Cloud controlled laser fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11797652-B2
Application number	US-202117350789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

An execution plan segment of an execution plan can be received at a control unit of a computer numerically controlled machine from a general purpose computer. The execution plan segment can define operations for causing movement of a moveable head of the computer numerically controlled machine to deliver electromagnetic energy to effect a change in a material within an interior space of the computer numerically controlled machine. The execution plan segment can include a predefined safe pausing point from which the execution plan can be restarted while minimizing a difference in appearance of a finished work-product relative to if a pause and restart are not necessary. Operations of the computer numerically controlled machine can be commenced only after determining that the execution plan segment has been received up to and including the predefined safe pausing point by the computer numerically controlled machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method carried out by a computing system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computing system, a source file describing a pattern to be fabricated by a computer numerically controlled machine of the computing system;
determining, by the computing system, that the source file has associated with it a predetermined limit to a number of instances of the pattern that can be fabricated;
creating, by the computing system, a first motion plan from the source file;
causing, by the computing system, the computer numerically controlled machine to fabricate a first instance of the pattern based on the first motion plan;
receiving, by the computing system, a command to fabricate a second instance of the pattern based on a second motion plan;
determining, by the computing system, that fabricating the second instance of the pattern would result in a count of the number of instances of the pattern being fabricated that would exceed the predetermined limit; and
after determining that fabricating the second instance of the pattern would result in the count of the number of instances of the pattern being fabricated that would exceed the predetermined limit, refusing to create, by the computing system, the second motion plan from the source file.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer numerically controlled machine is a first computer numerically controlled machine, and wherein receiving, by the computing system, the command to fabricate the second instance of the pattern based on the second motion plan comprises:
receiving, by the computing system, a command for a second computer numerically controlled machine of the computing system to fabricate the second instance of the pattern based on the second motion plan.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first motion plan defines a movement of a moveable head of the computer numerically controlled machine and control commands for operation of one or more other components of the computer numerically controlled machine, and wherein the one or more other components comprise one or more of a laser, a power supply, a fan, a thermal control system, an air filter, a coolant pump, a light source, a camera mounted on the moveable head, and a camera mounted inside an interior space of the computer numerically controlled machine but not on the moveable head.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first motion plan further defines a temporal element indicating times or time offsets at which actions of the one or more other components necessary to fabricate the first instance of the pattern should occur.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing, by the computing system, the computer numerically controlled machine to fabricate the first instance of the pattern based on the first motion plan increases the count of the number of instances of the pattern being fabricated by 1.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor cause a computing system to:
receive a source file describing a pattern to be fabricated by a computer numerically controlled machine of the computing system;
determine that the source file has associated with it a predetermined limit to a number of instances of the pattern that can be fabricated;
create a first motion plan from the source file;
cause the computer numerically controlled machine to fabricate a first instance of the pattern based on the first motion plan;
receive a command to fabricate a second instance of the pattern based on a second motion plan;
determine that fabricating the second instance of the pattern would result in a count of the number of instances of the pattern being fabricated that would exceed the predetermined limit; and
after determining that fabricating the second instance of the pattern would result in the count of the number of instances of the pattern being fabricated that would exceed the predetermined limit, refusing to create the second motion plan from the source file.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the computer numerically controlled machine is a first computer numerically controlled machine, and wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to receive the command to fabricate the second instance of the pattern based on the second motion plan comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to receive a command for a second computer numerically controlled machine of the computing system to fabricate the second instance of the pattern based on the second motion plan.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the first motion plan defines a movement of a moveable head of the computer numerically controlled machine and control commands for operation of one or more other components of the computer numerically controlled machine, and wherein the one or more other components comprise one or more of a laser, a power supply, a fan, a thermal control system, an air filter, a coolant pump, a light source, a camera mounted on the moveable head, and a camera mounted inside an interior space of the computer numerically controlled machine but not on the moveable head.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first motion plan further defines a temporal element indicating times or time offsets at which actions of the one or more other components necessary to fabricate the first instance of the pattern should occur.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to cause the computer numerically controlled machine to fabricate the first instance of the pattern based on the first motion plan comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to increase the count of the number of instances of the pattern being fabricated by 1.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to select the computer numerically controlled machine from a plurality of computer numerically controlled machines.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to optimize the first motion plan based on one or both of a measured attribute and an observed behavior of the computer numerically controlled machine.

13. A computing system comprising:
at least one processor;
non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
receive a source file describing a pattern to be fabricated by a computer numerically controlled machine of the computing system;
determine that the source file has associated with it a predetermined limit to a number of instances of the pattern that can be fabricated;
create a first motion plan from the source file;
cause the computer numerically controlled machine to fabricate a first instance of the pattern based on the first motion plan;
receive a command to fabricate a second instan

Assignees

• Glowforge Inc

Inventors

• Shapiro Daniel
• Gosselin Mark
• Wright Anthony
• Putney Dean
• Ellis Timothy
• Banka Lauren

Classifications

• G06F21/121 Primary

  Restricting unauthorised execution of programs · CPC title

• B23K26/032 Primary

  using optical means · CPC title

• G05B19/18

  Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of program data in numerical form (G05B19/418 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K10/006

  Control circuits therefor · CPC title

• B23K26/08

  Devices involving relative movement between laser beam and workpiece · CPC title