Disclosed are various systems and features for use with a machine, such as a sewing machine, to facilitate tacking operations that may aid in the securing of objects to substrates prior to subsequent operations. Such systems and features may be useful in the context of performing an action along a self-guided path on a substrate.

Disclosed are various systems and features for use with a machine, such as a sewing machine, to facilitate 3-dimensional vision systems that may enable operations on non-flat objects and paths. Such systems and features may be useful in the context of performing an action along a self-guided path on a substrate.

A sewing machine includes needle bars, a notification portion, a processor, and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes. The processes include acquiring sewing data for sewing an embroidery pattern made up of a plurality of partial pattern, setting correspondences between a needle bar among the needle bars and an upper thread data set included in the sewing data, for each of the needle bars, and the sewing embroidery pattern, detecting an error that occurs during the sewing, stopping the sewing when the error is detected, specifying a change-eligible needle bar, for which the sewing is completed, when a target data set exists, the correspondence with one of the needle bars not being set for the target data set, and causing the notification portion to notify information indicating the specified change-eligible needle bar.

Systems and methods for interactive guidance of sewing activities are described herein. Many sewing activities such as threading media, conducting general machine maintenance, and sewing using a pattern can be difficult and may require multiple steps to be performed correctly. Through the use of augmented reality (AR), the technologies disclosed herein provide interactive guidance to a user in order to perform one or more sewing activities. The performance of these activities is further enhanced using sensor feedback which can reduce common errors associated with each activity.

In a sewing machine, an arm includes, on one side thereof in a first direction, a head. A needle bar is disposed at the head to reciprocally move in a second direction. A feed mechanism feeds a workpiece from one side toward the other side of the head in a third direction. The projection unit disposed at the head projects a projection image toward a bed. The projection unit includes an emitter for projecting image light of the projection image. The photographing unit disposed at the head captures a photographing target. The photographing unit includes an incident portion on which light reflected by the photographing target is incident. The emitter and the incident portion are disposed further toward the one side of the arm in the first direction than the needle bar, and further toward the one side of the head in the third direction than the needle bar.

By a program executed by a CPU, a determination is made as to whether a direction in which a next stitch is to be formed belongs to a predetermined area corresponding to a hitch stitch, and upon determination that the direction in which the next stitch is to be formed belongs to the predetermined area, detour control is performed which includes moving a holding member, holding a sewing workpiece, so as to detour an upper thread, extending downward from a sewing needle, in a direction corresponding to a perfect stitch and then further moving the holding member to a target position corresponding to the next stitch. Various conditions for the detour control are variably set via an operation panel and a program executed by the CPU. Such variable setting can be done by user's operations via the operation panel, by setting detour-controlling data, and/or the like.

In a sewing machine, an arm includes, on one side thereof in a first direction, a head. A needle bar is disposed at the head to reciprocally move in a second direction. A feed mechanism feeds a workpiece from one side toward the other side of the head in a third direction. The projection unit disposed at the head projects a projection image toward a bed. The projection unit includes an emitter for projecting image light of the projection image. The photographing unit disposed at the head captures a photographing target. The photographing unit includes an incident portion on which light reflected by the photographing target is incident. The emitter and the incident portion are disposed further toward the one side of the arm in the first direction than the needle bar, and further toward the one side of the head in the third direction than the needle bar.

By a program executed by a CPU, a determination is made as to whether a direction in which a next stitch is to be formed belongs to a predetermined area corresponding to a hitch stitch, and upon determination that the direction in which the next stitch is to be formed belongs to the predetermined area, detour control is performed which includes moving a holding member, holding a sewing workpiece, so as to detour an upper thread, extending downward from a sewing needle, in a direction corresponding to a perfect stitch and then further moving the holding member to a target position corresponding to the next stitch. Various conditions for the detour control are variably set via an operation panel and a program executed by the CPU. Such variable setting can be done by user's operations via the operation panel, by setting detour-controlling data, and/or the like.