# US 10,500,790 B2 · Three-dimensional object substructures

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- Number: US 10,500,790 B2
- Document ID: US10500790B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/541,436
- Filed: 2015-01-30
- Published: 2018-01-04
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-30
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Peter Morovic; Jan Morovic; Jay S Gondek; Juan Manuel Garcia Reyero Vinas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500790B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- G05B 19/4099: Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
- H04N 1/405: Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels
- H04N 1/52: Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening
- G05B 2219/49023: 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder
- Y02P 80/40: Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- 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)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to substructures for 3D objects are described. In an example, a method for providing a three-dimensional halftone threshold matrix is described. The method may comprise receiving a substructure model representing a three-dimensional material structure and populating each location in the substructure model at which the structure exists with a halftone threshold value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A processing apparatus, comprising:
an interface to receive:
request information for a three-dimensional (3D) object to be generated, wherein the request information includes a size and shape of the 3D object to be generated; and
a substructure model for a 3D material structure, wherein substructure is a mesh-like structure having some physical space occupied by the material structure and some unoccupied, empty space;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that are executable to cause the processor to:
generate a rasterized representation of the substructure model for the 3D material structure, the rasterized representation comprising a plurality of parallel planes, each plane including a binary bitmap, wherein each value in the binary bitmap of each plane indicates either the unoccupied, empty space of the 3D material structure or a discrete location of the physical space where the 3D material structure exists;
populate each of the discrete locations of each of the plurality of parallel planes where the 3D material structure exists with a halftone threshold to generate a 3D halftone threshold matrix;
apply the request information, including the size and shape, of the 3D object to the 3D halftone threshold matrix to generate control data, wherein the control data is for controlling a manufacturing of the 3D object; and
cause the 3D object to be generated based on the control data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, prior to generating the rasterization representation, the instructions are executable to cause the processor to scale the 3D material structure of the substructure model to the size of the 3D object to be generated.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the received request information further includes contour and resolution information for the 3D object to be generated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, to generate the rasterization representation of the substructure model, the instructions are executable to cause the processor to:
generate slices representing the parallel planes of the substructure model for the 3D material structure, wherein each slice relates to one of a plurality of layers of build material in an additive manufacturing system, and
rasterize each of the slices to generate the rasterization representation of the substructure model.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the slices uses x, y, and z coordinates, wherein the z-coordinate of the respective slice is common with the z-coordinates of other slices, and extends in the x and y dimensions.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a computing device, request information for a three-dimensional (3D) object to be generated, wherein the request information includes a size and shape of the 3D object to be generated;
receiving, by the processor, a substructure model for a 3D material structure, wherein substructure is a mesh-like structure having some physical space occupied by the material structure and some unoccupied, empty space;
generating, by the processor, a rasterized representation of the substructure model for the 3D material structure, the rasterized representation comprising a plurality of parallel planes, each plane including a binary bitmap, wherein each value in the binary bitmap of each plane indicates either the unoccupied, empty space of the 3D material structure or a discrete location of the physical space where the 3D material structure exists;
populating, by the processor, each of the discrete locations of each of the plurality of parallel planes where the 3D material structure exists with a halftone threshold to generate a 3D halftone threshold matrix;
applying, by the processor, the request information, including the size and shape, of the 3D object to the 3D halftone threshold matrix to generate control data, wherein the control data is for controlling a manufacturing of the 3D object; and
causing, by the processor, the 3D object to be generated based on the control data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, further comprising:
prior to generating the rasterization representation, scaling, by the processor, the 3D material structure of the substructure model to the size of the 3D object to be generated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein each plane of the parallel planes uses x, y, and z coordinates, wherein the z-coordinate of the respective plane is common with the z-coordinates of other planes, and extends in the x and y dimensions.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
receive request information for a three-dimensional (3D) object to be generated, wherein the request information includes a size and shape of the 3D object to be generated;
receive a substructure model for a 3D material structure, wherein substructure is a mesh-like structure having some physical space occupied by the material structure and some unoccupied, empty space;
generate a rasterized representation of the substructure model for the 3D material structure, the rasterized representation comprising a plurality of parallel planes, each plane including a binary bitmap, wherein each value in the binary bitmap of each plane indicates either the unoccupied, empty space of the 3D material structure or a discrete location of the physical space where the 3D material structure exists;
populate each of the discrete locations of each of the plurality of parallel planes where the 3D material structure exists with a halftone threshold to generate a 3D halftone threshold matrix;
apply the request information, including the size and shape, of the 3D object to the 3D halftone threshold matrix to generate control data, wherein the control data is for controlling a manufacturing of the 3D object; and
cause the 3D object to be generated based on the control data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein, prior to the generation of the rasterization representation, the instructions are executable to cause the processor to scale the 3D material structure of the substructure model to the size of the 3D object to be generated according to the request information.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the received request information further includes contour and resolution information for the 3D object to be generated.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein, to generate the rasterization representation of the substructure model, the instructions are executable to cause the processor to:
generate slices representing the parallel planes of the substructure model for the 3D material structure, wherein each slice relates to one of a plurality of layers of build material in an additive manufacturing system, and
rasterize each of the slices to generate the rasterization representation of the substructure model.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein each of the slices uses x, y, and z coordinates, wherein the z-coordinate of the respective slice is common with the z-coordinates of other slices, and extends in the x and y dimensions.