device that computes a difference as a correcting condition based on image data, a correction device that corrects the pattern data, and a sewing control device that performs sewing of the partial pattern by controlling the transfer device and the sewing device in accordance with the pattern data.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-203649, filed Sep. 3, 2009, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to a sewing machine that has a function to sew an embroidery pattern on a work cloth that is held by an embroidery frame, and to a computer-readable medium that stores a sewing machine control program. 
     A sewing machine is known that has a function to sew an embroidery pattern on a work cloth that is held by an embroidery frame. The known sewing machine includes an embroidery frame that holds the work cloth, a carriage which the embroidery frame can be attached to and be detached from, and a transfer device that transfers the carriage in two directions. In recent years, there has been a demand for a sewing machine that can sew a larger embroidery pattern. On the other hand, there is a demand to reduce the size of the sewing machine. Here, a sewing machine has been proposed that includes an embroidery frame provided with a plurality of attaching portions, and that allows a position of attaching of the embroidery frame to a carriage to be changed. In such a sewing machine, partial patterns, which an embroidery pattern has been divided into according to attaching positions of the embroidery frame, can be sequentially sewn so that the embroidery pattern can be sewn. Thus a sewing area becomes substantially larger without any change to the size of the sewing machine. 
     SUMMARY 
     In the known sewing machine, when the embroidery frame is attached to the carriage at differing positions and angles, an attaching error may occur. In such a case, relative positions between the partial patterns may be unintentionally altered, and the appearance of the embroidery pattern may be impaired. 
     Various exemplary embodiments of the broad principles derived herein provide a sewing machine and a computer-readable medium that stores a sewing machine control program that are capable of matching positions of partial patterns in a case in which at least one of an attaching position and an attaching angle of an embroidery frame is changed in relation to a carriage and an embroidery pattern is sewn. 
     Exemplary embodiments provide a sewing machine that has a function to sew an embroidery pattern. The sewing machine includes a transfer device that includes a carriage to which an embroidery frame that holds a work cloth can be attached under a plurality of attaching conditions and that is adapted to transfer the carriage, the plurality of attaching conditions mutually differing in at least one of an attaching position and an attaching angle of the embroidery frame in relation to the carriage, a sewing area being set for the embroidery frame based on a movable range of the embroidery frame, and the embroidery frame being attached to the carriage in a state in which one of the plurality of attaching conditions is changed to another one of the plurality of the attaching conditions in a process in which an embroidery pattern is sewn in a case in which the embroidery pattern is larger than the sewing area, and a sewing device that moves a needle bar, to a bottom end of which a needle can be attached, up and down. The sewing machine further includes a specification device that specifies an embroidery pattern to be sewn on the work cloth, an allocation device that allocates pattern data to one of the plurality of attaching conditions, the pattern data being data used to sew each of partial patterns that are parts of the specified embroidery pattern, and the attaching conditions to which the pattern data are allocated being mutually different, a data acquisition device that acquires pattern data allocated to a current condition by the allocation device in accordance with the current condition, the current condition being an attaching condition which is one of the plurality of attaching conditions and under which the embroidery frame is currently attached, and an image capture device that is adapted to capture an image of at least one marker that is provided on the embroidery frame attached to the carriage, the image being captured before and after the current condition is changed. The sewing machine also includes a computation device that computes a difference as a correcting condition based on image data generated by the image capture device, the difference being a difference between at least one of positions of the at least one marker and angles of the at least one marker in relation to the carriage before and after the current condition is changed, a correction device that corrects the pattern data acquired by the data acquisition device by determining a position and an angle of the partial pattern in relation to the carriage based on the correcting condition computed by the computation device, and a sewing control device that performs sewing of the partial pattern by controlling the transfer device and the sewing device in accordance with the pattern data corrected by the correction device. 
     Exemplary embodiments further provide a computer-readable medium storing a control program executable on a sewing machine that has a function to sew an embroidery pattern. The program includes instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of specifying an embroidery pattern to be sewn on a work cloth held by an embroidery frame that can be attached to a carriage under a plurality of attaching conditions, the plurality of attaching conditions mutually differing in at least one of an attaching position and an attaching angle of the embroidery frame in relation to the carriage, a sewing area being set for the embroidery frame based on a movable range of the embroidery frame, and the embroidery frame being attached to the carriage in a state in which one of the plurality of attaching conditions is changed to another one of the plurality of the attaching conditions in a process in which an embroidery pattern is sewn in a case in which the embroidery pattern is larger than the sewing area, allocating pattern data to one of the plurality of attaching conditions, the pattern data being data used to sew each of partial patterns that are parts of the specified embroidery pattern, and the attaching conditions to which the pattern data are allocated being mutually different, and acquiring pattern data allocated to a current condition in accordance with the current condition, the current condition being an attaching condition which is one of the plurality of attaching conditions and under which the embroidery frame is currently attached. The program further includes instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of computing a difference as a correcting condition based on image data, the image data being generated by capturing an image of at least one marker that is provided on the embroidery frame attached to the carriage, the image being captured before and after the current condition is changed, and the difference being a difference between at least one of positions of the at least one marker and angles of the at least one marker in relation to the carriage before and after the current condition is changed, correcting the acquired pattern data by determining a position and an angle of the partial pattern in relation to the carriage based on the computed correcting condition, and performing sewing of the partial pattern by controlling a transfer device and a sewing device in accordance with the corrected pattern data, the transfer device including the carriage and being adapted to transfer the carriage, and the sewing device moving a needle bar, to a bottom end of which a needle can be attached, up and down. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an oblique view of a multi-needle sewing machine  1 ; 
         FIG. 2  is an oblique view that shows an interior of a needle bar case  21 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of an embroidery frame  84  and an embroidery frame moving mechanism  11 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory figure of a marker  180 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram that shows an electrical configuration of the multi-needle sewing machine  1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an explanatory figure of an embroidery pattern  200 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an explanatory figure of a partial pattern  201  that forms a portion of the embroidery pattern  200 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an explanatory figure of a partial pattern  211  that forms the other portion of the embroidery pattern  200 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a flow chart of main processing; 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view of the embroidery frame  84  and the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  in a case where the embroidery frame  84  is attached to an X carriage  22  under a first attaching condition and the partial pattern  201  is sewn on a work cloth  39 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an explanatory figure of processing that detects the marker  180  based on image data of the marker  180  that are captured; 
         FIG. 12  is an explanatory figure of the processing that detects the marker  180  based on image data of the marker  180  that are captured; and 
         FIG. 13  is a plan view of the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  in a case where the embroidery frame  84  is attached to the X carriage  22  under a second attaching condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, a multi-needle sewing machine (hereinafter referred to as the sewing machine)  1  that is an embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings. The referenced drawings are used for explaining technical features that may be utilized in the present disclosure, and the device configurations and the like that are described are simply explanatory examples that do not limit the present disclosure to only those configurations and the like. 
     The physical configuration of the sewing machine  1  will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In the explanation that follows, in  FIG. 1 , the upper side, the lower side, the lower left side, the upper right side, the upper left side, and the lower right side of the page respectively indicate the upper side, the lower side, the front side, the rear side, the left side, and the right side of the sewing machine  1 . 
     The sewing machine  1  includes a supporting portion  2 , a pillar  3 , and an arm  4  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The supporting portion  2  is formed in an inverted U shape in a plan view, and supports the entire sewing machine  1 . A pair of left and right guide slots  25  that extend in the front-to-rear direction are provided on the top face of the supporting portion  2 . The pillar  3  extends upward from the rear end of the supporting portion  2 . The arm  4  extends forward from the upper end of the pillar  3 . A needle bar case  21  is mounted on the front end of the arm  4  such that the needle bar case  21  can move to the left and to the right. The needle bar case  21  will be described in detail below. 
     An operation portion  6  is provided on the right side of the arm  4  at a central position in the front-to-rear direction. A vertically extending shaft (not shown in the drawings) serves as an axis of rotation on which the operation portion  6  is pivotally supported by the arm  4 . The operation portion  6  includes a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as the LCD)  7 , a touch panel  8 , and connectors  9 . An operation screen for a user to input commands, for example, may be displayed on the LCD  7 . The touch panel  8  may be used to accept commands from the user. The user can select a sewing pattern, sewing condition, and the like by using a finger, a stylus pen, or the like to perform a pressing operation (the operation hereinafter being referred to as a panel operation) on a location on the touch panel  8  that corresponds to a position on a screen that is displayed on the LCD  7  and that shows an input key or the like. The connectors  9  are USB standard connectors, to which a USB device  160  (refer to  FIG. 5 ) can be connected. 
     A cylinder bed  10  that extends forward from the bottom end of the pillar  3  is provided underneath the arm  4 . A shuttle (not shown in the drawings) is provided in the interior of the front end of the cylinder bed  10 . A bobbin (not shown in the drawings) on which a lower thread (not shown in the drawings) is wound may be accommodated in the shuttle. A shuttle drive mechanism (not shown in the drawings) is also provided in the interior of the cylinder bed  10 . The shuttle drive mechanism rotationally drives the shuttle. A needle plate  16  that is rectangular in a plan view is provided on the top face of the front end of the cylinder bed  10 . A needle hole  36  through which a needle  35  passes is provided in the needle plate  16 . 
     An embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  is provided underneath the arm  4 . The sewing machine  1  performs sewing of an embroidery pattern on a work cloth  39  that is held by an embroidery frame  84  as the embroidery frame  84  is moved to the left and the right, and forward and backward, by an X axis motor  132  (refer to  FIG. 5 ) and a Y axis motor  134  (refer to  FIG. 5 ) of the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11 . The embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  will be described in detail below. 
     A right-left pair of spool platforms  12  are provided at the rear face side of the top face of the arm  4 . Three thread spool pins  14  are provided on each of the spool platforms  12 . The thread spool pins  14  are pins that extend in the vertical direction. The thread spool pins  14  pivotally support thread spools  13 . The number of the thread spools  13  that can be placed on the one pair of the spool platforms  12  is six, the same as the number of needle bars  31 . Upper threads  15  may be supplied from the thread spools  13  that are attached to the spool platforms  12 . Each of the upper threads  15  may be supplied, through a thread guide  17 , a tensioner  18 , and a thread take-up lever  19 , to an eye (not shown in the drawings) of each of the needles  35  that are mounted on the bottom ends of the needle bars  31  respectively. 
     Next, an internal mechanism of the needle bar case  21  will be explained with reference to  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the six needle bars  31  that extend in the vertical direction are provided inside the needle bar case  21  at equal intervals X in the left-right direction. Needle bar numbers are respectively assigned to the needle bars  31  in order to identify the individual needle bars  31 . In the present embodiment, the needle bar numbers  1  to  6  are assigned to the needle bars  31  in order starting from the right side in  FIG. 3 . The needle bars  31  are supported by two upper and lower securing members (not shown in the drawings) that are secured to a frame  80  of the needle bar case  21  such that the needle bars  31  can slide up and down. A needle bar follow spring  72  is provided on the upper half of each of the needle bars  31 . A presser spring  73  is provided on the lower half of each of the needle bars  31 . A needle bar guide  79  is provided between the needle bar follow spring  72  and the presser spring  73 . A presser guide  83  is provided below the presser spring  73 . The needle bars  31  are slid up and down by a needle bar drive mechanism  85 . The needle bar drive mechanism  85  includes a sewing machine motor  122  (refer to  FIG. 5 ), a thread take-up lever drive cam  75 , a coupling member  76 , a transmitting member  77 , a guide bar  78 , and a coupling pin (not shown in the drawings). The sewing machine motor  122  is a drive source for the needle bar drive mechanism  85 . The needles  35  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) may be attached to the bottom ends of the needle bars  31 . A presser foot  71  extends from each of the presser guides  83  to slightly below the bottom end portion (the tip portion) of the corresponding needle  35 . A presser foot  71  operates in conjunction with the up-and-down movement of the corresponding needle bar  31 , and intermittently presses the work cloth  39  (refer to  FIG. 3 ) downward. 
     An image sensor holding mechanism  150  is attached to the lower portion of the right side face of the frame  80 . The image sensor holding mechanism  150  includes an image sensor  151 , a holder  152 , a supporting member  153 , and a connecting plate  154 . The image sensor  151  is a known complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The holder  152  supports the image sensor  151  in a state in which a lens (not shown in the drawings) of the image sensor  151  faces downward. The center of the lens of the image sensor  151  is in a position that is at a distance  2 × from the needle bar  31  that is the farthest to the right. The supporting member  153  has an L shape when viewed from the front. The supporting member  153  supports the connecting plate  154  and the holder  152 . The supporting member  153  is secured to the lower portion of the right side face of the frame  80  by screws  156 . The holder  152  is secured to the bottom face of the supporting member  153  by a screw  157 . The connecting plate  154  is a plate that is L-shaped when viewed from the front. The connecting plate  154  electrically connects the image sensor  151  to a control portion  140  that will be described below (refer to  FIG. 5 ). The connecting plate  154  is secured to the front face of the supporting member  153  by screws  155 . The front face, the top face, and the right side face of the image sensor holding mechanism  150  are covered by a cover  38  (refer to  FIG. 1 ). 
     A plate  41 , which extends in the right-to-left direction, is affixed to the rear edge of the upper portion of the frame  80 . Eight engaging rollers  42  are respectively mounted on the rear side of the plate  41  by shoulder bolts  44 . Each of the engaging rollers  42  has a round cylindrical shape, which is not shown in detail in the drawings. The engaging rollers  42  are supported by shoulder bolts  44  such that the engaging rollers  42  may revolve and such that the engaging rollers  42  cannot move in the axial direction of the engaging rollers  42 . The shoulder bolts  44  are threaded into threaded holes (not shown in the drawings) in the plate  41  and secured. The tips of the shoulder bolts  44  (the tips of male threaded portions) are secured by nuts  43  such that the shoulder bolts  44  will not be loosened by the revolving of the engaging rollers  42 . The intervals between the central axis lines of the engaging rollers  42  are all the same as the intervals X between the needle bars  31 . The heights of mounted positions of the eight engaging rollers  42  are all the same. One of the eight engaging rollers  42  engages a helical cam (not shown in the drawings) that is provided in the front portion of the arm  4 . The helical cam is rotated by a needle bar case motor  45  (refer to  FIG. 5 ) and moves the frame  80  (the needle bar case  21 ) to the left and to the right. The one of the needle bars  31  with the needle bar numbers  1  to  6  and the image sensor  151  that corresponds to the engaging roller  42  that engages the helical cam is positioned directly above the needle hole  36 . In a case where the engaging roller  42  that is the second from the right has engaged the helical cam, neither any of the needle bars  31  nor the image sensor  151  is positioned directly above the needle hole  36 . 
     The embroidery frame  84  and the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  will be explained with reference to  FIG. 3 . The embroidery frame  84  includes an outer frame  81 , an inner frame  82 , and a pair of left and right coupling portions  89  and  90 . The embroidery frame  84  holds the work cloth  39  between the outer frame  81  and the inner frame  82 . Plate-like ribs  96  and  97  are provided on lower portions of an inner surface of the inner frame  82 . A marker  180  is positioned on a central portion in the front-rear direction of an upper surface of the rib  96 . A marker  280  is positioned on a central portion in the front-rear direction of an upper surface of the rib  97 . The markers  180  and  280  will be explained in more detail below. The coupling portions  89  and  90  are plate members that, in a plan view, have rectangular shapes that are long in the front-rear direction. Rectangular holes are provided with each of the coupling portions  89  and  90  in three locations, namely in the front portion, the central portion, and the rear portion. The coupling portion  90  is secured to the right short side of the outer frame  81  by screws  95 . The coupling portion  89  is secured to the left short side of the outer frame  81  by screws  94 . In addition to the embroidery frame  84 , a plurality of types of other embroidery frames that differ in both size and shape can be attached to the sewing machine  1 . The embroidery frame  84  is one of the embroidery frames that can be used in the sewing machine  1 , and is a rotary frame that is used when sewing an embroidery pattern that is larger than a sewing area. The sewing area is defined to be within a movable range of the embroidery frame  84  that is attached to the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11 . In a case where an angle of the rotary frame is changed by 180 degrees with respect to the sewing machine  1  and the rotary frame is attached to a holder  24 , positions of a sewing area  86  on the work cloth  39  that is set inside the inner frame  82  differ before and after the angle of the rotary frame is changed. 
     The embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  includes a holder  24 , an X carriage  22 , an X axis drive mechanism (not shown in the drawings), a Y carriage  23 , and a Y axis drive mechanism (not shown in the drawings). The holder  24  supports the embroidery frame  84  such that the embroidery frame  84  can be attached to and detached from the holder  24 . The holder  24  includes an attaching portion  91 , a right arm portion  92 , and a left arm portion  93 . The attaching portion  91  is a plate member that is rectangular in a plan view, with its long sides running in the left-right direction. The right arm portion  92  is a plate member that extends in the front-rear direction and is secured to the right end of the attaching portion  91 . The left arm portion  93  is a plate member that extends in the front-rear direction, and is attached to the left portion of the attaching portion  91 . The left arm portion  93  is secured such that the position of the left arm portion  93  can be adjusted in the left-right direction in relation to the attaching portion  91 . The right arm portion  92  is engaged with one of the coupling portions  89  and  90 , and the left arm portion  93  is engaged with the other of the coupling portions  89  and  90 . 
     The X carriage  22  is a plate member, with its long dimension running in the left-right direction, and a portion of the X carriage  22  projects forward from the front end of the Y carriage  23 . The attaching portion  91  of the holder  24  is attached to the X carriage  22 . The X axis drive mechanism includes the X axis motor  132  (refer to  FIG. 5 ) and a linear movement mechanism (not shown in the drawings). The X axis motor  132  is a stepping motor. The linear movement mechanism includes a timing pulley (not shown in the drawings) and a timing belt (not shown in the drawings). The linear movement mechanism moves the X carriage  22  to the left and to the right (in the X axis direction) using the X axis motor  132  as its drive source. 
     The Y carriage  23  has a box shape, with its long dimension running in the left-right direction. The Y carriage  23  supports the X carriage  22  such that the X carriage  22  can move to the left and to the right. The Y axis drive mechanism includes a pair of left and right moving bodies  26  (refer to  FIG. 1 ), the Y axis motor  134  (refer to  FIG. 5 ), and a linear movement mechanism (not shown in the drawings). The moving bodies  26  are coupled to the bottom portions of the left and right ends of the Y carriage  23  respectively and pass vertically through the guide slots  25 . The Y axis motor  134  is a stepping motor. The linear movement mechanism includes a timing pulley (not shown in the drawings) and a timing belt (not shown in the drawings). The linear movement mechanism moves the moving bodies  26  forward and backward (in the Y axis direction) along the guide slots  25  using the Y axis motor  134  as its drive source. In conjunction with the movement of the moving bodies  26 , the Y carriage  23 , which is coupled to the moving bodies  26 , and the X carriage  22 , which is supported by the Y carriage  23 , move forward and backward (in the Y axis direction). 
     Next, the operation that forms a stitch on the work cloth  39  that is held by the embroidery frame  84  will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  and  5 . The embroidery frame  84  by which the work cloth  39  is held is supported by the holder  24  of the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  (refer to  FIGS. 1 and 3 ). First, one of the six needle bars  31  is selected by the moving of the needle bar case  21  in the left-right direction. The embroidery frame  84  is moved to a specified position by the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11 . The needle bar drive mechanism  85  is driven when a drive shaft  74  is rotated by the sewing machine motor  122 . The rotational movement of the drive shaft  74  is transmitted to the coupling member  76  through the thread take-up lever drive cam  75 . The transmitting member  77 , on which the coupling member  76  is pivotally supported, is driven up and down, being guided by the guide bar  78 , which is positioned parallel to the needle bar  31 . The up-and-down movement is transmitted to the needle bar  31  through the coupling pin (not shown in the drawings), and the needle bar  31 , to which the needle  35  is attached, is driven up and down. Through a link mechanism, which is not shown in detail in the drawings, the thread take-up lever  19  is driven up and down by the rotation of the thread take-up lever drive cam  75 . Furthermore, the rotation of the drive shaft  74  is transmitted to the shuttle drive mechanism (not shown in the drawings), and the shuttle (not shown in the drawings) is rotationally driven. Thus the needle  35 , the thread take-up lever  19 , and the shuttle are driven in synchronization, and a stitch is formed on the work cloth  39 . 
     The markers  180  and  280  will be explained with reference to  FIG. 4 . The left, right, up, and down directions in  FIG. 4  respectively correspond to the left, right, up, and down directions in the marker  180 . The markers  180  and  280  have the same structure, and the marker  180  will therefore be explained as an example. The marker  180  that is shown in  FIG. 4  has a rectangular area that measures approximately three centimeters long by approximately two centimeters wide, and a pattern is drawn in the rectangular area. Specifically, a first circle  101  and a second circle  102  are drawn in the marker  180 . The second circle  102  is disposed above the first circle  101  and has a smaller diameter than does the first circle  101 . Line segments  103  to  105  are also drawn in the marker  180 . The line segment  103  extends from the top edge to the bottom edge of the marker  180  and passes through a center  110  of the first circle  101  and a center  111  of the second circle  102 . The line segment  104  is orthogonal to the line segment  103 , passes through the center  110  of the first circle  101 , and extends from the right edge to the left edge of the marker  180 . The line segment  105  is orthogonal to the line segment  103 , passes through the center  111  of the second circle  102 , and extends from the right edge to the left edge of the marker  180 . 
     Of the four areas that are bounded by the perimeter of the first circle  101 , the line segment  103  and the line segment  104 , an upper right area  108  and a lower left area  109  are filled in with black, and a lower right area  113  and an upper left area  114  are filled in with white. Similarly, of the four areas that are bounded by the second circle  102 , the line segment  103  and the line segment  105 , an upper right area  106  and a lower left area  107  are filled in with black, and a lower right area  115  and an upper left area  116  are filled in with white. All other parts of the surface on which the pattern of the marker  180  is drawn are not colored. 
     Next, the electrical configuration of the sewing machine  1  will be explained with reference to  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the sewing machine  1  includes a needle drive portion  120 , a sewn object drive portion  130 , the operation portion  6 , the image sensor  151 , and the control portion  140 . 
     The needle drive portion  120  includes drive circuits  121 ,  123 , and  125 , the sewing machine motor  122 , the needle bar case motor  45 , and a cutting mechanism  126 . The sewing machine motor  122  moves the needle bars  31  reciprocally up and down. The drive circuit  121  drives the sewing machine motor  122  in accordance with a control signal from the control portion  140 . The needle bar case motor  45  moves the needle bar case  21  to the left and to the right. The drive circuit  123  drives the needle bar case motor  45  in accordance with a control signal from the control portion  140 . The cutting mechanism  126  cuts the upper threads  15  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) that are supplied to the needles  35  (refer to  FIG. 1 ). The drive circuit  125  drives the cutting mechanism  126  in accordance with a control signal from the control portion  140 . 
     The sewn object drive portion  130  includes drive circuits  131  and  133 , the X axis motor  132 , and the Y axis motor  134 . The X axis motor  132  moves the embroidery frame  84  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) to the left and to the right. The drive circuit  131  drives the X axis motor  132  in accordance with a control signal from the control portion  140 . The Y axis motor  134  moves the embroidery frame  84  forward and backward. The drive circuit  133  drives the Y axis motor  134  in accordance with a control signal from the control portion  140 . 
     The operation portion  6  includes the touch panel  8 , the connectors  9 , a drive circuit  135 , and the LCD  7 . The drive circuit  135  drives the LCD  7  in accordance with a control signal from the control portion  140 . The connectors  9  are provided with functions that connect to the USB device  160 . The USB device  160  may be a personal computer, a USB memory, or another sewing machine  1 , for example. 
     The control portion  140  includes a CPU  141 , a ROM  142 , a RAM  143 , an EEPROM  144 , and an input/output interface  146 , all of which are connected to one another by a bus  145 . The needle drive portion  120 , the sewn object drive portion  130 , the operation portion  6 , and the image sensor  151  are each connected to the input/output interface  146 . 
     The CPU  141  conducts main control over the sewing machine  1 . The CPU  141  executes various types of computations and processing that relating to sewing in accordance with various types of programs that are stored in a program storage area (not shown in the drawings) in the ROM  142 . The programs may be stored in an external storage device such as a flexible disk or the like. 
     The ROM  142  includes a plurality of storage areas that include the program storage area and a pattern storage area, which are not shown in the drawings. Various types of programs for operating the sewing machine  1 , including a main program, are stored in the program storage area. The main program is a program for executing main processing that will be described below. Embroidery data (pattern data) for sewing embroidery patterns (partial patterns) are stored in the pattern storage area in association with pattern IDs. The pattern IDs are used in processing that specifies an embroidery pattern. 
     The RAM  143  is a storage element that can be read from and written to as desired. The RAM  143  includes storage areas that store computation results and the like from computational processing by the CPU  141  as necessary. The EEPROM  144  is a storage element that can be read from and written to. Various types of parameters for the sewing machine  1  to execute various types of processing are stored in the EEPROM  144 . 
     The main processing that is performed in the sewing machine  1  will be explained using as an example a case in which an embroidery pattern  200  that is shown in  FIG. 6  is sewn. The embroidery pattern  200  will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 6 to 8 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the embroidery pattern  200  is an embroidery pattern that has the shape of the character “A” drawn in a gothic font. The size of the embroidery pattern  200  is larger than the sewing area  86 , and is smaller than an area inside the inner frame  82  of the embroidery frame  84 . Embroidery data for the embroidery pattern  200  includes embroidery data for each of the partial pattern  201  shown in  FIG. 7  and the partial pattern  211  shown in  FIG. 8 . The partial patterns  201  and  211  are patterns into which the embroidery pattern  200  is divided. In other words, each of the partial patterns  201  and  211  is a part of the embroidery pattern  200 . The partial pattern  201  has the shape of a left half of the character “A” drawn in a gothic font. The partial pattern  211  has the shape of a right half of the character “A” drawn in a gothic font. Each of the partial patterns  201  and  211  is smaller than the sewing area  86 . Dash-and-two-dot lines  202  and  212  indicate parts at which the partial patterns  201  and  211  are matched. When the partial patterns  201  and  211  are sewn such that points  203  and  213  are matched and the dash-and-two-dot lines  202  and  212  are also matched, the embroidery pattern  200  is completed. The points  203  and  213 , and the dash-and-two-dot lines  202  and  212  are not sewn in actuality. 
     The embroidery data (pattern data) of the present embodiment will be explained. The embroidery data (the pattern data) include data on coordinates in an embroidery coordinate system. The embroidery coordinate system is a coordinate system that is set based on a coordinate system of an X axis motor  132  and a Y axis motor  134  that move the X carriage  22 . The coordinate data in the embroidery coordinate system indicate the position and angle of the embroidery pattern (the partial pattern) in relation to the X carriage  22 . In the present embodiment, the embroidery coordinate system is made to correspond to the actual three-dimensional coordinate system (the world coordinate system) in advance. In the embroidery coordinate system, the left-right direction of the sewing machine  1  is an X axis direction, and the front-rear direction of the sewing machine  1  is a Y axis direction. In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3 , in a case where the embroidery frame  84  is properly attached to the X carriage  22 , the theoretical center of the sewing area  86  serves as an origin point (X, Y, Z)=(0, 0, 0) at a position that corresponds to a needle drop point. The needle drop point is the point where the needle  35  pierces the work cloth  39  when the corresponding needle bar  31  is moved downward from a state in which the needle  35  that is disposed directly above the needle hole  36  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) is above the work cloth  39 . In the present embodiment, the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  does not move the X carriage  22  in a Z direction (the up-down direction of the sewing machine  1 ). Therefore, as long as the thickness of the work cloth  39  can be ignored, the top surface of the work cloth  39  is deemed to have a Z coordinate value of zero. The pattern data of the partial pattern  201  include the coordinate data of the point  203  and the coordinate data of the dash-and-two-dot line  202 . In a similar manner, the pattern data of the partial pattern  211  includes the coordinate data of the point  213  and the coordinate data of the dash-and-two-dot line  212 . The coordinate data of the point  203  correspond to the coordinate data of the point  213 . The coordinate data of the dash-and-two-dot line  202  correspond to the coordinate data of the dash-and-two-dot line  212 . 
     An overview of the main processing that is performed on the sewing machine  1  will be explained. In a case where the embroidery pattern  200  is sewn, first, the partial pattern  201  is sewn. Next, a command screen is displayed on the LCD  7 . The command screen includes a message to prompt the attaching condition to be changed. The attaching condition may be at least one of the position and the angle of the embroidery frame  84  in relation to the X carriage  22 . The attaching condition of the present embodiment is the angle of the embroidery frame  84  in relation to the X carriage  22 . The user may detach the embroidery frame  84  from the holder  24 . After rotating an attaching angle of the embroidery frame  84  by 180 degrees, the user may attach the embroidery frame  84  to the holder  24 . Then, position matching of the partial pattern  211  to the partial pattern  201  is performed based on image data of the markers  180  and  280  that are captured before and after the attaching condition is changed. Based on results of the position matching, the partial pattern  211  is sewn in a position adjacent to the partial pattern  201 . 
     The main processing on the sewing machine  1  will be explained in more detail with reference to  FIG. 9 . The main processing shown in  FIG. 9  is performed in a case in which an embroidery pattern that is larger than the sewing area  86  is sewn using the embroidery frame  84 , which is a rotary frame. The main processing shown in  FIG. 9  is performed by the CPU  141  in accordance with the main program that is stored in the ROM  142 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , when the main processing is started, a determination is made as to whether the embroidery pattern has been acquired (Step S 5 ). When the embroidery pattern is selected by a panel operation, for example, it is determined that the embroidery pattern has been acquired (YES at Step S 5 ). If the embroidery pattern has not been acquired (NO at Step S 5 ), the CPU  141  waits until the embroidery pattern is acquired. If the embroidery pattern  200  shown in  FIG. 6  is acquired (YES at Step S 5 ), the partial patterns  201  and  211  of the acquired embroidery pattern  200  are allocated to attaching conditions (Step S 10 ). It is assumed that an initial attaching condition is a first attaching condition. It is further assumed that a second attaching condition is a attaching condition in which the attaching angle of the embroidery frame  84  in relation to the X carriage  22  is different from an attaching angle in the first attaching condition by 180 degrees. For example, the partial patterns  201  and  211  are automatically allocated to the first attaching condition and the second attaching condition, respectively. Next, the pattern data of the partial pattern  201  is acquired from the ROM  142  and the acquired pattern data is stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 15 ). 
     Next, a determination is made as to whether the positioning of the embroidery pattern  200  has been changed (Step S 20 ). A command to change the positioning is input by a panel operation, for example. The sewing machine  1  allows changing a setting for the position of the embroidery pattern and a setting for the angle in relation to the initial positioning of the embroidery pattern. If the positioning of the embroidery pattern  200  has been changed (YES at Step S 20 ), a setting condition is acquired and the acquired setting condition is stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 25 ). Specifically, an amount of movement (ΔMx, ΔMy) of a reference point and an angle of rotation φ in relation to the initial positioning of the embroidery pattern are acquired as a setting condition. The reference point may be determined as appropriate. A hypothetical point that corresponds to the origin point before the positioning is changed may be used as the reference point, for example. The angle of rotation φ expresses, as a positive value, the angle in a case where the embroidery pattern has been rotated counterclockwise. Next, the pattern data are corrected, and the corrected pattern data are stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 30 ). Specifically, the pattern data acquired at Step S 15  are corrected based on the setting condition acquired at Step S 25 . The coordinate data included in the pattern data are defined as (x,y). The coordinate data (x,y) are corrected based on the setting condition, and corrected coordinate data (x′, y′) are computed. In a case where the above described hypothetical point is defined as the reference point, the coordinate data (x′, y′) are obtained as (x′, y′)=(x cos φ−y sin φ+ΔMx, x sin φ+y cos φ+ΔMy). 
     When the positioning of the embroidery pattern  200  has not been changed (NO at Step S 20 ) or after the pattern data has been corrected (Step S 30 ), a determination is made as to whether a command to start the sewing has been input (Step S 35 ). The command to start the sewing may be input by a panel operation, for example. If the command to start the sewing has not been input (NO at Step S 35 ), the CPU  141  waits until the command to start the sewing is input. If the command to start the sewing has been input (YES at Step S 35 ), a partial pattern is sewn in accordance with the pattern data (Step S 40 ). If the positioning of the embroidery pattern  200  has not been changed (NO at Step S 20 ), the partial pattern  201  is sewn based on the pattern data acquired at Step S 15 . If the positioning of the embroidery pattern  200  has been changed (YES at Step S 20 ), the partial pattern  201  is sewn based on the pattern data corrected at Step S 30 . Specifically, a control signal is output to the drive circuit  123  in accordance with the pattern data, and the needle bar case motor  45  is driven. This causes the needle  35 , to which is supplied the upper thread  15  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) that has the color that corresponds to the pattern data, to be positioned directly above the needle hole  36 . Control signals are output to the drive circuits  131  and  133  in accordance with the pattern data, and the embroidery frame  84  is moved. A control signal is output to the drive circuit  121 , and the sewing machine motor  122  is driven. This causes the needle bar  31  that is positioned directly above the needle hole  36  to move in the up and down directions. In this way, for example, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the partial pattern  201  is sewn on the work cloth  39 . 
     The command screen is displayed on the LCD  7  (Step S 45 ). A message that prompts the user to input an image capture command is displayed on the command screen. Next, the CPU  141  waits while the image capture command is not input (NO at Step S 50 ). If the image capture command is input (YES at Step S 50 ), the image sensor  151  captures images of the markers  180  and  280  that are positioned on the upper surface of the embroidery frame  84  one by one (Step S 55 ). The image capture command may be input by a panel operation, for example. Specifically, first, a control signal is output to the drive circuit  123  (refer to  FIG. 5 ), and the needle bar case  21  is moved to the position where the helical cam (not shown in the drawings) engages the engaging roller  42  that is the farthest to the right. The image sensor  151  is positioned directly above the needle hole  36  by the moving of the needle bar case  21 . Next, in accordance with the embroidery coordinate system coordinates of the position of the marker  180  that are stored in the EEPROM  144 , control signals are output to the drive circuits  131  and  133 , and the embroidery frame  84  is moved. The marker  180  is moved to a position directly below the image sensor  151  by the moving of the embroidery frame  84 . Next, an image of the marker  180  is captured by the image sensor  151 , and the generated image data are stored in the RAM  143 . In the same manner, an image of the marker  280  is captured, and the generated image data are also stored in the RAM  143 . 
     A reference position and a reference angle are computed based on the image data generated at Step S 55 , and the computed reference position and reference angle are stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 60 ). The reference position is defined as the coordinates (P 1 , Q 1 , R 1 ) of the center of the first circle  101  in the marker  180 . The reference angle θ is defined as the angle, in relation to the X axis, of a vector from the coordinates (P 1 , Q 1 , R 1 ) to coordinates (P 2 , Q 2 , R 2 ) of the center of the first circle  101  in the marker  280 . The reference angle θ expresses, as a positive value, the angle of counterclockwise rotation. In the present embodiment, the Z coordinate of a point on the work cloth  39  is defined as a (fixed) value of zero. Therefore, the reference angle θ is obtained as θ=tan −1 ((Q 2 −Q 1 )/(P 2 −P 1 )). 
     The method for computing the coordinates will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 . First, two-dimensional coordinates in an image coordinate system are computed for the first circle  101  and the second circle  102  of each of the markers  180  and  280 . The image coordinate system is a coordinate system for the image captured by the image sensor  151 . The two-dimensional coordinates in the image coordinate system are computed based on a position in the image. Specifically, the image data are processed by the Hough transform processing, which is a known technique, so that circumferences of circles  161  and  162  are identified, as shown in  FIG. 11 , for example. The coordinates of each of a center  163  of the circle  161  and a center  164  of the circle  162 , and a radius of each of the circles  161  and  162  are computed. At this stage, a circle that is included in a pattern or the like of the work cloth  39  itself may be identified in addition to the first circle  101  and the second circle  102  (refer to  FIG. 4 ) of each of the markers  180  and  280 . Hereinafter, coordinates that are computed for centers of a number z of circles are indicated as (a,b) (for example, (a 1 , b 1 ), (a 2 , b 2 ), (a 3 , b 3 ), . . . , (az, bz)). A radius that is computed for a circle is indicated as r (for example, r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , . . . , rz). 
     The image data are processed by the Harris operator, which is a known technique, for example, so that coordinates 170 to 179 of corners are computed, as shown in  FIG. 12 . The corner refers to an intersection point at which a plurality of edges (portions that are each formed of a line, such as a contour) intersect with each other. Hereinafter, the computed coordinates of the 10 corners are indicated as (s,t) (for example, (s 1 , t 1 ), (s 2 ,  12 ), . . . , (s 10 , s 10 )). 
     Next, the computation results for the coordinates (a,b) and the radii r are compared to the coordinates (s,t). In a case where a set of the coordinates (s,t) exists that corresponds to a set of the coordinates (a,b), and where another set of the coordinates (s,t) exists that corresponds to coordinates of a position whose distance from the set of the coordinates (a,b) is equal to a radius r, a determination is made that the set of the coordinates (s,t) that corresponds to the set of the coordinates (a,b) are the coordinates of the center of one of the first circle  101  and the second circle  102  shown in  FIG. 11 . Further, a determination made that the set of the coordinates (s,t) that corresponds the coordinates of the position whose distance from the set of the coordinates (a,b) is equal to the radius r is coordinates of a point where a line segment intersects the circumference of one of the first circle  101  and the second circle  102 . Of sets of coordinates (a,b) that are determined to be the coordinates of the center of one of the first circle  101  and the second circle  102 , coordinates corresponding to the center of the circle with a larger value of radius r are extracted as the coordinates (p,q) of the center of the first circle  101 . Coordinates corresponding to the center of the circle with a smaller value of radius r are extracted as the coordinates (u,v) of the second circle  102 . By performing image processing that is described above, with respect to the marker  180 , the coordinates (p 1 , q 1 ) of the center of the first circle  101  and the coordinates (u 1 , v 1 ) of the center of the second circle  102  are assumed to be computed. Similarly, with respect to the marker  280 , the coordinates (p 2 , q 2 ) of the center of the first circle  101  and the coordinates (u 2 , v 2 ) of the center of the second circle  102  are assumed to be computed. The markers  180  and  280  are identified by taking account of the coordinates of the center of the second circle  102  in relation to the center of the first circle  101  and by taking account of the positioning of the markers  180  and  280  on the embroidery frame  84 . 
     Next, three-dimensional coordinate conversion processing is executed on the center coordinates that have been computed. The three-dimensional coordinate conversion processing is processing that converts the two-dimensional coordinates of the image coordinate system into the three-dimensional coordinates of the embroidery coordinate system (the world coordinate system). For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-172119 discloses the three-dimensional coordinate conversion processing, the relevant portions of which are incorporated by reference. In the three-dimensional coordinate conversion processing, the amount of movement of the embroidery frame  84  at Step S 55  is factored into the computation of the three-dimensional coordinates of the embroidery coordinate system. The execution of the three-dimensional coordinate conversion processing causes the coordinates (P 1 , Q 1 , R 1 ) of the center of the first circle  101  and the coordinates (U 1 , V 1 , W 1 ) of the center of the second circle  102  to be computed for the marker  180 . The coordinates (P 2 , Q 2 , R 2 ) of the center of the first circle  101  and the coordinates (U 2 , V 2 , W 2 ) of the center of the second circle  102  are computed for the marker  280  in the same manner. 
     After the reference position and the reference angle are computed (Step S 60 ), the pattern data that is second in the sewing order are acquired from the ROM  142  and the acquired pattern data are stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 70 ). For example, the pattern data of the partial pattern  211  shown in  FIG. 8  are acquired. Next, a command screen is displayed on the LCD  7  (Step S 75 ). A message that prompts the user to input an image capture command after changing the attaching condition of the embroidery frame  84  from the first attaching condition to the second attaching condition is displayed on the command screen. Accordingly, the user can change the attaching condition at an appropriate timing and attach the embroidery frame  84 . Further, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the user forgets to change the attaching condition and attach the embroidery frame  84 . Following the message on the command screen, the user may detach the embroidery frame  84  from the holder  24 . The user may rotate the attaching angle of the embroidery frame  84  in relation to the X carriage  22  by 180 degrees, and then attaches the embroidery frame  84  to the holder  24  as shown in  FIG. 13 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , a sewing area  186  in a case where the embroidery frame  84  is attached to the X carriage  22  in accordance with the first attaching condition partially overlaps with a sewing area  86  in a case where the embroidery frame  84  is attached to the X carriage  22  in accordance with the current attaching condition that is the second attaching condition. A seam of the partial patterns  201  and  211  is positioned in the area of the sewing area  186  that overlaps with the sewing area  86 . Next, in the same manner as the processing from Steps S 50  to S 60  described above, a determination is made as to whether an image capture command has been input (Step S 80 ), image capture of the markers  180  and  280  is performed (Step S 85 ), and the reference position and reference angle are computed (Step S 90 ). In the processing at Step S 90 , the reference position and the reference angle are computed in a case where the attaching condition of the embroidery frame  84  is the second attaching condition. 
     A correcting condition is computed and the computed correcting condition is stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 95 ). Specifically, an amount of position change and an amount of angle change are computed as the correcting condition. In a case where the reference angle computed at Step S 60  is θ 1  and the reference angle computed at Step S 90  is θ 2 , the amount of angle change is obtained as Δθ=θ 2 −θ 1 . In a case where coordinates of the reference position computed at Step S 60  are (f 1 , g 1 , h 1 ) and coordinates of the reference position computed at Step S 90  are (f 2 , g 2 , h 2 ), the amount of position change is obtained as (Δmx, Δmy)=(f 2 −f 1 , g 2 −g 1 ). As described above, in the present embodiment, the Z coordinate of a point on the work cloth  39  is defined as a (fixed) value of zero. Therefore, the amount of position change on the Z axis is not computed. 
     The pattern data acquired at Step S 70  are corrected, and the corrected pattern data are stored in the RAM  143  (Step S 100 ). Specifically, the pattern data acquired at Step S 70  are corrected based on the setting condition acquired at Step S 25  and the correcting condition computed at Step S 95 . First, in the same manner as the processing at Step S 30 , the pattern data are corrected based on the setting condition acquired at Step S 25 . In a case where the positioning of the embroidery pattern has not been changed at Step S 20 , the processing to correct the pattern data is omitted. The coordinate data included in the pattern data are assumed to be (x,y). In the same manner as the processing at Step S 30 , in a case where the above described hypothetical point is defined as the reference point, the coordinate data (x′, y′) after correction are obtained as (x′, y′)=(x cos φ−y sin φ+ΔMx, x sin φ+y cos φ+ΔMy). Next, the coordinate data (x′, y′) are corrected based on the correcting condition computed at Step S 95 , and coordinate data (x″, y″) are computed. The coordinate data (x″, y″) are obtained as (x″, y″)=((x′−f 2 )&lt;cos Δθ−(y′−g 2 )×sin Δθ+f 2 +Δmx, (x′−f 2 )×sin Δθ+(y′−g 2 )×cos Δθ+g 2 +Δmy). 
     The CPU  141  waits while the command to start the sewing is not input (NO at Step S 105 ). If the command to start the sewing has been input (YES at Step S 105 ), the partial pattern  211  is sewn in accordance with the pattern data corrected at Step S 100  (Step S 110 ). Specifically, the partial pattern  211  is sewn as shown by the dash-and-two-dot lines in  FIG. 13 . In  FIG. 13 , the point  203  matches up with the point  213  and the dash-and-two-dot line  202  matches up with the dash-and-two-dot line  212 . Then, the main processing ends. 
     In the sewing machine  1  of the present embodiment, an embroidery pattern is sewn by dividing the embroidery pattern into a plurality of partial patterns, changing the attaching condition of the embroidery frame  84 , and sewing the plurality of partial patterns, it is possible to accurately perform position matching between the partial patterns. The markers  180  and  280  are drawn in advance on the embroidery frame  84 . As a result, the user does not need to prepare a marker to perform position matching of the partial patterns. In addition, the user does not need to attach a marker to the embroidery frame or to the work cloth. The positions of the markers  180  and  280  on the embroidery frame  84  are determined in advance. As a consequence, the processing to identify the markers  180  and  280  at Steps S 60  and S 90  is easy in comparison to a case in which the position of the markers is in a chosen position. In the sewing machine  1 , the markers  180  and  280  are used to compute the reference angle. Therefore, compared to a case in which a single marker is used, the reference angle can be accurately computed. In the sewing machine  1 , compared to a case in which a single marker is used, the markers  180  and  280  positioned on the embroidery frame  84  are taken as reference, and it is thus possible to more accurately determine the position and the angle of the partial pattern  211  in relation to the embroidery frame  84 . 
     The sewing machine  1  of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment that is described above, and various types of modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the modifications that are described below from (A) to (F) may be made as desired. 
     (A) The configuration of the sewing machine  1  can be modified as desired. The number of the needle bars that are provided in the sewing machine  1  may be one and may also be more than one. For example, the type and the positioning of the image sensor  151  may be modified as desired. The image sensor  151  may be an image capture element other than a CMOS image sensor, such as a CCD camera or the like, for example. The direction in which the embroidery frame moving mechanism  11  moves the X carriage  22 , for example, can be modified as desired. 
     The sizes, the shapes, the designs, the number, and the positions of the markers can each be set as desired. The design of the markers may be any design that makes it possible to specify the markers based on the image data of the markers that are captured and acquired. For example, the colors with which the upper right area  108 , the lower left area  109 , and the like of the markers  180  are filled in are not limited to white and black. Any other combination of colors that provides a clear contrast may be used. The markers may be modified according to the color and the pattern of the work cloth  39 , for example. 
     The number of the markers may be defined as desired, taking into consideration the precision of the position matching of the partial patterns and the time that is required for performing the main processing. In a case where the number of the markers is greater than one, the plurality of the markers may all be of the same type, and may also be of a plurality of types. The marker may be positioned anywhere on the embroidery frame that is attached to the X carriage  22 . Even when the marker is affixed to the work cloth that is held by the embroidery frame, it is possible to perform accurate position matching between the partial patterns. The position of the marker may be established in advance, as in the present embodiment. For example, the user may affix the marker to the embroidery frame  84  in a chosen position. 
     (C) The embroidery pattern that is sewn in the sewing machine  1  may be modified in various ways. For example, an aggregation of a plurality of patterns may serve as a single pattern. For example, the content of the setting condition and the method for acquiring the setting condition may be modified as desired. For example, the setting conditions may be one of an amount of movement of the embroidery pattern and an angle of rotation of the embroidery pattern. The setting condition may be a rate of enlargement or reduction of the embroidery pattern, for example. Data input using a dedicated button provided on the sewing machine may be acquired as the setting condition, for example. 
     (D) The attaching condition may be at least one of the position and the angle of the embroidery frame in relation to the carriage. The attaching condition may be a combination of the position and the angle of the embroidery frame in relation to the carriage. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H11-229262 discloses the sewing machine that is provided with the embroidery frame for which the attaching position of the embroidery frame in relation to the carriage can be changed, the relevant portions of which are incorporated by reference. 
     (E) The correcting condition may be one of an amount of position change and an amount of angle change. The method of computing the correcting condition may be modified as desired depending on the type of correcting condition and the marker. For example, in a case where the amount of angle change is computed as the correcting condition based on image data of the single marker  180 , the angle in relation to the X axis may be computed based on the coordinates of the center of the first circle  101  and the coordinates of the center of the second circle  102 . For example, in a case where the position is computed as the correcting condition based on image data of the two markers (the markers  180  and  280 ), a center point of a line segment linking the centers of the first circles  101  of the markers  180  and  280  may be computed as the reference position. For example, in a case where the correcting condition is only the amount of position change, the angle of the partial pattern is not corrected according to the correcting condition at Step S 100 . In that case, the angle of the partial pattern is set based on the initial position of the partial pattern that is defined by the coordinate data in the pattern data and on the setting condition that is acquired at Step S 25 . 
     (F) The main processing shown in  FIG. 9  can be modified as desired. For example, the partial patterns are automatically allocated to the attaching conditions at Step S 10 . However, a separate method may be used to allocate the partial patterns to the attaching conditions. At Step S 10 , the partial patterns may be allocated to the attaching conditions in accordance with a command input by a panel operation, for example. 
     The apparatus and methods described above with reference to the various embodiments are merely examples. It goes without saying that they are not confined to the depicted embodiments. While various features have been described in conjunction with the examples outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, and/or improvements of those features and/or examples may be possible. Accordingly, the examples, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative. Various changes may be made without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the underlying principles.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3