Optimizing 3D printing using segmentation or aggregation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636871-B2
Application number	US-201313972731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2013
Priority date	Aug 21, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

3D printing may be optimized by segmenting input jobs and/or combining parts of input jobs together. In an embodiment, a user-defined metric is received associated with each input job and this is used in scheduling input jobs to optimize latency and/or throughput of the 3D printing process, along with the printing envelope and other characteristics of the 3D printers used. In various embodiments, the scheduling may comprise dividing a 3D object into a number of parts and then scheduling these parts separately and/or combining 3D objects, or parts of 3D objects, from various input jobs to be printed at the same time on the same 3D printer. In various embodiments, the scheduling is repeated when a new input job is received and changes made during printing. In various embodiments, a user may submit an updated version of an input job which is already in the process of being printed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a 3D printing system comprising one or more 3D printers, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of input jobs, each input job comprising data describing a 3D object, and a user-defined metric associated with each input job;
modifying the plurality of input jobs by scheduling the plurality of input jobs together to optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system based on a printing envelope of each of the 3D printers, characteristics of each of the 3D printers and the user-defined metric associated with each input job, the scheduling being further based on at least the user's schedule or availability of a material associated with the plurality of input jobs, the scheduling comprising dividing an input job into a plurality of sub-jobs, each sub job comprising data describing a part of the 3D object corresponding to the input job; and
causing at least one of the 3D printers to print the 3D object contained in the input job based on the modified plurality of input jobs.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein scheduling the plurality of input jobs further comprises scheduling the plurality of sub jobs to optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding connecting structures to each of the parts of the 3D object to enable assembly of the parts to form the entire 3D object.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting structures comprise hinge elements joining two of the parts together.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting structures comprise connectors.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding assembly labels to each of the parts of the 3D object.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined metric defines an area of interest within the 3D object of the input job and the method further comprises:
creating multiple sub-jobs, each sub job comprising data describing a variant of the area of interest within the 3D object.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined metric defines an area of interest within the 3D object of the input job and scheduling the one or more input jobs comprises:
modifying parts of the 3D object outside the area of interest to optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein scheduling the one or more input jobs comprises combining at least part of two or more input jobs into a single print job to be printed on a single printer at substantially the same time.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein scheduling the one or more input jobs comprises reorienting at least a part of an input job for printing.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising repeating the scheduling on receipt of a next input job and during printing of a previously received input job to further optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system based on the printing envelope of each of the 3D printers, the characteristics of each of the 3D printers and the user-defined metric associated with each input job.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining that the next input job is an updated version of the previously received input job, both the previously received input job and the updated version comprising data describing a 3D object; and
in response to determining that the next input job is an updated version of the previously received input job, determining that the updated version differs from the previously received input job only in relation to non-printed parts of the 3D object, and replacing the previously received input job with the updated version.

13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:
determining that the next input job is a new input job and will be printed with the previously received input job, the previously received job having already begun printing, both the previously received input job and the new input job comprising data describing a 3D object; and
instructing the at least one of the 3D printers to print support structures sufficient to support the new input job in addition to the previously received job while the previously received job is being printed.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one input job comprises a pre-tensioned or post-tensioned connector.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a graphical user interface arranged to receive a selection of:
a plurality of segmentation planes associated with an input job, the segmentation planes being optimized after selection; or
a segmentation strategy associated with the plurality of input jobs.

16. One or more computer storage media with device-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first input job for 3D printing, the input job comprising data describing a 3D object, and a user-defined metric associated with the input job;
scheduling the first input job to optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system based on a printing envelope of a 3D printer, characteristics of the 3D printer and the user-defined metric associated with the input job;
repeating the scheduling on receipt of a second input job and during printing of the first input job to further optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system based on a printing envelope of the 3D printer, characteristics of the 3D printer and the user-defined metric associated with the input job;
determining that the second input job is an updated version of the first input job, both the first input job and the second input job comprising data describing the 3D object;
in response to determining that the second input job is an updated version of the first input job,
determining that the second input job differs from the first input job only in relation to non-printed parts of the 3D object;
replacing the first input job with the second input job; and
causing the 3D printer to print the 3D object contained in the second input job.

17. A 3D printing system comprising a computing device connected to a 3D printer, the computing device comprising:
one or more processors;
an interface coupled to the one or more processors and arranged to output data to the 3D printer; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more memories including instructions which upon execution cause the computing device to:
receive a plurality of input jobs, each input job comprising data describing a 3D object, and a user-defined metric associated with each input job;
modify the plurality of input jobs by scheduling the plurality of input jobs together to optimize at least one of latency or throughput of the system based on a printing envelope of the 3D printer, characteristics of the 3D printer and the user-defined metric associated with each input job, the scheduling being further based on at least the user's schedule or a material associated with the plurality of input jobs, the scheduling comprising dividing an input job into a plurality of sub-jobs, each sub-job comprising data describing a part of the 3D object corresponding to the input job; and
cause the 3D printer to print the 3D object contained in the input job based on the modified plurality of input jobs.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein scheduling the plurality of input jobs further comprises scheduling the plurality of sub jobs to opt

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Butler David Alexander
• Villar Nicolas
• Scott James W
• Hodges Stephen E

Classifications

• G06F3/1211

  Improving printing performance · CPC title

• G06F3/1288

  in client-server-printer device configuration · CPC title

• G06F3/1262

  by grouping or ganging jobs · CPC title

• G06F3/1241

  Dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs · CPC title

• B29C67/0088 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic