Selective pausing of 3D print jobs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052822-B1
Application number	US-201414450127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 1, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for selectively pausing and resuming the 3D printing of an object. In embodiments, a request to pause 3D printing is received. A 3D printer may evaluate a material being used to print the object, a process being used to print the object, a current point in the process of 3D printing the object, and other factors, and determine whether to permit pausing the 3D printing process based on this information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for selectively pausing a process of three-dimensional (3D) printing of an object, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory bearing instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the system at least to:
while the object is being 3D printed according to the process, receive an input indicative of a request to pause 3D printing the object;
determine whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on where in the process of being printed the object is, a material used in 3D printing the object, a type of 3D printing process being used, a fault tolerance of the object being 3D printed, or an indication contained within a 3D template from which the object is being 3D printed;
wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the material being used to 3D print the object comprises: determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on at least one of the 3D printer using a direct 3D printing technique, a binder 3D printing technique, a photopolymerization technique, or a sintering technique, and wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the material being used to 3D print the object comprises: determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on a rate at which the material hardens as it cures, and an ability to combine the material when heated with more of the material that is hardened;
after a determination that the process of 3D printing the object may be paused, pause the process of 3D printing the object; and
after a determination that 3D printing the object may not be paused, continue to 3D print the object according to the process.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory further bears instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, causes the system at least to:
determine an amount of time that 3D printing the object may be paused for based on a property of the material used to 3D print the object; and
resume the process when a request to resume is received within the amount of time that 3D printing the object may be paused for.

3. A method, comprising:
while an object is being three-dimensional (3D) printed according to a process, receiving an input indicative of a request to pause 3D printing the object;
determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on at least one of a characteristic of the object being 3D printed, a material being used to 3D print the object, or a characteristic of a 3D printer being used to 3D print the object, wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the material being used to 3D print the object comprises: determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on at least one of the 3D printer using a direct 3D printing technique, a binder 3D printing technique, a photopolymerization technique, or a sintering technique, and wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the material being used to 3D print the object comprises: determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on a rate at which the material hardens as it cures, and an ability to combine the material when heated with more of the material that is hardened;
in response to determining that 3D printing the object may be paused, pausing the process of 3D printing the object; and
in response to determining that 3D printing the object may not be paused, continue to 3D print the object according to the process.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object based at least in part on the characteristic of the object being 3D printed comprises:
determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on an effect on a structural integrity of the object associated with pausing 3D printing the object at a current progress in printing the object.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the characteristic of the object being 3D printed comprises:
determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on a predetermined fault tolerance associated with the object deviating from a specification set forth in a corresponding 3D template.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining an amount of time that 3D printing the object may be paused for.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the amount of time that 3D printing the object may be paused for comprises:
determining the amount of time that 3D printing the object may be paused for based on a property of at least one material used to 3D print the object.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving an indication to resume the process of 3D printing the object; and
resuming the process of 3D printing the object in response to determining that the amount of time that 3D printing the object may be paused for has not yet elapsed.

9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving an indication to resume the process of 3D printing the object; and
resuming the process of 3D printing the object in response to determining that an alignment of the object relative to the 3D printer being used to 3D print the object is within a predetermined tolerance value.

10. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving an indication to resume the process of 3D printing the object; and
raising an alert concerning resuming 3D printing the object in response to determining that an alignment of the object relative to the 3D printer being used to 3D print the object is outside of a predetermined tolerance value.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for streaming a three-dimensional (3D) print job comprising a plurality of pieces to a 3D printer, bearing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by a computing node, cause the computing node to perform operations comprising:
determining at least two pieces of the plurality of pieces in the 3D print job to be sent to the 3D printer across a communications network;
determining an order to send data corresponding to the at least two pieces based at least in part on whether a process of 3D printing at least one piece of the at least two pieces may be paused while it is being printed by the 3D printer, wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the material being used to 3D print the object comprises: determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on at least one of the 3D printer using a direct 3D printing technique, a binder 3D printing technique, a photopolymerization technique, or a sintering technique, and wherein determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on the material being used to 3D print the object comprises: determining whether the process of 3D printing the object may be paused based at least in part on a rate at which the material hardens as it cures, and an ability to combine the material when heated with more of the material that is hardened;
sending the data corresponding to the at least two pieces to the 3D printer based on the determined order; and
continue to 3

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sait Abdul Sathar

Classifications

• B29C67/0088 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C64/386 Primary

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title