Patent ID: 8473090

Claim:
An embroidery data creation apparatus that creates embroidery data based on image data for an image that is an aggregation of pixels, the embroidery data creation apparatus comprising: a first dividing portion that divides an entire area of the image into a first area and a second area, based on one of frequency components and angle characteristics that make up the image, the angle characteristic being information that indicates a direction in which continuity of a color within the image is high, the first area being an area within the entire area that is not the second area, and the second area being, within the entire area of the original image, one of an area that contains frequency components that are not less than a specified value and an area that has angle characteristics each having a strength that is not less than a specified value, the strength indicating a magnitude of change in a color; a first data creation portion that creates first data, the first data being data that describe first stitches, the first stitches being stitches to be formed in the first area, the first data creation portion including a number of partitions setting portion that sets a number of partitions for dividing the first area by color, a second dividing portion that divides the first area into color areas by reducing the number of colors in the first area to the number of partitions that has been set by the number of partitions setting portion, in accordance with colors of pixels that make up the first area, a representative angle computing portion that computes a representative angle for each of the color areas, the representative angle being a representative angle characteristic for the color area, a first line segment arranging portion that arranges first line segments in each of the color areas in accordance with the representative angle that has been computed by the representative angle computing portion, the first line segments being line segments that correspond to the first stitches, a first line segment color setting portion that sets first line segment colors from among thread colors that can be used by a sewing machine, the first line segment colors being thread colors to be used for the respective first line segments, and a first line segment connecting portion that creates the first data by connecting the first line segments for each of the first line segment colors that have been set by the first line segment color setting portion; a second data creation portion that creates second data by a method that is different from the method for creating the first data, the second data being data that describe second stitches, the second stitches being stitches to be formed in the second area; and an embroidery data creation portion that, by combining the first data that have been created by the first data creation portion and the second data that have been created by the second data creation portion, creates embroidery data for sewing an embroidery pattern that expresses the image.