Systems, methods and apparatus for embroidery thread management

1. A method comprising:

determining a first set of thread colors to be used in an embroidery design;

determining a second set of thread colors assigned to a first embroidery machine;

determining a third set of thread colors assigned to a second embroidery machine;

determining a first difference of the number of thread colors in the first set of thread colors that are not in the second set of thread colors;

determining a second difference of the number of thread colors in the first set of thread colors that are not in the third set of thread colors; and

assigning the embroidery design to a queue for the first embroidery machine when the first difference is smaller than the second difference.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the embroidery design is a first embroidery design and further comprising:

after moving the embroidery design to the queue for the first embroidery machine, adding the first set of thread colors to the second set of thread colors;

determining a fourth set of thread colors to be used in a second embroidery design;

determining a third difference of the number of thread colors in the fourth set of thread colors set that are not in the second set of thread colors; and

determining a fourth difference of the number of thread colors in the fourth set of thread colors set that are not in the third set of thread colors.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising assigning the second embroidery design to the queue for the first embroidery machine when the third difference is smaller than the fourth difference.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the third difference and the fourth difference are equal and further comprising adding the second embroidery design to an unassigned set of embroidery designs.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 , further comprising:

determining a production time for the first embroidery design; and

adding the production time for the first embroidery design to a total production time for the first embroidery machine;

determining a total production time for the second embroidery machine; and

assigning the second embroidery design from the unassigned set of embroidery designs to a queue for the second embroidery machine when the total production time for the second embroidery machine is less than the total production time for the first embroidery machine.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 , further comprising:

adding the fourth set of thread colors to the third set of thread colors; and

comparing a fifth set of thread colors used in a third embroidery design to the third set of thread colors; and

adding the third embroidery design to the queue for the second embroidery machine based on the comparison.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an available set of thread colors currently residing on the first embroidery machine; and

adding the available set of thread colors to the second set of thread colors.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 , wherein determining the available set of thread colors currently residing on the first embroidery machine comprises reading an identifier on each spool of thread residing on the first embroidery machine.

9. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the identifier is stored in a radio frequency identification tag and wherein reading the identifier comprises capturing the identifier stored in the radio frequency identification tag using a radio frequency identification reader.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the embroidery design is a first embroidery design and further comprising:

determining an available set of thread colors currently residing on the first embroidery machine;

determining a second embroidery design in the queue for the first embroidery machine that uses the fewest colors not included in the available set of thread colors; and

assigning the second embroidery design to be first in the queue for the first embroidery machine.

11. A method comprising:

determining a first total production time for a first set of embroidery designs assigned to first embroidery machine;

determining a second total production time for a second set of embroidery designs assigned to a second embroidery machine;

determining that the first total production time is greater than the second total production time;

determining a first difference between a first set of thread colors to be used in a first embroidery design in the first set of embroidery designs and a second set of thread colors assigned to the second embroidery machine;

determining a second difference between a third set of thread colors to be used in a second embroidery design in the first set of embroidery designs and the second set of thread colors assigned to the second embroidery machine; and

moving the first embroidery design to the second set of embroidery designs assigned to the second embroidery machine when the second difference is less than the first difference.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

subtracting a production time for the first embroidery design from the first total production time; and

adding the production time for the first embroidery design to the second total production time.

13. A method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

removing a subset of thread colors used by the first embroidery design and no other embroidery designs in the first set of embroidery designs from the fourth set of thread colors assigned to the first embroidery machine; and

adding the subset of thread colors to the second set of thread colors.

14. A method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

determining an available set of thread colors currently residing on the second embroidery machine;

determining a third embroidery design in the second set of embroidery designs that uses the fewest colors not included in the available set of thread colors; and

assigning the third embroidery design to a queue of embroidery designs for the second embroidery machine.

15. A method as defined in claim 14 , further comprising:

determining a first unnecessary thread color in the available set of thread colors not used by the third embroidery design;

determining a second unnecessary thread color in the available set of thread colors not used by the third embroidery design;

determining a necessary thread color used in the third embroidery design that is not in the available set of thread colors;

determining that the first unnecessary thread color is used in the second set of embroidery designs less than and the second unnecessary thread color is least used in the second set of embroidery designs;

replacing the first unnecessary thread color with the necessary thread color in the second embroidery machine.

16. A system comprising:

a first embroidery machine to transmit a first information corresponding to a first set of thread colors residing on the first embroidery machine;

a second embroidery machine to transmit a second information corresponding to a second set of thread colors residing on the second embroidery machine; and

a controller to:

receive an embroidery design;

receive the first information and the second information;

determine a third set of thread colors used by the embroidery design;

determine a first difference of the number of thread colors in the third set of thread colors that are not in the first set of thread colors;

determine a second difference of the number of thread colors in the third set of thread colors that are not in the second set of thread colors; and

assign the embroidery design to a queue for the first embroidery machine when the first difference is smaller than the second difference.

17. A system as defined in claim 16 , wherein the first embroidery machine comprises a radio frequency identification reader.

18. A system as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first embroidery machine is further to read identifiers of thread spools on the first embroidery machine using the radio frequency identification reader.

19. A system as defined in claim 18 , wherein the first embroidery machine is to transmit the first set of thread colors by:

determining a read thread color for each of the identifiers by looking up each of the identifiers in a database; and

transmitting the first set of thread colors comprising the read thread colors.

20. A system as defined in claim 17 , further comprising:

monitoring identifiers read by the radio frequency identification reader for a thread spool change; and

when the thread spool change occurs, transmitting a notification to the controller.