US 12,094,173 B1
Part position recognition for printing electrical or optical interconnects
Judith M. Lavin, Albuquerque, NM (US); Andrew T. Wilson, Albuquerque, NM (US); Alfred J. Thibodeaux, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Yongkun Sui, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Feb. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/111,801.
Int. Cl. B41J 29/38 (2006.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 7/33 (2017.01); G06T 7/80 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/80 (2017.01) [G06T 7/001 (2013.01); G06T 7/337 (2017.01); G06T 2207/30144 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30148 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for adaptive printing of an element using a direct write printer, the method comprising the steps of:
using an imager, taking a plurality of images of a surface upon which the element is to be direct write printed, each of the plurality of images overlapping a portion of each adjacent image;
stitching together the plurality of images using a hierarchical stitching process to thereby generate a master actual position image;
calibrating the imager using the imager to take a calibration image of a two-dimensional calibration target and to thereby generate calibration data;
generating a master actual position map based upon the master actual position image and the calibration data;
comparing the master actual position map to a master expected position map, the master expected position map including expected locations of one or more features on the surface and corresponding identities of the one or more features to thereby identify the one or more features in the master actual position map;
determining an actual location on the surface for the element based upon the master actual position map with the thus identified one or more features;
generating a toolpath corresponding to the thus determined actual location on the surface for the element; and
using the direct write printer, direct write printing the element based upon the thus generated toolpath.