# 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. - **Patent:** US 11798154 - **Original title:** Circular knitting machine and respective method to control textile quality by use of digital camera - **Owner:** Smartex Europe Unipessoal Lda - **Granted:** 2023 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** manufacturing, textiles, consumer_electronics, software, industrial_automation ## What it does 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. ## 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'. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. High-speed circular knitting machines for apparel fabric 2. Textile factories producing large volumes of knitted goods 3. Machines making seamless garments 4. Smartex's own fabric inspection systems ## Why it matters 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. ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11798154/circular-knitting-machine-and-respective-method-to-control-textile-quality-by-us **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11798154 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Machines Automatically Spot Flaws in Fabric During Manufacturing](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10942133/method-and-system-for-automatically-detecting-fabric-defect-and-computer-readabl) — This patent describes an automated system for finding defects in fabric by cleaning it, taking pictures based on how a roller spins, and then using a computer to identify flaws. - [How AI Cameras Check Factory Parts for Flaws](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12243216/system-and-method-for-ai-visual-inspection) — This patent describes an automated system using a camera and artificial intelligence to inspect manufactured parts, identifying defect types, locations, and confidence levels, then communicating this data to a factory controller. - [How to Inspect Moving Objects on a Production Line with a Moving Camera](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20250377309/method-for-material-testing-of-an-object-in-a-production-andor-conveyor-line-and) — This patent describes a method and apparatus for inspecting specific defect locations on objects moving along a production line by having an optical camera move alongside the object to take images without stopping the line. - [How a Robot System Inspects and Grades Objects for Flaws](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10753882/inspection-and-cosmetic-grading-through-image-processing-system-and-method) — This patent describes an automated system that uses cameras, special lighting, and deep learning AI to find and measure tiny flaws on an object's surface, then assigns a quality grade and sorts it. - [How Automated Microscopes Use Tags to Focus on Biological Samples](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12222345/vertical-integration-at-starbase) — A system for automatically focusing and imaging biological samples on a substrate by using special reference marks called tags to guide the microscope's lens.