Method and apparatus for correctively guiding a cutting device on a predetermined path along a sheet material
First Claim
1. A method of correctively guiding an item on a path along a material, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) inputting into a computer a guide path comprising predetermined points thereamong, said guide path matching a desired path for an item to be guided along a material wherein inputting said guide path comprises inputting into said computer at each of said predetermined points a template containing an image of said material and inputting a search area surrounding each inputted template;
(b) guiding said item along said material in a path following said inputted guide path;
(c) at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, identifying whether said item is on or off of said desired path along said material, said identifying comprising said computer scanning templates containing images of said material within each search area whereby said computer locates a matching template within each search area that matches an inputted template for that search area; and
(d) at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, correcting a position of said item when said item is off of said desired path to allow said item to follow said desired path along said material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for correctively guiding an item on a desired path along a material is provided wherein a guide path matching a desired path for an item to be guided along a material and a plurality of templates containing images of the material are inputted into a computer. The item is guided along the material in a path following the inputted guide path, and a need for correction of the actual path of the item along the material is checked and, where necessary, correction is made at predetermined, inputted intervals. Self-correction of the path the item follows along material is accomplished by visual recognition of templates containing images of the material matching previously inputted templates.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of correctively guiding an item on a path along a material, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) inputting into a computer a guide path comprising predetermined points thereamong, said guide path matching a desired path for an item to be guided along a material wherein inputting said guide path comprises inputting into said computer at each of said predetermined points a template containing an image of said material and inputting a search area surrounding each inputted template; (b) guiding said item along said material in a path following said inputted guide path; (c) at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, identifying whether said item is on or off of said desired path along said material, said identifying comprising said computer scanning templates containing images of said material within each search area whereby said computer locates a matching template within each search area that matches an inputted template for that search area; and (d) at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, correcting a position of said item when said item is off of said desired path to allow said item to follow said desired path along said material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A self-correcting method of cutting a textile material along a desired path, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) inputting into a computer a guide path comprising predetermined points thereamong, said guide path matching a desired path for a cutting device to cut a textile material wherein inputting said guide path comprises inputting into said computer at each of said predetermined points a template containing an image of said textile material and inputting a search area surrounding each inputted template; (b) guiding said cutting device along said textile material following said inputted guide path to cut said textile material along said desired path; (c) at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, identifying whether said cutting device is on or off of said desired path along said textile material and an extent to which said cutting device is off of said desired path, said identifying comprising said computer scanning templates containing images of said textile material within said search area whereby said computer located a matching template within each search area that matches an inputted template for that search area; and (d) at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, correcting a position of said cutting device by moving said cutting device to said desired path. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for correctively guiding an item on a path along a material, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) computer means; (b) guide path input means for inputting into said computer means a guide path comprising predetermined points thereamong, said guide path matching a desired path for an item to be guided along a material, said guide path input means comprising template input means for inputting into said computer means for each of said predetermined points of said guide path a template containing an image of the material and a search area surrounding said template; (c) guide means responsive to said computer means for guiding said item along said material on a path following said guide path; (d) identification means operatively associated with said computer means for identifying, at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, whether said item is on or off of said desired path along said material by scanning images of said material within each search area and locating a template within each search area matching an inputted template for that search area; and (e) correction means responsive to said computer means for correcting, at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, a position of said item when said item is off of said desired path to move said item to follow said desired path. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus for correctively guiding a device utilized for cutting on a desired path along a sheet of textile material, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) computer means; (b) guide path input means for inputting into said computer means a guide path comprising predetermined points thereamong, said guide path matching a desired path for said device to be guided along a sheet of textile material, said guide path input means comprising template input means for inputting into said computer means for each of said predetermined points of said guide path a template containing an image of the textile material and a search area surrounding said template; (c) guide means responsive to said computer means for guiding said device along said sheet of textile material in a path following said guide path; (d) identification means operatively associated with said computer means for identifying, at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, whether said device is on or off of said desired path along said sheet of textile material by scanning images of said textile material within each search area and locating a template within each search area matching an inputted template for that search area; and (e) correction means responsive to said computer means for correcting, at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, a position of said device when said device is off of said desired path to move said device to follow said desired path. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for correctively guiding a laser beam for cutting on a predetermined cutting path along a sheet of textile material, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a laser for producing a laser beam; (b) computer means; (c) conveyor means for moving said sheet of textile material; (d) guide path input means for inputting into said computer means a guide path comprising predetermined points thereamong matching a predetermined cutting path along said sheet of textile material, said guide path input means comprising template input means for inputting into said computer means for each of said predetermined points of said guide path a template containing an image of the textile material and a search area surrounding said template; (e) identification means operatively associated with said computer means for identifying, at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, whether said laser beam is on or off of said predetermined cutting path along said sheet of textile material by scanning images of said textile material within each search area and locating a template within each search area matching an inputted template for that search area; and (f) correction means responsive to said computer means for correcting, at each of said predetermined points of said guide path, a position of said laser beam when said laser beam is off of said predetermined cutting path to move said laser beam to follow said predetermined cutting path.
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Specification