IP Library Granted Patent US 12,722,344
Granted Patent B2
US 12,722,344 · App. 18/657,845 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Information processing apparatus and three-dimensional shaping system

Inventors: Akihiko Tsunoya (Okaya, JP); Takayuki Yokoyama (Matsumoto, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
B29C64/393B29C64/209B29C64/236B33Y30/00B33Y50/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,722,344
App. No.
18/657,845
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information processing apparatus for generating three-dimensional shaping data includes: a generation unit configured to generate, based on shaping path information indicating a shaping path of a first slice layer among a plurality of slice layers, the three-dimensional shaping data including execution command information indicating a command to be executed at each position on the shaping path; an acquisition unit configured to acquire first line segment length information indicating a length of a first line segment among line segments included in the shaping path, second line segment length information indicating a length of a second line segment different from the first line segment among the line segments included in the shaping path, first line segment direction information indicating a direction in which the first line segment extends, and second line segment direction information indicating a direction in which the second line segment extends; and a change unit configured to change the execution command information based on the first line segment length information, the second line segment length information, the first line segment direction information, and the second line segment direction information.

Claims (35)

1 . An information processing apparatus for generating three-dimensional shaping data for causing a three-dimensional shaping apparatus to stack a plurality of slice layers as a three-dimensional shaped object having a predetermined shape, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a program; and

a processor configured to execute the program so as to:

generate, based on shaping path information indicating a shaping path of a first slice layer among the plurality of slice layers, the three-dimensional shaping data including execution command information indicating a command to be executed at each position on the shaping path;

acquire:

first line segment length information indicating a length of a first line segment among line segments included in the shaping path;

first line segment direction information indicating a direction in which the first line segment extends;

second line segment length information indicating a length of a second line segment continuously extending from the first line segment among the line segments included in the shaping path;

second line segment direction information indicating a direction in which the second line segment extends; and

line segment angle information indicating an angle between the first and second line segments;

determine whether the angle of the line segment information exceeds a predetermined angle to generate a first determination result;

determine whether each of the length of the first line segment and the length of the second line segment exceeds a predetermined length to generate a second determination result;

change the execution command information by adding another command therein to generate changed execution command information; and

send the changed execution command information to the three- dimensional shaping apparatus by which the three-dimensional shaped object is formed,

wherein the another command relates to controlling a first motor that is configured to change a flow rate of a shaping material supplied to a nozzle based on the first and second determination results.

2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to generate the shaping path information based on slice layer information indicating the first slice layer.

3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor is further configured to generate the slice layer information based on shape information indicating a shape of the three-dimensional shaped object.

4 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is further configured to:

acquire, based on the execution command information, first line segment end point information indicating an end point of the first line segment, second line segment start point information indicating a start point of the second line segment, and movement speed information indicating a movement speed of a nozzle moved by the three-dimensional shaping apparatus along the shaping path indicated by the shaping path information, and

change the execution command information based on the first line segment length information, the second line segment length information, the first line segment direction information, the second line segment direction information, the first line segment end point information, the second line segment start point information, and the movement speed information.

5 . A three-dimensional shaping system comprising:

the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

the three-dimensional shaping apparatus.

6 . The three-dimensional shaping system according to claim 5 , wherein

the three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes

a stage configured to allow the three-dimensional shaped object to be shaped,

a nozzle configured to dispense a shaping material onto the stage,

the first motor configured to control the flow rate of the shaping material supplied to the nozzle,

a second motor configured to change a relative position between the stage and the nozzle,

another processor configured to control each of the first motor and the second motor based on the execution command information, and

another memory configured to store the three-dimensional shaping data, and

the another processor is configured to drive the first motor at a first rotation speed when the shaping material is dispensed from the nozzle along a straight line having a length equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and drive the first motor at a second rotation speed less than the first rotation speed when the shaping material is dispensed from the nozzle along a straight line having a length less than the predetermined value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2024
From: TSUNOYA, AKIHIKO; YOKOYAMA, TAKAYUKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067342/0932 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-077086 · May 9, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240375355A1 · Nov 14, 2024
References Cited (12)
US 20170266884A1 · Maeda · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180068774A1 · Wang · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180071986A1 · Buller · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190125681A1 · Albed Alhnan · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190283320A1 · Mizukami et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016536178A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017165041A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019155833A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020011474A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015042422A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019236493A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
Shin (2016 IEEE), An Effective Data Structure for a 3D Printing Slicer API Hwa Seon Shin (Year: 2016). [cited by examiner]