Methods and systems for ordering expedited production or supply of designed products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11474498-B2
Application number	US-202017104746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A method of enabling expedited manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled as a 3D computer model, the method implemented on one or more computer devices including displaying one or more user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation options for a plurality of requests for manufacture, generating a prompt to select a user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation option, receiving an expedited manufacturing, storing the expedited manufacturing reservation, receiving a request for manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled in an associated 3D computer model from a user, compare one or more of the requests for manufacture and one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model with the expedited manufacturing reservation, determining an applicability of the expedited manufacturing reservation to the request for manufacture, calculating a total time to complete the request for manufacture, and presenting the total time to complete the request for manufacture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of enabling expedited manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled as a 3D computer model, the method implemented on one or more computer devices and comprising:
displaying, by one or more computer devices, one or more user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation options for a plurality of requests for manufacture;
generating, by the one or more computer devices, a prompt to select a user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation option from the displayed one or more selectable expedited manufacturing reservation;
receiving, at the one or more computer devices, an expedited manufacturing reservation corresponding to the selected user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation option, wherein the expedited manufacturing reservation applies to a plurality of requests for manufacture;
storing, at the one or more computer devices, the expedited manufacturing reservation;
receiving at the one or more computer devices, a user input;
extracting, at the one or more computer devices, a request for manufacture, wherein extracting the request for manufacture comprises:
generating at least a query as a function of the user input; and
generating the request for manufacture as a function of the at least a query;

producing, by one or more computer devices, an associated 3D computer model as a function of the request for manufacture;
calculating, at the one or more computer devices, pricing information, wherein calculating comprises:
extracting CAD data and user data from the associated 3D computer model, wherein the user data includes manufacturing requirements and pricing information;
reformatting the CAD data to derive pricing information from the CAD data through an interrogator, wherein the interrogator is programmed to analyze at least a geometric property of the CAD data and generate a Boolean flag associated with the at least a geometric property; and
calculating pricing information as a function of the CAD data through a calculation by comparing the manufacturing requirements of the CAD data and the Boolean flag to supplier data;

automatedly comparing, via at least one of the one or more computer devices, one or more of the requests for manufacture and one or more associated 3D computer models with the expedited manufacturing reservation;
determining, via the one or more computer devices and as function of the automated comparing, an applicability of the expedited manufacturing reservation to the request for manufacture;
calculating, via at least one of the one or more computer devices, a total time to complete the request for manufacture; and
presenting, via at least one of the one or more computer devices, the total time to complete the request for manufacture and the pricing information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a confirmation of the request for manufacture and storing, on at least one of the one or more computer devices, information in connection with the request for manufacture to expedite manufacture of one or more instantiations of the structure in accordance with the reservation when the expedited manufacturing reservation is applicable to the request for manufacture.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatedly advising or notifying the user as a function of a result of the comparing.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein advising or notifying the user includes offering one or more expedited manufacturing reservations to the user for purchase.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more expedited manufacturing reservations are determined as a function of a result of the comparing.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model by interrogating the associated 3D computer model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatedly comparing one or more of the request for manufacture and one or more associated 3D computer models with the expedited manufacturing reservation includes comparing at least one material, dimension, or tolerance specified by or determined by interrogating the associated 3D computer model with a material, dimension, or tolerance requirement in the expedited manufacturing reservation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model with one or more data sets specifying best manufacturing practices.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model with one or more 3D computer models associated with structures that have already been manufactured.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising offering an expedited manufacturing reservation to the user at a discounted rate or free of charge if one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model is identical to a 3D computer model associated with a structure that has already been manufactured.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model with one or more 3D computer models associated with structures for which molds have already been manufactured.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the associated 3D computer model with one or more 3D computer models associated with structures that have already been manufactured.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expedited manufacturing reservation specifies a duration of time for which it remains effective.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expedited manufacturing reservation specifies a monetary limit up to which it applies.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising limiting applicability of the expedited manufacturing reservation to requests having cumulative charges that are within the monetary limit.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: if the expedited manufacturing reservation is applicable to the request, displaying a listing of one or more processes of the manufacture that may be expedited to the user.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving an indication of which of the processes are to be expedited from the user, wherein remaining ones of the processes are not expedited.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving an indication of which of the processes are to be expedited and to what extent the selected processes are to be expedited from the user.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the request for manufacture requires one or more materials or operations and the materials or operations are analyzed to determine which are eligible for expediting.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model that may require a manufacturing process incompatible with the expedited manufacturing reservation and presenting the user with an option to proceed with a modified expedited manufacturing reservation.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more aspects of the associated 3D computer model that may by incompatible with best manufacturing practices and presenting the user with options to proceed or cancel.

22. A system configured to enable expedited manufacture of one or more instantiations of a structure modeled as a 3D computer model, the system comprising one or more computer devices configured to:
display, by one or more computer devices, to a user one or more user selectable expedited manufacturing reservation options f

Assignees

• Desprez Llc

Inventors

• Jacobs Ii James L
• Lynch Steven M

Classifications

• G06Q10/06313

  Resource planning in a project environment · CPC title

• Y02P90/30

  Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B19/4097 Primary

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/35134

  3-D cad-cam · CPC title

• G06Q50/04 Primary

  Manufacturing · CPC title