	US 12,141,750 B2
	System and method for tracking staple fiber throughout a textile supply chain
Dipali Goenka, Maharashtra (IN); and Vipin Gandhi, Maharashtra (IN)
Assigned to Welspun India Limited, Mumbai (IN)
Filed by Welspun India Limited, Maharashtra (IN)
Filed on May 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/201,279.
Application 18/201,279 is a division of application No. 15/805,947, filed on Nov. 7, 2017, granted, now 11,699,127.
Application 15/805,947 is a continuation of application No. 15/384,110, filed on Dec. 19, 2016, granted, now 9,811,804, issued on Nov. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0297955 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/087 (2023.01); G06K 7/10 (2006.01); G06Q 10/08 (2024.01); G06Q 10/0833 (2023.01); G06Q 50/04 (2012.01)

CPC G06Q 10/087 (2013.01) [G06K 7/10366 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 10/0833 (2013.01); G06Q 50/04 (2013.01)]

8 Claims

1. A method for making a textile product, the method comprising:

capturing, via one or more electronic tag readers, fiber information contained in bale tags on bales of staple fiber, wherein the bale tags include fiber information concerning the bales of staple fiber;

processing the bales of staple fiber in a fiber blending operation, wherein the fiber blending operation includes an input as the bales of staple fiber, an output as a blended mass of staple fibers, and a fiber blending machine that transforms the bales of staple fiber into the blended mass of staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the fiber blending operation, b) output for the fiber blending operation, and the fiber blending machine that produced the blended mass of staple fibers;

processing the blended mass of staple fibers in a carding operation, wherein the carding operation includes an input as the blended mass of staple fibers, an output as slivers of staple fibers, and a carding machine that transforms the blended mass of staple fibers into the slivers of staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the carding operation, b) output for the carding operation, and the carding machine that produced the slivers of staple fibers;

processing the slivers of staple fibers in a breaker drawing operation, wherein the breaker drawing operation includes an input as the slivers of staple fibers, an output as drawn slivers of staple fibers, and a breaker draw frame that transforms the slivers of staple fibers into the drawn slivers of staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the breaker drawing operation, b) output for the breaker drawing operation, and c) the breaker draw frame that produced the drawn slivers of staple fibers;

processing the drawn slivers of staple fibers in a lapping operation, wherein the lapping operation includes an input as the drawn slivers of staple fibers, an output as wounded lap of staple fibers, and a lapping machine that transforms the slivers of staple fibers into the wounded lap staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the lapping operation, b) output for the lapping operation, and the lapping machine that produced the wounded lap of staple fibers;

processing the wounded lap of staple fibers in a combing operation, wherein the combing operation includes an input as the wounded lap of staple fibers, an output as combed slivers of staple fibers, and a comber that transforms the wound lap of staple fibers into the combed slivers of staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the combing operation, b) output for the combing operation, and the comber that produced the combed slivers of staple fibers;

processing the combed slivers of staple fibers in a drawing operation, wherein the drawing operation includes an input as the combed slivers of staple fibers, an output as rovings of staple fibers, and a draw frame that transforms the combed slivers into rovings of staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the drawing operation, b) output for the drawing operation, and the draw frame that produced the rovings of staple fibers;

processing the rovings of staple fibers in a spinning operation, wherein the spinning operation includes an input as the rovings of staple fibers, an output as yarns of staple fibers, and a spinning frame that transforms the rovings of staple fibers into yarns of staple fibers;

tracking a) input for the spinning operation, b) output for the spinning operation, and the spinning frame that produced the yarns of staple fibers;

capturing, for the yarn spinning operation, a) input information contained in an input tag for the yarn spinning operation, b) output information contained in an output tag for the yarn spinning operation, and c) equipment information contained in an equipment tag for the yarn spinning operation;

processing the yarns into a textile product in a textile product formation operation;

capturing, for the textile product formation operation, a) input information contained in an input tag for the textile product formation operation, b) output information contained in an output tag for the textile product formation operation, and c) equipment information contained in an equipment tag for the textile product formation operation; and

associating, via a computer system, the fiber information for the bales of staple fiber with the textile product based on a relationship between the input and the output for each operation.