Patents by Inventor Harumi KATO

Harumi KATO has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8438984
    Abstract: An embroidery frame comprises an inner frame, wherein the inner frame is a circular form. The embroidery frame comprises a middle frame configured to be detachably attachable to the inner frame, wherein the middle frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the middle frame is longer than an outside diameter of the inner frame, and the inner frame is configured to be mountable in the middle frame. The embroidery frame comprises an outer frame configured to rotatably hold the middle frame, wherein the outer frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the outer frame is longer than an outer outside diameter of the middle frame, and the middle frame is configured to be mountable in the outer frame. The embroidery frame comprises an engaging portion configured to cause the middle frame to engage with the outer frame at a predetermined rotation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Hasegawa, Harumi Kato, Midori Magara
  • Publication number: 20130074750
    Abstract: An embroidery frame comprises an inner frame, wherein the inner frame is a circular form. The embroidery frame comprises a middle frame configured to be detachably attachable to the inner frame, wherein the middle frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the middle frame is longer than an outside diameter of the inner frame, and the inner frame is configured to be mountable in the middle frame. The embroidery frame comprises an outer frame configured to rotatably hold the middle frame, wherein the outer frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the outer frame is longer than an outer outside diameter of the middle frame, and the middle frame is configured to be mountable in the outer frame. The embroidery frame comprises an engaging portion configured to cause the middle frame to engage with the outer frame at a predetermined rotation angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Katsuhisa HASEGAWA, Harumi KATO, Midori MAGARA
  • Publication number: 20130074748
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a mounting adaptor, a memory, an imager, and a processor. The mounting adaptor may be mounted with an embroidery frame. The memory may store frame rotation data. The frame rotation data indicate a setting angle which is a predetermined rotation angle of the frame with respect to the outer frame. The imager may image an area including the embroidery frame mounted on the mounting adaptor. The processor may control the sewing machine to detect a marker provided on at least one of the embroidery frame and the work cloth based on the image, determine a rotation angle of the frame with respect to the outer frame based on the detected marker, and control the driver to adjust a rotation of the frame based on the determined rotation angle and the frame rotation data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Harumi KATO, Katsuhisa HASEGAWA, Midori MAGARA
  • Publication number: 20130074751
    Abstract: An embroidery frame comprises an inner frame, wherein the inner frame is a circular form. The embroidery frame comprises a middle frame which is configured to be detachably attachable to a radial outside of the inner frame. The middle frame is a circular form. The embroidery frame comprises an outer frame which is configured to rotatably hold the middle frame, wherein the outer frame is a circular form, and the outer frame is configured to be detachably attachable to a radial outside of the middle frame. The embroidery frame comprises a grip portion which is provided to the middle frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Midori MAGARA, Katsuhisa HASEGAWA, Harumi KATO
  • Publication number: 20130074749
    Abstract: A sewing machine may comprise a mounting portion configured to be mounted with an embroidery frame comprising a frame and an outer frame. The sewing machine may also comprise an image capturing device configured to capture an image including the embroidery frame mounted on the mounting portion. The sewing machine may further comprise a processor configured to execute instructions, and a memory. The memory may be configured to store computer-readable instructions that instruct the sewing machine to execute steps comprising identifying a mark from the captured image, wherein the mark is provided on the embroidery frame or on a work cloth held by the embroidery frame, determining a rotation angle of the frame with respect to the outer frame based on the identified mark, and notifying rotation information based on the determined rotation angle. The rotation information may be information for adjusting the rotation angle to a specified rotation angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Harumi KATO, Midori MAGARA, Katsuhisa HASEGAWA
  • Publication number: 20130036957
    Abstract: A multi-needle sewing machine sews an embroidery pattern based on embroidery data for sewing the embroidery pattern including a plurality of pattern-by-color portions, using a plurality of thread spools. The machine includes a spool setting portion on which the thread spools are set, a spool color storage unit storing, as thread spool color data, thread colors of the thread spools set on the spool setting portion, an extraction unit randomly extracting one of the thread spool color data stored on the spool color storage unit, the one thread spool color data being used as thread color data to specify a color of each pattern-by-color portion, and an assigning unit assigning the extracted thread spool color data as thread color data of each pattern-by-color portion. The machine is configured to execute sewing of the embroidery pattern for every pattern-by-color portion based on the thread color data assigned by the assigning unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Harumi KATO
  • Publication number: 20120150337
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a storage portion that stores pattern information and implement information for each of a plurality of patterns, a selecting portion that selects a desired pattern as a selected pattern, a first specifying portion that specifies, as one or more required implements, one or more sewing implements that are required in order to sew the selected pattern, a reading portion that reads, as tag information, information that is stored in one or more wireless tags and that identifies one or more prepared implements, a second specifying portion that specifies the one or more prepared implements based on the tag information that has been read by the reading portion, and an informing control portion that, in a case where there are one or more unprepared required implements, causes an informing portion to inform at least unprepared required implement information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Harumi KATO, Midori MAGARA
  • Publication number: 20110107950
    Abstract: An embroidery data processing apparatus that processes embroidery data includes a reference point setting unit that sets, within a sewing area, positions of at least three reference points, a reference line setting unit that sets two reference lines being straight lines that intersect each other and each pass through at least two reference points of the at least three reference points, a plane setting unit that sets a reference plane by setting two sets of a plurality of virtual lines arranged in a matrix, a position determination unit that determines the plurality of arrangement positions based on the reference plane, a pattern selection unit that selects a type for the plurality of unit patterns from at least one type of unit pattern, and an arrangement unit that arranges the plurality of unit patterns of the type in the plurality of arrangement positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotsugu TAKAHATA, Harumi KATO, Noriharu TASHIRO, Tsuneo OKUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20110088604
    Abstract: A embroidery data processing device includes an area defining portion that defines a sewable area on the work cloth, a computation portion that computes a first characteristic quantity that specifies a size of the sewable area, a comparison portion that compares the first characteristic quantity to at least one characteristic quantity for at least one embroidery pattern that can be sewn based on the embroidery data, the at least one characteristic quantity being stored in a storage portion and specifying a size of the at least one embroidery pattern, an extraction portion that, in a case where a comparison indicates that at least one sewable pattern exists, extracts the at least one sewable pattern, the at least one sewable pattern being at least one embroidery pattern that fits within the sewable area, a notification portion that notifies a user about the at least one sewable pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotsugu TAKAHATA, Harumi KATO, Noriharu TASHIRO, Tsuneo OKUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20110083598
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a transfer device that is adapted to move a work cloth, a sewing device that moves a needle bar up and down, a first operation device that outputs a first output signal in accordance with an operation state of the first operation device, a second operation device that outputs a second output signal in accordance with an operation state of the second operation device, a sewing data generation device that generates sewing data in accordance with the first output signal and the second output signal, a transfer control device that causes the work cloth to be moved by driving the transfer device in accordance with the sewing data, and a sewing control device that causes the unit stitch to be sewn on the work cloth by driving the sewing device in accordance with the sewing data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriharu TASHIRO, Tsuneo OKUYAMA, Hirotsugu TAKAHATA, Harumi KATO
  • Publication number: 20110083597
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a transfer device that is adapted to move a work cloth, a sewing device that moves a needle bar up and down, an operation device that includes an operation member and that outputs an output signal in accordance with a tilting operation of the operation member, the output signal specifying a position where a unit stitch formed, a unit data generation device that generates unit data being data for forming the unit stitch, a sewing data generation device that generates sewing data in accordance with the output signal and the unit data, a transfer control device that causes the work cloth to be moved by driving the transfer device in accordance with the sewing data, and a sewing control device that causes the unit stitch to be sewn on the work cloth by driving the sewing device in accordance with the sewing data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuneo OKUYAMA, Noriharu TASHIRO, Hirotsugu TAKAHATA, Harumi KATO
  • Publication number: 20110048304
    Abstract: A sewing machine system is disclosed that is configured by a sewing machine and a thread spool storage device communicably connected by way of a communication element. The sewing machine is provided with a compartment identifier that searches and finds thread color information pertaining to thread color data contained in the pattern data when a selection of pattern data is validated by a pattern selection validator. The compartment identifier transmits the compartment identification for identifying a location of the compartment of the thread spool storage device that is mapped to the found thread color information. Based on the compartment identification, the thread spool storage indicates the location of the compartment identified by the compartment identification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Harumi KATO, Tsuneo OKUYAMA, Hirotsugu TAKAHATA, Noriharu TASHIRO