Laser processing of materials using mathematical tools

US 20010037999A1
Filed: 12/05/2000
Published: 11/08/2001
Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. A method, comprising:

allowing a user to enter and/or change each of a plurality of different parameters;

carrying out a mathematical operation based on said parameters to form values which are individualized for each of a plurality of areas; and

using said values to control a laser to change a look of a textile material according to said values.

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Abstract

A system of forming an image using mathematical tools. The images formed using any of the set of mathematical tools, which can be modular level sets, fractals, or cellular automata, or any other modular level set tool. Whenever tool is used, but parameters associated with the values in that tool can be set. This allows producing a number of different functions. The output of the tool is an image, which each pixel of the image having a color and each color representing some change that is to be carried out to the material being processed. The material being processed can be a textile material or denim for example. The processing device can be a laser which produces an output whose value is dependent on the different colors, with each color representing a power output or energy density per unit time specific to that color.

16 Citations

118 Claims

1. A method, comprising:
- allowing a user to enter and/or change each of a plurality of different parameters;
  
  carrying out a mathematical operation based on said parameters to form values which are individualized for each of a plurality of areas; and
  
  using said values to control a laser to change a look of a textile material according to said values.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
- - 2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mathematical operation includes a fractal operation.
  - 3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mathematical operation includes processing said parameters using modular level sets.
  - 4. A method as in claim 3 wherein said modular level sets are of the form axⁿ+bxⁿ⁻
    - 1.
  - 5. A method as in claim 4 further comprising using said values to form an image indicative of the values on said areas.
  - 6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mathematical operation includes cellular automata.
  - 7. A method as in claim 3, further comprising using said values to form an image indicative of the values on said areas, wherein each pixel is defined as coordinates, and the value of the pixel is defined according to a polynomial function F(x,y).
  - 8. A method as in claim 7, wherein said parameterized function is a trigonometric function.
  - 9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mathematical function includes both a polynomial function and a trigonometric function.
  - 10. A method as in claim 1, wherein said values represent amounts of change to be caused to said textile material, and are calculated according to said mathematical operation.
  - 11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said values represent an amount of energy to be delivered by said laser for a specified unit of textile material.
  - 12. A method as in claim 10, wherein said values represent an amount of energy to be delivered by said laser per unit time to said textile material.
  - 13. A method as in claim 3, wherein said values are calculated as MOD[(INT(A*F(X,Y)+B),M], where said parameters include at least A, B and M.
  - 14. A method as in claim 13, wherein F is of the form F=axⁿ+bxⁿ⁻
    - 1+ . . .
  - 15. A method as in claim 1 wherein said mathematical operation uses a modulus function.
  - 16. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mathematical operation uses an integer function.
  - 17. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mathematical operation includes user changeable parameters, at least one of which is a multiplication parameter, and another of which is an addition parameter.
  - 18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said mathematical operation includes an operation of the form axⁿ+bxⁿ⁻
    - 1 . . . .
  - 19. A method as in claim 1, wherein said allowing comprises providing the user interface including a plurality of different mathematical options, and allowing the user to select at least one of said mathematical options, and at least one user selectable parameter associated with said at least one mathematical options.
  - 20. A method as in claim 19, wherein said mathematical options include at least a polynomial function, a trigonometric function, and parameters for said polynomial function and said trigonometric function.
  - 21. A method as in claim 19, further comprising allowing selection of scaling of an image using a scale control.
  - 22. A method as in claim 2, wherein said fractal representation includes at least one of a Mandelbrot set and a Julia set.
  - 23. A method as in claim 2, further comprising allowing the user to select specified values associated with the fractal representation.
  - 24. A method as in claim 23 wherein said specified values include minimum and maximum values.
  - 25. A method as in claim 5, wherein said image is formed of pixels, and further comprising allowing pixels in a neighborhood to be blended according to a specified weighting.
  - 26. A method as in claim 25, wherein said specified weighting includes equal weighting for all pixels.
  - 27. A method as in claim 25, wherein said specified weighting comprises weighting of the form
  - 28. A method as in claim 25, wherein said blending is carried out based on pixel colors which exist at a beginning time of a blending process.
  - 29. A method as in claim 25, wherein said blending is carried out based on pixel colors as they have been updated at any given point in the blending process.
  - 30. A method as in claim 25, further comprising setting a blanking value which specifies a number of neighboring pixels that must be nonblank before a blank pixel is allowed to be nonblank.
  - 31. A method as in claim 5, wherein said image is formed of pixels, and further comprising finding non blank pixels which have a neighborhood comprised of a specified number of blank pixels, and adjusting the value of said non blank pixels based on said finding said specified number.
  - 32. A method as in claim 31, further comprising allowing setting of said specified number.
  - 33. A method as in claim 32, wherein said adjusting the value comprises changing said non-blank pixels into blank pixels.
  - 34. A method as in claim 5, further comprising modifying said image using an iterative process in which portions of the image are processed based on effects of other iterations in the image.
  - 35. A method as in claim 34, wherein said modifying comprises modifying a color of pixels of the image based on a number of times that the color has been modified during said other iterations.
  - 36. A method as in claim 35, further comprising assigning a weight to each pixel, and increasing said weight based on the number of times that the color of the pixels stays the same.
  - 37. A method as in claim 35, further comprising defining allowable colors for the image.
  - 38. A method as in claim 37, wherein said allowable colors include only those colors which already exist in the image.
  - 39. A method as in claim 37, wherein said modifying comprises modifying the color, finding an interim color, finding an allowable color which is closest to said interim color, and defining each pixel as being said allowable color which is closest to said interim color.
  - 40. A method as in claim 5, wherein said mathematical effect is an effect based on cellular automata.
  - 41. A method as in claim 40, wherein said mathematical effect defines each of the plurality of image areas based on both the image areas and neighbors of the image area.
  - 42. A method as in claim 41, wherein said mathematical effect gives each pixel a highest intensity value based on both said pixel and said neighbors.
  - 43. A method as in claim 42, wherein said mathematical effect comprises, for a given color level, summing weights of pixels in a neighborhood, determining if on actual pixel color has a specified relation to said weights, and continuing said summing until said actual pixel color has said specified relation.
  - 44. A method as in claim 43, wherein said specified relation includes greater than.
  - 45. A method as in claim 43 wherein said specified relation includes less than.
  - 46. A method as in claim 5, further comprising storing effect codes indicative of an effect of the laser on microstructure of a specified fabric, and wherein said image simulates the effect of the laser on the specified fabric.
  - 47. A method as in claim 46, wherein said effect codes represent effects based on a direction of a weave of the fabric.
  - 48. A method as in claim 46, wherein said fabric is denim, and said effect codes are based on the direction of a weave of the denim.
  - 49. A method as in claim 5, further comprising associating each of a plurality of laser power levels with the color of the image.
  - 50. A method as in claim 49 wherein each color is a gray scale value.
  - 51. A method as in claim 49, wherein said laser power level that is associated with a color is an output energy per unit time.

52. A laser processing system, comprising:
- a user interface, indicating entry elements allowing a user to enter and/or change each of a plurality of different parameters and displaying said parameters;
  
  a processor, receiving said parameters, and carrying out a mathematical operation based on said parameters to form values which are individualized for each of a plurality of areas; and
  
  using said values to control a laser to change a look of a textile material according to said values.
- View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
- - 53. A system as in claim 52, further comprising using said values to form an image indicative of the values on said areas.
  - 54. A system as in claim 53, wherein said processor creates an image using a fractal image based on said parameters.
  - 55. A system as in claim 53, wherein said processory creates an image using said parameters using modular level sets.
  - 56. A system as in claim 55, wherein said modular level sets are of the form axⁿ+bxⁿ⁻
    - 1.
  - 57. A system as in claim 53, wherein said processor creates an image using said parameters and cellular automata mathematics.
  - 58. A system as in claim 53, wherein each pixel is defined as coordinates, and a value of the pixel is defined according to a polynomial function F(x,y).
  - 59. A system as in claim 58, wherein said parameterized function is a trigonometric function.
  - 60. A system as in claim 53, wherein said mathematical function includes both a polynomial function and a trigonometric function.
  - 61. A system as in claim 52, wherein said values represent an amount of energy to be delivered by said laser for a specified unit of textile material.
  - 62. A system as in claim 53, wherein said values represent an amount of energy to be delivered by said laser per unit time to said textile material.
  - 63. A system as in claim 55, wherein said values are calculated as MOD[(INT(A*F(X,Y)+B),M], where said parameters include at least A, B and M.
  - 64. A system as in claim 63, wherein F is of the form F=axⁿ+bx_n−
    - 1+ . . .
  - 65. A system as in claim 52 wherein said mathematical operation uses a modulus function.
  - 66. A system as in claim 52, wherein said mathematical operation uses an integer function.
  - 67. A system as in claim 52, wherein said mathematical operation includes user changeable parameters, at least one of which is a multiplication parameter, and another of which is an addition parameter.
  - 68. A system as in claim 67, wherein said mathematical operation includes an operation of the form axⁿ+bxⁿ⁻
    - 1 . . .
  - 69. A system as in claim 53, wherein said allowing comprises providing the user interface including a plurality of different mathematical options, and allowing the user to select at least one of said mathematical options, and at least one user selectable parameter associated with said at least one mathematical options.
  - 70. A system as in claim 69 wherein said mathematical options include at least a polynomial function, a trigonometric function, and parameters for said polynomial function and said trigonometric function.
  - 71. A system as in claim 69, further comprising allowing selection of scaling of an image using a scale control.
  - 72. A system as in claim 54, wherein said fractal representation includes at least one of a Mandelbrot set and a Julia set.
  - 73. A system as in claim 54, wherein said user interface allows a user to select specified values associated with the fractal representation.
  - 74. A system as in claim 52 wherein said user interface allows a user to select between at least a fractal mathematics set, a cellular automata mathematics set or a modular level sets mathematics set.
  - 75. A system as in claim 74, wherein said specified values include minimum and maximum values.
  - 76. A system as in claim 53, wherein said image is formed of pixels, and wherein said processor carries out an operation to allow pixels in a neighborhood to be blended according to a specified weighting.
  - 77. A system as in claim 76, wherein said specified weighting includes equal weighting for all pixels.
  - 78. A system as in claim 76, wherein said specified weighting comprises weighting of the form
  - 79. A system as in claim 76, wherein said blending is carried out based on pixel colors which exist at a beginning time of a blending process.
  - 80. A system as in claim 76, wherein said blending is carried out based on pixel colors as they have been updated at any given point in the blending process.
  - 81. A system as in claim 76, further comprising setting a blanking value which specifies a number of pixels that must be nonblank before a blank pixel is allowed to be nonblank.
  - 82. A system as in claim 53, wherein said image is formed of pixels, and wherein said processor processes said image to find non blank pixels which have a neighborhood comprised of a specified number of blank pixels, and adjust a value of said non blank pixels based on said finding said specified number.
  - 83. A system as in claim 82 wherein said user interface also allows setting of said specified number.
  - 84. A system as in claim 83, wherein said processor adjust the pixels by changing said non-blank pixels into blank pixels.
  - 85. A system as in claim 53, wherein said processor modifies said image using an iterative process in which portions of the image are processed based on effects of other iterations in the image.
  - 86. A system as in claim 85, wherein said modifying comprises modifying a color of pixels of the image based on a number of times that the color has been modified during said other iterations.
  - 87. A system as in claim 86, wherein said processor assigns a weight to each pixel, and increasing said weight based on the number of times that the color of the pixels stays the same.
  - 88. A system as in claim 86, further comprising a memory storing allowable colors for the image.
  - 89. A system as in claim 88, wherein said allowable colors include only those colors which already exist in the image.
  - 90. A system as in claim 53, wherein said processor carries out said mathematical effect by giving each pixel a highest intensity value based on both said pixel and said neighbors.
  - 91. A system as in claim 90, wherein said processor carries out said mathematical effect by, for a given color level, summing weights of pixels in a neighborhood, determining if on actual pixel color has a specified relation to said weights, and continuing said summing until said actual pixel color has said specified relation.
  - 92. A system as in claim 91, wherein said specified relation includes greater than.
  - 93. A system as in claim 91, wherein said specified relation includes less than.
  - 94. A system as in claim 53, further comprising a memory storing effect codes indicative of an effect of the laser on microstructure of a specified fabric, and said processor uses said effect codes to simulate an effect of the laser on the specified fabric.
  - 95. A system as in claim 94, wherein said effect codes represent effects based on a direction of a weave of the fabric.
  - 96. A system as in claim 95, wherein said fabric is denim, and said effect codes are based on the direction of a weave of the denim.
  - 97. A system as in claim 53, wherein said processor associates each of a plurality of laser power levels with a color of the image.
  - 98. A system as in claim 97, wherein each color is a gray scale value.

99. A method of processing a textile material, comprising:
- allowing a user to enter parameters to be used as part of a mathematical function;
  
  using said values to calculate an image that is based on said values and that simulates an effect on the textile material of using said values; and
  
  displaying said image on the user interface.
- View Dependent Claims (100, 101, 102, 103, 104)
- - 100. A method as in claim 99, wherein said mathematical function is a fractal function.
  - 101. A method as in claim 99, wherein said mathematical function is a modular level set function.
  - 102. A method as in claim 99, wherein said mathematical function is a cellular automata function.
  - 103. A method as in claim 99, further comprising controlling a laser, using said values, to produce said effect on a textile material.
  - 104. A method as in claim 99, further comprising further processing said image using an iterative function.

105. A system, comprising:
- a computer;
  
  a user interface which accepts input values and carries out a mathematical function based on said input values and displays a simulated image based on said input values, and produces output signals indicative of said image; and
  
  a controlled laser, producing an output power at different controlled positions which is dependent on values of said image.
- View Dependent Claims (106, 107, 108)
- - 106. A system as in claim 105, wherein said mathematical function is a fractal function.
  - 107. A system as in claim 105, wherein said mathematical function is a modular level sets function.
  - 108. A system as in claim 105, wherein said mathematical function is a cellular automata function.

109. A method, comprising:
- obtaining parameters associated with a fractal function;
  
  using said parameters along with said fractal function to calculate values of picture elements and locations for said picture elements;
  
  displaying an overall image that is based on said picture elements and locations; and
  
  using said values of picture elements and locations to control an automated system to change a look of a textile material according to said image.
- View Dependent Claims (110)
- - 110. A method as in claim 109, wherein said using comprises controlling a laser to apply different power levels according to said image, wherein each part of the image represents a different laser power level.

111. A method, comprising:
- obtaining parameters associated with a modular level set function;
  
  using said parameters along with said modular level set function to calculate values of picture elements and locations for said picture elements;
  
  displaying an overall image that is based on said picture elements and locations; and
  
  using said picture elements and locations to control an automated system to change a look of a textile material according to said image.
- View Dependent Claims (112)
- - 112. A method as in claim 111, wherein said using comprises controlling a laser to apply different power levels according to said image, wherein each part of the image represents a different laser power level.

113. A method, comprising:
- obtaining parameters associated with a cellular automata function;
  
  using said parameters along with said fractal function to calculate values of picture elements and locations for said picture elements;
  
  displaying an overall image that is based on said picture elements and locations; and
  
  using said picture elements and locations to control an automated system to change a look of a textile material according to said image.
- View Dependent Claims (114)
- - 114. A method as in claim 113, wherein said using comprises controlling a laser to apply different power levels according to said image, wherein each part of the image represents a different laser power level.

115. A method, comprising:
- displaying a user interface indicative of a plurality of parameters which can be entered as to form a fractal pattern;
  
  at a specified time and in response to a specified cue, forming a display indicative of a simulated image of said parameters forming said fractal pattern on a specified type of material; and
  
  forming an output signal adapted for driving a material processing unit to produce said fractal pattern on said specified material.
- View Dependent Claims (116, 117, 118)
- - 116. A method as in claim 115, wherein said fractal pattern is one of a Julia fractal set or a Mandelbrot fractal set.
  - 117. A method as in claim 115, wherein said forming comprises forming an output signal for driving a laser.
  - 118. A method as in claim 115, wherein said forming comprises producing an output signal for driving an automated printing technique.

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Current Assignee
RevoLaze LLC (Lear Corporation)
Original Assignee
TechnoLines LP
Inventors
Martin, Clarence H.

Granted Patent

US 6,664,505 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

219/121.85
CPC Class Codes

D06C 23/00   Making patterns or designs ...

D06P 5/158   with other compounds

D06P 5/2005   Treatments with alpha, beta...

D06Q 1/00   Decorating textiles

G05B 19/00   Programme-control systems

G06T 1/0007   Image acquisition

Laser processing of materials using mathematical tools

First Claim

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Abstract

16 Citations

118 Claims

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Laser processing of materials using mathematical tools

First Claim

4 Assignments

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Abstract

16 Citations

118 Claims

Specification

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