Networked three-dimensional printing

• US 8,414,280 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• 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): Del Sole, Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US13/348,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 425/135, 425/150, 425/174.4, 425/375, 264/40.1, 264/401, 264/308, 700/98, 700/118, 700/204
• US Class Current: 425/150
• 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 web server configured to provide a user interface over a data network, the user interface adapted to receive user preferences from a user including a subscription to a plurality of sources of a plurality of three-dimensional models, a prioritization of content from the plurality of sources, and an identification of one or more fabrication resources coupled to the data network and suitable for fabricating objects from the plurality of three-dimensional models;

a database to store the user preferences, and to receive and store the plurality of three-dimensional models as they are issued by the plurality of sources;

a processor configured select a selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional models for fabrication based upon the prioritization; and

a print server configured to communicate with the one or more fabrication resources through the data network, to determine an availability of the one or more fabrication resources, and to transmit the selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional models to one of the one or more fabrication resources.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more fabrication resources include a private fabrication resource, and wherein the user provides, as a user preference prior to use of the private fabrication resource, credentials for accessing the private fabrication resource.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more fabrication resources include a commercial fabrication resource, and wherein the user provides, as a user preference prior to use of the commercial fabrication resource, an authorization to pay for use of the commercial fabrication resource.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein prioritizing content includes prioritizing the content according to source.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of sources has a type, and wherein prioritizing content includes prioritizing the content according to the type.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each one of the three-dimensional models has a type, and wherein prioritizing the content includes prioritizing the content according to the type.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to select two or more of the plurality of three-dimensional models for concurrent fabrication by two or more of the plurality of fabrication resources based upon the prioritization when a priority of the two or more of the plurality of three-dimensional models exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the prioritization based upon a history of fabrication when a number of objects fabricated from one of the plurality of sources exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of sources includes a source of paid content.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of sources includes a source of promotional content.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more additional sources of content based upon a similarity to one of the plurality of sources of content.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more additional sources of content based upon a social graph of the user.