Methods and apparatuses for printing three dimensional images

• US 8,488,197 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virginia Venture Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: Virginia Venture Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Abeloe, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US13/571,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/2.1, 358/468, 382/131, 345419-424
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/00 Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/002 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/772 Articles characterised by their shape and not otherwise provided for closed loop B29L2031/709; ring-like B29L2031/7096; corrugated B29L2016/00, flat B29L2007/00; hollow B29L2022/00; screw-threaded B29L2001/00; toothed B29L2031/775; corrugated tubes B29L2023/18
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• 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: G03B 35/00 Stereoscopic photography
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49019 Machine 3-D slices, to build 3-D model, stratified object manufacturing SOM
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1849 using an intermediate representation, e.g. a list of graphical primitives
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02

Abstract

Systems and methods for printing a 3D object on a three-dimensional (3D) printer are described. The methods semi-automatically or automatically delineate an item in an image, receive a 3D model of the item, matches said item to said 3D model, and send the matched 3D model to a 3D printer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a selection of an object of interest in an image;

delineating the object of interest in the image;

determining a wire-frame 3D model to model the object of interest, wherein the wire-frame 3D model includes shape information for modeling the object of interest;

breaking the wire-frame 3D model into 3D components; and

generating mapped information by mapping information from a portion of the image representing said delineated object to the 3D components of the selected wire-frame 3D model,

wherein determining a wire-frame 3D model to model the object of interest comprises automatically calculating the wire-frame 3D model from a stereoscopic set of images.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the mapped information to a 3D printer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the position of the 3D components with respect to the image representing said delineated object; and

coloring the 3D components with the color information from the image representing said delineated object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a selection of an object comprises receiving a point in an object of interest in the image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped information is a 3D model for printing the object of interest as a raised-contoured surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped information is a 3D model for printing said object of interest as a freestanding figurine on a platform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest is information depicting a person in the image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising compensating for in-scene motion of the object of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising compensating for camera motion of the object of interest.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising compensating for color imbalances of the object of interest.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a selection of an object of interest in an image;

delineating the object of interest in the image;

determining a wire-frame 3D model to model the object of interest, wherein the wire-frame 3D model includes shape information for modeling the object of interest;

breaking the wire-frame 3D model into 3D components; and

generating mapped information by mapping imformation from a portion of the image representing said delineated object to the 3D components of the selected wire-frame 3D model; and

storing the wire-frame 3D model in a database with a copyright protection.

12. A system, comprising:

an input information processor configured to receive a selection of an object of interest in an plurality of video frames;

an object abstraction processor configured to automatically delineate the object of interest;

an object formation processor configured to break a wire-frame 3D model of the object of interest into 3D components, the wire-frame 3D model including shape information for modeling the object of interest, the object formation processor being further configured to generate mapped information by mapping information from a portion of an image representing said delineated object to the 3D components of the wire-frame 3D model,

wherein the source of the plurality of video frames is a stereoscopic video.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the object formation processor is further configured to transmit the mapped information to a 3D printer to be printed.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an object model processor configured to receive the wire-frame 3D model.

15. The system of claim 12, further wherein the object formation processor is further configured to compensate for in-scene motion of the object of interest.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the object formation processor is further configured to compensate for camera motion of the object of interest.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the object formation processor is further configured to compensate for color imbalances in the object of interest.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a multiple frame abstraction processor configured to calculate the wire-frame 3D model from the plurality of video frames.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the object formation processor is further configured to color the 3D components with the color information from the plurality of video frames representing said delineated object.

20. A system, comprising:

an input information processor configured to receive a selection of an object of interest in an plurality of video frames;

an object abstraction processor configured to automatically delineate the object of interest;

an object formation processor configured to break a wire-frame 3D model of the object of interest into 3D components, the wire-frame 3D model including shape information for modeling the object of interest, the object formation processor being further configured to generate mapped information by mapping information from a portion of an image representing said delineated object to the 3D components of the wire-frame 3D model; and

a database with wire-frame 3D models with copyright protection information for each 3D wire-frame model.