Networked three-dimensional printing system with a drag-and-drop interface for queue management

• US 10,114,591 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC (Ultimaker BV)
• Inventors: Pettis, Nathaniel B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Application Number:
  US15/233,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20170031635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/10 Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

Three-dimensional fabrication resources are improved by adding networking capabilities to three-dimensional printers and providing a variety of tools for networked use of three-dimensional printers. Web-based servers or the like can provide a single point of access for remote users to manage access to distributed content on one hand, and to manage use of distributed fabrication resources on the other.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a print server coupled through a data network to a plurality of three-dimensional printers, the print server configured to receive status information from each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and to manage a print queue for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers, the print server coupled in a communicating relationship with one or more content sources of three-dimensional objects suitable for fabrication with one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers;

a user interface for the print server, the user interface including a first display area showing available fabrication resources including the plurality of three-dimensional printers and a second display area showing one or more objects available from the one or more content sources; and

a processor configured to execute the user interface and a tool included on the user interface for requesting a fabrication of one of the one or more objects from a user by dragging one of the one or more objects from the second display area to the first display area, the processor in communication with the print server such that the print server is responsive to the dragging by automatically selecting a specific one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers from the available fabrication resources based on the print queue for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and transmitting a model of the one of the one or more objects to the specific one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers for fabrication of the one of the one or more objects.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a video feed from at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface displays a status for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the status includes an availability of the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the availability includes an estimated wait time until the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is available.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the status includes a percentage completion of a current print job on the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is a fused deposition modeling printer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is a stereolithography printer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the print queue for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is stored on the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the print queue for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is stored on the print server.

11. A system comprising:

a print server coupled through a data network to a plurality of three-dimensional printers, the print server configured to receive status information from each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and to manage a print queue for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers, the print server coupled in a communicating relationship with one or more content sources of three-dimensional objects suitable for fabrication with one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers; and

a user interface for the print server, the user interface including a first display area showing the print queue for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and a second display area showing one or more objects available from the one or more content sources; and

a processor configured to execute the user interface and a tool included on the user interface for requesting a fabrication of one of the one or more objects from a user at the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers by dragging one of the one or more objects from the second display area to the first display area, the processor in communication with the print server such that the print server is responsive to the dragging by automatically selecting a specific one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers based on the print queue for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and transmitting a model of the one of the one or more objects to the specific one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers for fabrication of the one of the one or more objects.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user interface includes a video feed from at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the user interface displays a status for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the status includes an availability of the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the availability includes an estimated wait time until the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is available.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the status includes a percentage completion of a current print job on the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is a fused deposition modeling printer.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is a stereolithography printer.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the print queue for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is stored on the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the print queue for at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers is stored on the print server.