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US 2019/0155550 A1Published application
Networked three-dimensional printing
AssigneeMakerBot Industries, LLC
InventorNathaniel B. Pettis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Three-dimensional fabrication resources are improved by adding networking capabilities to three-dimensional printers and providing a variety of tools for networked use of three-dimensional printers. Web-based servers or the like can provide a single point of access for remote users to manage access to distributed content on one hand, and to manage use of distributed fabrication resources on the other.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a print server coupled through a data network to a plurality of three-dimensional printers, the print server configured to receive status information from each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers and to manage a print queue for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers;
- and
- a database coupled in a communicating relationship with the print server and configured to store print queue data, status information, and a printer location for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers, wherein the stored print queue data and status information are used by the print server to manage the print queue,
- wherein the print server is configured to receive a print request from a mobile system remote from the plurality of three-dimensional printers, to determine a physical location of the mobile system, to conditionally authorize execution of the print request based on a proximity of the physical location of the mobile system to a predetermined location, and to transmit the print request to one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers remote from the mobile system for fabrication.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a three-dimensional printer including a network interface, the three-dimensional printer configured to receive a request to execute a print job from a mobile system of a user remote from the three-dimensional printer through the network interface;
- and
- a processor on a print server accessible through a data network by the mobile system and the three-dimensional printer, the processor configured to control the three-dimensional printer and to manage a print queue based upon print queue data and status information for the three-dimensional printer, the processor further configured to receive the print job from the mobile system, to determine a physical location of the mobile system, to conditionally authorize execution of the print request based on a proximity of the physical location of the mobile system to a predetermined location, and to transmit the print request to one of a plurality of three-dimensional printers remote from the mobile system for fabrication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.