Virtual build beds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10538033-B2
Application number	US-201415515628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A method and apparatus partition a AM build bed of a AM unit into a first virtual build bed and a second virtual build bed. The first virtual build bed is assigned to a first user while the second virtual build bed assigned to a second user. A first digital file for a first object to be generated in the first virtual build bed is received from the first user. A second digital file for a second object to be generated in the second virtual build bed is receive from the second user. Output signals are transmitted to the AM unit to generate the first object in the first virtual build bed and the second object in the second virtual build bed during a build cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
partitioning a build bed of an additive manufacturing (AM) system into a first virtual build bed and a second virtual build bed;
assigning the first virtual build bed to a first user;
assigning the second virtual build bed to a second user;
receiving, from the first user, a first digital file for a first object to be generated in the first virtual build bed; and
receiving, from the second user, a second digital file for a second object to be generated in the second virtual build bed during a same build cycle in which the first object in the first virtual build bed is generated, wherein the first virtual build bed and the second virtual build bed are assigned to the first user and the second user, respectively, prior to the receiving of the first digital file or the receiving of the second digital file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
outputting AM build bed signals to the first user and to the second user to display the first virtual build bed and the second virtual build bed forming the AM build bed;
outputting first object signals to the first user to display the first object in the first virtual build bed being displayed; and
outputting second object signals to the second user to display the second object in the second virtual build bed being displayed, wherein the second virtual build bed displayed to the first user does not contain the second object and wherein the first virtual build bed displayed to the second user does not contain the first object.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
outputting first outline signals to the first user to display an outline of the second object in the second virtual build bed being displayed; and
outputting second outline signals to the second user to display an outline of the first object in the first virtual build bed being displayed.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the outline of the first object comprises a boundary box of the first object.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
outputting AM build bed signals to the first user and to the second user to display the first virtual build bed and the second virtual build bed forming the AM build bed;
receiving an authorization for the second user; and
outputting signals to the second user to display different levels of detail regarding the first object in the first virtual build bed being displayed to the second user based upon the authorization.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving an authorization for the second user; and
providing the second user with different access rights regarding the first object in the first virtual build bed being displayed based on the authorization.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
partitioning the AM build bed into an additional third virtual build bed;
initiating generation of the first object in the first virtual build bed;
receiving, after generation of the first object has been initiated, a digital file for a third object to be generated in the AM build bed; and
queuing, after generation of the first object has been initiated, generating the third object in the third virtual build bed of the AM build bed.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a third digital file for a third object from a third user;
determining a minimum size for a third virtual build bed to contain the third object;
receiving signals indicating available volume in the AM build bed and available volume in a second AM build bed;
comparing the minimum size for the third virtual build bed to the available volume in the AM build bed and the available volume in the second AM build bed;
partitioning one of the AM build bed and the second AM build bed to additionally include the third virtual build bed based upon the comparison; and
forwarding the third digital file for the third object to the third virtual build bed for generation in the third virtual build bed.

9. An apparatus comprising:
an additive manufacturing (AM) system having a build volume for a build cycle;
a controller to partition the build volume for the build cycle into first and second sub volumes for the build cycle and to assign ownership of the first and second sub volumes for the build cycle to first and second users, respectively, wherein the first virtual build bed and the second virtual build bed are assigned to the first user and the second user, respectively, prior to the receiving any digital file for objects to be built during the build cycle in either of the first and second sub volumes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller provides different access rights to the different users based upon different authorizations of the different users.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller displays different levels of detail for different objects to be generated in the different sub volumes to a viewer based upon authorization of the viewer.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is to occupy one of the different sub volumes of the build cycle that has available space with an object to be generated after initiation of object generation in the build volume for the build cycle.

13. An apparatus comprising:
non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program logic to direct a processor to:
partition an additive manufacturing (AM) build bed of an additive manufacturing unit into a first virtual build bed and a second virtual build bed for a build cycle prior to receiving any digital file for objects to be built in the first virtual build bed or the second virtual build bed during the build cycle;
assign the first virtual build bed to a first user;
assign the second virtual build bed to a second user;
receive a first digital file for a first object to be generated in the first virtual build bed from the first user; and
receive a second digital file for a second object to be generated in the second virtual build bed from the second user; and
output signals to the AM unit to print the first object in the first virtual build bed and the second object in the second virtual build bed during a single build cycle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the program logic is further to direct the processor to:
output AM build bed signals to the first user and to the second user to display the first virtual build bed and the second virtual build bed forming the AM build bed;
receiving an authorization for the second user; and
output signals to the second user to display different levels of detail regarding the first object in the first virtual build bed being displayed to the second user based upon the authorization.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the program logic is further to direct the processor to:
receive an authorization for the second user; and
provide the second user with different access rights regarding the first object in the first virtual build bed being displayed based on the authorization.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from the first user, a third digital file for a third object to be generated in the first virtual build bed during the same build cycle in which the first object in the first virtual build bed is generated.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
storing data regarding a shape and dimensions of the first virtual build bed and objects assigned by the first user to be generated in the first virtual build bed during a first build cycle; and
partitioning the build bed to include the first virtual build bed during a second build cycle a

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Cortes Sebastia
• Zeng Jun
• Vilajosana Xavier

Classifications

• G06F21/6209

  to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself · CPC title

• B29C64/393 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G06F21/52

  during program execution, e.g. stack integrity {; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow} · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title