CLOTHING ITEMS

The present invention relates, in general, to an automatic control method and respective system for clothing items and, in particular, relates to a new method for inspecting said items.

Many methods for inspecting clothing items exist now, the same moreover provide substantially the following steps.

An operator or controller, before starting the inspection, collects all data related to the model of the item to control, taking them from a table of measures, from a list of accessories, from a folder of colours, etc.

The whole item is then inspected with regard to fabric, stitching, accessories, measures, etc. and every defect is evaluated basing on the quality standards which were previously determined.

The clothing item is then measured using a centimetre and the measurements obtained are compared with the measurement tables.

In any case, the process which is used is exclusively visual and depends on the attention and on the training of each single operator and the garments are usually monitored during the various stages of processing.

Also, in order to define the final quality of a job order, statistical systems (AQL) are usually used, which require that a small percentage of the garments is checked and that, according to the results which are obtained, the level of quality of the whole job order is evaluated.

So, the entire control procedure which is still used clearly depends on the training of the controller and the data obtained are not always reliable and homogeneous.

Purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an automatic control system for clothing items, that is more accurate, efficient, reliable and rapid, compared to the control systems which are currently known.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic control system for clothing items, which is extremely cheaper than the traditional systems.

A further object of the present invention is that of indicating an automatic control method for clothing items, which is implementable using the above mentioned system. These and other objects are achieved by an automatic control system for clothing items, according to claim 1 attached hereto, and by a relative method, according to claim 9 attached.

Other technical features of detail are given in the dependent claims.

In an advantageous manner, the procedure, which is solely visual and which is adopted at present for the inspection of the garments, is perfected, according to the present invention, by replacing the eye of the operator with a system of "Machine Vision", which can detect more accurately, faster and with lower costs non-compliance evidences of the garments that are produced.

In practice, all the information that is used by the operator to evaluate the defects are implemented and developed, according to the present invention, with suitable software and by means of a fully automatic procedure.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more evident from the following description relating to a preferred embodiment of the system and method which are claimed here, given by way of example and with indicative, but not limitative purposes, according to the present invention.

In particular, the system according to the invention uses a horizontal working plane, adjustable according to the height of the user and having a colour contrasting with the colour of the clothing item to be controlled and such dimensions that the item to be controlled does not protrude from the work surface.

In particular, the plan includes a conveyor belt, which removes the item from the table when the checking procedure is completed, and presents a series of slits or openings, connected to an air intake system, which keeps the clothing item fixed on the table after the operator has positioned it.

If the particular shape of the item or the particularity of the fabric so require, the item can also be threaded on a special shaped shape and in particular flat, equipped, on the edges and at certain measurement points, with respective pressure sensors, so that, after the item has been inserted and the shape is opened, the sensors contacts with the item at the measurement points; the shape stops and does not expand more when the pressure on the contact points has reached the values set for the measurement.

According to the invention, the system uses a "Visual Machine" device, accompanied by appropriate software for analyzing the images ("Image Processing"), which is able to detect, by means of a camera and a dedicated lighting apparatus, a series of colour images of the clothing item to be controlled, noting the measurements of the item with a precision of less than 2 millimetres.

According to the invention, after detecting the image, the latter is analyzed using an image analysis system, which adopts various techniques, such as dividing the image into as many parts which are more easily controlled and comparable ("segmentation") , the identification of the edges ("edge identification"), the analysis of the colour ("colour analysis"), the recognition of the shapes ("pattern recognition") and the measurement from remote of parts of the image, so as to detect external and internal measures of the clothing item (viewing in particular the structure of the tissue and counting the yarns of the warp and weft), and the colour of the item (by comparing the colour detected with the one that was established initially for fabric, accessories, etc.) .

The image analysis system, which is equipped with a touchscreen monitor for introducing the data and with a software that can manage a database (accessible by customers) all collected information about the quality of the garments, can be integrated in the image analysis software or can constitute a separate analysis system and further allows to detect seams of different colours on the fabric, recognizing and measuring the distance between them by means of an analysis of the image obtained and/or counting the number of the weft or warp yarns comprised between the two seams; these modes can also be combined or the most appropriate can be used according to the measurement to be made.

In detail, the reading and recognition of the seams can occur in two ways:

- In case the seams present a yarn contrasting with the colour of the fabric, the software is able to locate the seams simply associating it with a different colour than the fabric;

- In case the seams present a yarn of the same colour of the fabric, the camera may not detect these seams. In such a case, the software of the invention reads the material of which the fabric of the clothing item is made, and compares it with the images of the item itself, until it recognizes the seam as a foreign element.

For example, in fact, the software reads the structure or pattern (for example, weft and warp) of the fabric, so that it locates the seams as not belonging to the structure or pattern of the fabric.

Or, in the case where the material, of which the yarn is composed, reacted differently than the fabric to the spectrum of a light applied to the item to be controlled, it could be envisaged, therefore, the emission of a beam of light on the item, suitable to bring out such material, this light belonging to the visible or not visible spectrum, in order to make the yarn of the seam readable by the system of "machine vision".

In other words, the software reads the reaction of the fabric of the clothing item to be controlled and compares it with the reaction of each part of the clothing item itself, identifying the seams as external to the tissue, as reacting in a different way.

Still, in productions that admit it, it would be possible introducing, in the structure of the yarn, materials that are readable by a machine vision system.

In practice, the control system according to the invention is able to perform external measurements, i.e. measurements, to be detected on the items with specific modes (straight, curved, measures etc.), for every size and with corresponding tolerances between several pairs of points that are positioned on the perimeter of the garment; if the shape of positioning of the item is used, the values of pressure to be used for each point are also shown.

The system is also able to perform internal measurements, i.e. measurements between two points internal to the image of the garment, which must coincide, with relevant tolerances, with respective internal measurements provided in related tables; in this case the measurement can coincide with the distance between the two seams (for example, between the two bar-tacks of a loop, between the two seams of a pocket, etc.) or it can happen that a point is located on the perimeter of the item and one within the same item (for example, the height of the bottom hem, in which a point is on the perimeter of the item and one on the seam of the hem). In addition, the internal measurements can also relate to details of ornaments such as prints and embroideries. For the measurement of the garment, it is necessary to introduce into the system the size of the item to be measured (this information can also be introduced by reading a bar code or using an RFID system) and, once measurements are taken and the tolerances are analyzed, the control system indicates, by means of specific calculations, if the item in question corresponds to the introduced size, or indicates to which size the above item corresponds.

Since, as previously described, the system is able to identify the yarn in the weft and in the warp, it is also possible to identify any defects present in the tissue, such as holes, knots, pulled or missing yarns, etc; the control system then compares the obtained image of the fabric with the ones of the defects, resulting previously introduced in a special database, so as to identify and report the type of tissue defect, and detects the colour of the fabric, comparing it with a colour defined as a sample, calculating the deviation from it and deciding if the deviation is within an acceptable limit.

The control system according to the invention also allows detecting the presence or absence of one or more accessories on the item, the quantity required the correct positioning of the accessory on the item and the correspondence between the accessory detected and the one required by the specifications.

To do so, the system provides an internal list, with its colourful images, with all accessories on a particular item, such as buttons (about quantity, location, size and colour), rivets (about quantity, location, size, colour), labels (about quantity, location, size, colour), prints and/or embroidery (about the size, position, colours used), yams (about colour and size of yarn used for each seam).

During the analysis of the image of the item, the control system is then able to identify the accessories present on the item and their positioning.

The control system according to the invention is also able to detect and to analyze all the seams present on a head, by checking the number of points per centimetre of seam and the uniformity of the seams (namely that there are no parts with points denser than other parts of the seam itself); the system is also able to verify that the seams of stitching are parallel with respect to the edge of the seam below, that the distances between the seams correspond to those provided on a reference item sample (for example, the distance between the two runners of a loop determines its height, the distance between two stitching of a pocket determines its size, etc.), that the seam is provided in the required point, that the correct type of sewing has been effected (lockstitch, chain stitch, bar-tack, eyelet , etc.), that the correct colour of the yarn has been used and that the symmetry of the elements of the item is correct (for example, the pockets are symmetrical with respect to the crotch seam of a pant, that loops are positioned at the same distance respect to the centre of the trousers, etc.).

The information necessary for the operation of the control system according to the invention can be inserted by means of different methods, such as integration with the systems PLM/PDM ("Product Lifecycle Management" - "Product Data Management"), in order to obtain the information on measures, accessories and/or tissues, integration with CAD systems, in order to obtain the information about the tables relating to the measuring, and/or integration with ERP systems, in order to obtain the information about the type and the amount of materials used and on the tables of measurements; moreover, the information which cannot be obtained through integration with other systems can be entered manually or by using a clothing item sample and entering the information and/or images or photos directly from the sample item.

In practice, the operation of the automatic control system for clothing items according to the present invention is substantially the following.

Before starting the control of the clothing item verify that all information is entered correctly in the system, is necessary; for this purpose a previously controlled sample item is used, placing it on a table of control.

Furthermore, the item must be previously ironed, positioned with the front on top and placed on the table so as to avoid folds and anyway lying in the most correct position for measurement; if it is not possible to avoid folds, due to the particular shape of the garment, taking measures in the area adjacent to the fold itself should be avoided.

In addition, the item can be inserted in the appropriate shape for detecting pressure in the various measuring points.

When the item is lying on the table, the operator actuates a system of air aspiration suitable to keep the item still and lying down; in this regard, the table is made with a series of slits and/or openings, through which the air passes as to keep the item down on the table.

At this point, the operator can start the device that detects a first image of the garment; the image appears on a touch screen and the operator, after entering the data of the item (model, size, fabric, colour, etc.), can set on the screen the sequence and location of external measurements that wants to take, also including the measurements with the corresponding tolerances.

Starting the program for the external measurements, the system performs the measurements of the item according to a predetermined sequence and provides the differences with the measurements detected by the operator.

In case the detected differences are greater than predetermined tolerances, the operator verifies that the positioning of the item on the table is correct and, if so, inserts a correction coefficient, in order to maintain the measures under control. Finally, the operator confirms the detection settings for the external dimensions of the garment.

Later, on the touch screen, the operator signals the presence of accessories of the garment, introducing the related records (number, size, type, etc.), and indicates the intemal parts that wants to measure (pockets and/or other interior parts of the garment), by introducing measures which he detected.

Always on the touch screen, the operator indicates the seams that intends to control and introduces for each seam data relating to the seam itself (such as colour of the yarn, number of points, distance from the edge, etc.); also he indicates possible measurements of distances between seams which plans to acquire.

Additionally, the operator inserts the data relating to the fabric of the garment, such as colour, type of fabric defects to be detected, weft, warp, etc., and starts the program for the intemal control of the image.

The detected data are presented with the associated tolerances, so that the operator can check the received data and, in the event of differences, correct the settings of the system.

Finally, the operator confirms the settings of detection for the intemal part of the garment.

Therefore, the clothing item is reversed and the operator performs the same procedure for setting the data in the system, and then launches the system to perform the automatic control on the back of the garment.

In particular, analogously to what previously described, the operator verifies the received data and performs the necessary corrections, then confirming the settings for the back portion of the garment.

At this point the system is ready to start the control of the item in automatic mode, by performing all the analysis, relating to external measurements and to the control of the inside of the item, at one time; in particular, the detections of the images for both the front and to the back of the item (after having revolted it on the table) are carried out, the bar-code or RFID code of the item is detected, and the related information are recorded in a special database.

Finally, the system analyzes all aspects of quality of the garment, deciding the level of acceptability/rejection of the item on the basis of a calculation system of defects, previously developed, which depends on the required quality standards.

In case it has not been possible to detect one or more measurements due to folds on the item, it is necessary to provide a specific positioning of the measure concerned.

From the description just made, it is therefore understood as the characteristics of the system and the automatic control method for clothing items, object of the present invention, are clear as the resulting advantages are.

Finally, it is clear that numerous variants can be made to the control system and method in question, without departing from the principles of novelty inherent in the inventive idea, it is also clear that in the practical implementation of the invention, the materials, shapes and dimensions of the details illustrated may be any according to requirements and these may be replaced with other technically equivalent.