Three-dimensional object storage, customization, and procurement system

• US 10,373,237 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Webb, Sunny, Short, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Menberu, Beniyam
• Application Number:
  US14/599,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A method for processing an order for components includes receiving, at a server, an order that specifies one or more components for procurement and constraints for procuring the one or more components. A processor determines one or more sources capable of providing one or more of the components within the received constraints. At least one of the sources corresponds to a 3D printing facility that prints components via a 3D printing process. The processor communicates one or more orders for procuring the one or more components to the determined one or more sources.

Claims

1. A method for processing an order for components, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, an order that specifies a plurality of components for procurement and constraints for procuring each of the plurality of components, wherein the constraints include a structural integrity score indicative of a structural integrity of the component that is determined based at least in part on one or more locations of the component that are the thinnest and one or more angles of the component at which surfaces converge;

determining, by a processor, a plurality of different sources capable of providing one or more of the plurality of components within the received constraints, wherein at least some of the sources correspond to 3D printing facilities that print components via a 3D printing process; and

communicating a plurality of orders for procuring the plurality of components, each associated with one or more of the plurality of components, to the determined different sources.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of different sources capable of providing one or more of the plurality of components further comprises:

searching a database for 3D object data associated with the plurality of components.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the database is accessed via a product life management system.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein for each component for which 3D object data exists in the database, the method further comprises:

determining object attributes associated with the component;

searching, by a printability indexer, a database that stores 3D printer attributes associated with 3D printing facilities for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes; and

if one or more capable printers are identified, communicating, by the server, a list that identifies the one or more 3D printing facilities with capable 3D printers to a user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the constraints define one or more of:

maximum cost information, and delivery lead-time information associated with each of the plurality of components.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processor and for each of the plurality of different sources, at least one of:

inventory information, cost information, and delivery lead-time information associated with components provided by the source.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, for each of the plurality of components, a source capable of providing the component at or below a maximum cost associated with the component and within a delivery lead time associated with the component.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating an order for communicating at least one of the plurality components to the 3D printing facility.

9. A system for processing an order for components, the system comprising:

a server configured to receive an order that specifies a plurality of components for procurement and constraints for procuring the plurality of components, wherein the constraints include a structural integrity score indicative of a structural integrity of the component that is determined based at least in part on one or more locations of the component that are the thinnest and one or more angles of the component at which surfaces converge and each component is associated with data that defines a 3D object model of the component and access rights to the 3D object model; and

a processor in communication with the server configured to;

determine a plurality of different sources capable of providing one or more of the plurality of components within the received constraints, and that have been granted access rights to the 3D object models associated with the one or more of the plurality of components, wherein at least some of the sources correspond to 3D printing facilities that print components via a 3D printing process; and

communicate a plurality of orders for procuring the plurality of components, each associated with one or more of the plurality of components, to the determined different sources.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein in determining the plurality of different sources capable of providing one or more of the plurality of components the processor is further configured to:

search a database for 3D object data associated with the plurality of components.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the database is accessed via a product life management system.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein for each component for which 3D object data exists in the database, the processor is further configured to determine object attributes associated with the component;

wherein the system further includes a subsystem that searches a database that stores 3D printer attributes associated with 3D printing facilities for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes; and

wherein the server is further configured to communicate a list that identifies the one or more 3D printing facilities with capable 3D printers to a user when one or more capable printers are identified by the subsystem.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the constraints define one or more of:

maximum cost information, and delivery lead-time information associated with each of the plurality of components.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein for each of the plurality of different sources the processor is further configured to receive at least one of:

inventory information, cost information, and delivery lead-time information associated with components provided by the source.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein for each of the plurality of components, the processor is further configure to determine a source capable of providing the component at or below a maximum cost associated with the component and within a delivery lead time associated with the component.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate an order for communicating at least one of the plurality of components to the 3D printing facility.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising at least one code section for processing an order for components, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform acts of:

receiving an order that specifies a plurality of components for procurement and constraints for procuring the each of the plurality of components, wherein the constraints include a structural integrity score indicative of a structural integrity of the component that is determined based at least in part on one or more locations of the component that are the thinnest and one or more angles of the component at which surfaces converge;

determining a plurality of different sources capable of providing one or more of the plurality of components within the received constraints, wherein at least some of the sources correspond to 3D printing facilities that print components via a 3D printing process; and

communicating a plurality of orders for procuring the plurality of components, each associated with one or more of the plurality of components, to the determined different sources.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein in determining the plurality of different sources capable of providing one or more of the plurality of components, the code section is further executable by the machine to cause the machine to search a database for 3D object data associated with the plurality of components.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the database is accessed via a product life management system.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein for each component for which 3D object data exists in the database, the code section is further executable by the machine to cause the machine to perform acts of:

determining object attributes associated with the component;

searching, by a printability indexer, a database that stores 3D printer attributes associated with 3D printing facilities for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes; and

if one or more capable printers are identified, communicating, by the server, a list that identifies the one or more 3D printing facilities with capable 3D printers to a user.