How a Spinning Camera Checks Fabric Quality on a Knitting Machine
This patent describes a circular knitting machine that uses a digital camera mounted on its rotating parts to continuously inspect knitted fabric for flaws as it's being made.
Original patent title: “Circular knitting machine and respective method to control textile quality by use of digital camera”
This patent describes a circular knitting machine that uses a digital camera mounted on its rotating parts to continuously inspect knitted fabric for flaws as it's being made. Granted to Smartex Europe Unipessoal Lda in 2023 with 21 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2039.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a circular knitting machine that includes a special system to check for flaws in the fabric. This system uses a digital camera (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1) that is attached to the machine's rotating part (Claim 1). As the machine knits and rotates, the camera spins along with it, capturing images of the flattened fabric (Claim 2). A computer then quickly looks at these images to find any defects (Claim 3). If a problem is found, the machine can stop itself to prevent more bad fabric from being made (Claim 3). For example, if a machine is knitting a large roll of t-shirt fabric, this system would catch a dropped stitch or a yarn break right away.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover defect detection systems where the camera is stationary relative to the machine's fixed support structure, as ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 specifies the camera rotates with the machine's rotational structure.
- Does not cover systems that inspect fabric after it has been fully knitted and removed from the machine, as it's integrated into the knitting process for real-time inspection.
- Does not cover defect detection using sensors other than a digital camera, such as laser scanners or ultrasonic detectors, as ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 specifies a 'digital camera for capturing digital images'.
- Does not cover machines that only detect defects without the ability to stop the machine, as ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 3 specifies 'stopping the motion... for preventing more defects'.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in fixing the digital camera directly to the rotational support structure of the circular knitting machine. This allows the camera to continuously capture images of the fabric from a consistent, close-up perspective as it's being formed, rather than relying on a stationary camera or post-production inspection.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
High-speed circular knitting machines for apparel fabric
Textile factories producing large volumes of knitted goods
Machines making seamless garments
Smartex's own fabric inspection systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Textile manufacturing relies heavily on quality control, and defects can be costly. This patent aims to improve efficiency by catching flaws early, reducing waste, and ensuring consistent product quality. By integrating real-time inspection directly into the knitting process, it helps manufacturers produce higher-quality fabric with less manual intervention.
Filed
April 5, 2019
Granted
October 24, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Smartex Europe Unipessoal Lda, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing and selling smart textile inspection systems. Other companies in industrial automation and textile machinery, such as Mayer & Cie. or Santoni, also focus on improving knitting machine efficiency and quality control by integrating advanced monitoring technologies.
Market impact
This technology aims to reduce waste and improve efficiency in the textile industry by enabling real-time defect detection. By stopping the machine immediately upon detecting a flaw, it prevents the production of large quantities of defective fabric, which can lead to significant cost savings for manufacturers. It pushes the industry towards more automated and precise quality control during the production process.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a circular knitting machine that includes a special system to check for flaws in the fabric. This system uses a digital camera (Claim 1) that is attached to the machine's rotating part (Claim 1). As the machine knits and rotates, the camera spins along with it, capturing images of the flattened fabric (Claim 2). A computer then quickly looks at these images to find any defects (Claim 3). If a problem is found, the machine can stop itself to prevent more bad fabric from being made (Claim 3). For example, if a machine is knitting a large roll of t-shirt fabric, this system would catch a dropped stitch or a yarn break right away.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in fixing the digital camera directly to the rotational support structure of the circular knitting machine. This allows the camera to continuously capture images of the fabric from a consistent, close-up perspective as it's being formed, rather than relying on a stationary camera or post-production inspection.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover defect detection systems where the camera is stationary relative to the machine's fixed support structure, as Claim 1 specifies the camera rotates with the machine's rotational structure.
- Does not cover systems that inspect fabric after it has been fully knitted and removed from the machine, as it's integrated into the knitting process for real-time inspection.
- Does not cover defect detection using sensors other than a digital camera, such as laser scanners or ultrasonic detectors, as Claim 1 specifies a 'digital camera for capturing digital images'.
- Does not cover machines that only detect defects without the ability to stop the machine, as Claim 3 specifies 'stopping the motion... for preventing more defects'.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$37K – $120K
Midpoint $75K · 12.5 yr remaining · industry ×0.8
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
LOUREIRO, G. M., & ROCHA, A. J. M. D. (2023). How a Spinning Camera Checks Fabric Quality on a Knitting Machine (U.S. Patent No. 11,798,154). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11798154/circular-knitting-machine-and-respective-method-to-control-textile-quality-by-us
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Spinning Camera Checks Fabric Quality on a Knitting Machine cover?
This patent describes a circular knitting machine that uses a digital camera mounted on its rotating parts to continuously inspect knitted fabric for flaws as it's being made.
Who owns patent US 11798154?
Smartex Europe Unipessoal Lda owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on April 5, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11798154 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Textile manufacturing relies heavily on quality control, and defects can be costly. This patent aims to improve efficiency by catching flaws early, reducing waste, and ensuring consistent product quality. By integrating real-time inspection directly into the knitting process, it helps manufacturers produce higher-quality fabric with less manual intervention.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover defect detection systems where the camera is stationary relative to the machine's fixed support structure, as Claim 1 specifies the camera rotates with the machine's rotational structure.
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