NETWORKED THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING

• US 20120113473A1
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC (Ultimaker BV)
• Inventors: Pettis, Nathaniel B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 device 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 one or more sensors for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and the print server configured to manage a print queue for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers;

a database coupled in a communicating relationship with the print server and configured to store print queue data and status information for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers; and

a web server configured to provide a user interface over the data network to a remote user, the user interface adapted to present the status information and the print queue data for one or more of the plurality of three-dimensional printers to the user and the user interface adapted to receive a print job from the remote user for one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to store a plurality of print jobs submitted to the web server in a log and to provide an analysis of print activity based on the log.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the print queue is managed according to one or more criteria from the remote user for the print job.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors include at least one video camera, the user interface adapted to present a video feed from the at least one video camera to the remote user through the user interface.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of a heat sensor, a volume flow rate sensor, a sound sensor, a light sensor, and a weight sensor.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the print queue includes one or more print jobs for one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and the print queue is stored in the database.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the print queue includes one or more print jobs for one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and the print queue is stored locally at the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the print queue includes a plurality of print jobs for one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and the print queue is allocated between the database and a local memory of the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the print server stores a predetermined alternative three-dimensional printer to execute the print job from the remote user in the event of a failure by the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the print server maintains exclusive control over at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the print server submits the print job to a first available one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is adapted to receive a manual selection of one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers from the remote user to execute the print job.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is adapted to receive a batch print job from the remote user, the batch print job including a plurality of related print jobs.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the user interface is further adapted to receive a specification of permissible allocations of the plurality of related print jobs among the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is adapted to display a current tool path of one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers that executes the print job.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is adapted to display a three-dimensional model depicting a current state of completion of an object fabricated according to the print job.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the status information presented in the user interface includes an image of a working volume of one of the three-dimensional printers that is executing the print job.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the status information presented in the user interface includes a video image of a working volume of one of the three-dimensional printers that is executing the print job.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of three-dimensional printers, each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers including a network interface;

a server configured to manage execution of a plurality of print jobs by the plurality of three-dimensional printers; and

a data network that couples the server and the plurality of three-dimensional printers in a communicating relationship.

20. The system of claim 19, the server further comprising a web-based user interface configured for a user to submit a new print job to the server and to monitor progress of the new print job.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the web-based user interface permits video monitoring of each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising a database of three-dimensional models, wherein the server provides a search engine for locating a particular three-dimensional model in the database of three-dimensional models.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the search engine is a text-based search engine.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the search engine is an image-based search engine.