Work assistance system for sewing machine and work assitance method for sewing machine

Abstract

A work assistance system for a sewing machine (1) comprises: a display (24) that displays an augmented reality image; and a processor (1001). The processor (1001) generates an augmented reality image for assisting sewing work using the sewing machine (1), and causes the display (24) to display the augmented reality image so as to be superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine (1).

Description

Sewing machine operation support system and sewing machine operation support method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sewing machine operation support system and a sewing machine operation support method.

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technology that uses augmented reality (AR) to assist unskilled workers in their work is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-047367

[0004] In the technical field of sewing machines, there is also a demand for technology to assist workers in sewing operations.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to assist sewing machine operators in their sewing operations.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a sewing machine operation assistance system that includes a display that displays an augmented reality image and a processor that generates an augmented reality image for assisting a sewing operation using the sewing machine and displays the augmented reality image on the display so as to be superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine.

[0007] According to the sewing machine operation support system according to the present disclosure, sewing operations of a sewing machine operator are supported.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a sewing machine operation support system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of AR glasses according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram showing a controller according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a real image and an augmented reality image displayed on a display according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a real image and an augmented reality image displayed on a display according to another embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments. The components of the embodiments described below can be combined as appropriate. In addition, some components may not be used.

[0010] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a work support system for a sewing machine 1 according to an embodiment. The work support system uses augmented reality (AR) to support the sewing work of an operator of the sewing machine 1. In the following description, augmented reality will be abbreviated as AR where appropriate.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 , the sewing machine 1 includes a sewing machine head 2 , a needle bar 4 , a thread take-up lever 5 , a thread tensioner 6 , a needle plate 7 , a presser foot 8 , a shuttle 9 , and a motor 10 .

[0012] The needle bar 4 holds the sewing needle 3 and moves back and forth up and down. The needle bar 4 is supported by the sewing machine head 2. The needle bar 4 is positioned above the needle plate 7 and can face the surface of the sewing object S. An upper thread is threaded onto the sewing needle 3. The sewing needle 3 has a threading hole through which the upper thread passes. The sewing needle 3 holds the upper thread on the inner surface of the threading hole. As the needle bar 4 moves back and forth up and down, the sewing needle 3 moves back and forth up and down while holding the upper thread.

[0013] The take-up lever 5 supplies the upper thread to the sewing machine needle 3. The take-up lever 5 is supported by the sewing machine head 2. The take-up lever 5 has a take-up hole through which the upper thread passes. The take-up lever 5 holds the upper thread on the inner surface of the take-up hole. The take-up lever 5 moves back and forth in the vertical direction while holding the upper thread. The take-up lever 5 moves back and forth in conjunction with the needle bar 4. By moving back and forth in the vertical direction, the take-up lever 5 unwinds and pulls up the upper thread.

[0014] The thread tensioner 6 applies tension to the upper thread. The upper thread is supplied from a thread supply source to the thread tensioner 6. In the path through which the upper thread passes, the thread take-up lever 5 is disposed between the sewing needle 3 and the thread tensioner 6. The thread tensioner 6 adjusts the tension of the upper thread supplied to the sewing needle 3 via the thread take-up lever 5.

[0015] The needle plate 7 supports the sewing object S. The needle 3 held by the needle bar 4 and the needle plate 7 face each other. The needle plate 7 has a needle hole through which the sewing needle 3 can pass. The sewing needle 3, which has penetrated the sewing object S supported by the needle plate 7, passes through the needle hole.

[0016] The presser foot 8 presses down the sewing object S from above. The presser foot 8 is supported by the sewing machine head 2. The presser foot 8 is disposed above the needle plate 7, and holds the sewing object S between the presser foot 8 and the needle plate 7.

[0017] The shuttle 9 holds the bobbin housed in the bobbin case. The shuttle 9 is located below the needle plate 7. The shuttle 9 rotates in conjunction with the needle bar 4. The shuttle 9 supplies the lower thread. The shuttle 9 penetrates the sewing object S supported by the needle plate 7 and scoops up the upper thread from the sewing machine needle 3 that has passed through the needle eye of the needle plate 7.

[0018] The motor 10 generates power. The motor 10 has a stator supported by the sewing machine head 2 and a rotor rotatably supported by the stator. The motor 10 generates power as the rotor rotates. The motor 10 is provided with an angle sensor 12 that detects the rotation angle of the rotor. The power generated by the motor 10 is transmitted to the needle bar 4, the thread take-up lever 5, and the shuttle 9 via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). The needle bar 4, the thread take-up lever 5, and the shuttle 9 are interlocked. When the power generated by the motor 10 is transmitted to the needle bar 4, the needle bar 4 and the sewing machine needle 3 held by the needle bar 4 move back and forth up and down. When the power generated by the motor 10 is transmitted to the thread take-up lever 5, the thread take-up lever 5 moves back and forth up and down in conjunction with the needle bar 4. When the power generated by the motor 10 is transmitted to the shuttle 9, the shuttle 9 rotates in conjunction with the needle bar 4 and the thread take-up lever 5. The sewing machine 1 sews the sewing object S by cooperation of the sewing needle 3 held by the needle bar 4 and the shuttle 9 .

[0019] The upper thread from the thread supply source is threaded through thread tensioner 6, then passes through thread take-up lever 5 and is threaded onto sewing needle 3. When motor 10 rotates and needle bar 4 descends, sewing needle 3 held by needle bar 4 penetrates the sewing object S and passes through a needle eye provided in needle plate 7. When sewing needle 3 passes through the needle eye of needle plate 7, the bobbin thread supplied from shuttle 9 is threaded onto the upper thread threaded on sewing needle 3. With the bobbin thread threaded onto the upper thread, sewing needle 3 rises and retracts from the sewing object S. When sewing needle 3 has penetrated the sewing object S, sewing machine 1 stops the sewing object S. When sewing needle 3 has retracted from the sewing object S, sewing machine 1 moves sewing object S to the rear side of sewing machine 1. Sewing machine 1 moves sewing needle 3 back and forth while repeatedly moving and stopping the sewing object S to form stitches in the sewing object S.

[0020] The work support system for the sewing machine 1 includes so-called AR glasses 20. The AR glasses 20 are worn on the head of an operator who performs sewing work using the sewing machine 1. The operator operates the sewing machine 1 to perform sewing work. When the operator operates the sewing machine 1, AR images (augmented reality images) for supporting the sewing work using the sewing machine 1 are displayed on the AR glasses 20. The AR images are images showing the steps of the sewing work. The AR glasses 20 display a real image including the sewing machine 1 superimposed on the AR image. By displaying the AR image superimposed on the real image, the operator's sewing work is supported, allowing the operator to perform the sewing work properly and efficiently.

[0021] 2 is a configuration diagram of the AR glasses 20 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the AR glasses 20 include a controller 21, a sensor group 22, a camera 23, and a display 24.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram showing a controller 21 according to an embodiment. The controller 21 includes a computer system 1000. The computer system 1000 includes a processor 1001 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory 1002 including a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage 1003, and an interface 1004 including an input / output circuit. The functions of the controller 21 are stored in the storage 1003 as a computer program. The processor 1001 reads the computer program from the storage 1003, loads it into the main memory 1002, and executes processing in accordance with the computer program. The computer program may be distributed to the computer system 1000 via a network.

[0023] The sensor group 22 detects at least the sewing machine 1. The sensor group 22 detects the state of the AR glasses 20. The sensor group 22 includes an external sensor, a position sensor, and a motion sensor. The external sensor detects the relative position (relative distance) between the AR glasses 20 and the sewing machine 1, and the external shape of the sewing machine 1. An example of the external sensor is a three-dimensional sensor that detects three-dimensional data of the sewing machine 1. An example of the three-dimensional sensor is a laser scanner. The position sensor detects the position of the AR glasses 20. An example of the position sensor is a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver that detects the absolute position of the sewing machine 1. The motion sensor detects the movement of the AR glasses 20. An example of the motion sensor is an inertial sensor (IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit), an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor.

[0024] The camera 23 captures an image of at least the sewing machine 1. A plurality of cameras 23 are provided. The cameras 23 are provided on the left and right sides of the AR glasses 20, for example.

[0025] The display 24 is positioned in front of the worker's eyes. As shown in FIG. 1 , the AR glasses 20 are worn on the worker's head so that the display 24 is positioned in front of the worker's eyes. The display 24 displays a real image including the sewing machine 1. The display 24 is a transparent type. A real image of the front that passes through the transparent display 24 is displayed on the display 24. The worker can view the real image of the front (external world) through the transparent display 24. An AR image is projected onto the display 24. The AR image is displayed on the display 24 so as to be superimposed on the real image. The worker can view the real image on which the AR image is superimposed.

[0026] The processor 1001 generates an AR image for assisting a sewing operation using the sewing machine 1. The processor 1001 displays the AR image on the display 24 so that the AR image is superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine 1.

[0027] Next, an example of a method for generating an AR image will be described. The processor 1001 calculates the position, size, and shape of the sewing machine 1 in real space based on a real image of the outside world captured by the camera 23, the relative position (relative distance) between the AR glasses 20 and the sewing machine 1 detected by the sensor group 22, and the outer shape of the sewing machine 1. The position of the sewing machine 1 in real space is the three-dimensional coordinates of the sewing machine 1 in real space. The processor 1001 generates a predetermined AR image based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the sewing machine 1, and positions the AR image on the real image so that the AR image is superimposed on the real image.

[0028] Because the head of the worker wearing the AR glasses 20 moves, the image captured by the camera 23 is a moving image. The processor 1001 calculates a change in the relative position between the AR glasses 20 and the sewing machine 1 based on the movement of the AR glasses 20 detected by the sensor group 22, and generates an AR image to be superimposed on the real image based on the change in relative position.

[0029] 4 is a diagram showing a real image and an AR image displayed on the display 24 according to the embodiment. The real image includes the sewing machine 1. The real image also includes an image 31 of the hands of a worker performing sewing work using the sewing machine 1. The image 31 of the hands is an image of the hands in real space. The AR image is an image 32 showing the movement of the hands of the worker performing sewing work. The image 32 is displayed on the display 24 so as to be superimposed on the real image. The image 32 is displayed on the display 24 so as to be superimposed on the image 31.

[0030] In the example shown in FIG. 4 , image 32 is an image showing the hand movements of the worker when sewing work was performed in the past. The processor 1001 acquires a past image, which is an image showing the hand movements of the worker when sewing work was performed in the past. The past image is stored in storage 1003. The processor 1001 acquires the past image from storage 1003. Note that the past image may be stored in a server located outside the AR glasses 20. The processor 1001 may acquire the past image from the server via a wireless communication system. The processor 1001 generates image 32, which is an AR image, based on the past image.

[0031] The content and procedure of the sewing work in the past image are the same as the content and procedure of the sewing work performed by the worker in the real space.

[0032] The worker can move his / her hands so as to perform the sewing work properly while viewing the image 31, which is a real image, and the image 32, which is an AR image. Since the worker can perform the sewing work while referring to his / her past hand movements, the worker can utilize his / her advantages in past sewing work and find areas for improvement. The image 32, which is an AR image, supports the worker's sewing work, allowing the worker to perform the sewing work properly and efficiently.

[0033] If the worker is an unskilled worker, the image 32 may be an image showing the hand movements of a skilled worker when performing sewing work. The processor 1001 acquires a skilled image, which is an image showing the hand movements of a skilled worker when performing sewing work. The skilled image is stored in the storage 1003. The processor 1001 acquires the skilled image from the storage 1003. Note that the skilled image may be stored in a server located outside the AR glasses 20. The processor 1001 may acquire the skilled image from the server via a wireless communication system. The processor 1001 generates the image 32, which is an AR image, based on the skilled image.

[0034] The content and procedure of the sewing work in the skilled image are the same as the content and procedure of the sewing work performed by the worker in real space.

[0035] The worker can move his / her hands so as to properly perform the sewing work while viewing the image 31, which is a real image, and the image 32, which is an AR image. Since the worker can perform the sewing work while referring to the hand movements of an experienced worker, the worker can find areas for improvement. The image 32, which is an AR image, supports the worker's sewing work, allowing the worker to properly and efficiently perform the sewing work.

[0036] [Effect] As described above, in the embodiment, the work support system for the sewing machine 1 includes the display 24 that displays an augmented reality image, and the processor 1001. The processor 1001 generates the image 32, which is an AR image for supporting sewing work using the sewing machine 1, and displays the image 32 on the display 24 so as to be superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine 1.

[0037] According to the embodiment, the image 32 is displayed on the display 24 so as to be superimposed on the real image, thereby supporting the sewing work of the worker and enabling the worker to perform the sewing work properly and efficiently.

[0038] By displaying the image 32 showing the worker's own past hand movements, the worker can carry out sewing work while referring to his or her own past hand movements, and can utilize the advantages he or she has gained from past sewing work and find areas for improvement.

[0039] By displaying the image 32 showing the hand movements of the skilled worker, the worker can perform sewing work while referring to the hand movements of the skilled worker, and can find areas for improvement in his / her own sewing. The image 32 showing the hand movements of the skilled worker contributes to the training of the worker.

[0040] [Another embodiment] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a real image and an AR image displayed on a display according to another embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the real image and the AR image are displayed on the display 24 of the AR glasses 20. As shown in Fig. 5, the real image and the AR image may be displayed on a display provided in a tablet terminal 40. A processor 1001 is provided in the tablet terminal 40. The processor 1001 displays the real image and the AR image on the display of the tablet terminal 40.

[0041] The present disclosure includes the following aspects. (1) A sewing machine work support system including: a display that displays an augmented reality image; and a processor, wherein the processor generates the augmented reality image for supporting sewing work using a sewing machine, and displays the augmented reality image on the display so as to be superimposed on a reality image including the sewing machine. (2) The sewing machine work support system described in (1), wherein the augmented reality image is an image showing a procedure for the sewing work. (3) The sewing machine work support system described in (1), wherein the augmented reality image is an image showing hand movements of an operator performing the sewing work. (4) The sewing machine work support system described in (3), wherein the processor acquires a past image that is an image showing hand movements of the operator when performing sewing work in the past, and generates the augmented reality image based on the past image. (5) The sewing machine work support system described in (3), wherein the processor acquires a skilled image that is an image showing hand movements of a skilled operator when performing sewing work, and generates the augmented reality image based on the skilled image. (6) A sewing machine work support method comprising: generating an augmented reality image for supporting sewing work using a sewing machine; and displaying the augmented reality image on a display so as to be superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine. (7) The sewing machine work support system described in (1), wherein the display is a transparent display, and the real image in front of the sewing machine is displayed through the transparent display. (8) The sewing machine work support system described in (1), wherein the display is provided on a tablet terminal, and the processor displays the real image and the augmented reality image on the display of the tablet terminal.

[0042] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-197320, filed on November 21, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A sewing machine operation support system comprising: a display for displaying an augmented reality image; and a processor, wherein the processor generates the augmented reality image for supporting sewing operations using a sewing machine, and displays the augmented reality image on the display so as to be superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine.

2. The sewing machine operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the augmented reality image is an image showing a procedure of the sewing operation.

3. The sewing machine operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the augmented reality image is an image showing the hand movements of a worker performing the sewing work.

4. The sewing machine operation support system according to claim 3, wherein the processor acquires past images which are images showing the movements of the worker's hands when performing sewing work in the past, and generates the augmented reality image based on the past images.

5. The sewing machine operation support system according to claim 3, wherein the processor acquires a skilled image which is an image showing the hand movements of a skilled worker when performing sewing work, and generates the augmented reality image based on the skilled image.

6. A method for assisting sewing work using a sewing machine, comprising: generating an augmented reality image for assisting sewing work using a sewing machine; and displaying the augmented reality image on a display so as to be superimposed on a real image including the sewing machine.

7. The sewing machine operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the display is a transmissive display, and the real image in front is displayed through the transmissive display.

8. The sewing machine operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the display is provided in a tablet terminal, and the processor causes the real image and the augmented reality image to be displayed on the display of the tablet terminal.

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