Edge Smoothness With Low Resolution Projected Images For Use in Solid Imaging
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solid imaging apparatus and method employing sub-pixel shifting in multiple exposures of the digitally light projected image of a cross-section of a three-dimensional object on a solidifiable liquid medium. The multiple exposures provide increased resolution, preserving image features in a three-dimensional object and smoothing out rough or uneven edges that would otherwise be occur using digital light projectors that are limited by the number of pixels in an image projected over the size of the image. Algorithms are used to select pixels to be illuminated within the boundary of each image projected in the cross-section being exposed.
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Citations
82 Claims
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1-62. -62. (canceled)
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63. A method for forming a three-dimensional object layer-by-layer from a photocurable solidifiable liquid medium, the method comprising:
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projecting an image representative of cross-sectional image data from a radiation source to selectively illuminate pixels in an image plane in a first exposure to selectively solidify a layer of photocurable solidifiable liquid medium; shifting the image by a subpixel amount to a new image position; adjusting the image to match the new image position to define an adjusted image; and projecting the adjusted image to selectively illuminate pixels in the image plane in a second exposure to selectively solidify the same layer of photocurable solidifiable liquid medium. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for forming a three dimensional object layer-by-layer from a photocurable solidifiable liquid medium, the method comprising:
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receiving three-dimensional CAD data of an object to be built; processing the three-dimensional CAD data to receive slice data representative of cross-sectional layers of the object; converting the slice data into bit-map data; providing a layer of photocurable solidifiable liquid medium in an imaging area; projecting an image representative of cross-sectional image data from a radiation source onto the photocurable solidifiable liquid medium in the imaging area to selectively illuminate pixels in an image plane in a first exposure to selectively solidify the layer of photocurable solidifiable liquid medium; shifting the image by a subpixel amount to a new image position; adjusting the image to match the new image position to define an adjusted image; and projecting the adjusted image to selectively illuminate pixels in the image plane in a second exposure to selectively solidify the same layer of photocurable solidifiable liquid medium. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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Specification