Patents by Inventor Masashi Tokura

Masashi Tokura 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: 11952691
    Abstract: A controller acquires sewing data for sewing an applique piece on a sewing target material, the applique piece having a shape having a hole, the hole being a closed area surrounded by at least part of the applique piece, identifies a contour of the applique piece while distinguishing an inner contour and an outer contour, the inner contour being the contour defining the hole of the applique piece, the outer contour being the contour other than the inner contour, determines, based on the acquired sewing data, whether an inner stitch and an outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than a particular distance or at positions overlapping each other, and outputs an error notification in response to determining that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Publication number: 20230034819
    Abstract: A controller acquires sewing data for sewing an applique piece on a sewing target material, the applique piece having a shape having a hole, the hole being a closed area surrounded by at least part of the applique piece, identifies a contour of the applique piece while distinguishing an inner contour and an outer contour, the inner contour being the contour defining the hole of the applique piece, the outer contour being the contour other than the inner contour, determines, based on the acquired sewing data, whether an inner stitch and an outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than a particular distance or at positions overlapping each other, and outputs an error notification in response to determining that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Publication number: 20230029765
    Abstract: A processing data generation device includes an input portion, a processor, and a memory. The processor is configured to receive a detection signal of the input portion. The memory configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes. The processes include pattern identification processing of identifying a target pattern, region specification command acquisition processing of acquiring, via the input portion, a region specification command to select, as a cutting region, a first region surrounded by an outside of the target pattern and by the target pattern, and processing data generation processing of creating processing data for cutting out, from a workpiece to be cut, the cutting region specified by the region specification command, as an applique piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Yoko YAMANASHI, Masashi TOKURA
  • Publication number: 20220316115
    Abstract: A sewing machine acquires embroidery data of the embroidery pattern formed from a plurality of partial patterns. The sewing machine selects, as a selected partial pattern, at least one partial pattern from among the plurality of partial patterns forming the embroidery pattern, on the basis of the acquired embroidery data. The sewing machine identifies, on the basis of the embroidery data, an outline of the selected partial pattern that was selected. The sewing machine generates processing data for performing processing following the shape of the selected partial pattern, on the basis of the identified outline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Yoko YAMANASHI, Masashi TOKURA, Takafumi NAKA
  • Publication number: 20190001515
    Abstract: A cutting device includes a support member, a reading unit, a conveyance portion, a movement portion, a processor, and a memory. The memory stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the cutting device to perform processes. The processes include conveying the support member in the sub-scanning direction by controlling the conveyance portion. The processes include causing the reading unit to read a support area and a determination area of the support member supporting the object to be cut that includes a target pattern, while the support member is being conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. The processes include detecting a same position in the main scanning direction as a specific position when, in first image data generated by the reading of the determination area, abnormal pixels are continuously present for a predetermined number or more in the sub-scanning direction at the same position in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Mayumi NISHIZAKI, Masashi TOKURA
  • Patent number: 9534326
    Abstract: The sewing machine includes an image capturing portion, a processor, and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the sewing machine to perform operations of: setting a specified range within the image capture enabled range based on a first image, acquiring a plurality of partial images, and creating a composite image by combining the acquired plurality of the partial images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9458561
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a needle bar, an image capture device, and a control device. A sewing needle is mounted on a lower end of the needle bar. The image capture device captures an image of an area that includes an area below the needle bar. The image capture device also creates image data. The control device is configured to execute steps including causing the image capture device to create first image data, causing the image capture device to create second image data, acquiring the first image data, acquiring the second image data, and performing color-related correction on the second image data, based on the first image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9340044
    Abstract: A holding member includes a base, a transparent sheet, first, second and third signs. The base has an adhesive part on which a sheet-shaped object is removably placed. The sheet holds the object between the base and itself. The first sign indicates a type of the holding member. The second sign indicates that the sheet is located at a closed position. The second sign on the sheet and the first and third signs on the base are located at a front part of the base with respect to an insertion direction of the holding member when the sheet is located at a closed position. The first to third signs are located between a front end of the adhesive part and a front end of the base with respect to the insertion direction when the sheet is located at the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironori Matsushita, Masashi Tokura
  • Publication number: 20160032508
    Abstract: The sewing machine includes an image capturing portion, a processor, and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the sewing machine to perform operations of: setting a specified range within the image capture enabled range based on a first image, acquiring a plurality of partial images, and creating a composite image by combining the acquired plurality of the partial images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventor: Masashi TOKURA
  • Patent number: 9169588
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a bed, an irradiating portion configured to irradiate laser light onto a specific position on the bed, an image capturing portion configured to capture an image of an area including the specific position and to generate captured image data, a processor, and a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the sewing machine to perform processes that include causing the irradiating portion to intermittently irradiate the laser light onto the specific position, acquiring the captured image data by causing the image capturing portion to capture an image of the area in synchronization with irradiation on the specific position, and identifying irradiated coordinates based on the captured image data. The irradiated coordinates are coordinates, in the captured image, of an irradiated position. The irradiated position is a position, in the area, onto which the laser light is irradiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Publication number: 20150259837
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a needle bar, an image capture device, and a control device. A sewing needle is mounted on a lower end of the needle bar. The image capture device captures an image of an area that includes an area below the needle bar. The image capture device also creates image data. The control device is configured to execute steps including causing the image capture device to create first image data, causing the image capture device to create second image data, acquiring the first image data, acquiring the second image data, and performing color-related correction on the second image data, based on the first image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventor: Masashi TOKURA
  • Publication number: 20150252503
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a bed, an irradiating portion configured to irradiate laser light onto a specific position on the bed, an image capturing portion configured to capture an image of an area including the specific position and to generate captured image data, a processor, and a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the sewing machine to perform processes that include causing the irradiating portion to intermittently irradiate the laser light onto the specific position, acquiring the captured image data by causing the image capturing portion to capture an image of the area in synchronization with irradiation on the specific position, and identifying irradiated coordinates based on the captured image data. The irradiated coordinates are coordinates, in the captured image, of an irradiated position. The irradiated position is a position, in the area, onto which the laser light is irradiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventor: Masashi TOKURA
  • Publication number: 20150231901
    Abstract: A holding member is configured to be inserted into a cutting apparatus including an image scanning device, while holding a sheet-shaped object, so that the object is scanned by the image scanning device and cut by the cutting apparatus. The holding member includes a base having an adhesive part on which the object is removably placed, a transparent sheet holding the object between the base and itself, the transparent sheet having a proximal end fixed to a first side of the base and being movable between a closed position where the transparent sheet is laid over the adhesive part and an open position where the adhesive part is exposed, a first sign located on the base to indicate a type of the holding member, and a second sign located on the transparent sheet to indicate that the transparent sheet is located at the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Hironori Matsushita, Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9102073
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a cartridge holder configured to receive a pen or a cutter, a first moving mechanism configured to move the cartridge holder in a direction that the cartridge holder comes close to a platen receiving an object, a reading unit configured to read image data from the object, a second moving mechanism configured to move the object to the reading unit, and a processor configured to instruct the apparatus to instruct the first moving mechanism to move the cartridge holder close to the platen, to instruct the second moving mechanism to move the object to the reading unit and the reading unit to read image data to extract, from the image data, a processing mark on the object, to calculate a rotation angle for correcting the image data and to correct, either the image data or processing data, or both the image data and the processing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9089982
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a cartridge configured to receive a pen or a cutter, a receiving mechanism configured to receive an object, a first moving mechanism configured to move the cartridge in a first movement direction, a second moving mechanism configured to move the object in a second direction perpendicular to the first movement direction, a third moving mechanism configured to move the cartridge in a direction such that the cartridge comes close to the receiving mechanism, and a processor configured to instruct the apparatus to set an orientation of a pattern to be formed on the object, to arrange the pattern while conforming the pattern orientation to an object orientation, to drive the first and second moving mechanisms according to the pattern orientation, and to drive the third moving mechanism to cause the cartridge to move in a direction such that the cartridge comes close to the receiving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Tokura, Noriharu Tashiro
  • Patent number: 9089988
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a cartridge holder configured to receive a pen or a cutter, a platen configured to receive an object, a moving mechanism configured to move the cartridge holder in a direction that the cartridge holder comes close to the platen, a read unit configured to read image data from the object, and a processor configured to instruct the apparatus to set a specific size of a pattern in the image data, eliminate, from the image data, one or more of specific patterns whose size is less or equal to the specific size, and instruct the moving mechanism to move the cartridge holder close to the platen, based on the image data after eliminating one or more of specific patterns from the read image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9055174
    Abstract: An apparatus includes first and second moving mechanisms and a processor. The processor causes apparatus to instruct the second moving mechanism to move a holding member to a reading unit, instruct the reading unit to read first image data that is an image of mark on the holding member, calculate an amount of deviation of a first set position of the holding member by the second moving mechanism in the first image data, from a reference set position of an object, instruct the second moving mechanism to move the holding member to a reading unit, instruct the reading unit to read second image data of a pattern, generate processing data based on the second image data, correct the processing data based on the deviation amount, and control the moving mechanisms based on the corrected processing data to process the object by the pen or the cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9031686
    Abstract: An embroidery data processor includes a color information acquiring unit configured to acquire color information of a workpiece cloth on which an embroidery pattern composed of a plurality of color-based pattern portions is sewn, a color storage unit configured to store data of defined colors, an assignment unit configured to randomly extract colors from the colors stored by the color storage unit for every color-based pattern portion, the extracted colors being used as thread color data specifying colors of the color-based pattern portions respectively, the assignment unit assigning the extracted colors to the respective color-based pattern portions, and a setting unit configured to set a predetermined extraction range containing a similar color or a contrast color based on the color information acquired by the acquiring unit. The assignment unit is configured to extract the color stored by the color storage unit in the set extraction range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 9019569
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus including an image reading unit configured to read an image of a workpiece; a plurality of holding members each configured to hold the workpiece while image reading is performed by the image reading unit and each including an indicator identifying a type of holding member; an identification unit configured to identify the type of holding member based on a result of reading of the indicator by the image reading unit; and a correction unit configured to perform a shading correction of the image read by the image reading unit based on a result of identification by the identification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Nagai, Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 8988738
    Abstract: A reading-use holding member which is configured for use with an image reading apparatus including an image reading unit and which holds a sheet of workpiece while image reading is performed by the image reading unit, the reading-use holding member including a base being generally planar; an indicator provided at the base and configured to identify a type of holding member when read by the image reading unit; a holding portion provided at the base and configured to hold the workpiece; and a reference portion provided at the base and configured to provide a reference image data for use in a shading correction of an image read by the image reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Nagai, Masashi Tokura