To provide a fabric type identifying apparatus and a fabric type identifying method enabling to stably identify a type of fabric with high accuracy. A fabric type identifying apparatus A for identifying a type of a fabric F provided with a color thread T at an edge portion includes a camera 51 for photographing the fabric F, and an image processing apparatus 52 for receiving an image input and photographed by the camera 51. The image processing apparatus 52 acquires a color value of the color thread T from the received image of the fabric F, and identifies the type of the fabric F on a basis of the color value. Since the type of the fabric F is identified on the basis of the color of the color thread T, the type of the fabric F is enabled to be stably identified with high accuracy regardless of stretching and shrinking of the fabric F.

Aspects of the present disclosure involve an apparatus, systems, and methods for providing intelligent alerts for garments. Garment attribute data describing a plurality of garments is accessed. An alert condition is detected based on the garment attribute data. A human-detectable sensory alert is provided in response to detecting the alert condition.

Aspects of the present disclosure involve an apparatus, systems, and methods for providing intelligent alerts for garments. Garment attribute data describing a plurality of garments is accessed. An alert condition is detected based on the garment attribute data. A human-detectable sensory alert is provided in response to detecting the alert condition.

To provide a fabric type identifying apparatus capable of photographing an identifier of fabric with high resolution to correctly recognize the identifier. A fabric type identifying apparatus A for identifying a type of a fabric F provided with an identifier I includes a camera 51 for photographing the fabric F, a traversing device 53 for moving the camera 51 crosswise in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the fabric F, and an image processing apparatus 52 for receiving an image input and photographed by the camera 51. The image processing apparatus 52 identifies the type of the fabric F on a basis of the identifier I included in the input image of the fabric F. The position of the camera 51 is adjustable so that the identifier I passes through a photographing area, thereby enabling to bring the camera 51 closer to the fabric F to photograph the small identifier I with high resolution, resulting in recognizing the identifier I correctly.

To provide a fabric type identifying apparatus capable of photographing an identifier of fabric with high resolution to correctly recognize the identifier. A fabric type identifying apparatus A for identifying a type of a fabric F provided with an identifier I includes a camera 51 for photographing the fabric F, a traversing device 53 for moving the camera 51 crosswise in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the fabric F, and an image processing apparatus 52 for receiving an image input and photographed by the camera 51. The image processing apparatus 52 identifies the type of the fabric F on a basis of the identifier I included in the input image of the fabric F. The position of the camera 51 is adjustable so that the identifier I passes through a photographing area, thereby enabling to bring the camera 51 closer to the fabric F to photograph the small identifier I with high resolution, resulting in recognizing the identifier I correctly.

A method of using an inspection processor includes receiving one or more articles at an inspection station, and identifying, by the inspection processor, one of the articles by reading a unique identifier associated with the one of the articles. The method also includes inspecting the article based on at least one quality criterion, and updating an article tracking system based on the result of the inspection and the identifier.

A system and method offer a garment provider the ability to automatically scan and track garments at multiple locations without adding processing stations. Various embodiments of this invention allow garment providers to achieve greater processing efficiencies and implement reporting and tracking protocols to provide customers with important data regarding garments in their program with a higher level of confidence. This invention is implemented in various embodiments with a system and/or method for tracking clothes and other textile articles utilizing multiple RFID reading modules throughout the system or method to achieve greater accuracy for reporting and tracking the items. One aspect of various embodiments of this invention is the reading of RFID tags on articles being dried in a commercial dryer. The movement of the articles induced by the action of the dryer provides for increased exposure of the RFID tags on the articles for more reliable detection.

A system and method offer a garment provider the ability to automatically scan and track garments at multiple locations without adding processing stations. Various embodiments of this invention allow garment providers to achieve greater processing efficiencies and implement reporting and tracking protocols to provide customers with important data regarding garments in their program with a higher level of confidence. This invention is implemented in various embodiments with a system and/or method for tracking clothes and other textile articles utilizing multiple RFID reading modules throughout the system or method to achieve greater accuracy for reporting and tracking the items. One aspect of various embodiments of this invention is the reading of RFID tags on articles being dried in a commercial dryer. The movement of the articles induced by the action of the dryer provides for increased exposure of the RFID tags on the articles for more reliable detection.

A mobile vehicle that is self-contained and equipped to wash firefighter gear at the firefighter's station. The vehicle would be on a dispatched network and be activated after an incident, and for scheduled cleanings on a regular basis; the vehicle having the required equipment to clean all contaminated gear by use of a sonic cleaner, extractors, and dryers. The process includes monitoring the life of the gear and decontaminating the gear in accordance with the gear manufacturer's recommendations. Gear that has been cleaned is reassembled, wrapped, sealed and placed back into a fireman's station, giving the firefighter the assurance that their firefighting gear was cleaned, sanitized, and serviced per the manufacturer's recommendations.

A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry items according to a cycle of operation includes a chassis defining an interior. A rotatable treating chamber is located within the interior. An antenna is configured to receive RFID data from RFID tags on the laundry items and outputs a signal indicative of the RFID data. A controller receives the signal from the antenna and is configured to process the signal and to suggest, alter, or implement the cycle of operation based on the signal.