Method and systems for incorporating advertisements in objects printed on three-dimensional printers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830536-B2
Application number	US-201414455431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable advertisements (e.g., promotions, signs, logos, samples, etc.) to be part of the 3-D printing process. In an embodiment, advertisements (i.e., “ads”), such as partial product samples, may be 3-D printed prior to 3-D printing a purchased 3-D printable good. In another embodiment, ads may be 3-D printed on a 3-D printable good itself (e.g., embossed, impressed, as a tag, etc.). In a further embodiment, users may select the ads to be 3-D printed on their goods in return for compensation from advertisers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for three-dimensional (3-D) printing, comprising:
receiving, by a server, an indication of a 3-D design for a first 3-D printable product to be printed on a 3-D printer of a user;
selecting, by the server, a 3-D ad for a second 3-D printable product to be printed on the 3-D printer in addition to the 3-D design for the first 3-D printable product, wherein the 3-D ad is a portion of the second 3-D printable product;
generating, by the server, a 3-D printable data model for the 3-D design and the 3-D ad;
sending, by the server, the 3-D printable data model to the 3-D printer;
receiving, by the server, a request for raw material to print the second 3-D printable product;
determining, by the server, whether the portion of the second 3-D printable product was previously printed on the 3-D printer of the user;
determining, by the server, whether the portion of the second 3-D printable product is capable of being fused with a remaining portion of the second 3-D printable product in response to determining that the portion of the second 3-D printable product was previously printed; and
sending, by the server, an indication that less than a full amount of the raw material for printing the remaining portion is needed to complete printing of the second 3-D printable product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, at the server, a 3-D ad comprises:
determining, at the server, ad requirements based on the 3-D design;
determining, at the server, user ad restrictions based on information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer; and
selecting, at the server, a 3-D ad that meets the ad requirements and user ad restrictions.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer include one or more of a user preference, a user printing history, a 3-D printer capability, and a 3-D printing supply level.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer is stored in a database maintained in the server.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer transmitted to the server by the 3-D printer of a user as metadata associated with the indication of the 3-D design to be printed on the 3-D printer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the server, an indication of a 3-D ad print completion; and
transferring from an advertiser account to a user account an ad payment for the 3-D ad in response to receiving the indication of the 3-D ad print completion.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, at the server, a 3-D ad comprises:
determining, at the server, ad requirements based on the 3-D design;
determining, at the server, user ad restrictions based on information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer;
selecting, at the server, possible 3-D ads that meet the ad requirements and user ad restrictions;
generating, at the server, renderings of the 3-D design and all the selected 3-D ads;
determining, at the server, ad characteristics associated with the generated renderings;
sending, from the server to a 3-D printer system processor, the generated renderings and determined ad characteristics; and
receiving, at the server, an indication of a user selected rendering of one of the generated renderings;
generating, at the server, a 3-D printable data model for the 3-D design and the 3-D ad comprises generating, at the server, a 3-D printable data model for the 3-D design and the 3-D ad associated with the user selected rendering.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the ad characteristics are ad payment amounts and advertiser credibility ratings.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second 3-D printable product is related to the first 3-D printable product.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the second 3-D printable product is a cross section of the second 3-D printable product.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3-D printable data model is configured to print the 3-D ad before completing the printing of the 3-D design.

12. A server, comprising:
a network interface; and
a processor connected to the network interface, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, an indication of a 3-D design for a first 3-D printable product to be printed on a 3-D printer of a user;
selecting a 3-D ad for a second 3-D printable product to be printed on the 3-D printer in addition to 3-D design for the first 3-D printable product, where the 3-D ad is a portion of the second 3-D printable product;
generating a 3-D printable data model for the 3-D design and the 3-D ad;
sending the 3-D printable data model to the 3-D printer via the network interface;
receiving a request for raw material to print the second 3-D printable product;
determining whether the portion of the second 3-D printable product was previously printed on the 3-D printer of the user;
determining whether the portion of the second 3-D printable product is capable of being fused with a remaining portion of the second 3-D printable product in response to determining that the portion of the second 3-D printable product was previously printed; and
sending an indication that less than a full amount of the raw material for printing the remaining portion is needed to complete printing of the second 3-D printable product.

13. The server of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations such that selecting a 3-D ad comprises:
determining ad requirements based on the 3-D design;
determining user ad restrictions based on information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer; and
selecting a 3-D ad that meets the ad requirements and user ad restrictions.

14. The server of claim 13 , wherein:
information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer include one or more of a user preference, a user printing history, a 3-D printer capability, and a 3-D printing supply level.

15. The server of claim 13 , wherein the information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer is stored in a database maintained in the server.

16. The server of claim 13 , wherein the information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer transmitted to the server by the 3-D printer of a user as metadata associated with the indication of the 3-D design to be printed on the 3-D printer.

17. The server of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
receiving an indication of a 3-D ad print completion via the network interface; and
transferring from an advertiser account to a user account an ad payment for the 3-D ad in response to receiving the indication of the 3-D ad print completion.

18. The server of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations such that selecting a 3-D ad comprises:
determining ad requirements based on the 3-D design;
determining user ad restrictions based on information regarding the user and the user's 3-D printer;
selecting possible 3-D ads that meet the ad requirements and user ad restrictions;
generating renderings of the 3-D design and all the selected 3-D ads;
determining ad characteristics associated with the generated renderings;
sending to a 3-D printer system processor via the network interface the generated renderings and determined ad charact

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ganesh Shriram
• Menendez Jose Roberto

Classifications

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G06Q30/0241 Primary

  Advertisements · CPC title

• B29C64/10

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G06T19/20

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• B29C67/0051

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic