Signature and Entitlement of Three-Dimensional Printable Models

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019139178-A1
Application number	US-201815997583-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	May 9, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for signatures and entitlements of entertainment printables are provided. A method might include receiving, at a three-dimensional (“3-D”) printer, a request from a user to print a 3-D model and determining, with the 3-D printer, whether the user is authorized to print the 3-D model. The method might further include printing, with the 3-D printer, the 3-D model based on a determination that the user is authorized to print the 3-D model and embedding, with the 3-D printer, within the 3-D model, a unique identifier. The unique identifier may indicate that the user was authorized to print the 3-D model and identify at least one of an original creator of the 3-D model, the 3-D model itself, a limited edition of the 3-D model, or an owner of the 3-D model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a three-dimensional (“3-D”) printer, a request from a user to print a 3-D model; determining, with the 3-D printer, whether the user is authorized to print the 3-D model; based on a determination that the user is authorized to print the 3-D model, printing, with the 3-D printer, the 3-D model; and embedding, with the 3-D printer, within the 3-D model, a unique identifier.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier indicates that the user was authorized to print the 3-D model.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier identifies at least one of an original creator of the 3-D model, the 3-D model itself, a limited edition of the 3-D model, or an owner of the 3-D model.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is at least one of a serial number, a barcode, a QR code, a microdot, an alphanumeric string, a signature, a pattern, a 3-D pattern, a textured pattern, or a watermark.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is embedded on a surface of the 3-D model.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is embedded in a sub-surface of the 3-D model.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the unique identifier is covered by a transparent layer.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the unique identifier is covered by an opaque layer.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is at least one of a different color or a different material than the 3-D model.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is electrically conductive.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is an electronic identifier.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is located within code that describes the 3-D model to be printed.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the unique identifier is encrypted within the code that describes the 3-D model to be printed.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the unique identifier is decrypted and embedded on the 3-D model based on the determination that the user is authorized to print the 3-D model.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the 3-D printer receives the request from the user to print the 3-D model via a media player communicatively coupled to the 3-D printer.

16 . An apparatus comprising:
a three-dimensional (“3-D”) printer comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the 3-D printer to:
receive a request from a user to print a 3-D model;
determine whether the user is authorized to print the 3-D model;
based on a determination that the user is authorized to print the 3-D model, print the 3-D model; and
embed, within the 3-D model, a unique identifier.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the unique identifier identifies at least one of an original creator of the 3-D model, the 3-D model itself, a limited edition of the 3-D model, or an owner of the 3-D model.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the unique identifier is at least one of a serial number, a barcode, a QR code, a microdot, an alphanumeric string, a signature, a pattern, a 3-D pattern, a textured pattern, or a watermark.

19 . A system comprising:
a media player comprising:
at least one first processor; and
a first non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one first processor, the first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the media player to:
receive a request from a user to print a 3-D model; and
send the request from the user to a three-dimensional printer; and

the 3-D printer comprising:
at least one second processor; and
a second non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one second processor, the second non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the 3-D printer to:
receive the request from the media player to print the 3-D model;
determine whether the user is authorized to print the 3-D model;
based on a determination that the user is authorized to print the 3-D model, print the 3-D model; and
embed, within the 3-D model, a unique identifier.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the unique identifier is at least one of a serial number, a barcode, a QR code, a microdot, an alphanumeric string, a signature, a pattern, a 3-D pattern, a textured pattern, or a watermark.

Assignees

• Centurylink Ip Llc

Inventors

• Cook Charles I
• Casey Steven M
• Morrill Robert J

Classifications

• G06F3/1238

  Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs · CPC title

• G06F3/1292

  Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing · CPC title

• G06F3/1222

  Increasing security of the print job · CPC title

• G06F21/608

  Secure printing · CPC title

• G06F3/1268

  Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself · CPC title