Apparatus for creating stitching data for automatic sewing machines

Claim 1

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control inputs; a cursor movable with respect to said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data of said tablet digitizer; a plurality of switch means on said cursor selecting an input operation and generating further control inputs; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control inputs and generating stitching data; a display having a display area; and means responsive to said stitching data for displaying the stitching data as a stitch pattern on said display area at a predetermined portion of said display area.

Claim 2

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control inputs; a cursor movable with respect to said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data of said tablet digitizer; a plurality of switch means on said cursor selecting an input operation and generating further control inputs; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control inputs and generating stitching data; a display having a display area; and means responsive to said stitching data for displaying the stitching data as a stitch pattern on said display area at a predetermined portion of said display area.

Claim 4

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-based pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable input control signals; a cursor movable with respect to said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data of said tablet digitizer; a plurality of switch means for identifying an input operation and generating additional input control signals; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and input control signals and generating stitching data; and a display means having a display area for displaying the stitch pattern on a first predetermined portion of the display area; means for specifying any position of the stitch pattern displayed on said display area; means for changing said specified position, as required; and means for displaying said stitching data, in numerical or written form, for a predetermined number of stitches from the specified position of the stitch pattern, at a second predetermined portion of said display area.

Claim 5

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-based pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable input control signals; a cursor movable with respect to said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data of said tablet digitizer; a plurality of switch means for identifying an input operation and generating additional input control signals; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and input control signals and generating stitching data; and a display means having a display area for displaying the stitch pattern on a first predetermined portion of the display area; means for specifying any position of the stitch pattern displayed on said display area; means for changing said specified position, as required; and means for displaying said stitching data, in numerical or written form, for a predetermined number of stitches from the specified position of the stitch pattern, at a second predetermined portion of said display area.

Claim 7

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data; a plurality of switch means for selecting input operations and generating further control signals; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals and generating stitching data; and a display having a screen for displaying the stitch pattern in a first portion of said screen and for displaying in a second portion of said screen selected stitching data, including the feed stroke per stitch of the sewing machine, and control commands; means for displaying a screen cursor for identifying a position on said display screen; specifying means for moving said screen cursor within said first portion of said screen and for specifying any position of the stitch pattern displayed on said first portion of said screen; means for displaying said screen cursor at the same point as a stitch position of said stitch pattern when the screen cursor is moved by said specifying means within a predetermined distance of said stitch position; and means for displaying at said second portion of said display screen the stitching data for a predetermined number of stitches located with respect to a position on the stitch pattern specified by said specifying means.

Claim 8

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data; a plurality of switch means for selecting input operations and generating further control signals; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals and generating stitching data; and a display having a screen for displaying the stitch pattern in a first portion of said screen and for displaying in a second portion of said screen selected stitching data, including the feed stroke per stitch of the sewing machine, and control commands; means for displaying a screen cursor for identifying a position on said display screen; specifying means for moving said screen cursor within said first portion of said screen and for specifying any position of the stitch pattern displayed on said first portion of said screen; means for displaying said screen cursor at the same point as a stitch position of said stitch pattern when the screen cursor is moved by said specifying means within a predetermined distance of said stitch position; and means for displaying at said second portion of said display screen the stitching data for a predetermined number of stitches located with respect to a position on the stitch pattern specified by said specifying means.

Claim 9

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing operation including a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-­defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern, a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from said tablet digitizer, and a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals, for processing the entered coordinate data and for creating stitching data, the improvement comprising: a plurality of switches incorporated in said cursor, one of said switches being employed to read the coordinate data from said tablet digitizer and at least another to generate control signals which control data entry or the sewing operation.

Claim 10

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing operation including a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-­defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern, a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from said tablet digitizer, and a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals, for processing the entered coordinate data and for creating stitching data, the improvement comprising: a plurality of switches incorporated in said cursor, one of said switches being employed to read the coordinate data from said tablet digitizer and at least another to generate control signals which control data entry or the sewing operation.

Claim 12

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from the tablet digitizer; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and said control signals, for processing the entered coordinate data and for creating stitching data; and a plurality of switches incorporated in said cursor, one of said switches being employed to read the coordinate data from said tablet digitizer and at least another to generate further control signals for processing by said controller.

Claim 13

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from the tablet digitizer; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and said control signals, for processing the entered coordinate data and for creating stitching data; and a plurality of switches incorporated in said cursor, one of said switches being employed to read the coordinate data from said tablet digitizer and at least another to generate further control signals for processing by said controller.

Claim 16

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a display means for displaying a stitching pattern; a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals, at least one of said control signals being operative to erase a portion of said stitching pattern display; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from the tablet digitizer; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals, for creating stitching data; and a plurality of switches incorporated in said cursor, one of said which switches being employed to read the coordinate data from said tablet digitizer and at least another to re-display the stitching pattern created on the screen subsequent to an erasing operation.

Claim 17

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a display means for displaying a stitching pattern; a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals, at least one of said control signals being operative to erase a portion of said stitching pattern display; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from the tablet digitizer; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals, for creating stitching data; and a plurality of switches incorporated in said cursor, one of said which switches being employed to read the coordinate data from said tablet digitizer and at least another to re-display the stitching pattern created on the screen subsequent to an erasing operation.

Claim 18

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing operation comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from said tablet digitizer; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals and generating stitching data; and a display means having a display screen for displaying the stitch pattern, said display means comprising: means for displaying actual stitch portions and non-stitching feed portions as different symbols in displaying the stitch pattern on the display screen in accordance with the created stitching data.

Claim 19

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing operation comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from said tablet digitizer; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals and generating stitching data; and a display means having a display screen for displaying the stitch pattern, said display means comprising: means for displaying actual stitch portions and non-stitching feed portions as different symbols in displaying the stitch pattern on the display screen in accordance with the created stitching data.

Claim 21

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from the tablet digitizer; means for identifying an input operation and for generating control commands; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals and generating stitching data; and a display means having a display screen for displaying the stitch pattern, said display means comprising means for displaying actual stitch portions, non-stitching portions and selected commands as different symbols in displaying the stitch pattern on the display screen in accordance with the created stitching data.

Claim 22

A device for creating stitching data for a sewing machine comprising: a tablet digitizer having a coordinate-defined pattern entry area for entering a stitch pattern and a menu area for providing a plurality of selectable control signals; a cursor freely movable on said tablet digitizer for reading coordinate data from the tablet digitizer; means for identifying an input operation and for generating control commands; a controller for processing the read coordinate data and control signals and generating stitching data; and a display means having a display screen for displaying the stitch pattern, said display means comprising means for displaying actual stitch portions, non-stitching portions and selected commands as different symbols in displaying the stitch pattern on the display screen in accordance with the created stitching data.