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`PATENT
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`MBOT-0038-P04
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`AUTOMATED MODEL CUSTOMIZATION
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`RELATED APPLICATIONS
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`[0001] This application is a continuation of US. Pat. App. No. 13/962,793 filed
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`on August 8, 2013, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Prov. App. No. 61/680,989 filed on
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`August 8, 2012, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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`BACKGROUND
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`[0002] The proliferation of three-dimensional printers and other rapid prototyping
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`tools has placed substantial fabrication capabilities in the hands of consumers. However,
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`there remains a need for consumer-oriented applications of this hardware. In particular,
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`there remains a need for automated tools to simplify consumer-level design and
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`fabrication of three-dimensional objects.
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`SUMMARY
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`[0003] A variety of computer automated tools are disclosed to assist consumers
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`with using three-dimensional printers. Where a user also has access to a three-
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`dimensional scanner, the tools may also support automated modifications to scanned
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`subject matter.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
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`[0004] The invention and the following detailed description of certain
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`embodiments thereof may be understood by reference to the following figures:
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`[0005] Fig. l is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer.
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`[0006] Fig. 2 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment.
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`[0007] Fig. 3 shows a three-dimensional printer with a three-dimensional scanner.
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`[0008] Fig. 4 shows a system for creating customizable multipart models.
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`[0009] Fig. 5 shows a method for creating customizable multipart models.
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`[0010] Fig. 6 shows a method for part repair.
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`[0011] Fig. 7 shows a system for creating customizable models.
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`[0012] Fig. 8 shows a method for creating customizable models.
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`[0013] Fig. 9 shows a method for distributing project kits with printable parts and
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`tools.
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`[0014] Fig. 10 shows a kit.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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`[0015] All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated in their entirety
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`by reference. References to items in the singular should be understood to include items in
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`the plural, and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clear from the text.
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`Grammatical conjunctions are intended to express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive
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`combinations of conjoined clauses, sentences, words, and the like, unless otherwise stated
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`or clear from the context. Thus the term “or” should generally be understood to mean
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`“and/or” and so forth.
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`[0016] The following description emphasizes three-dimensional printers using
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`fused deposition modeling or similar techniques where a bead of material is extruded in a
`3, “
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`layered series of two dimensional patterns as “roads,
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`paths” or the like to form a three-
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`dimensional object from a digital model. It will be understood, however, that numerous
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`additive fabrication techniques are known in the art including without limitation multij et
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`printing, stereolithography, Digital Light Processor (“DLP”) three-dimensional printing,
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`selective laser sintering, and so forth. Such techniques may benefit from the systems and
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`methods described below, and all such printing technologies are intended to fall within
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`the scope of this disclosure, and within the scope of terms such as “printer”, “three-
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`dimensional printer”, “fabrication system”, and so forth, unless a more specific meaning
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`is explicitly provided or otherwise clear from the context.
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`[0017] Further, it should be appreciated that three-dimensional printers, three-
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`dimensional scanners, and a variety of three-dimensional modeling techniques are known
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`in the art. The following description emphasizes applications of these various
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`technologies to consumer-level use of three-dimensional printers rather than various
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`technical details that are known in the art.
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`[0018] Fig. l is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer. In general, the
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`printer 100 may include a build platform 102, an extruder 106, an x-y-z positioning
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`assembly 108, and a controller 110 that cooperate to fabricate an object 112 within a
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`working volume 114 of the printer 100.
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`[0019] The build platform 102 may include a surface 116 that is rigid and
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`substantially planar. The surface 116 may provide a fixed, dimensionally and positionally
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`stable platform on which to build the object 112. The build platform 102 may include a
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`thermal element 130 that controls the temperature of the build platform 102 through one
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`or more active devices 132, such as resistive elements that convert electrical current into
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`heat, Peltier effect devices that can create a heating or cooling effect, or any other
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`thermoelectric heating and/or cooling devices. The thermal element 130 may be coupled
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`in a communicating relationship with the controller 110 in order for the controller 110 to
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`controllably impart heat to or remove heat from the surface 116 of the build platform 102.
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`[0020] The extruder 106 may include a chamber 122 in an interior thereof to
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`receive a build material. The build material may, for example, include acrylonitrile
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`butadiene styrene (“ABS”), high-density polyethylene (“HDPL”), polylactic acid
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`(“PLA”), or any other suitable plastic, thermoplastic, or other material that can usefillly
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`be extruded to form a three-dimensional object. The extruder 106 may include an
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`extrusion tip 124 or other opening that includes an exit port with a circular, oval, slotted
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`or other cross-sectional profile that extrudes build material in a desired cross-sectional
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`shape.
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`[0021] The extruder 106 may include a heater 126 (also referred to as a heating
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`element) to melt thermoplastic or other meltable build materials within the chamber 122
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`for extrusion through an extrusion tip 124 in liquid form. While illustrated in block form,
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`it will be understood that the heater 126 may include, e. g., coils of resistive wire wrapped
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`about the extruder 106, one or more heating blocks with resistive elements to heat the
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`extruder 106 with applied current, an inductive heater, or any other arrangement of
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`heating elements suitable for creating heat within the chamber 122 sufficient to melt the
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`build material for extrusion. The extruder 106 may also or instead include a motor 128 or
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`the like to push the build material into the chamber 122 and/or through the extrusion tip
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`124.
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`[0022] In general operation (and by way of example rather than limitation), a
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`build material such as ABS plastic in filament form may be fed into the chamber 122
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`from a spool or the like by the motor 128, melted by the heater 126, and extruded from
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`the extrusion tip 124. By controlling a rate of the motor 128, the temperature of the heater
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`126, and/or other process parameters, the build material may be extruded at a controlled
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`volumetric rate. It will be understood that a variety of techniques may also or instead be
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`employed to deliver build material at a controlled volumetric rate, which may depend
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`upon the type of build material, the volumetric rate desired, and any other factors. All
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`such techniques that might be suitably adapted to delivery of build material for
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`fabrication of a three-dimensional object are intended to fall within the scope of this
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`disclosure.
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`[0023] The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may generally be adapted to three-
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`dimensionally position the extruder 106 and the extrusion tip 124 within the working
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`volume 114. Thus by controlling the volumetric rate of delivery for the build material and
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`the x, y, z position of the extrusion tip 124, the object 112 may be fabricated in three
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`dimensions by depositing successive layers of material in two-dimensional patterns
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`derived, for example, from cross-sections of a computer model or other computerized
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`representation of the object 112. A variety of arrangements and techniques are known in
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`the art to achieve controlled linear movement along one or more axes. The x-y-z
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`positioning assembly 108 may, for example, include a number of stepper motors 109 to
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`independently control a position of the extruder 106 within the working volume along
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`each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. More generally, the x-y-z positioning assembly
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`108 may include without limitation various combinations of stepper motors, encoded DC
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`motors, gears, belts, pulleys, worm gears, threads, and so forth. For example, in one
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`aspect the build platform 102 may be coupled to one or more threaded rods by a threaded
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`nut so that the threaded rods can be rotated to provide z-axis positioning of the build
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`platform 102 relative to the extruder 106. This arrangement may advantageously simplify
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`design and improve accuracy by permitting an x-y positioning mechanism for the
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`extruder 106 to be fixed relative to a build volume. Any such arrangement suitable for
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`controllably positioning the extruder 106 within the working volume 114 may be adapted
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`to use with the printer 100 described herein.
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`[0024] In general, this may include moving the extruder 106, or moving the build
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`platform 102, or some combination of these. Thus it will be appreciated that any
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`reference to moving an extruder relative to a build platform, working volume, or object,
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`is intended to include movement of the extruder or movement of the build platform, or
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`both, unless a more specific meaning is explicitly provided or otherwise clear from the
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`context. Still more generally, while an x, y, z coordinate system serves as a convenient
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`basis for positioning within three dimensions, any other coordinate system or
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`combination of coordinate systems may also or instead be employed, such as a positional
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`controller and assembly that operates according to cylindrical or spherical coordinates.
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`[0025] The controller 110 may be electrically or otherwise coupled in a
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`communicating relationship with the build platform 102, the x-y-z positioning assembly
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`108, and the other various components of the printer 100. In general, the controller 110 is
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`operable to control the components of the printer 100, such as the build platform 102, the
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`x-y-z positioning assembly 108, and any other components of the printer 100 described
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`herein to fabricate the object 112 from the build material. The controller 110 may include
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`any combination of software and/or processing circuitry suitable for controlling the
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`various components of the printer 100 described herein including without limitation
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`microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable
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`gate arrays, and any other digital and/or analog components, as well as combinations of
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`the foregoing, along with inputs and outputs for transceiving control signals, drive
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`signals, power signals, sensor signals, and so forth. In one aspect, this may include
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`circuitry directly and physically associated with the printer 100 such as an on-board
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`processor. In another aspect, this may be a processor associated with a personal computer
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`or other computing device coupled to the printer 100, e.g., through a wired or wireless
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`connection. Similarly, various fianctions described herein may be allocated between an
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`on-board processor for the printer 100 and a separate computer. All such computing
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`devices and environments are intended to fall within the meaning of the term “controller”
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`or “processor” as used herein, unless a different meaning is explicitly provided or
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`otherwise clear from the context.
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`[0026] A variety of additional sensors and other components may be usefully
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`incorporated into the printer 100 described above. These other components are
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`generically depicted as other hardware 134 in Fig. 1, for which the positioning and
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`mechanical/electrical interconnections with other elements of the printer 100 will be
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`readily understood and appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The other hardware
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`134 may include a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of the surface of
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`the build platform 102, the extruder 126, or any other system components. This may, for
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`example, include a thermistor or the like embedded within or attached below the surface
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`of the build platform 102. This may also or instead include an infrared detector or the like
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`directed at the surface 116 of the build platform 102.
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`[0027] In another aspect, the other hardware 134 may include a sensor to detect a
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`presence of the object 112 at a predetermined location. This may include an optical
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`detector arranged in a beam-breaking configuration to sense the presence of the object
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`112 at a predetermined location. This may also or instead include an imaging device and
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`image processing circuitry to capture an image of the working volume and to analyze the
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`image to evaluate a position of the object 112. This sensor may be used for example to
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`ensure that the object 112 is removed from the build platform 102 prior to beginning a
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`new build on the working surface 116. Thus the sensor may be used to determine whether
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`an object is present that should not be, or to detect when an object is absent. The
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`feedback from this sensor may be used by the controller 110 to issue processing
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`interrupts or otherwise control operation of the printer 100.
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`[0028] The other hardware 134 may also or instead include a heating element
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`(instead of or in addition to the thermal element 130) to heat the working volume such as
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`a radiant heater or forced hot air heater to maintain the object 112 at a fixed, elevated
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`temperature throughout a build, or the other hardware 134 may include a cooling element
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`to cool the working volume.
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`[0029] Fig. 2 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment. In
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`general, the environment 200 may include a data network 202 interconnecting a plurality
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`of participating devices in a communicating relationship. The participating devices may,
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`for example, include any number of three-dimensional printers 204 (also referred to
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`interchangeably herein as “printers”), client devices 206, print servers 208, content
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`sources 210, mobile devices 212, and other resources 216.
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`[0030] The data network 202 may be any network(s) or intemetwork(s) suitable
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`for communicating data and control information among participants in the environment
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`200. This may include public networks such as the Internet, private networks,
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`telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network or
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`cellular networks using third generation (e.g., 3G or IMT-2000), fourth generation (e.g.,
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`LTE (E-UTRA) or WiMax-Advanced (IEEE 802. l6m)) and/or other technologies, as
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`well as any of a variety of corporate area or local area networks and other switches,
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`routers, hubs, gateways, and the like that might be used to carry data among participants
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`in the environment 200.
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`[0031] The three-dimensional printers 204 may be any computer-controlled
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`devices for three-dimensional fabrication, including without limitation any of the three-
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`dimensional printers or other fabrication or prototyping devices described above. In
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`general, each such device may include a network interface comprising, e.g., a network
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`interface card, which term is used broadly herein to include any hardware (along with
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`software, firmware, or the like to control operation of same) suitable for establishing and
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`maintaining wired and/or wireless communications. The network interface card may
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`include without limitation wired Ethernet network interface cards (“NICs”), wireless
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`802. ll networking cards, wireless 802. ll USB devices, or other hardware for wireless
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`local area networking. The network interface may also or instead include cellular network
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`hardware, wide area wireless network hardware or any other hardware for centralized, ad
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`hoc, peer-to-peer, or other radio communications that might be used to carry data. In
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`another aspect, the network interface may include a serial or USB port to directly connect
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`to a computing device such as a desktop computer that, in turn, provides more general
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`network connectivity to the data network 202.
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`[0032] The printers 204 might be made to fabricate any object, practical or
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`otherwise, that is amenable to fabrication according to each printer’s capabilities. This
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`may be a model of a house or a tea cup, as depicted, or any other object such as gears or
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`other machine hardware, replications of scanned three-dimensional objects, or fanciful
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`works of art.
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`[0033] Client devices 206 may be any devices within the environment 200
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`operated by users to initiate, manage, monitor, or otherwise interact with print jobs at the
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`three-dimensional printers 204. This may include desktop computers, laptop computers,
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`network computers, tablets, or any other computing device that can participate in the
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`environment 200 as contemplated herein. Each client device 206 generally provides a
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`user interface, which may include a graphical user interface, a text or command line
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`interface, a voice-controlled interface, and/or a gesture-based interface to control
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`operation of remote three-dimensional printers 204. The user interface may be maintained
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`by a locally executing application on one of the client devices 206 that receives data and
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`status information from, e.g., the printers 204 and print servers 208 concerning pending
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`or executing print jobs. The user interface may create a suitable display on the client
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`device 206 for user interaction. In other embodiments, the user interface may be remotely
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`served and presented on one of the client devices 206, such as where a print server 208 or
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`one of the three-dimensional printers 204 includes a web server that provides information
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`through one or more web pages or the like that can be displayed within a web browser or
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`similar client executing on one of the client devices 206. In one aspect, the user interface
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`may include a voice controlled interface that receives spoken commands from a user
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`and/or provides spoken feedback to the user.
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`[0034] A client device 206 may, for example include a removable memory device
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`207 such as a USB drive, memory stick, or the like, which may be used for example to
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`transfer digital models of three-dimensional objects to printers 204.
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`[0035] The print servers 208 may include data storage, a network interface, and a
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`processor and/or other processing circuitry. In the following description, where the
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`functions or configuration of a print server 208 are described, this is intended to include
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`corresponding fianctions or configuration (e. g., by programming) of a processor of the
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`print server 208. In general, the print servers 208 (or processors thereof) may perform a
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`variety of processing tasks related to management of networked printing. For example,
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`the print servers 208 may manage print jobs received from one or more of the client
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`devices 206, and provide related supporting fianctions such as content search and
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`management. A print server 208 may also include a web server that provides web-based
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`access by the client devices 206 to the capabilities of the print server 208. A print server
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`208 may also communicate periodically with three-dimensional printers 204 in order to
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`obtain status information concerning, e. g., availability of printers and/or the status of
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`particular print jobs, any of which may be subsequently presented to a user through the
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`web server or any other suitable interface. A print server 208 may also maintain a list of
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`available three-dimensional printers 204, and may automatically select one of the three-
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`dimensional printers 204 for a user-submitted print job, or may permit a user to specify a
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`single printer, or a group of preferred printers, for fabricating an object. Where the print
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`server 208 selects the printer automatically, any number of criteria may be used such as
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`geographical proximity, printing capabilities, current print queue, fees (if any) for use of
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`a particular three-dimensional printer 204, and so forth. Where the user specifies criteria,
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`this may similarly include any relevant aspects of three-dimensional printers 204, and
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`may permit use of absolute criteria (e. g., filters) or preferences, which may be weighted
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`preferences or unweighted preferences, any of which may be used by a print server 208 to
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`allocate a print job to a suitable resource.
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`[0036] In one aspect, the print server 208 may be configured to support
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`interactive voice control of one of the printers 204. For example, the print server 208 may
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`be configured to receive a voice signal (e.g., in digitized audio form) from a microphone
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`or other audio input of the printer 204, and to process the voice signal to extract relevant
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`content such as a command for the printer. Where the command is recognized as a print
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`command, the voice signal may be filrther processed to extract additional context or
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`relevant details. For example, the voice signal may be processed to extract an object
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`identifier that specifies an object for printing, e.g., by filename, file metadata, or semantic
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`content. The voice signal may also be processed to extract a dimensional specification,
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`such as a scale or absolute dimension for an object. The print server 208 may then
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`generate suitable control signals for return to the printer 204 to cause the printer 204 to
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`fabricate the object. Where an error or omission is detected, the print server 208 may
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`return a request for clarification to the printer 204, which may render the request in
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`spoken form through a speaker, or within a user interface of the printer 204 or an
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`associated device.
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`[0037] Other user preferences may be usefully stored at the print server 208 to
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`facilitate autonomous, unsupervised fabrication of content from content sources 210. For
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`example, a print server 208 may store a user’s preference on handling objects greater than
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`a build volume of a printer. These preferences may control whether to resize the object,
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`whether to break the object into multiple sub-objects for fabrication, and whether to
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`transmit multiple sub-obj ects to a single printer or multiple printers. In addition, user
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`preferences or requirements may be stored, such as multi-color printing capability, build
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`material options and capabilities, and so forth. More generally, a print queue (which may
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`be a printer-specific or user-specific queue, and which may be hosted at a printer 204, a
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`server 208, or some combination of these) may be managed by a print server 208
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`according to one or more criteria from a remote user requesting a print job. The print
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`server 208 may also store user preferences or criteria for filtering content, e. g., for
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`automatic printing or other handling. While this is described below as a feature for
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`autonomous operation of a printer (such as a printer that locally subscribes to a
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`syndicated model source), any criteria that can be used to identify models of potential
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`interest by explicit type (e.g., labeled in model metadata), implicit type (e.g., determined
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`based on analysis of the model), source, and so forth, may be provided to the print server
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`208 and used to automatically direct new content to one or more user-specified ones of
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`the three-dimensional printers 204.
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`[0038] In one aspect, the processor of the print server may be configured to store
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`a plurality of print jobs submitted to the web server in a log and to provide an analysis of
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`print activity based on the log. This may include any type of analysis that might be useful
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`to participants in the environment 200. For example, the analysis may include tracking of
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`the popularity of particular objects, or of particular content sources. The analysis may
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`include tracking of which three-dimensional printers 204 are most popular or least
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`popular, or related statistics such as the average backlog of pending print jobs at a
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`number of the three-dimensional printers 204. The analysis may include success of a
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`particular printer in fabricating a particular model or of a particular printer in completing
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`print jobs generally. More generally, any statistics or data may be obtained, and any
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`analysis may be performed, that might be useful to users (e. g., when requesting prints),
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`content sources (e.g., when choosing new printable objects for publication), providers of
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`fabrication resources (e.g., when setting fees), or network facilitators such as the print
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`servers 208.
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`[0039] A print server 208 may also maintain a database 209 of content, along
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`with an interface for users at client devices 206 to search the database 209 and request
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`fabrication of objects in the database 209 using any of the three-dimensional printers 204.
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`Thus in one aspect, a print server 208 (or any system including the print server 208) may
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`include a database 209 of three-dimensional models, and the print server 208 may act as a
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`server that provides a search engine for locating a particular three-dimensional model in
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`the database 209. The search engine may be a text-based search engine using keyword
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`text queries, plain language queries, and so forth. The search engine may also or instead
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`include an image-based search engine configured to identify three-dimensional models
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`similar to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image provide by a user.
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`[0040] In another aspect, the printer server 208 may periodically search for
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`suitable content at remote locations on the data network, which content may be retrieved
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`to the database 209, or have its remote location (e.g., a URL or other network location
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`identifier) stored in the database 209. In another aspect, the print server 208 may provide
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`an interface for submission of objects from remote users, along with any suitable
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`metadata such as a title, tags, creator information, descriptive narrative, pictures,
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`recommended printer settings, and so forth. In one aspect, the database 209 may be
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`manually curated according to any desired standards. In another aspect, printable objects
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`in the database 209 may be manually or automatically annotated according to content
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`type, popularity, editorial commentary, and so forth.
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`[0041] The print server 208 may more generally provide a variety of management
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`functions. For example, the print server 204 may store a location of a predetermined
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`alternative three-dimensional printer to execute a print job from a remote user in the
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`event of a failure by the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers 204. In another
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`aspect, the print server 208 may maintain exclusive control over at least one of the
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`plurality of three-dimensional printers 204, such that other users and/or print servers
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`cannot control the printer. In another aspect, the print server 208 may submit a print job
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`to a first available one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers 204.
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`[0042] In another aspect, a print server 208 may provide an interface for
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`managing subscriptions to sources of content. This may include tools for searching
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`existing subscriptions, locating or specifying new sources, subscribing to sources of
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`content, and so forth. In one aspect, a print server 208 may manage subscriptions and
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`automatically direct new content from these subscriptions to a three-dimensional printer
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`204 according to any user-specified criteria. Thus while it is contemplated that a three-
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`dimensional printer 204 may autonomously subscribe to sources of content through a
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`network interface and receive new content directly from such sources, it is also
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`contemplated that this feature may be maintained through a remote resource such as a
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`print server 208.
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`[0043] A print server 208 may maintain print queues for participating three-
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`dimensional printers 204. This approach may advantageously alleviate backlogs at
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`individual printers 204, which may have limited memory capacity for pending print jobs.
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`More generally, a print server 208 may, by communicating with multiple three-
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`dimensional printers 204, obtain a view of utilization of multiple networked resources
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`that permits a more efficient allocation of print jobs than would be possible through
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`simple point-to-point communications among users and printers. Print queues may also
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`be published by a print server 208 so that users can view pending queues for a variety of
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`different three-dimensional printers 204 prior to selecting a resource for a print job. In
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`one aspect, the print queue may be published as a number of print jobs and size of print
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`jobs so that a requester can evaluate likely delays. In another aspect, the print queue may
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`be published as an estimated time until a newly submitted print job can be initiated.
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`[0044] In one aspect, the print queue of one of the print servers 208 may include
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`one or more print jobs for one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers 204. The print
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`queue may be stored locally at the one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. In
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`another aspect, the print queue may be allocated between the database 209 and a local
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`memory of the three-dimensional printer 204. In another aspect, the print queue may be
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`stored, for example, in the database 209 of the print server 208. As used here, the term
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`‘print queue’ is intended to include print data (e. g., the three-dimensional model or tool
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`instructions to fabricate an object) for a number of print job (which may be arranged for
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`presentation in order of expected execution), as well as any metadata concerning print
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`jobs. Thus, a portion of the print queue such as the metadata (e.g., size, status, time to
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`completion) may be usefillly communicated to a print server 208 for sharing among users
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`while another portion of the print queue such as the model data may be stored at a printer
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`in preparation for execution of a print job.
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`[0045] Print queues may implement various user preferences on prioritization.
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`For example, for a commercial enterprise, longer print jobs may be deferred for after
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`normal hours of operation (e. g., after 5:00 pm), while shorter print jobs may be executed
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`first if they can be completed before the end of a business day. In this manner, objects
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`EFS-Web
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`PATENT
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`MBOT-0038-P04
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`can be identified and fabricated from within the print queue in a manner that permits as
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`many objects as possible to be fabricated before a predetermined closing time. Similarly,
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`commercial providers of fabrication services may charge explicitly for prioritized
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`fabrication, and implement this prioritization by prioritizing print queues in a
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`corresponding fashion.
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`[0046] In another aspect, a print server 208 may provide a virtual workspace for a
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`user. In this virtual workspace, a user may search local or remote databases of printable
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`objects, save objects of interest (or links thereto), manage pending prints, specify
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`preferences for receiving status updates (e.g., by electronic mail or SMS text), manage
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`subscriptions to content, search for new subscription sources, and so forth. In one aspect,
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`the virtual workspace may be, or may include, web-based design tools or a web-based
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`design interface that permits a user to create and modify models. In one aspect, the virtual
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`workspace may be deployed on the web, while permitting direct fabrication of a model
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`developed within that environment on a user-specified one of the three-dimensional
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`printers 204, thus enabling a web-based design environment that is directly coupled to
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`one or more fabrication resources.
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`[0047] The content sources 210 may include any sources of content for
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`fabrication with a three-dimensional printer 204. This may, for example, include
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`databases of objects accessible through a web interface or application programming
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`interface. This may also or instead include individual desktop computers or the like
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`configured as a server for hosted access, or configured to operate as a peer in a peer-to-
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`peer network. This may also or instead include content subscription services, which may
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`be made available in an unrestricted fashion, or may be made available on a paid
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`subscription basis, or on an authenticated basis based upon some other relationship (e. g.,
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`purchase of a related product or a ticket to an event). It will be readily appreciated that
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`any number of content providers may serve as content sources 210 as contemplated
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`herein. By way of non-limiting example, the content sources 210 may include
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`destinations