3-d Product Design (e.g., Solid Modeling) Patents (Class 700/98)
  • Patent number: 10624717
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for treating teeth to correct for malocclusions. This may be accomplished by applying a series of labels to a digital dental model and applying a rolling ball process to identify tooth boundaries separating one tooth from a neighboring tooth and to also determine the crown/gum margin. The user may further assign regions to the dental model to indicate hard regions and soft regions. With the dental model labeled and defined, the user may then generate a treatment plan for moving the labeled and defined tooth or teeth relative to one another to correct for any malocclusions. Upon approval of the treatment plan, a series of 3D printed dental appliances or aligners to be worn in series by the patient may be fabricated to ultimately move the tooth or teeth to a desired position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: uLab Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Patent number: 10611087
    Abstract: A method of operating a Continuous Liquid Interface Printing (CLIP) printer can include receiving a set of objectives for fabrication of an object using a CLIP printer and determining an orientation for fabrication of the object based on fulfillment of the set of objectives by simulated fabrication of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy Goldman, Craig B. Carlson, Abhishek Parmar
  • Patent number: 10613496
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating designs of objects for additive manufacturing (AM) include a topological optimization framework that facilitates optimized computer generated designs requiring significantly reduced support structures. Towards this end, the concept of ‘support structure topological sensitivity’ is introduced. This is combined with performance sensitivity to result in a TO framework that maximizes performance, subject to support structure constraints. The robustness and efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated through numerical experiments, and validated through fused deposition modeling, a popular AM process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Krishnan Suresh, Amirmassoud Mirzendehdel
  • Patent number: 10579039
    Abstract: Physical tools for trimming operations in forming of a sheet-metal part are set up based on numerically-simulated structural behaviors. FEA model representing a stamped sheet metal before trimming and a trimming operation setup are received. Each trim-steel contains a set of cutting-edge nodes associated with trim vector. At least one trim line is established by projecting cutting-edge nodes onto the FEA model according to the trim vector. Numerically-constrained node-pairs along the trim line are created at intersections with edges of crossed finite elements. FEA model is modified by splitting the crossed finite elements to preserve original geometry and to ensure numerical stability. New finite elements are defined using one of the nodes in corresponding node-pairs such that no finite element straddles the trim line. At each solution cycle of a time-marching simulation of trimming operations, simulated structural behaviors are obtained as the scrap portion(s) deforms and falls accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Inventors: Xinhai Zhu, Li Zhang
  • Patent number: 10571893
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided, in which an input module receives a model file, configuration(s) and cost parameters, and a processing unit selects and updates orientation sets for the model, and calculates the received cost parameters for pairs of orientation and configuration. Systems and methods further calculate for each orientation, a cost function value by weighting the calculated cost parameters according to the configuration(s) and display the calculated cost function values for the orientations on a respective sphere in a user interface. The sphere may be colored according to the cost function values, the orientation set may be enhanced and costs may be recalculated according to the cost function, and various information and statistics may be presented on the sphere. Finally, a selected orientation may be used to define the printing configuration and parameters and be used to provide a 3DP file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ASSEMBRIX LTD.
    Inventors: Dan Halperin, Eric Berberich
  • Patent number: 10561345
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for determining a center of rotation of a bone, comprising the steps of: a) acquiring image data representing a plurality of images taken by a camera while the bone is being rotated about the center of rotation, wherein the images show a marker device attached to the bone; b) forming a plurality of image pairs from the image data, wherein each image pair comprises two different images; c) determining a first relative position of the marker device relative to the camera from a first image of an image pair; d) determining a second relative position of the marker device relative to the camera from a second image of the same image pair; e) calculating a transformation of the first relative position into the second relative position; f) repeating steps c) to e) for all image pairs to obtain a plurality of transformations; and calculating the location of the center of rotation of the bone relative to the marker device from the plurality of transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: BRAINLAB AG
    Inventors: Christian Brack, Mario Schubert
  • Patent number: 10552549
    Abstract: A method for virtually designing the attachment of a manufactured dental model of a patient's set of teeth in a physical dental articulator by one or more kinds of spacer elements, where the method includes obtaining a virtual 3D dental model, providing a virtual dental articulator, where the height of the dental model is the height of an upper part and the height of a lower part of the dental model; providing one or more kinds of virtual spacer elements with predetermined heights, determining a manufacture height of the dental model and determining the number of each of the kinds of spacer elements to be used for the attachment of the manufactured dental model in the physical articulator, such that the manufacture height of the dental model and the total effective spacer element height, equals the articulator height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: 3Shape A/S
    Inventors: Rune Fisker, Sven Nonboe
  • Patent number: 10535182
    Abstract: A system, devices and methods to reduce the volume of data required to represent three-dimensional smooth cylindrical curves and to ray-trace these three-dimensional smooth cylindrical curves using a set of geometric primitives which have implicit curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Inventors: Marsel Khadiyev, Nikolay Shtinkov
  • Patent number: 10525629
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system comprising a process distortion compensation computing system configured to determine a digital nominal model that represents a physical target object excluding a distortion, and a digital distortion model that represents the physical target object including at least one distortion. The AM system further comprises an AM peripheral device configured to form a three-dimensional physical object based on a digital compensation model. The process distortion compensation computing system determines a material volume difference between the digital nominal model and the digital distortion model, and generates the digital compensation model that compensates for the material volume difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Qingqing Zhang, Yanzhi Chen, Ranadip Acharya, Tahany Ibrahim El-Wardany, Vijay Narayan Jagdale, Changle Li, Colette Opsahl Fennessy
  • Patent number: 10528031
    Abstract: A system and method for remote manufacturing of medical devices are provided. The system can be installed at a facility (e.g., at a hospital or other medical facility), and includes a remote manufacturing unit (RMU) that allows for customized, rapid fabrication of medical devices at the medical facility using suitable manufacturing techniques such as three-dimensional (3D) printing, additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, etc. The RMU can communicate with a computer system which presents a healthcare professional with a digital catalog of medical products, and allows the healthcare professional to select and customize a desired device to be manufactured at the facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventors: Mukesh Kumar, Jacy C. Hoeppner, Konstantin Caploon
  • Patent number: 10503149
    Abstract: A method for generating a computer-based united cellular lattice structure includes dividing a part volume into a number of adjacent subvolumes each having a side combination corresponding to a number and orientation of adjoining sides and non-adjoining sides. A modified lattice cell may be generated from a base lattice cell for each side combination of the subvolumes such that each modified lattice cell has face surfaces on faces thereof corresponding to non-adjoining sides and does not have face surfaces on faces thereof corresponding to adjoining sides. Copies of the modified lattice cells may then be generated and inserted into corresponding subvolumes such that the faces of the modified lattice cell copies having face surfaces are positioned along non-adjoining sides of the subvolumes and faces of the modified lattice cell copies not having face surfaces are positioned along adjoining sides of the subvolumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory John Vernon
  • Patent number: 10500834
    Abstract: The cost required to shape a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is suppressed. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus for shaping a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object by irradiating a powder with a high-energy beam includes a laminating and shaping data acquirer that acquires laminating and shaping data to be used for laminating and shaping of the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object, an attribute information acquirer that acquires attribute information of the powder to be used for laminating and shaping of the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object, a model generator that generates, based on the laminating and shaping data and the attribute information, a circuit pattern model for removing electrons from the powder electrically charged by irradiation with the high-energy beam, and a circuit pattern shaping unit that shapes a circuit pattern based on the generated circuit pattern model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventor: Tetsuyoshi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10496786
    Abstract: A method for generating an orthotic device is disclosed. The method includes receiving data from a client device of a patient, the data comprising patient information and image data representative of a body part of the patient. The method further includes generating, based on the image data, three-dimensional model data representative of the body part, and generating parametric CAD model data of the orthotic device based on the three-dimensional model data and the patient information. The parametric CAD model data is transmitted to a three-dimensional printer, wherein the three-dimensional printer is to generate the orthotic device based on the parametric CAD model data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Aetrex Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Kegan Leann Schouwenburg, Nathan Ghabour, Alexander Crosby
  • Patent number: 10470846
    Abstract: A processing device receives an intraoral image of a first intraoral site. The processing device selects a portion of the intraoral image that depicts a portion of the first intraoral site. The processing device locks at least the portion of the intraoral image. The processing device may then generate a model comprising the first intraoral site based at least in part on the locked intraoral image, wherein the portion of the intraoral image is used for a first region of the model, and wherein data from one or more additional intraoral images that also depict the portion of the first intraoral site is not used for the first region of the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Michael Sabina
  • Patent number: 10475250
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for simulating one or more virtual objects (e.g., renders) based on characteristics of detected surfaces. Mask data may be generated which can be used to delineate borders depicted in a given image. The mask data can be refined based on a quantity of depicted image features (e.g., edges). The mask data can be used to generate one or more planes on which virtual items can be applied and rendered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Houzz, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyi Huang, John DeCorato, Yi Wu
  • Patent number: 10467359
    Abstract: Numerically-simulated physical behaviors of workpiece sheet metal during a metal forming process having a predefined load path is obtained based on received FEA mesh model and mesh adjustment criteria as follows: initializing current simulation time; determining current simulation period from current simulation time and next mesh adjustment time; using characteristic length to establish a 3-D mesh refinement zone that contains a space encompassing a corresponding section of the predefined load path for the current simulation period; updating the FEA mesh model by refining those finite elements located within the 3-D mesh refinement zone to a desired level and by coarsening certain finite elements outside of the zone according to mesh coarsening criterion; conducting corresponding portion of the time-marching simulation using the updated FEA mesh model for current simulation period until current simulation time reaches next mesh adjustment time; and repeating until current simulation time passes the total simu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Livermore Software Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Xinhai Zhu, Houfu Fan
  • Patent number: 10456979
    Abstract: A method (1) for optimizing a production process for a component (20, 32) that is to be manufactured by additive manufacturing by means of simulation (2) of the production process (50) includes: a) ascertaining a position of the component (20, 32) in a production space that has been optimized according to a process optimization criterion (7); b) calculating displacements and/or stresses in the component (20, 32) that can be caused by the production process (50); c) ascertaining supporting structures (31) that counteract the displacements and/or stresses that have been optimized according to the process optimization criterion (7); and d) ascertaining at least a portion of the design of the component (20, 32) that has been optimized according to a component optimization criterion (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dirk Hartmann, Philipp Emanuel Stelzig, Utz Wever, Roland Gersch
  • Patent number: 10449731
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional (3D) object includes a 3D printing head, for fabricating a first portion of the 3D object by forming a plurality of successive layers of a first material. The apparatus also includes a delivery head for fabricating a second portion of the 3D object by dispensing onto the first portion of the 3D object a plurality of layers of a continuous-fiber reinforced second material. Further, the delivery head includes comprising a roller for pressing the continuous-fiber reinforced second material into place during the dispensing thereof. A controller controls the 3D printing head and the delivery head to cooperatively form the 3D object, based on a dataset corresponding to a 3D object model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Magna International Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Deaville
  • Patent number: 10434007
    Abstract: A technique for fabricating a surgical splint for use in correcting a dental condition of a patient. The technique involves obtaining a three-dimensional digital model of lower and upper arch dentitions of the patient having the dental condition. Relative positions of the lower and upper arch dentitions are adjusted with respect to each other in the three-dimensional digital model using a computing device. An electronic model of a splint is generated based on the adjusted relative positions of the lower and upper arch dentitions. A splint is then generated in a physical form from the electronic model of the splint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Inventor: Bruce W. Hultgren
  • Patent number: 10433858
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a surgical instrument, comprising the steps of selection of a value for at least one parameter of the surgical instrument in a configuration program, automated generation of configuration data from the selected values by the configuration program, transfer of the configuration data to a 3D printer, and printing of the surgical instrument by means of a 3D printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: RZ-Medizintechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias Zubrod
  • Patent number: 10427379
    Abstract: The present invention provides a 3-D printed scaffold tailored to a particular hybrid composite material to receive the reinforcement components and support them during application of a secondary composite material. The printed scaffold may provide for retention features that locate and hold the reinforcement components in a variety of different configurations and may incorporate a microstructure having vacuum diffusion properties to assist in composite material lay-up. The invention contemplates either that the scaffold may be sacrificial (retained in hybrid composite) or constructed to permit disassembly and reuse. The 3D printed scaffold may also provide shapes or profile surfaces serving as layup forms that give shape to the woven fiber mat during assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Inventor: David E. Fly
  • Patent number: 10428667
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for machine finishing the shape of a blank casting for a multi-vane, in particular bi-vane, nozzle of a turbine engine, comprising a first vane and a second vane extending substantially in a radial direction between two walls that are radially inner and radially outer, respectively, the suction face of the first vane defining, together with the pressure face of the trailing edge of the second vane, a cross section of flow (SP), the method comprising measuring, by means of probing, the position of predefined points on said respectively radially inner and radially outer walls on the surface of the vanes and calculating the machining allowances (?1 and ?2 respectively) on the first and second vanes with respect to the theoretical profile at said points, wherein the method comprises calculating said cross section of flow (SP) from the height of the duct between said radially inner and radially outer walls, and values of the machining allowances (?1 and ?2), a correction o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Gabriela Mihaila, Christian Bariaud, Thibault Dalon, Florian Le Merdi
  • Patent number: 10421238
    Abstract: The hardware and software properties of a three-dimensional printer can be queried and applied to select suitable directly printable models for the printer, or to identify situations where a new machine-ready model must be generated. The properties may be any properties relevant to fabrication including, e.g., physical properties of the printer, printer firmware, user settings, hardware configurations, and so forth. A printer may respond to configuration queries with a dictionary of capabilities or properties, and this dictionary may be used to select suitable models, or determine when a new model must be created. Similarly, when a printable model is sent to the printer, metadata for the printable model may be compared to printer properties in the dictionary to ensure that the model can be fabricated by the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Alison N. Leonard, Joseph Sadusk
  • Patent number: 10417535
    Abstract: An infill apparatus and method for an output of a 3D printer, including a unit block generating part which slices a 3D model by using three planes orthogonal to each other to generate unit blocks; a unit block classifying part which classifies the unit blocks into boundary unit blocks and internal unit blocks according to positions thereof and classifies the boundary unit blocks into flat roof unit blocks and non-flat roof unit blocks according to whether or not a flat roof region is included; a combined block generating part which merges the internal unit blocks and generates a combined block; a flat roof point discriminating part which discriminates flat roof points in the combined block; a combined block dividing part which divides a part of the combined block including the flat roof points; and an infill shape determining part which determines a divided surface (or contact surface) of the combined block divided by the combined block dividing part as infill shape and outputs a printing material to the infi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignees: SINDOH CO., LTD, SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Ju Sung Lee, Kun Woo Lee, Hyung Jun Kim, Se Woong Yang
  • Patent number: 10401532
    Abstract: An imaging locating device includes a first locating apparatus, a position sensor, and an evaluation apparatus. The first locating apparatus is configured to detect locating data in relation to objects to be located. The objects are concealed under an examination surface. The position sensor is configured to detect position data of the locating device in relation to the examination surface. The evaluation apparatus is configured to determine a first at least two-dimensional map information items by assigning the locating data of a first category from the first locating apparatus to the position data. The evaluation data is further configured to determine at least one further at least two-dimensional map information item. The at least one further at least two-dimensional map information item differs from the first at least two-dimensional map information item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Sgarz, Jan-Michael Brosi, Tobias Zibold, Christian Amann, Sebastian Jackisch
  • Patent number: 10401827
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (15) and a method (V) for machining a tool (16) by removing material. The tool (16) is first of all measured in three dimensions using a measuring unit (17) and a three-dimensional virtual tool model (M) is produced therefrom. This virtual tool model (M) is compared with a reference contour (R) from a particular tool data record (WD). If a match was determined, a machining program (PR) assigned to the tool data record (WD) is selected and a desired contour (SK) is determined by fitting the reference contour (R) into the three-dimensional virtual tool model (M). The tool (16) can then be machined on the basis of this desired contour (SK).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Walter Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Wenke, Manfred Maier, Christoph Plüss
  • Patent number: 10391709
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to representation of a three-dimensional object are described. In an example, a converter for converting input object data representing a model of a three-dimensional object into a compressed form is provided. The converter comprises a data receiving module to receive data representing object properties of a three-dimensional object to be generated by additive manufacturing apparatus and a data identifying module to identify data representing a continuous region of the object with a common property specification. The converter further comprises a sub-region defining module to determine, within the data representing the continuous region, a set of contiguous sub-regions and an object data module to represent the continuous region as the set of sub-regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jan Morovic, Peter Morovic
  • Patent number: 10386828
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of optimizing a computerized model which relates etched feature profile on a semiconductor device to a set of independent input parameters via the use of a plurality of model parameters. The optimization methods may include modifying the model parameters so that an etch profile generated with the model is such that it reduces a metric indicative of the combined differences between experimental etch profiles resulting from experimental etch processes performed using different sets of values for sets of independent input parameters and computed etch profiles generated from the model and corresponding to the experimental etch profiles. Said metric may be calculated by projecting computed and corresponding experimental etch profiles onto a reduced-dimensional subspace used to calculate a difference between the profiles. Also disclosed herein are systems employing such optimized models, as well as methods of using such models to approximately determine the profile of an etched feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Mehmet Derya Tetiker, Saravanapriyan Sriraman, Andrew D. Bailey, III, Juline Shoeb, Alex Paterson, Richard A. Gottscho
  • Patent number: 10380793
    Abstract: A method can include receiving points representative of at least a portion of a surface of a multi-dimensional geobody; partitioning the points; computing smooth compactly supported basis functions based at least in part on differential surface areas associated with the partitioning of the points; approximating an indicator function for a body based at least in part on the computed basis functions; and, based at least in part on values of the approximated indicator function, generating a mesh that represents a surface of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Nader Salman
  • Patent number: 10366086
    Abstract: A method for sorting a group of managed devices includes querying a database of managed device with a sort query, such as an SQL query. The sort query captures an initial adjacency list in which managed devices are ordered, based on their respective parent device. Each of the managed devices is associated with a set of attributes. The initial adjacency list is sorted, e.g., using a depth-first search, based on at least one sorting criterion to generate a sorted adjacency list in which managed devices having a common parent device are reordered, based on respective attributes. The sorted adjacency list can be represented as a sorted directed graph, such as a directed tree. Modifications can be made to the sorted directed graph. A visualization of the sorted and optionally modified directed graph is output and/or a file is distributed to at least some of the managed devices, based thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Roberts Conlon, Timothy Luke Dioguardi, Kenneth B. Schleede, Yolanda R. Zhesnik
  • Patent number: 10359763
    Abstract: Using an analytical model, a problem related to a product is identified from a collection of report data, the product being a three dimensional (3D) solid having a shape and produced from a manufacturing process. The problem is correlated with a set of factors. The set of factors describes a circumstance in which a user performs an operation of the product. According to a weight assigned to the problem, the problem is selected for prototyping. Using a processor and a memory, the set of factors and the operation are simulated by using a modified design of the product. In response to the modified design solving the problem, a specification of the modified design is provided for 3D printing to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karl J. Cama, Norbert Herman, Shubhadip Ray
  • Patent number: 10354381
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing patient anatomy models with indications of model accuracy included with the model. Accuracy is determined, for example, by analyzing gradients at tissue boundaries or by analyzing tissue surface curvature in a three-dimensional anatomy model. The determined accuracy is graphically provided to an operator along with the patient model. The overlaid accuracy indications facilitate the operator's understanding of the model, for example by showing areas of the model that may deviate from the modeled patient's actual anatomy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventor: Yangqiu Hu
  • Patent number: 10338567
    Abstract: A fast and economical system and methods directed to low-fidelity fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) objects using 3D printing. The invention facilitates rapid prototyping by providing a wireframe structure in the form of the underlying design structure of a 3D model, which may be useful for a variety of reasons including to provide a prototype preview that may be used for design validation of a 3D model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Francois Guimbretiere, Sangha Im, Patrick Baudisch, Stefanie Müller, Serafima Gurevich, Lisa Pfisterer, Alexander Teibrich
  • Patent number: 10317555
    Abstract: A method of obtaining an equivalent tool model includes obtaining a set of known well data, in which the known well data includes sensor data measured by a logging tool and an actual dispersion response, and the logging tool has an actual tool size. The method also includes obtaining one or more well parameters from the known well data, and inputting the one or more well parameters and a model tool size into a rigid tool model. The method further includes obtaining an estimated dispersion response from the rigid tool model, and fitting the estimated dispersion response to the actual dispersion response by adjusting the model tool size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Li, Ruijia Wang, Arthur Cheng, Glenn Andrew Wilson, Chung Chang
  • Patent number: 10293548
    Abstract: A cross-sectional image generating apparatus includes a mask placer to place a mask on a first cross-sectional image such that a target pixel of the first cross-sectional image corresponds in position to a center pixel of the mask, a calculator to calculate a final value of a random variable for each of the pixels of the first cross-sectional image to be regarded as the target pixel corresponding in position to the center pixel, a colored pixel setter to set a printed pixel to be a colored pixel in accordance with the final value of the random variable calculated, a non-colored pixel setter to set the printed pixel or non-printed pixel to be a non-colored pixel in accordance with the final value of the random variable calculated, and a cross-sectional image generator to add color information to the colored pixel, and generates a second cross-sectional image representing the colored and non-colored pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10286646
    Abstract: A raft to support a three-dimensional object on a build platform of a three-dimensional printer can be fabricated with a controlled adhesion pattern to improve overall raft performance. For improved raft-to-build platform adhesion, an exterior portion around the perimeter of the raft may be fabricated with greater adhesion (per unit of surface area covered by the exterior portion) than an interior portion. This can be accomplished by varying the volume of build material, varying the printing height, or using different patterns of build material. At the same time, adhesion of the raft to a printed object built thereon can be controlled with a number of techniques such as using specific build patterns for the top layer of the raft or varying printing heights (e.g., z-axis position) between the top of the raft and the bottom of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Vincent Zappitello, Kevin C. Rand, Andrey V. Patrov, Justy E. Alicea, Gregory M. Studer
  • Patent number: 10279579
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object forming apparatus includes: a head unit; a curing unit; and a forming control unit. The determination unit determines a target voxel in which a dot is formed such that one or a plurality of pillars that extends in a predetermined direction is formed depending on a forming index value which is a value based on a probability that the dot is formed in the voxel on an inside of the three-dimensional object, and the number of pillars of the one or the plurality of pillars, which have a cross section of which a length in a first direction is greater than a length in a second direction crossing the first direction, is greater than the number of pillars, which have a cross section of which the length in the second direction is greater than the length in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 10279545
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for three-dimensional color printing, wherein at least a first printing material with a first printing material color and at least another printing material with another printing material color is used to construct a printing object (7), wherein an arrangement of the printing materials in a surface region and a near surface interior region of the printing object (7) is determined based on a desired color reproduction of the printing object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Franuhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Philipp Urban, Alan Brunton, Can Ates Arikan
  • Patent number: 10275204
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an input interface configured to receive first input information relating to a sharing content operation, a communication interface configured to receive second input information relating to the sharing content operation from at least one external electronic device, a memory configured to store at least one instruction relating to processing of the sharing content, and a processor electronically connected to the input interface, the communication interface, and the memory, where the processor, upon executing the least one instruction, is configured to determine collision occurrence possibility of the first input information and the second input information, and to apply a specified effect corresponding to the collision occurrence possibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Heon Kim, Jong Min Kim, Jae Hwan Lee, In Hyung Jung, Min Ho Kim, Jong Wu Baek, Cheong Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 10275929
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a two-dimensional image on a three-dimensional model composed of a polygonal mesh. The method comprises generating an adjacency structure for all triangles within the mesh, identifying a triangle within membrane containing the desired center point, calculating spatial distances between the three vertices and desired center checking each triangle edge to see if the distances show an intersection, if a collision is detected add the triangle to the list and iteratively processing all the triangles in the list calculate the spatial data of the single unknown vertex, check the two edges of the triangle to see if the calculated distances show an intersection, if an intersection occurs add this new triangle to the list; transforming into UV-coordinates; and applying the two-dimensional image to the three-dimensional model using the UV-coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: CREATIVE EDGE SOFTWARE LLC
    Inventors: Amy Jennings, Stuart Jennings
  • Patent number: 10258362
    Abstract: A method of forming a component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes accessing a file including a digital model representing the component. The component includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion includes a contact portion. The distal portion includes an ultrasonic blade. The contact portion is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the ultrasonic blade when the component is acoustically coupled to a complementary portion of an acoustic waveguide of the ultrasonic surgical instrument. The file is used to fabricate the component via an additive manufacturing process. Once the component has been fabricated, the distal portion is secured to a distal end of the complementary portion of the acoustic waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventor: Sean P. Conlon
  • Patent number: 10218509
    Abstract: When printing 3D objects designed by a particular designer, authentication information such as a serial number and a digital signature of the designer are inserted into a CAD file for printing the object. The authentication information is represented as physical structures in or on the 3D-printed object. The physical structures (e.g., pits, cavities of one or more shapes, etc.) can be detected by a scanner (e.g., an ultrasound or the like), and the detected authentication information can be transmitted to an authentication server that determines the authenticity of the 3D-printed object and transmits the authenticity determination to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald M. Pangrazio, III, Jonathan D. Levine, Reiner Eschbach, David R. Vandervort, Eugene S. Evanitsky
  • Patent number: 10204200
    Abstract: A microprocessor evaluation system evaluates a microprocessor circuit by using analysis-specific custom corners that are derived specifically for the analysis of interest. Circuit parameters specific to the analysis of interest are applied to a proposed design to derive the custom corners, which will trigger violations more accurately than corners selected using traditional methods. The custom corners could also be reused in between design phases to reduce redesign simulation time. Local process parameters could be taken into account using worst-case local parameter offsets to detect violations in a far more accurate manner than using generic guard-band budgets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sri Harsha Sattiraju
  • Patent number: 10201929
    Abstract: The strength of a bond between two adjacent layers of a three-dimensional print is weakened by initiating fabrication of a top layer at a height greater than the processing height for the print. This technique may be used in particular at the interface between a raft or other support and an object being fabricated, after which the printing process may return to a regular process height for additional layers used to fabricate the remainder of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Sadusk, Filipp Gelman
  • Patent number: 10192103
    Abstract: A system and method for performing facial recognition is described. In some implementations, the system and method identify points of a three-dimensional scan that are associated with occlusions, such as eyeglasses, to a face of a target subject and remove the identified points from the three-dimensional scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: StereoVision Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Raghavender Reddy Jillela, Trina D. Russ
  • Patent number: 10186079
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for joining meshes of primitives. The technique involves receiving a first mesh boundary and a second mesh boundary, removing a first surface associated with the first mesh boundary, and removing a second surface associated with the second mesh boundary. The technique further involves joining a first vertex associated with the first mesh boundary to a first plurality of vertices associated with the second mesh boundary to form a joined surface. Finally, the technique involves performing one or more mesh refinement passes on the joined surface to generate a refined mesh surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventor: Ryan Michael Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10180678
    Abstract: A method for an improved 3-D printing system and a system thereof is disclosed. The method is able to blur and sharpen pattern images, and the system is flexible in assembly in order to benefit the convenience of printing, the speed of printing, and the cost of hardware and manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
    Inventors: Chao-Shun Chen, Chang-Chun Chen, Ming-Fu Hsu
  • Patent number: 10181216
    Abstract: An example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can include obtaining a shape specification of the 3-D object. The example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can also include obtaining a material specification of the 3-D object. The example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can also include merging the shape specification and the material specification to create a voxel representation of the 3-D object, wherein each voxel in the voxel representation includes a plurality of data types. The example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can also include generating slice data from the voxel representation, wherein the slice data provides a higher resolution than that provided by the voxel representation using the plurality of data types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Jun Zeng, Pu Huang, Sebastia Cortes, Scott A. White, Gary J. Dispoto
  • Patent number: 10176291
    Abstract: Methods for product data management and corresponding systems and computer-readable mediums. A method includes receiving a CAD model in the data processing system, the CAD model a plurality of features and constraints, including optional constraints. The method includes receiving a user operation to manipulate a seed feature, and identifying a plurality of optional constraints corresponding to the user operation. The method includes sorting the optional constraints and applying a sorted optional constraint. The method includes performing the user operation according to the applied constraints to produce a modified CAD model and storing the modified CAD model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Charles Duncan Mattson, Douglas Joseph King, Michael John Gibbens
  • Patent number: 10162329
    Abstract: An automated method for generating toolpaths in double sided incremental forming (DSIF) operations is disclosed which uses a geometrically constructed map to build a structure of all the geometric features that is capable of tracking and forming the features in the correct order while simultaneously keeping track of the location of the virgin material. The aforementioned method allows toolpaths for complex geometries in the DSIF process to be generated automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Ebot E. Ndip-Agbor, Jian Cao