Three dimensional printing apparatus and method for detecting printing anomaly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632037-B2
Application number	US-201414287207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	Apr 18, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A three dimensional printing apparatus and method for detecting printing anomaly are provided. The method is adapted to the three dimensional printing apparatus including an image sensor module and a movable platform. The three dimensional printing apparatus forms a plurality of layer objects on the movable platform according to three dimensional model information so as to build a three dimensional object including the layer objects. The method for detecting printing anomaly includes following steps. At least one object image is captured according to at least one view angle by using the image sensor module. At least one checking image associated with the layer objects is obtained according to the three dimensional model information and the view angle. Whether the object image and the checking image are matched to each other or not is determined through comparing the object image and the checking image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:
a movable platform, comprising a carrying surface;
a printing unit, disposed above the movable platform and forming at least one layer object on the carrying surface based on a three-dimensional model information;
an image sensor module, disposed above the movable platform to capture an object image of the at least one layer object in a capturing direction; and
a control unit, coupled with the printing unit and the image sensor module, wherein the control unit determines a checking image based on the three-dimensional model information and the capturing direction and compares the object image with the checking image,
wherein the operation that the control unit compares the object image with the checking image comprises: comparing profile information of the object image with profile information of the checking image.

2. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the object image does not match the checking image, the control unit determines the three-dimensional object is anomalous and issues a warning.

3. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the object image does not match the checking image, the control unit determines that the three-dimensional object is anomalous and terminates a printing process.

4. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the capturing direction is perpendicular to the carrying surface.

5. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein when the printing unit forms the at least one layer object on the carrying surface based on the three-dimensional model information, the control unit coverts the three-dimensional model information to obtain a plurality of cross-sectional views of each of the layer object projected on the carrying surface, and the control unit stacks the cross-sectional views to determine the checking image.

6. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image sensor module is disposed at one side of the movable platform, the three-dimensional printing apparatus further comprises a screen, the screen is disposed at the other side of the movable platform opposite to the image sensor module, the capturing direction of the image sensor module is toward the screen, and the capturing direction is parallel to the carrying surface.

7. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the movable platform is disposed to rotate along a rotation axis.

8. The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the operation that the control unit compares the object image with the checking image further comprises: comparing an object position of the object image with an object position of the checking image.

9. A method for detecting a printing anomaly adapted for a three-dimensional printing apparatus comprising an image sensor module and a movable platform, wherein the three-dimensional printing apparatus forms a plurality of layer objects on a carrying surface of the movable platform based on three-dimensional model information to constitute a three-dimensional object comprising the layer objects, the method for detecting the printing anomaly comprising:
using the image sensor module to capture at least one object image of the three-dimensional object from at least one view angle;
obtaining at least one checking image associated with the layer objects based on the three-dimensional model information and the at least one view angle; and
determining whether the at least one object image match the at least one checking image by comparing the at least one object image and the at least one checking image,
wherein the step of determining whether the at least one object image match the at least one checking image by comparing the at least one object image and the at least one checking image comprises: comparing profile information of the object image with profile information of the checking image.

10. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
determining the three-dimensional object is anomalous and issuing a warning, when the at least one object image does not match the at least one checking image.

11. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the image sensor module captures the at least one object image toward the carrying surface along an axial direction, and the axial direction is perpendicular to the carrying surface.

12. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the step of obtaining the at least one checking image associated with the layer objects based on the three-dimensional model information and the at least one view angle comprises:
converting the three-dimensional model information to obtain a plurality of cross-sectional views of each of the layer objects projected on the carrying surface; and
stacking the cross-sectional views to obtain the at least one checking image corresponding to the at least one view angle.

13. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the image sensor module is disposed at one side of the movable platform, the three-dimensional printing apparatus further comprises a screen disposed at the other side of the movable platform opposite to the image sensor module, and the image sensor module captures the at least one object image toward the screen in a capturing direction, the capturing direction being parallel to the carrying surface.

14. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the movable platform is configured to rotate along a rotation axis, the at least one view angle comprises a first view angle and a second view angle, and the step of using the image sensor module to capture the at least one object image of the three-dimensional object from the at least one view angle comprises:
controlling the movable platform to rotate, so as to use the image sensor module to capture a first object image and a second object image of the at least one object image of the three-dimensional object from the first view angle and the second view angle.

15. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the step of obtaining the at least one checking image associated with the layer objects based on the three-dimensional model information and the at least one view angle comprises:
respectively converting the three-dimensional model information based on the first view angle and the second view angle, so as to obtain a plurality of first object width views of each of the layer objects from the first view angle and a plurality of second object width views of each of the layer objects from the second view angle; and
respectively combining the first object width views and the second object width views to obtain a first checking image and a second checking image of the at least one checking image.

16. The method for detecting the printing anomaly as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the step of determining whether the at least one object image matches the at least one checking image by comparing the at least one object image and the at least one checking image comprises:
comparing the first object image and the first checking image to determine whether the first object image from the first view angle matches the first checking image corresponding to the first view angle; and
comparing the second object image and the second checking image to determine whether t

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc
• Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Ltd

Inventors

• Chen peng-yang
• Lin Wen-Ten

Classifications

• G03G15/224

  Machines for forming tactile or three dimensional images by electrographic means, e.g. braille, 3d printing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• G01N21/8851 Primary

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• G05B19/4099 Primary

  Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B2219/49023

  3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder · CPC title