Embroidery data creating device

Abstract

Disclosed is an embroidery data creating device for creating an embroidery data to be used by a sewing machine. In the embroidery data creating device, an image data, which consists of a plurality of pixel data, corresponding to a line-drawn image is converted into a thin line image, and then closed paths are determined with use of 8-connection method. After embroidery attribution is applied to a path and/or a region defined by each closed path, the paths and/or the regions are converted into the embroidery data.

1. An embroidery data creating device for creating embroidery data to be used by a sewing machine, said embroidery data creating device comprising:
 means for storing image data corresponding to a line-drawn image;  
 means for applying a thinning operation to said image data to obtain a thin line image;  
 means for determining closed paths based on said thin line image;  
 means for selecting at least one of a path and a region defined by said path for each of said closed paths determined by said determining means; and  
 means for converting said at least one of said path and said region defined by said path into said embroidery data.  
 
     
     
       2. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 1 , wherein said converting means comprises means for assigning an attribution to said at least one of said path and said region defined by said path when conversion is executed. 
     
     
       3. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 2 , wherein said attribution includes a type of stitch to be used for producing an embroidery. 
     
     
       4. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 2 , wherein said attribution includes a color of thread to be used for producing an embroidery. 
     
     
       5. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 2 , wherein said attribution includes a pitch of each stitch for embroidering. 
     
     
       6. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 2 , wherein said attribution includes a density of stitches for embroidering. 
     
     
       7. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 2 , wherein said attribution includes a direction of stitch for embroidering. 
     
     
       8. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 1 , wherein said image data is bit map image data consisting of data for a plurality of pixels, and wherein a pixel connectivity of said thin line obtained by said obtaining  applying means is eight. 
     
     
       9. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 1 , wherein said determining means converts said thin line image into a chain of connected vectors, said closed path being defined as a path surrounded by said chain of connected vectors. 
     
     
       10. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for storing said embroidery data in a memory means. 
     
     
       11. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 10 , wherein said memory means is a detachable card memory. 
     
     
       12. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 1 , wherein said determining means traces a path from a predetermined point along a predetermined direction, and if said predetermined point is reached during the tracing of said path, said determining means determines that said path is a closed path. 
     
     
       13. The embroidery data creating device according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for selecting includes means for displaying said path and said region. 
     
     
       14. A method for creating embroidery data to be used by a sewing machine, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing image data corresponding to a line-drawn image;  
 applying a thinning operation to said image data to obtain a thin line image;  
 determining closed paths based on said thin line image;  
 selecting at least one of a path and a region defined by said path for each of said determined closed paths; and  
 converting said at least one of said path and said region defined by said path into said embroidery data.  
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14  wherein said determining step includes tracing a path from a predetermined point along a predetermined direction, and if said predetermined point is reached during the tracing of said path, making a determination that said path is a closed path. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 15  wherein said determining step further includes converting said thin line image into a chain of connected vectors, said closed path being defined as a path surrounded by said chain of connected vectors. 
     
     
       17. A computer readable memory medium for a computer program, said memory medium comprising a computer program, said computer program providing a method for creating embroidery data to be used by a sewing machine comprising the steps of:
 storing image data corresponding to a line-drawn image;  
 applying a thinning operation to said image data to obtain a thin line image;  
 determining closed paths based on said thin line image;  
 selecting at least one of a path and a region defined by said path for each of said determined closed paths; and  
 converting said at least one of said path and said region defined by said path into said embroidery data.  
 
     
     
       18. The computer readable memory medium of  claim 17  wherein in said method provided by said computer program said determining step includes tracing a path from a predetermined point along a predetermined direction, and if said predetermined point is reached during the tracing of said path, making a determination that said path is a closed path. 
     
     
       19. The computer readable memory medium of  claim 18  wherein in said method provided by said computer program said determining step further includes converting said thin line image into a chain of connected vectors, said closed path being defined as a path surrounded by said chain of connected vectors. 
     
     
       20. An embroidery data processor for preparing sewing data of an embroidery pattern based on image data of the embroidery pattern, the embroidery data processor reducing thickness of lines in the image data to produce thin- line image data including at least one thin - line outline defining a bounded region corresponding to a region of the embroidery pattern, and      extracting the bounded region defined by the at least one thin - line outline.     
     
     
       21. A method for preparing sewing data of an embroidery pattern based on image data of the embroidery pattern comprising:
   reducing thickness of lines in the image data to produce thin - line image data including at least one thin - line outline that defines a bounded region corresponding to a region of the embroidery pattern; and        extracting the bounded region defined by the at least one thin - line outline.