Ultrasonic Pen Interface for Sewing Machine Stitch Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sewing machines often fail to accurately replicate the stitch or pattern specified by the user on the touchscreen interface, leading to discrepancies between intended and actual sewing results due to incorrect interpretation of sewing information.
Innovation Solution
A sewing machine equipped with a detector for ultrasonic waves and an ultrasound pen that allows users to directly designate sewing information on the work cloth, enabling precise specification of stitch width, base line position, pattern angle, and transformation amounts, which are then used to control the sewing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sewing information is input through a touch panel interface, then the user can specify stitch patterns and parameters, but the sewing machine may not accurately interpret or execute the desired stitch or pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an ultrasonic pen as an intermediary device between the user and the sewing machine. The pen transmits ultrasonic waves to a detector on the work cloth, allowing the user to directly mark positions and draw patterns on the fabric itself. This intermediary tool bridges the gap between the user's intent and the machine's execution, enabling direct specification of sewing information on the work cloth rather than through abstract menu selections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/touch interface system with an ultrasonic wave-based system. Instead of using a touch panel with buttons and menus, the user employs an ultrasonic pen that emits ultrasonic waves detected by sensors on the work cloth. This substitution eliminates the interpretation errors inherent in menu-based interfaces and directly translates user actions on the fabric into precise sewing instructions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the user specifies stitch patterns through menu screens, then various sewing options are available, but discrepancies occur between the specified and actual stitch patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the copying principle by having the user directly draw or mark the desired stitch pattern and dimensions on the work cloth using the ultrasonic pen. The detector on the work cloth captures these markings as ultrasonic signals, creating a direct copy of the user's intended design on the fabric itself. This eliminates the need for menu selection and abstract representation, ensuring that the sewing machine executes exactly what the user draws on the work cloth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional workflow by allowing the user to specify sewing information directly on the work cloth rather than through menu screens. Instead of selecting parameters from predefined options, the user draws the actual stitch pattern, dimensions, and positions directly on the fabric, and the system reads these markings to control the sewing machine. This inversion places the specification process at the location where the sewing will occur, ensuring accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If traditional touch panel input is used, then the interface is simple and accessible, but the sewing information may be incorrectly set leading to wrong sewing results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the user to directly mark and specify sewing information on the work cloth themselves using the ultrasonic pen. The detector on the work cloth automatically reads these markings and translates them into sewing instructions. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex menu navigation and interpretation, allowing the user to directly control the sewing parameters with simple actions on the fabric, thereby maintaining ease of operation while dramatically improving accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures that the sewing machine accurately follows the user's intended design, eliminating errors and ensuring that the final stitch or pattern matches the user's specifications, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the sewing process.
Implementation Method 1
The detector is configured to detect ultrasonic waves
Data Source
AI summary
A sewing machine includes a sewing portion, a detector, a processor, and a memory. The sewing portion includes a needle bar and a transport portion. The needle bar is configured to have a sewing needle on a lower end. The transport portion is configured to move a work cloth. The detector is configured to detect ultrasonic waves. The memory stores computer-readable instructions that instruct the processor to perform specifying a position of a transmission source of the ultrasonic waves based on the ultrasonic waves that are detected by the detector, specifying sewing information based on the specified position of the transmission source, the sewing information being information that pertains to sewing, and controlling the sewing portion based on the specified sewing information.