Multi-function computer numerically controlled machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11995159-B2
Application number	US-202218086655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2022
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

A moveable head of a computer numerically controlled machine may deliver electromagnetic energy sufficient to cause a first change in a material at least partially contained within an interior space of the CNC machine. A feature of the material may be imaged using at least one camera present inside the interior space to update a position of the material, and the moveable head may be aligned to deliver electromagnetic energy sufficient to cause a second change in the material such that the second change is positioned on the material consistent with the first change and with an intended final appearance of the material. Methods, systems, and article of manufacture are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
acquire one or more images, captured by one or more cameras, of an interior portion of a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine configured to deliver electromagnetic energy to a material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine;
based on the one or more acquired images of the interior portion of the CNC machine, identify a condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine;
determine whether the identified condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine matches an expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine; and
based on determining that the identified condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine does not match the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine, generate a command that, when executed by the CNC machine, prevents the CNC machine from delivering electromagnetic energy to the material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises an absence of a head of the CNC machine in the one or more acquired images, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a presence of the head of the CNC machine in the one or more acquired images.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a current position of a head of the CNC machine, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a different position of the head of the CNC machine.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a current position of a registration mark relative to a camera of the one or more cameras, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a different position of the registration mark relative to the camera of the one or more cameras.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a current alignment of one or more rails of the CNC machine, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a different alignment of the one or more rails of the CNC machine.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to generate the command that, when executed by the CNC machine, prevents the CNC machine from delivering the electromagnetic energy to the material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
generate a command that, when executed by the CNC machine, causes the CNC machine to turn off a laser of the CNC machine.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to generate the command that, when executed by the CNC machine, prevents the CNC machine from delivering the electromagnetic energy to the material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
generate a command that, when executed by the CNC machine, causes the CNC machine to refuse to turn on a laser of the CNC machine.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein a camera of the one or more cameras is positioned within the interior portion of the CNC machine.

9. The computing system of claim 1 , further comprising the CNC machine.

10. 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:
acquire one or more images, captured by one or more cameras, of an interior portion of a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine configured to deliver electromagnetic energy to a material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine;
based on the one or more acquired images of the interior portion of the CNC machine, identify a condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine;
determine that the identified condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine does not match an expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine; and
based on determining that the identified condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine does not match the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine, generate a command that, when executed by the CNC machine, prevents the CNC machine from delivering electromagnetic energy to the material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises an absence of a head of the CNC machine in the one or more acquired images, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a presence of the head of the CNC machine in the one or more acquired images.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a current position of a head of the CNC machine, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a different position of the head of the CNC machine.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a current position of a registration mark relative to a camera of the one or more cameras, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a different position of the registration mark relative to the camera of the one or more cameras.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a current alignment of one or more rails of the CNC machine, and wherein the expected condition of the interior portion of the CNC machine comprises a different alignment of the one or more rails of the CNC machine.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to generate the command that, when executed by the CNC machine, prevents the CNC machine from delivering the electromagnetic energy to the material disposed within the interior portion of the CNC machine comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to generate a command that, when executed by the CNC machine, causes the CNC machine to turn off a laser of the CNC machine.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the computing system to generate the command that, when executed by the CNC machine, prevents the CNC machine from delivering the electromagnetic energy to the

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