Systems and methods for receiving sensor data for an operating additive manufacturing machine and adaptively compressing the sensor data based on process data which controls the operation of the machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11829117-B2
Application number	US-202016827264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

Method, and corresponding system, for receiving and adaptively compressing sensor data for an operating manufacturing machine. The method includes determining the sensor data values at the working tool positions based on a time correlation of the values of the sensor data relative to time and the working tool positions relative to time. Tool control magnitude values relative to the working tool positions are determined based on the process data. The method further includes determining a magnitude differential, relative to the working tool positions, between the sensor data values and the tool control magnitude values. Scoring data is determined by applying a scoring function to the magnitude differential. The magnitude differential data is compressed based at least in part on the scoring data. The method further includes decompressing the magnitude differential data and determining the sensor data values versus the working tool positions based on the magnitude differential data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for receiving and adaptively compressing sensor data for an operating manufacturing machine, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first server, the sensor data from a sensor for the operating manufacturing machine;
determining, using a processor of the first server, values of the sensor data relative to time;
determining, using the processor of the first server, working tool positions relative to time based on process data which controls operation of the manufacturing machine, the process data comprising vectors defining the working tool positions during a manufacturing process;
determining the sensor data values at the working tool positions based on a correlation of the values of the sensor data relative to time and the working tool positions relative to time;
determining, with a convolution or cross-correlation operation, a magnitude differential between the sensor data values at the working tool positions and expected magnitude values at the working tool positions, the expected magnitude values included in the process data;
adaptively compressing the determined sensor data values at the working tool positions based on the magnitude differential; and
transmitting the compressed data via a network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
compressing first sensor data values from the determined sensor data values at the working tool positions with a first compression process;
compressing second sensor data values from the determined sensor data values at the working tool positions with a second compression process, the second compression process different from the first compression process, wherein a compression process is selected based on the magnitude differential;
transmitting the compressed first sensor data values at the working tool positions via the network;
decompressing the transmitted compressed data;
determining the first sensor data values versus the working tool positions from the decompressed data;
and outputting the first sensor data values at the working tool positions to an analytic model of the manufacturing machine.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, from the analytic model of the manufacturing machine, adjusted process data, the adjusted process data being determined based at least in part on the analytic model and the sensor data values at the working tool positions, the analytic model being based at least in part on a measured characteristic of the manufacturing machine;
and using the adjusted process data to control the operation of the manufacturing machine.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the first sensor data values have a first magnitude differential;
the second sensor data values have a second magnitude differential, the second magnitude differential greater than the first magnitude differential;
and the first compression process used in compressing the first sensor data values at the working tool positions is a higher fidelity compression process than the second compression process used in compressing the second sensor data values at the working tool positions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
correlating, using a processor of a user interface device, a 3D model of a part with the sensor data values at the working tool positions;
and displaying, on a display of the user interface device, the 3D model of the part with a representation of the sensor data values at the working tool positions.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
segmenting, using the processor of the first server, the process data into working vectors and non-working vectors;
and filtering, based on the working vectors, the tool positions relative to time to obtain the working tool positions relative to time.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed data is transmitted to a second server configured to make the compressed data available to a user interface device.

8. A system for receiving and adaptively compressing sensor data for an operating manufacturing machine, the system comprising:
a first server having a processor configured to perform:
receiving the sensor data from a sensor for the operating manufacturing machine;
determining values of the sensor data relative to time;
determining working tool positions relative to time based on process data which controls operation of the manufacturing machine, the process data comprising vectors defining the working tool positions and corresponding tool control magnitude values;
determining the sensor data values at the working tool positions based on a correlation of the values of the sensor data relative to time and the working tool positions relative to time;
determining, with a convolution or cross-correlation operation, a magnitude differential between the sensor data values at the working tool positions and expected magnitude values at the working tool positions, the expected magnitude values included in the process data;
adaptively compressing the determined sensor data values at the working tool positions for based on the magnitude differential; and
transmitting the compressed data via a network.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first server is further configured to perform:
compressing first sensor data values from the determined sensor data values at the working tool positions with a first compression process;
compressing second sensor data values from the determined sensor data values at the working tool positions with a second compression process, the second compression process different from the first compression process, the compression process is selected based on the magnitude differential;
transmitting the compressed first sensor data values at the working tool positions via the network;
the system further comprising: a second server having a processor and configured to perform:
decompressing the transmitted compressed data;
determining the first sensor data values versus the working tool positions from the decompressed data;
and outputting the first sensor data values at the working tool positions to an analytic model of the manufacturing machine.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second server is further configured to perform:
receiving, from the analytic model of the manufacturing machine, adjusted process data, the adjusted process data being determined based at least in part on the analytic model and the sensor data values at the working tool positions, the analytic model being based at least in part on a measured characteristic of the manufacturing machine;
and using the adjusted process data to control the operation of the manufacturing machine.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first sensor data values have a first magnitude differential;
the second sensor data values have a second magnitude differential, the second magnitude differential greater than the first magnitude differential; and
the first compression process used in compressing the first sensor data values at the working tool positions is a higher fidelity compression process than the second compression process used in compressing the second sensor data values at the working tool positions.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a user interface device comprising a display and a processor configured to perform:
correlating a 3D model of a part with the sensor data values at the working tool positions;
and displaying the 3D model of the part on the display with a representation of the sensor data values at the working tool positions.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first server is further configured to perform:
segmenting the p

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Berlier Jacob
• Mccann Adam
• Zhang Li
• Good Brandon

Classifications

• G05B19/4097 Primary

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

• B23K26/342

  Build-up welding · 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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title