Balancing yarn usage in tufted pattern designs for textile products

Abstract

A method includes accessing an electronic representation of a pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the pattern design including the pile height of each tuft. The method further includes determining a range of multiple pile heights identified in the pattern design. Additionally, the method includes using the range of the multiple pile heights to determine an individual pile height among the multiple pile heights of the pattern design to manage material variations. Furthermore, the method includes modifying the pattern design using the individual pile heights.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 603,290, filed November 28, 2023, entitled “BALANCING YARN USE IN TUFTED PATTERN DESIGNS FOR TEXTILES,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates in its entirety to the manufacture and design of carpets and other types of textiles. More specifically, but not as a limitation, this disclosure relates to automatic pattern adjustment for carpets and other textiles to balance yarn usage during manufacturing. Background Technology

[0003] Carpets are typically formed by tufting a fabric face. In the case of carpet tiles, the face can be attached to a stable structural backing to form a carpet web, which is then cut into carpet tiles of the desired shape and size.

[0004] Designs, patterns, and colors can be applied to the fabric through a tufting operation. A tufting machine may include at least one needle bar with needles arranged across it. Colored yarns may be associated with each needle. Backing material is fed under the needle bar, which reciprocates to drive the needles through and out of the backing material, thereby forming yarn loops or “tufts” within the backing material. As the process continues, the tufts extend across the backing material in generally transverse rows and downwards along the backing material in generally longitudinal columns to form the fabric.

[0005] To imbue the design onto the fabric surface, the needle bar carrying the yarn and the needle can move laterally relative to the backing material, allowing the placement of tufts to be offset laterally across the backing material. The yarn fed to the needle can also be controlled to vary the height of the tufts placed in the backing. Furthermore, the rate at which the backing material moves relative to the needle bar and the rate at which the needle bar generates tufts in the backing material can be controlled to manage the density of tufts in the fabric.

[0006] In some tufting machines, multiple needle bars are used to increase the opportunities for generating designs. Without these capabilities, the resulting product consists of tufted fabric extending along the length of the backing material in a single color line. To create non-striped patterns with tufting, the needle bars are laterally offset to change the positioning of different colored tufts in the backing material and to vary the height of the tufts to form the desired design or pattern.

[0007] During tufting, the yarn is continuously fed to each needle on the needle bar. Before tufting, the yarn of the desired color is wound onto a yarn package. A yarn package is prepared for each tufting needle. The yarn package is then loaded onto a yarn carrier, with each yarn end associated with the intended needle on the needle bar. During use and as tufting proceeds, the yarn is unwound from the package. In some examples, the yarn may be supplied by a warp beam instead of a yarn carrier or other than a yarn carrier. Furthermore, in some tufting techniques and applications, more than one yarn end may be present on the same needle, such as in "hollow needle" techniques and long-pile tufting machines.

[0008] It is difficult to measure how much yarn each needle will require to produce the desired pattern. Furthermore, if a single yarn package runs out during tufting, the entire tufting process must be stopped, and the yarn package replaced before tufting can be resumed. This process is extremely time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive.

[0009] To avoid running out of yarn packages during tufting, they are often over-prepared, meaning more yarn than is needed is supplied to the package. Depending on the complexity of the pattern and the diversity of yarn colors used to create it, some yarn packages are over-prepared by as much as 85% to over 200%. Furthermore, unused yarn remaining on the yarn package after tufting must be spliced ​​and repackaged. Yarn can only be wound onto and unwound from the yarn package a certain number of times before becoming unusable. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Various aspects of this disclosure provide systems and methods for balancing yarn usage in tufted pattern designs. In one example, a method includes accessing an electronic representation of a pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the pattern design including the pile height of each tuft. The method also includes determining a range of multiple pile heights identified in the pattern design. Furthermore, the method includes using this range of multiple pile heights to determine an individual pile height among the multiple pile heights of the pattern design to manage material variations. Additionally, the method includes modifying the pattern design using this individual pile height.

[0011] In other aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores program instructions executable by a processor to perform operations. These operations include accessing updated data from previous updates to a previous pattern design. The operations also include using the updated data to train a machine learning model to generate an updated pattern design. Furthermore, the operations include accessing an electronic representation of a new pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the new pattern design including the pile height of each tuft. Additionally, the operations include generating an updated new pattern design by applying the trained machine learning model to the new pattern design, the updated new pattern design including the updated pile height of each tuft.

[0012] In other aspects, the system includes a processor and a memory device. The memory device includes program instructions executable by the processor to perform operations. These operations include accessing an electronic representation of a pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the pattern design including the pile height of each tuft. Additionally, the operations include determining a range of multiple pile heights identified in the pattern design. Furthermore, the operations include using the range of multiple pile heights to determine an individual pile height among the multiple pile heights of the pattern design to manage material variations. Furthermore, the operations include modifying the pattern design using the individual pile height.

[0013] This invention is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to define the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by referring to the appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all of the accompanying drawings, and each claim.

[0014] The foregoing, as well as other features and examples, will become more apparent from the following description, claims, and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a computational system for facilitating yarn balance in carpet design, based on some examples of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a process for promoting yarn balance in carpet or other textile designs, based on some examples of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a process for facilitating the design of uniformly rolled carpets or other textiles, based on some examples of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a process for generating updated pattern designs, based on some examples of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 5 This is an example of a user interface displayed on a display device according to this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6 This is another example of a user interface displayed on a display device according to this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 7 It is a chart indicating the pile height of an initial carpet design based on some examples of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 8 This indicates some examples based on this disclosure. Figure 7 A chart showing the optimized pile height of the initial carpet design. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Certain aspects and features involve tools for pattern designers that manage and balance the amount of yarn used on each needle of a given pattern. The tool adjusts the pattern accordingly to balance yarn usage on the needles. As an example only, the tool can graphically represent yarn usage per needle and display changes in yarn usage in real time based on changes made to the pattern. In some examples, the tool can automatically modify the design to influence a more balanced yarn usage in a way that does not compromise the design intent (i.e., maintains design integrity).

[0024] In an ideal scenario, all yarns will have the same yarn usage, so that all yarn packages will be empty at the end of the tufting run. This result simplifies yarn package preparation (all packages will be prepared with the same amount of yarn) and eliminates the need to process any residual yarn after tufting is complete (e.g., splicing and rewinding).

[0025] Perhaps less preferred but still advantageous is a design pattern that allows yarns of the same color to serve the same purpose. For example, all blue yarn packages will be identical to all other blue yarn packages; all yellow yarn packages will be identical to all other yellow yarn packages, and so on. This also simplifies the yarn package preparation process, aiming to have empty yarn racks at the end of each run.

[0026] Knowing in advance how much yarn is needed per needle for a given tufting pattern can save materials (no need to over-prepare yarn packages, so you can buy and keep less yarn inventory), save labor (less labor is involved in preparing yarn packages), and save time (less tufting downtime caused by running out of yarn packages).

[0027] The system, based on some examples, can receive the pile (or tufting) height, knitting rate, and pattern repeat for a specific carpet design. Different colors on the user interface represent different pile heights, and a pile height value can be assigned to each color. A live graph shows that the changes in yarn usage per needle occur substantially simultaneously with the changes in the tufting height design. The live graph is available on the same user interface as the visual representation of the tufting height design.

[0028] For example, a pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations can be received electronically or otherwise accessed. The pattern design may include the pile height of each tuft, indicated by color or other visual representation. A grid may represent the tuft height pattern design with visual cues. A graph may be included on the same user interface as the grid. The graph may represent the yarn usage per needle in the carpet tufting operation and thresholds indicating the desired yarn usage across multiple needles in the carpet tufting operation. In some examples, the pile height may include an acceptable range of pile heights for identifying the pile height of each tuft to maintain the design effectiveness of the pattern design. In response to a change in the pile height of one or more tufts within the indicated range of the pattern design received on the grid, the graph may be modified to indicate the new yarn usage per needle taking into account that change.

[0029] In some examples, the pile height value can be modified, or the acceptable range of pile height for a given value can be changed. For example, the value may correspond to 5 millimeters (mm), and the acceptable range of pile height for that value may be 4 mm to 6 mm. In some examples, the acceptable range of pile height may subsequently be changed to 4.5 mm to 5.5 mm. The system can be able to select a precise value within this range for each stitch, ensuring that the yarn usage for each needle does not deviate beyond a threshold. In other examples, the system can receive the value for each stitch within this range from the user and display the changes in yarn usage for each needle in real time. The system can establish a buffer limit on the number of pile height values ​​that are close to the end of a range within a certain amount of another pile height value. On the user interface, different shades of the same color can visually represent variations in pile height for the same value.

[0030] These illustrative examples are given to introduce the general subject matter discussed herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed concepts. Various additional features and examples are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements, and the sequential description is used to describe illustrative aspects, but, as with the illustrative aspects, should not be used to limit this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a calculation system 100 for promoting yarn balance in carpet design, based on several aspects. The calculation system 100 includes a calculation device 102 and a display device 104, which can receive and display information from the calculation device 102 via inputs / outputs 106 in the calculation device 102.

[0032] Examples of computing device 102 include laptop computers, desktop computers, server systems, smartphones, and tablets. Examples of display device 104 include monitors, televisions, LCD displays, and projection systems. In some examples, computing device 102 includes display device 104, rather than... Figure 1The individual device shown. Input / output 106 can provide a wired or wireless communication path for the computing device to communicate with external devices, such as display device 104. Examples of input / output 106 include a wireless transceiver, a serial port, an HDMI port, a USB port, and an Ethernet port.

[0033] The computing device 102 may also include a processor 108, a memory 110, and a bus 112. In some examples, Figure 1 Some or all of the components shown can be integrated into a single structure, such as a single housing. In other examples, Figure 1 Some or all of the components shown may be distributed (e.g., in separate housings) and communicate with each other.

[0034] Processor 108 may perform one or more operations to facilitate yarn balancing or uniform winding in carpet design and generate one or more user interfaces for display on display device 104. Processor 108 may execute instructions stored in memory 110 to perform operations. Processor 108 may include one or more processing devices. Examples of processor 108 include field-programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”), application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), and microprocessors.

[0035] Processor 108 may be communicatively coupled to memory 110 via bus 112. Memory 110, which may be non-volatile memory, may include any type of memory device that retains stored information when power is off. Examples of memory 110 include electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), flash memory, or any other type of non-volatile memory. At least some of memory 110 may include media from which processor 108 can read instructions. Computer-readable media may include electronic, optical, magnetic, or other non-transitory storage devices capable of providing computer-readable instructions or other program code to processor 108. Examples of computer-readable media include (but are not limited to) disks, memory chips, ROM, random access memory (“RAM”), ASICs, configured processors, optical storage devices, or any other media from which a computer processor can read instructions. Instructions may include processor-specific instructions generated by a compiler or interpreter from code written in any suitable computer programming language, including, for example, C, C++, C#, etc.

[0036] The memory 110 may include instructions for forming a pattern design engine 114, which, when executed by the processor 108, causes the computing device 102 to perform one or more operations to facilitate uniform roll carpet design.

[0037] Figure 2A flowchart depicts a process for promoting yarn balance in carpet or other textile designs, based on one aspect. (Reference) Figure 1 System 100 Description Figure 2 The process can be performed, but alternatively other systems or devices with hardware, software, or both can be used.

[0038] In box 202, computing device 102 accesses an electronic representation of a pattern design. The pattern design may be coded instructions for controlling carpet tufting operations. The pattern design may include the pile height of each tuft of the design. The pattern design may be received by computing device 102 from one or more user inputs via an input device and from a graphical representation displayed on display device 104. For example, computing device 102 may receive a specification of the pile height of at least some tuft markers of a grid displayed on the display device, as a value selected from pile height values ​​available for operation. In other examples, the pattern design may be received by computing device 102 as a file via a network (such as the Internet) from a separate computing system, or from a storage device (such as an optical disc or flash drive) that can be coupled to or inserted into computing device 102.

[0039] In box 204, computing device 102 determines the range of pile height for the pattern design. In the example, the pile height indicated in the pattern design may fall within a preset range of acceptable pile heights for typical pattern designs. As an example, for short pile heights, the pile height range may be approximately 0.07 inches (e.g., a range of 0.280 inches to 0.350 inches), for medium pile heights, the pile height range may be approximately 0.11 inches (e.g., a range of 0.390 inches to 0.500 inches), and for long pile heights, the pile height range may be approximately 0.140 inches (e.g., a range of 0.560 inches to 0.700 inches). Other default lengths may also be selected, and in some examples, the acceptable pile height range may increase with increasing pile height (e.g., a larger range for long pile heights and a shorter range for short pile heights). Furthermore, this range may be adjusted by the designer from a default range initially set for the pattern design identifier to a larger or smaller range.

[0040] In box 206, computing device 102 determines the individual pile heights of the pattern design within a defined range to manage material variations. For example, computing device 102 may autonomously adjust the pile heights identified in the pattern design such that known yarn packages on the yarn rack will be depleted at approximately the same time. In some examples, adjusting the pile height may involve increasing or decreasing the pile height of the design within a defined range. Because the amount of yarn in the yarn packages is known, optimization algorithms can be used to adjust the pile heights within their defined range so that the various yarn packages used in the pattern design are depleted approximately simultaneously. As used herein, the term approximately may refer to a value within 10% of the relevant value. That is, if the first yarn package is depleted, the remaining yarn packages on the same yarn rack may have less than 10% of the original amount of yarn remaining in the yarn packages.

[0041] In box 208, computing device 102 modifies the pattern design using the individual pile height determined at box 206. In the example, the modified pattern design can result in changes to the material requirements of the pattern (e.g., various colors of yarn) without distorting the design in a broken manner. A broken design can refer to a design with broken areas that cause the boundaries of the design to no longer be clearly identifiable. Although some decay may occur in this design, the design integrity is maintained.

[0042] Figure 3 A flowchart depicts a process, based on one aspect, for facilitating the uniform rolling of carpets or other textiles. (Reference) Figure 1 System 100 Description Figure 3 The process can be performed, but alternatively other systems or devices with hardware, software, or both can be used.

[0043] In box 302, computing device 102 receives an electronic representation of a pattern design. The pattern design may be coded instructions for controlling carpet tufting operations. The pattern design may include the pile height of each tuft of fabric in the design. The pattern design may be received by computing device 102 from one or more user inputs via an input device and from a graphical representation displayed on display device 104. For example, computing device 102 may receive a specification of the pile height of at least some tuft markers of a grid displayed on the display device, as a value selected from pile height values ​​available for operation. In other examples, the pattern design may be received by computing device 102 as a file via a network (such as the Internet) from a separate computing system, or from a storage device (such as an optical disc or flash drive) that can be coupled to or inserted into computing device 102.

[0044] In box 304, computing device 102 provides a grid for display by display device 104. The grid represents a pattern design using different visual cues to indicate different pile heights. The grid may include columns and rows of tufting marks. Each tufting mark may correspond to a stitch in a tufting operation. Each column of tufting marks may be associated with one of multiple needles to be used in the tufting operation. Visual cues may include different colors to indicate different pile height values. In other examples, dashed lines or patterned cues are used to indicate different pile height values.

[0045] In box 306, computing device 102 generates a graph on a common user interface that depicts the yarn usage per needle as a grid. This graph may also depict a threshold indicating the desired yarn usage across multiple needles for the tufting operation. The threshold may be a tolerance range for acceptable deviations in yarn usage across multiple needles for the tufting operation. The common user interface may include an interface that can be displayed on display device 104, allowing both the grid and the graph to be viewed simultaneously on display device 104.

[0046] In block 308, computing device 102 modifies a graph to indicate the new yarn usage for each needle in response to changes in the pile height of one or more tufts of a received pattern design. The new yarn usage for each needle takes into account changes in pile height in real time relative to ongoing grid changes. The yarn usage for each needle predicts the amount of yarn required for each needle to achieve the pattern design through carpet tufting operations.

[0047] Figure 4 A flowchart depicts the process of generating an updated pattern design based on one aspect. (Reference) Figure 1 System 100 Description Figure 4 The process can be performed, but alternatively other systems or devices with hardware, software, or both can be used.

[0048] In box 402, computing device 102 accesses updated data from a previous pattern design update. In the example, the updated data could be data related to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The process generates updated data associated with the pattern design. Additional updated data generated from other sources may also be used. Updated data may include the original pattern design and the updated pattern design after the original pattern design has undergone a manual or automated optimization process to provide uniform winding of yarn packages on the yarn rack.

[0049] In box 404, computing device 102 uses the updated data from box 402 to train a machine learning model to generate an updated pattern design. The machine learning model can be a supervised or semi-supervised model trained for future pattern designs to select a pile height that achieves uniform winding of the yarn package on the yarn carrier while maintaining design integrity. Examples of machine learning models may include linear regression models, logistic regression models, artificial neural networks, decision trees, random forests, or any other machine learning model that can be trained to determine the updated pile height in the updated pattern design.

[0050] In box 406, computing device 102 accesses a new pattern design. This new pattern design can be a pattern design generated by a designer that has not yet undergone an optimization process to ensure uniform winding of the yarn package. In the example, the new pattern design can be in a format similar to the pattern design used to train a machine learning model at box 404.

[0051] In box 408, computing device 102 applies a trained machine learning model to the new pattern design to generate an updated pattern design. The updated pattern design adjusts the pile height of the new pattern design to achieve uniform winding of the yarn package during the tufting operation. By achieving uniform winding of the yarn package, the updated pattern design can avoid significant time and material waste.

[0052] Figure 5 This is an example of a user interface 500 based on one aspect. The user interface 500 can be generated by the computing device 102 and... Figure 1 It can be viewed on display device 104 or displayed via other systems.

[0053] User interface 500 depicts a grid 502 and a graphic 504 that can be viewed simultaneously on a common interface. Grid 502 includes rows and columns of tufting marks. Each tufting mark may correspond to a stitch in a tufting operation. Each column may correspond to one of multiple needles used in a tufting operation. Commands can be received from an input device that specifies the pile height for a tufting mark. In some examples, the grid may be pre-filled with a default pile height for all tufting marks, and one or more additional pile heights may be assigned to certain tufting marks when the designer is designing a pattern.

[0054] For example, in Figure 5 The image shows a menu 506 with three tuft height options. Different tuft height options can be selected based on a pattern design, and then, in response to further user or automatic input, the selected tuft height can be applied to one or more tuft markers. Different tuft height options can be represented by different colors or other visual cues. When a tuft marker is assigned a specific tuft height, the tuft marker can reflect the color or other visual cue for that specific tuft height. Although in... Figure 5 Three pile height options are shown, but any number of pile height options may exist, each corresponding to a specific pile height or a range of pile heights.

[0055] Chart 504 shows the yarn usage for each needle used in the tufting operation. The portion of Chart 504 that corresponds to a specific column of Grid 502 is linked to that needle and shows the yarn usage of the needle associated with that specific column of Grid 502. Usage lines 508 on Chart 504 show the relative yarn usage between needles associated with the column. Chart 504 allows designers to understand the impact of the designed pattern on the yarn usage for a specific operation. Figure 5 In Figure 504, the threshold range represented by the upper boundary line 510 and the lower boundary line 512 is within which it may be desirable to position the use line 508 for all needles to produce the desired yarn use per needle. In some embodiments, an optimal use line 514 is provided between the upper boundary line 510 and the lower boundary line 512 to indicate the ideal yarn use, wherein the upper boundary line 510 and the lower boundary line 512 represent acceptable deviations from the optimal use line 514. In such embodiments, the designer may strive to produce a tufting height design whereby the use line 508 covers the optimal use line 514.

[0056] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the portion using line 508 is within the threshold range, while other portions using line 508 are not. Designers can be encouraged to modify the design to make the use of line 508 flatter and within the threshold range, resulting in uniform take-up of the needles during tufting operations. In response to changes in the pile height of one or more tufting markers on grid 502, graph 504 can be updated substantially simultaneously with the changes to show the yarn usage for each needle. Pattern designers can have real-time updates on the yarn usage for each needle of a pattern design with a specific tufting height. In some examples, user interface 500 can display the potential yarn usage of the pattern design on the yarn package of the yarn rack. If the potential yarn usage is not satisfactory to the designer, optimization algorithm 516 can be used to optimize the pile height of the pattern design so that the yarn usage of the pattern design achieves uniform take-up. For example, optimization algorithm 516 can identify the range of pile heights of the pattern design and optimize those ranges to achieve more precise uniform take-up of the yarn package, such as... Figure 2 In the process, as described above. In the additional example, optimization algorithm 516 can use the trained machine learning model (such as in...). Figure 4 During the process, an updated pattern design is generated that optimizes the pile height for accurate and even winding of the yarn package.

[0057] Figure 6This is another example of a user interface 600 according to this disclosure. User interface 600 may be generated by computing device 102 and... Figure 1 It can be viewed on display device 104 or displayed via other systems.

[0058] The user interface 600 displays a grid 602 with a pattern design and a chart 604 showing the yarn used for each needle on a public interface, similar to... Figure 5 The user interface 500. Darker portions of grid 602 represent tufting with high pile height, while white or lighter portions of grid 602 represent tufting with low pile height. However, diagram 604 shows three different use lines 606, 608, and 610, representing the yarn used for each needle in a different color. Designers can include a specification of the yarn color used for each tufting mark in the pattern design. Use lines 606, 608, and 610 can be represented by different colors or other line-specific visual cues, but the colors of use lines 606, 608, and 610 do not necessarily represent the color of the yarn used in the tufting operation.

[0059] Furthermore, each color of yarn is not necessarily used for every needle. For example, the leftmost column of grid 602 is associated with the first color of yarn represented by line 606. However, another column can be associated with all three colors of yarn represented by lines 606, 608, and 610. For example, at portion 612 of graph 604, portion 614 of the pattern of grid 602 is associated with a very high usage rate of all three colors because the usage lines 606, 608, and 610 for all three colors are higher than the rest of the lines and outside the threshold range 616 of graph 604.

[0060] The visual cues shown in Figure 604 help pattern designers generate patterns that result in uniform or near-uniform take-ups for each yarn color used in the tufting operation. In other words, yarns of the same color serve the same purpose, such that, for example, all blue yarn packages will be the same as all other blue yarn packages, all yellow yarn packages will be the same as all other yellow yarn packages, and so on. This helps simplify the yarn package preparation process and significantly reduces the cost of unused yarn per needle used in the tufting operation.

[0061] In addition, when completing the pattern design, the designer can choose similar to Figure 5 Optimization algorithm 616 further optimizes algorithm 516 to achieve uniform take-up of yarn packages used in pattern design. For example, optimization algorithm 616 can identify the pile height range of the pattern design and optimize those pile height ranges to achieve more precise uniform take-up of the yarn packages. In additional examples, optimization algorithm 616 can use trained machine learning models (such as those in...) Figure 4During the process, an updated pattern design is generated that optimizes the pile height for accurate and even winding of the yarn package.

[0062] Figure 7 This is a chart indicating the pile height based on some example carpet designs. As depicted, the pile height varies between 0.4 inches and 0.7 inches, and each column of the chart depicts the tufting produced by individual needles. As depicted, the initial carpet design produces an uneven distribution of yarn usage across individual needles. Therefore, the initial carpet design may not achieve uniform yarn take-up during the tufting operation.

[0063] Figure 8 It indicates based on some examples. Figure 7 A graph showing the optimized pile height of the initial carpet design. Because the initial carpet design does not achieve uniform take-up of yarn across individual needles, an optimization algorithm can be applied to the initial carpet design. The optimization algorithm may involve the above-mentioned... Figure 2 The process is described. For example, a range of pile heights can be identified for two pile heights. In this example, a 0.4-inch pile height could have a range identified between 0.3 inches and 0.5 inches. Additionally, a 0.7-inch pile height could have a range identified between 0.6 inches and 0.8 inches. To achieve uniform yarn take-up, adjustments can be made within the identified range. Figure 8 The chart shows the individual pile heights. Based on adjustments to these individual pile heights, even yarn winding can be achieved across each individual needle for use in updated carpet designs while maintaining the design integrity of the initial carpet design.

[0064] The foregoing description of certain examples (including the illustrated examples) has been presented for illustrative and descriptive purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications, adaptations, and uses therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Access an electronic representation of a pattern design used to control carpet tufting operations, the pattern design including the pile height of each tuft; Determine the range of multiple pile heights identified in the pattern design; The range of the plurality of pile heights is used to determine the individual pile height among the plurality of pile heights in the pattern design to manage material variations; and The pattern design is modified using the individual pile height.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the individual pile height is performed by an optimization algorithm to achieve uniform winding of the yarn package in the carpet tufting operation.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The modified pattern design is used to control the carpet tufting operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the individual pile height further comprises: A first pile, including a first assigned pile height, is identified from the pattern design; A second pile, including the height of the first assigned pile, is identified from the pattern design; Assigning a first modified pile height to the first pile, the first modified pile height being within a first range of the range of the plurality of pile heights; and A second modified pile height, different from the first modified pile height, is assigned to the second pile, wherein the second modified pile height is within the first range of the plurality of pile heights.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the range of the plurality of pile heights of the pattern design includes at least three non-overlapping ranges of pile heights.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the range of the plurality of pile heights includes a first range and a second range, wherein the first range includes a pile height range that is larger than the second range.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Access update data from a previous update to a previous pattern design, the update data including at least the individual pile height among the plurality of pile heights of the pattern design; The updated data is used to train a machine learning model to generate updated pattern designs; Access an electronic display of a new pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the new pattern design including a new pile head height for each tuft; as well as An updated new pattern design is generated by applying the trained machine learning model to the new pattern design, the updated new pattern design including an updated new pile height for each tuft of pile.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions executable by a processor to perform operations, the operations including: Access updated data from previous updates to the previous pattern design; The updated data is used to train a machine learning model to generate updated pattern designs; Access an electronic representation of a new pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the new pattern design including the pile height of each tuft; as well as An updated new pattern design is generated by applying the trained machine learning model to the new pattern design, the updated new pattern design including the updated pile height of each tuft of pile.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the updated pile height of each tuft of the updated new pattern design provides uniform take-up of the yarn package for the carpet tufting operation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises: The updated pattern design is used to control the carpet tufting operation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the updated new pattern design includes (1) a first modified pile height assigned to a first pile, the first modified pile height being within a first range of a plurality of pile heights in the new pattern design, and (2) a second modified pile height, different from the first modified pile height, assigned to a second pile, the second modified pile height being within the first range of the plurality of pile heights.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the machine learning model comprises a supervised or semi-supervised machine learning model trained to be applied to future pattern design to select a pile height that achieves uniform winding of the yarn package of the yarn crease while maintaining design integrity.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the updated data includes a plurality of pile heights of a previous pattern design, wherein the plurality of pile heights fall within an identification range of the previous pattern design, and wherein the identification range includes at least three non-overlapping ranges of the pile heights.

14. A system comprising: processor; and A memory device having program instructions that can be executed by the processor to perform operations including: Access an electronic representation of a pattern design used to control carpet tufting operations, the pattern design including the pile height of each tuft; Determine the range of multiple pile heights identified in the pattern design; The range of the plurality of pile heights is used to determine the individual pile height among the plurality of pile heights in the pattern design to manage material variations; and The pattern design is modified using the individual pile height.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises: Access update data from a previous update to a previous pattern design, the update data including at least the individual pile height among the plurality of pile heights of the pattern design; The updated data is used to train a machine learning model to generate updated pattern designs; Access an electronic display of a new pattern design for controlling carpet tufting operations, the new pattern design including a new pile head height for each tuft; as well as An updated new pattern design is generated by applying the trained machine learning model to the new pattern design, the updated new pattern design including an updated new pile height for each tuft of pile.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the operation of determining the individual pile height is performed by an optimization algorithm to achieve uniform winding of the yarn package in the carpet tufting operation.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising: The modified pattern design is used to control the carpet tufting operation.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the operation of determining the individual pile height further comprises: A first pile, including a first assigned pile height, is identified from the pattern design; A second pile, including the height of the first assigned pile, is identified from the pattern design; Assigning a first modified pile height to the first pile, the first modified pile height being within a first range of the range of the plurality of pile heights; and A second modified pile height, different from the first modified pile height, is assigned to the second pile, wherein the second modified pile height is within the first range of the plurality of pile heights.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the range of the plurality of pile heights of the pattern design includes at least three non-overlapping ranges of pile height.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the range of the plurality of pile heights includes a first range and a second range, wherein the first range includes a pile height range that is larger than the second range.

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