Sewing machine and computer readable medium storing sewing needle status evaluation program

Abstract

A sewing machine provided with a needle bar having a sewing needle interchangeably attached to its lower end including an imaging element that captures images of the sewing needle; an extractor that extracts a shape of the sewing needle from the images of the sewing needle captured by the imaging element; an abnormality determiner that determines presence/absence of abnormalities in measurements of the sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor; and an abnormality alerter that alerts the presence of abnormalities determined by the determiner.

1 . A sewing machine provided with a needle bar having a sewing needle interchangeably attached to its lower end, comprising:
 an imaging element that captures images of the sewing needle;   an extractor that extracts a shape of the sewing needle from the images of the sewing needle captured by the imaging element;   an abnormality determiner that determines presence/absence of abnormalities in measurements of the sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor; and   an abnormality alerter that alerts the presence of abnormalities determined by the determiner.   
   
   
       2 . A sewing machine provided with a needle bar having a sewing needle interchangeably attached to its lower end, comprising:
 an imaging element that captures images of the sewing needle;   an extractor that extracts a shape of the sewing needle from the images of the sewing needle captured by the imaging element;   a storage that pre-stores an initial shape of the sewing needle;   an abnormality determiner that determines presence/absence of abnormalities in the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor by comparing with the initial shape pre-stored in the storage; and   an abnormality alerter that alerts the presence of abnormalities determined by the determiner.   
   
   
       3 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the abnormality determiner determines presence/absence of a bend or a breakage in the sewing needle by evaluating an overall shape of the sewing needle. 
   
   
       4 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the abnormality determiner determines presence/absence of a bend or a breakage in the sewing needle by evaluating an overall shape of the sewing needle. 
   
   
       5 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the abnormality determiner determines presence/absence of a rounded tip or a broken tip in the sewing needle by evaluating a tip shape of the sewing needle. 
   
   
       6 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the abnormality determiner determines presence/absence of a rounded tip or a broken tip in the sewing needle by evaluating a tip shape of the sewing needle. 
   
   
       7 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , further being configured to allow interchangeable mode switching between a utility sewing mode and an embroidery sewing mode, wherein the needle bar is configured to allow interchangeable attachment of sewing needles of different thickness, the sewing machine further comprising a thickness detector that detects a thickness of sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor; a thickness evaluator that, when in the embroidery sewing mode, evaluates whether or not the thickness of the sewing needle detected by the thickness detector is appropriate for embroidery sewing; and a first misuse alerter that prompts replacement of the sewing needle when evaluated by the thickness evaluator that the thickness of the sewing needle is inappropriate for embroidery sewing. 
   
   
       8 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , further being configured to allow interchangeable mode switching between a utility sewing mode and an embroidery sewing mode, wherein the needle bar is configured to allow interchangeable attachment of sewing needles of different thickness, the sewing machine further comprising a thickness detector that detects a thickness of sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor; a thickness evaluator that, when in the embroidery sewing mode, evaluates whether or not the thickness of the sewing needle detected by the thickness detector is appropriate for embroidery sewing; and a first misuse alerter that prompts replacement of the sewing needle when evaluated by the thickness evaluator that the thickness of the sewing needle is inappropriate for embroidery sewing. 
   
   
       9 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the needle bar allows interchangeable attachment of sewing needles of different thickness, the sewing machine further comprising a specifier that allows specification of a type or a thickness of a workpiece cloth to be sewn, a thickness detector that detects a thickness of sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor, a conformity evaluator that evaluates whether or not the thickness of the sewing needle detected by the thickness detector conforms to the type or the thickness of the workpiece cloth specified by the specifier; and a second misuse alerter that prompts replacement of the sewing needle when evaluated by the conformity evaluator that the thickness of the sewing needle does not conform to the type or the thickness of the workpiece cloth. 
   
   
       10 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the needle bar allows interchangeable attachment of sewing needles of different thickness, the sewing machine further comprising a specifier that allows specification of a type or a thickness of a workpiece cloth to be sewn, a thickness detector that detects a thickness of sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted by the extractor, a conformity evaluator that evaluates whether or not the thickness of the sewing needle detected by the thickness detector conforms to the type or the thickness of the workpiece cloth specified by the specifier; and a second misuse alerter that prompts replacement of the sewing needle when evaluated by the conformity evaluator that the thickness of the sewing needle does not conform to the type or the thickness of the workpiece cloth. 
   
   
       11 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging element is provided at a plurality of different locations of the sewing machine. 
   
   
       12 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the imaging element is provided at a plurality of different locations of the sewing machine. 
   
   
       13 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging element comprises a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor or a charge coupled device image sensor. 
   
   
       14 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the imaging element comprises a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor or a charge coupled device image sensor. 
   
   
       15 . The sewing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a liquid crystal display provided on a front face of the sewing machine, wherein the abnormality alerter issues alerts through display of message information on the liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       16 . The sewing machine of  claim 2 , further comprising a liquid crystal display provided on a front face of the sewing machine, wherein the abnormality alerter issues alerts through display of message information on the liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       17 . A computer readable medium storing a needle status evaluation program that automatically evaluates wear of a sewing needle for use in a sewing machine provided with a needle bar having a sewing needle interchangeably attached to its lower end, the needle status evaluation program stored in the computer readable medium, comprising:
 instructions for capturing images of the sewing needle with an imaging element;   instructions for extracting a shape of the sewing needle from the images of the sewing needle captured;   instructions for determining presence/absence of abnormalities in measurements of the sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted; and   instructions for alerting the presence of abnormalities determined.   
   
   
       18 . The medium of  claim 17 , for use in the sewing machine further configured to allow interchangeable mode switching between a utility sewing mode and an embroidery sewing mode, and the needle bar is configured to allow interchangeable attachment of sewing needles of different thickness, the needle status evaluation program further comprising instructions for detecting a thickness of sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted, instructions for evaluating, when in the embroidery sewing mode, whether or not the thickness of the sewing needle detected is appropriate for embroidery sewing, and instructions for prompting replacement of the sewing needle when evaluated that the thickness of the sewing needle is inappropriate for embroidery sewing. 
   
   
       19 . The medium of  claim 17 , for use in the sewing machine, wherein the needle bar is configured to allow interchangeable attachment of sewing needles of different thickness, the needle status evaluation program further comprising instructions for specifying a type or a thickness of a workpiece cloth to be sewn, instructions for detecting a thickness of sewing needle based on the shape of the sewing needle extracted, instructions for evaluating whether or not the thickness of the sewing needle detected conforms to the type or the thickness of the workpiece cloth specified; and instructions for prompting replacement of the sewing needle when evaluated that the thickness of the sewing needle does not conform to the type or the thickness of the workpiece cloth.