Sensing device capable of detecting hardness, mobile device having the same, and three-dimensional printing apparatus using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017217101-A1
Application number	US-201715414933-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensing device capable of detecting hardness includes a sensor array including a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors including a transmitter configured to emit a detection wave and a receiver configured to receive a reflected detection wave reflected by an object, the plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix form; and a controller configured to obtain image information and hardness information of each portion of the object from the reflected waves received by the plurality of sensors, and to form three-dimensional print data by mapping the image information and the hardness information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensing device capable of detecting hardness comprising:
a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix form; and a controller configured to obtain image information and hardness information of each portion of an object from reflected waves received by the plurality of sensors, and to form three-dimensional print data by mapping the image information and the hardness information.

2 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of sensors of the sensor array are arranged in a plane.

3 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of sensors of the sensor array are arranged in a hollow cylindrical shape.

4 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 3 , wherein
the sensor array further comprises a plurality of sensors provided to cover one end of the hollow cylindrical shape.

5 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of camera modules provided in the sensor array, each camera module comprising a camera, wherein the controller is configured to obtain color information of each portion of the object from one or more of the plurality of camera modules.

6 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 1 , wherein
the sensor array comprises a plurality of first sensors configured to emit a first detection wave, and a plurality of second sensors configured to emit a second detection wave different from the first detection wave.

7 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 6 , wherein
the first detection wave comprises a terahertz wave, and the second detection wave comprises an ultrasonic wave.

8 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 5 , wherein
the controller is configured to form the three-dimensional print data by mapping the image information, the hardness information, and the color information, and to store the three-dimensional print data.

9 . The sensing device capable of detecting hardness of claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of sensors is configured to emit a detection wave comprising one or more of a terahertz wave, a millimeter wave, and an ultrasonic wave.

10 . A mobile device comprising:
a camera module comprising a camera; a sensor array disposed adjacent to the camera module and comprising a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix form; and a controller configured to obtain image information and hardness information of each portion of an object from reflected waves received by the plurality of sensors, to obtain color information of each portion of the object from the camera module, and to form three-dimensional print data by mapping the image information, the hardness information, and the color information.

11 . The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein
the controller is configured to store the three-dimensional print data.

12 . The mobile device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a cylindrical sensor array detachably connected to the mobile device.

13 . The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein
the cylindrical sensor array comprises a plurality of camera modules.

14 . The mobile device of claim 10 , further comprising:
an ultrasonic sensor array unit comprising an ultrasonic sensor detachably connected to the mobile device.

15 . A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:
a receiver comprising receiving circuitry configured to receive three-dimensional print data from a sensing device capable of detecting hardness; a print controller configured to analyze the three-dimensional print data received by the receiver; a material mixing portion comprising a mixer configured to form a material corresponding to an analysis result of the print controller; and a print head configured to form a shape corresponding to the received three-dimensional print data using the material supplied from the material mixing portion, wherein the sensing device capable of detecting hardness comprises, a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix form; and a controller configured to obtain image information and hardness information of each portion of an object from reflected waves received by the plurality of sensors, and to form three-dimensional print data by mapping image information and hardness information.

16 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein
the material mixing portion comprises, a material selecting portion comprising at least one material container configured to supply a material having hardness corresponding to the analysis result of the print controller; a color selecting portion comprising at least one color pigment container configured to supply a pigment having a color corresponding to the analysis result of the print controller; and a mixing portion comprising a mixer configured to form a material having color and hardness corresponding to the analysis result of the print controller by mixing the material supplied from the material selecting portion and the pigment supplied from the color selecting portion.

17 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein
the material selecting portion includes a plurality of material cartridges accommodating materials having different hardness.

18 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein
the color selecting portion includes a plurality of pigment cartridges accommodating pigments having different colors.

19 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein
the receiver is configured to receive the three-dimensional print data from a cloud or a Web hard disk.

20 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein
the sensing device capable of detecting hardness is provided in a mobile device having a camera module comprising a camera, and wherein the receiver receives the three-dimensional print data from the mobile device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dong-Ki
• Lee Jei-Young
• Kim Young-Hwan
• Seo Min-Woo

Classifications

• G01N29/11

  by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves · CPC title

• G01N3/40

  Investigating hardness or rebound hardness · CPC title

• G01N2203/0658

  using acoustic or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title

• G01N2291/02827

  Elastic parameters, strength or force · CPC title

• G01N2203/0647

  Image analysis · CPC title