Abstract: Computerized methods of creating embroidery including capturing embroidery instructions, receiving instructions at an embroidery engine, creating planned patterns of stitches, and outputting instructions for stitching, including instructions for printing colors onto a thread before stitching. Color may be printed in a gradient or gradually faded, for example, from a start color to an end color, or from a start color to an intermediate color and from the intermediate color to an end color. Color may be gradually faded from a start location to an end location or from a start location to an intermediate location and from the intermediate location to an end location. Varying shades of colors may be printed, patterns may be repeated, outlines, segments, and vectors may be used, and intermediate stitch color may be determined based on number of stitches or vector length. Some embodiments allow a user to change embroidery instructions while reapplying unchanged instructions.

Abstract: Computerized methods and software for creating customized embroidery. Embodiments include capturing a drawing from a user in a browser window as captured vectors, receiving the captured vectors and desired stitching parameters at an embroidery engine on a server, and creating a planned pattern of stitches from the captured vectors and the desired stitching parameters. Some embodiments include returning a rendering of the planned pattern of stitches to the browser or returning rendering vectors to the browser for drawing the planned pattern of stitches in the browser for inspection by the user. The drawing can include a freehand drawing, handwriting, or a signature, drawn or written by the user in the browser window. The desired stitching parameters can include angle, width, underlay type, density, or pull compensation of the stitches. In some embodiments, width varies along a vector path, for instance, based on pressure applied by the user while drawing.

Abstract: Computerized methods and software for creating customized embroidery. Embodiments include capturing a drawing from a user in a browser window as captured vectors, receiving the captured vectors and desired stitching parameters at an embroidery engine on a server, and creating a planned pattern of stitches from the captured vectors and the desired stitching parameters. Some embodiments include returning a rendering of the planned pattern of stitches to the browser or returning rendering vectors to the browser for drawing the planned pattern of stitches in the browser for inspection by the user. The drawing can include a freehand drawing, handwriting, or a signature, drawn or written by the user in the browser window. The desired stitching parameters can include angle, width, underlay type, density, or pull compensation of the stitches. In some embodiments, width varies along a vector path, for instance, based on pressure applied by the user while drawing.

Abstract: A method and system of remotely communicating embroidery pattern data to embroidery machines involving providing an embroidery pattern in response to a pattern selection input from a remote user at a local node, the input communicated through a communications connection between the local node and a server, receiving an identification address for an embroidery machine, communicating the embroidery pattern to the embroidery machine for application of the embroidery pattern to a work piece.

Abstract: A method of filling a defined embroidery pattern shape, with the shape comprising a curve defining the shape, fills the pattern shape with a plurality of turning satin-like embroidery stitches which turn to follow the defined shape. In carrying out the method, the density inset for the next adjacent satin-like embroidery stitch is dynamically varied in accordance with any change in the defined shape from the previous stitch, taking into account the stitch length and stitch angle. The process is iteratively repeated , using the predefined perpendicular distance from the previous stitch end point to the new stitch end point until the defined shape is completely filled.

Abstract: An embroidery system having an embroidery machine for automatically stitching embroidery stitch patterns on a garment and a machine controller for selectably controlling the operation of the embroidery machine in response to user provided selections, the improvement involves the use of a Windows CE based graphical user interface, such as a PDA, which is located between the user and the machine controller to provide user selections through the graphical user interface for directing the machine controller. The embroidery system has an associated embroidery functionality and the graphical user interface has a defined system architecture which may selectably enhance the embroidery system functionality by selectably adding software modules to the graphical user interface, such as to control the creation of embroidery lettering, to provide maintenance monitoring either locally or over the Internet, or to enable communication with the embroidery machine over a network.

Abstract: A web based embroidery system capable of creating an automatically fulfilling a user customized embroidery order for a selectable garment over the internet. The system includes the ability to select the garment to be customized over the internet, to selectably locate an embroidery area on that garment, to select a customized embroidery pattern over the internet to be located in the user selected embroidery area, the ability to display an embroided simulation of the user located customized embroidery pattern on the selected garment, and the ability to provide embroidery pattern controlled signals over the internet to a remotely located embroidery machine for automatically stitching the user located customized embroidery pattern on an actual garment corresponding to the selected garment based on the displayed embroided simulation, which maybe a three dimensional simulation. In addition, customized embroidery lettering can be created and may be combined with a preexisting embroidery pattern.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved method for automatically generating chenille filled embroidery stitch patterns and/or claim stitching in a computer aided design system in which the shape to be filled is a complex polygon. Concentric polygons are constructed, such as either by using the medial axis of the polygon or by constructing offset elements and joining arcs without use of the medial axis, and sorted, and spirals are placed along the polygons with stitches being placed along the spirals. For chain stitching, rather than placing spirals, the chain stitches are placed on the perimeter of the concentric polygons.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved method for automatically generating chain stitching in a computer aided design system in which the shape to be filled is a complex polygon. The Voronoi Diagram of the polygon is determined, concentric polygons are then constructed and sorted and the chain stitches are placed on the perimeter of the concentric polygons. The chain stitches can be used to completely fill a stitch pattern, such as an embroidery stitch pattern, or in conjunction with other stitching, such as Chenille stitching in an embroidery pattern.

Abstract: An improved method for automatically generating chenille filled embroidery stitch patterns and/or chain stitching in a computer aided design system in which the shape to be filled is a complex polygon. A spine of a medial axis of the Voronoi Diagram of the polygon is determined, modified concentric polygons are then constructed by clipping the edges of the concentric polygons that are within a clip width of the spine, the modified concentric polygons are then sorted and spirals are placed along the modified polygons with stitches being placed along the spirals, with the occurrence of any bald spots in the shape being filled being minimized. For chain stitching, rather than placing spirals, the chain stitches are placed on the perimeter of the concentric polygons.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved method for automatically generating chain stitching in a computer aided design system in which the shape to be filled is a complex polygon. The medial axis of the polygon is determined, concentric polygons are then constructed and sorted and the chain stitches are placed on the perimeter of the concentric polygons. The chain stitches can be used to completely fill a stitch pattern, such as an embroidery stitch pattern, or in conjunction with other stitching, such as chenille stitching in an embroidery pattern.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved method for automatically generating chenille filled embroidery stitch patterns and/or chain stitching in a computer aided design system in which the shape to be filled is a complex polygon. The medial axis of the polygon is determined, concentric polygons are then constructed and sorted and spirals are placed along the polygons with stitches being placed along the spirals. For chain stitching, rather than placing spirals, the chain stitches are placed on the perimeter of the concentric polygons.

Abstract: A method for creating a self-generating embroidery design pattern, which may be provided alone or merged with an existing pattern comprising the steps of defining a predetermined fractal shape having an associated axiom and production rules; parsing the axiom and production rules associated with the defined fractal shape and performing the production rules a selectable predetermined number of times for providing a plurality of stitch or outline points in accordance with a desired finished embroidery design pattern size, the stitch points being in either an outline data format or a stitch data format; converting the outline data format into a stitch data format; and translating the stitch data format into a predetermined embroidery language machine code for controlling an associated embroidery machine responsive to the predetermined embroidery language machine code.

Abstract: An interactive system and method for creating and modifying embroidery designs is disclosed. The system provides a user with numerous functions for interactively creating and modifying embroidery designs, and generating the necessary stitch commands for recreating the embroidery design on an embroidery stitching machine. The system is preferably operative on an IBM PC. The system is menu-based, and may be used for modifying embroidery designs in either outline-format or stitch-format. Once a design has been entered, the user may utilize predetermined functions to quickly alter a design and visualize the resulting design. The system further provides a method for modifying embroidery designs in an outline format into bridge type lettering.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for converting low-level stitch-by-stitch numerical control code embroidery design programs into an outline format which can be edited and modified to generate new design patterns which may be converted back to either stitch-by-stitch numerical control codes or a condensed data format.