# US 10,311,381 B2 · Tool and method for conductive trace generation in a 3D model for a hybrid electro-mechanical 3D printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,311,381 B2 - Document ID: US10311381B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/968,283 - Filed: 2015-12-14 - Published: 2016-06-16 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-12 - Assignees: Autodesk, Inc. - Applicants: Autodesk, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan Michael Schmidt; Daniel Matthew Taub; Baoxuan Xu; Karl Willis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311381B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - G05B 19/4099: Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing - G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD] - G06F 30/39: Circuit design at the physical level (physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347) - H05K 1/18: structurally associated with non-printed electric components (H05K1/16 takes precedence) - G05B 2219/35134: 3-D cad-cam - G05B 2219/49007: Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface - G06F 2113/10: Additive manufacturing, e.g. three-dimensional [3D] printing - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for combining electronic circuitry with mechanical structures using a design tool to build hybrid electro-mechanical three-dimensional circuits for 3D printed devices. In some implementations, the design tool facilitates creation and placement of components and traces, and print preparation for additive manufacturing systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a user interface device; and one or more computers operable to interact with the user interface device and programmed with a design tool configured to combine electronic circuitry with mechanical structures for use with designing hybrid electro-mechanical three-dimensional circuits for 3D printed devices; wherein the design tool is configured to facilitate creation and placement of components and traces, and print preparation for additive manufacturing systems, including auto-routing of a trace path to maximize portions of the trace that lie in the same 3D-printing slices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the design tool is configured to enable a user to create a trace in a three dimensional model by freehand drawing or by clicking on control maps. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the design tool is configured to position and orientate electronic components in relation to the three dimensional model using ray casting. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the design tool is configured to create the trace on a surface of the three dimensional model, or aligned to a given slice plane within the three dimensional model, using interpolation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the design tool is configured to orient traces or components to a user defined grid of planes, and wherein the electronic circuitry is formed using silver ink and where in the mechanical structures are formed using plastic. ### Claim 6 A method comprising: providing, using a computing device, a design tool comprising a database of components for placement in a model; receiving, using the computing device, user input comprising a selection of one or more of the components from the database and one or more corresponding locations for placement of the one or more components in the model; placing one or more electrical traces in the model, including aligning the one or more electrical traces to a user defined slice plane within the model; and storing a geometry of the model, wherein the stored geometry comprises structural components, electrically conductive components, and electrical traces. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the user input comprises a selection of two or more of the components from the database, and wherein placing one or more electrical traces comprises receiving, using the computing device, user input placing the one or more electrical traces to connect the two or more components. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein placing one or more electrical traces comprises: receiving two or more control points; and mapping a trajectory for the one or more traces to the user adjustable slice plane within the model based on the two or more control points. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising interpolating the trajectory based on the received two or more control points. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein placing one or more electrical traces comprises automatically placing, using the computing device, one or more electrical traces to connect two or more components. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein each electrical trace is automatically placed after a user selects two components from the selected two or more components. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising, after automatically placing a first electrical trace, receiving a user input to re-shape the first electrical trace. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the user defined slice plane is a first slice plane, the method further comprising receiving user input defining a second slice plane, and wherein placing one or more electrical traces comprises constraining at least one electrical trace based on the first slice plane and the second slice plane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein each electrical trace is discretized into a discrete series of layers for the stored geometry, and anti-aliasing is used for each electrical trace. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving user input that sets an orientation of a normal direction of the user defined slice plane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the orientation of the normal direction is changed from a usual orientation along a z dimension of a three dimensional printer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising, wherein where two consecutive trace slices are on different slice planes, re-positioning the two consecutive trace slices to maintain electrical contact between the two consecutive trace slices. ### Claim 18 A method comprising: providing, using a computing device, a design tool comprising a database of components for placement in a model; receiving, using the computing device, user input comprising a selection of one or more of the components from the database and one or more corresponding locations for placement of the one or more components in the model; placing electrical traces in the model, including dynamically adjusting an amount of overlap between two consecutive trace slices based on material and fabrication properties; and storing a geometry of the model, wherein the stored geometry comprises structural components, electrically conductive components, and electrical traces. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising storing electrical characteristics of each of the selected one or more components. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising storing meta data relating to the physical appearance of each of the selected one or more components. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: determining an orientation of a first component among the selected one or more components; and changing the orientation of a second component among the selected one or more components based on the determined orientation of the first component. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising, in response to changing the orientation of the second component, automatically changing a layout of at least one of the electrical traces in the model. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein automatically changing a layout comprises optimizing for electromagnetic characteristics. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the selected one or more of the components from the database are automatically orientated on the model based on a surface of the model.