Fabric type identifying apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fabric type identification systems face challenges in accurately recognizing identifiers like color threads or tags due to insufficient resolution when the fabric stretches or shrinks, leading to unstable identification.
Innovation Solution
A fabric type identifying apparatus with a camera and traversing device that adjusts its position orthogonal to the fabric's conveying direction to ensure high-resolution photography of the identifier, using position information from a charging machine or detector to ensure accurate identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a camera with a general number of pixels photographs the whole fabric, then the fabric type identification can be performed, but the resolution of the identifier portion is insufficient leading to incorrect identification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the photographing task into two stages: first photographing the entire fabric to locate the identifier position, then photographing only the identifier portion with high resolution. This segmentation allows the camera to allocate pixels efficiently - using fewer pixels for the large fabric area and concentrating pixels on the small identifier, thereby resolving the contradiction between overall coverage and detailed resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension by performing photography in two sequential steps rather than attempting to capture all details in a single static image. The first photograph provides spatial context and identifier location, while the second photograph provides high-resolution detail. This dimensional approach allows the system to achieve both broad coverage and high resolution without requiring excessive pixels in a single frame.
2Measurement precision
If the camera is positioned to photograph the entire fabric, then the fabric can be captured, but the identifier becomes too small to recognize accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the photographing process into two distinct phases: a wide-area shot to capture the entire fabric and locate the identifier, followed by a targeted close-up shot of the identifier. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high identifier resolution without sacrificing the ability to locate and frame the identifier correctly in the first place.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs a preliminary photograph of the entire fabric before photographing the identifier. This preliminary action serves to locate the identifier's position and determine the appropriate framing for the subsequent high-resolution shot. Without this preliminary step, the system would not know where to position the camera for the detailed identifier photograph.
3Reliability
If fabric dimensional changes due to stretching and shrinking are considered, then stable identification requires accounting for these changes, but dimensional measurement becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identifier from the fabric as the basis for type identification, separating it from the fabric's dimensional characteristics. By focusing identification efforts on the identifier rather than fabric dimensions, the system avoids the reliability problems caused by stretching and shrinking. The identifier serves as a stable reference that is independent of fabric dimensional changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color information from the identifier (such as color threads or colored tags) as a basis for fabric type identification. Color properties remain stable despite fabric dimensional changes from stretching or shrinking, making color-based identification more reliable than dimension-based identification. The system captures and analyzes the identifier's color characteristics to determine fabric type.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
To provide a fabric type identifying apparatus capable of photographing an identifier of fabric with high resolution to correctly recognize the identifier. A fabric type identifying apparatus A for identifying a type of a fabric F provided with an identifier I includes a camera 51 for photographing the fabric F, a traversing device 53 for moving the camera 51 crosswise in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the fabric F, and an image processing apparatus 52 for receiving an image input and photographed by the camera 51. The image processing apparatus 52 identifies the type of the fabric F on a basis of the identifier I included in the input image of the fabric F. The position of the camera 51 is adjustable so that the identifier I passes through a photographing area, thereby enabling to bring the camera 51 closer to the fabric F to photograph the small identifier I with high resolution, resulting in recognizing the identifier I correctly.