Patent ID: 8515571

Claim:
A method for automated assisted sewing of an oversized, digitized sewing pattern selected by a user, using a fabric retention mechanism and an automated sewing machine positioning mechanism, the sewing machine positioning mechanism being controlled by an actuator and providing for two dimensional positioning of a sewing machine with respect to the fabric retention mechanism, the sewing machine having an available throat length and a needle bar, the sewing pattern having a pattern length which is greater than the available throat length or a pattern width which is greater than a maximum lateral movement of the sewing machine with respect to the fabric retention mechanism, or both, the sewing pattern having one or more pattern lines, the method comprising: providing the digitized sewing pattern to the actuator; segmenting the sewing pattern into a plurality of digitized pattern segments, each pattern segment having a segment length which is equal to or less than the available throat length, and a segment width which is equal to or less than the maximum lateral movement of the sewing machine with respect to the fabric retention mechanism, each pattern segment having a segment first border, a segment second border, a segment first lateral border, and a segment second lateral border; selecting an order for the sequential sewing of the respective pattern segments; positioning the fabric on the fabric retention mechanism as required to position the fabric for a pattern segment to be sewed; positioning the needle bar consecutively at each cut point, respectively, if any, of each previously sewed pattern segment which is longitudinally adjacent to the pattern segment to be sewed, and at each lateral cut point, respectively, if any, of each previously sewed pattern segment which is laterally adjacent to the pattern segment to be sewed, and digitizing each such cut point, if any, and each such lateral cut point, if any; generating a digitized start point, respectively, for each digitized cut point and a digitized lateral start point, respectively, for each digitized lateral cut point, for the pattern segment to be sewed, matching each digitized start point to the corresponding digitized cut point, and matching each digitized lateral start to the corresponding digitized lateral cut point; adjusting the pattern lines of the pattern segment to be sewed to fit the pattern lines to the digitized start points and the digitized lateral start points; sewing the adjusted pattern lines of the pattern segment to be sewed; repeating the foregoing for each pattern segment consecutively in the order selected until all of the pattern segments are sewed, beginning with positioning the fabric on the fabric retention mechanism as required to position the fabric for the pattern segment to be sewed.