Patents by Inventor Douglas Frank Hofmann

Douglas Frank Hofmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVELY PRINTING EXTENSION SEGMENTS ON WORKPIECES
    Publication number: 20230302725
    Abstract: A method for additively printing extension segments on workpieces using an additive manufacturing machine includes controlling, with a computing system, an operation of a print head of the machine such that a region of interest of a build plate of the machine is scanned with an electromagnetic radiation beam. Additionally, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, data associated with reflections of the beam off of the build plate as the region interest is scanned. Furthermore, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, data associated with a location of the beam relative to the build plate. Moreover, the method includes determining, with the computing system, a location of a workpiece interface based on the received data. In addition, the method includes controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the print head such that an extension segment is additively printed on the determined workpiece interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shi, Jinjie Shi, Joseph Edward Hampshire, Douglas Frank Hofmann, Pinghai Yang
  • System and method for additively printing extension segments on workpieces
    Patent number: 11691336
    Abstract: A method for additively printing extension segments on workpieces using an additive manufacturing machine includes controlling, with a computing system, an operation of a print head of the machine such that a region of interest of a build plate of the machine is scanned with an electromagnetic radiation beam. Additionally, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, data associated with reflections of the beam off of the build plate as the region interest is scanned. Furthermore, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, data associated with a location of the beam relative to the build plate. Moreover, the method includes determining, with the computing system, a location of a workpiece interface based on the received data. In addition, the method includes controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the print head such that an extension segment is additively printed on the determined workpiece interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shi, Jinjie Shi, Joseph Edward Hampshire, Douglas Frank Hofmann, Pinghai Yang
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVELY PRINTING EXTENSION SEGMENTS ON WORKPIECES
    Publication number: 20220143907
    Abstract: A method for additively printing extension segments on workpieces using an additive manufacturing machine includes controlling, with a computing system, an operation of a print head of the machine such that a region of interest of a build plate of the machine is scanned with an electromagnetic radiation beam. Additionally, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, data associated with reflections of the beam off of the build plate as the region interest is scanned. Furthermore, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, data associated with a location of the beam relative to the build plate. Moreover, the method includes determining, with the computing system, a location of a workpiece interface based on the received data. In addition, the method includes controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the print head such that an extension segment is additively printed on the determined workpiece interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shi, Jinjie Shi, Joseph Edward Hampshire, Douglas Frank Hofmann, Pinghai Yang