Method for identifying hot end type and related device

Abstract

The invention provides a method for identifying the type of a hot end and a related device, the hot end is used for being connected to a printing head of a 3D printer, the hot end comprises a heat dissipation fin and a nozzle used for extruding printing supplies, the surface of the heat dissipation fin is provided with coding information, and the coding information comprises at least two code words; the method comprises the steps that firstly, code information of the surfaces of the cooling fins is obtained through an image sensing module in the 3D printer; then, based on at least two code words in the coding information, determining the type of the hot end; the type of the hot end includes the diameter of the nozzle. According to the invention, the type of the hot end can be determined based on the coding information of the surface of the cooling fin. By implementing the application, the type of the hot end can be automatically identified, and the hardware cost is not increased while the identification accuracy is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of data processing, and in particular, to a method for identifying the type of a hot end and related devices. Background Art

[0002] A 3D printer (also known as a three-dimensional printer or a stereoscopic printer) is a rapid prototyping process device. The 3D printing technology currently available for 3D printers is fused deposition modeling (FDM). FDM is a technology based on a digital model that uses materials such as powdered metal or plastic to construct three-dimensional objects by layer-by-layer printing. Specifically, in implementation, a 3D printer using the FDM technology is provided with a hot-melt filamentous material by a feeding mechanism to the hot end of the 3D printer, and the hot-melt filamentous material is heated to a molten state inside the hot end. Then, the hot end can extrude the molten material onto the printing plate while moving along the printing path of the 3D printer to print out a three-dimensional object layer by layer. Currently, in the processing stage, generally, the type of the hot end is identified manually to facilitate subsequent processing, but the efficiency of manual identification is low. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a method for identifying the type of a hot end and related devices, which can automatically identify the type of the hot end of a 3D printer and ensure the accuracy of identification without increasing the hardware cost.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a method for identifying the type of a hot end. The hot end is used to be connected to the print head of a 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins, and the encoding information includes at least two codewords. The method includes:

[0005] Obtaining the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins through an image sensing module in the 3D printer;

[0006] Determining the type of the hot end based on at least two codewords in the encoding information; the type of the hot end includes the diameter of the nozzle.

[0007] In a possible embodiment, the image sensing module is fixedly arranged on the housing of the 3D printer;

[0008] Before obtaining the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins through the image sensing module in the 3D printer, the method further includes:

[0009] Controlling the print head to move near the image sensing module, and the surface of the heat dissipation fins provided with the encoding information faces the image sensing module.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, before controlling the print head to move near the image sensing module, the method includes:

[0011] Receiving a printing task or a request for detecting the type of the hot end.

[0012] In a possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0013] Sending the type of the nozzle to a terminal device connected to the 3D printer, so that the terminal device slices a three-dimensional model based on the diameter of the nozzle.

[0014] In a possible embodiment, the type of the hot end further includes at least one of the flow rate of the nozzle and the material of the nozzle.

[0015] In a possible embodiment, the at least two codewords include a first codeword and a second codeword, the first codeword is represented by a first sub-image, and the second codeword is represented by a second sub-image;

[0016] Determining the type of the hot end based on at least two codewords in the encoding information includes:

[0017] Obtaining the first sub-image and the second sub-image through the image sensing module;

[0018] Determining the type of the hot end based on the first sub-image and the second sub-image.

[0019] In a possible embodiment, the type of the hot end further includes the flow rate of the nozzle, the first image carries the flow rate information of the nozzle, and the second image carries the diameter information of the nozzle.

[0020] In a possible embodiment, the first sub-image is generated by the first codeword according to a first coding rule, and the second sub-image is generated by the second codeword according to a second coding rule;

[0021] A first target image is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, and the first target image is determined according to the size data on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, the first sub-image, and the second sub-image.

[0022] In a possible embodiment, the length of the surface of the heat dissipation fin that accommodates the encoding information is 7 mm - 10.8 mm, and the width is 1.9 mm - 2.88 mm.

[0023] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a 3D printer, including: a hot end, a print head, an image sensing module, and a processor. The hot end is used to be connected to the print head of the 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. The encoding information includes at least two codewords. The processor is used to execute the instructions for the steps in any method of the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application.

[0024] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer storage medium. The computer storage medium stores a computer program for electronic data exchange. The computer program causes a computer to execute some or all of the steps described in any method of the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. The computer program is operable to cause a computer to execute some or all of the steps described in any method of the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application. The computer program product can be a software installation package.

[0026] It can be seen that through the above method for identifying the type of the hot end and related devices, the hot end is used to be connected to the print head of the 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. The encoding information includes at least two codewords. First, the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins is obtained through the image sensing module in the 3D printer. Then, based on at least two codewords in the encoding information, the type of the hot end is determined. The type of the hot end includes the diameter of the nozzle. The present application can determine the type of the hot end based on the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. Implementing the present application can automatically identify the type of the hot end and ensure the accuracy of identification. Moreover, the image sensing module in the present application can reuse some working cameras in the 3D printer, such as a fault detection camera or a time-lapse video camera, which can not only realize the automation of hot end type identification but also not increase the hardware cost. Description of the Drawings

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a hot end provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a 3D printer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 Flow chart of a method for identifying the type of hot end provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 Flow chart of another method for identifying the type of hot end provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 5A Schematic diagram of a first sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 5B Schematic diagram of a second sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5C Schematic diagram of a first target image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 6A Schematic diagram of a third sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 6B Schematic diagram of a fourth sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 6C Schematic diagram of a fifth sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 6D Schematic diagram of a second target image provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0039] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally further includes steps or units not listed, or optionally further includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0040] The "at least one (piece)" or its similar expression in the embodiments of the present application refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item (piece) or plural items (pieces), meaning one or more, and multiple means two or more. For example, at least one (piece) of a, b, or c can represent the following seven cases: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, a, b, and c. Each of a, b, and c can be an element or a set containing one or more elements.

[0041] The "connection" that appears in the embodiments of the present application refers to various connection methods such as direct connection or indirect connection to achieve communication between devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations on this. In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. In one example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or can communicate with each other; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components.

[0042] Referring to "embodiments" in this text means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in combination with the embodiments can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various positions in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0043] Currently, there can be a specific area on the hot end of a 3D printer where information is presented. Since the size of this area is generally small, for example, the length and width of the heat dissipation fins and buttons on the hot end are generally only a few millimeters. When information is directly presented in this area, due to the complex characters of the information, such as Chinese characters, letters, etc., a low-resolution camera cannot obtain a clear image and cannot recognize the content of the information. Manual recognition is inefficient and costly.

[0044] To solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a method and related device for identifying the type of hot end, which can determine the type of hot end based on the coding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. Implementing the present application can automatically identify the type of hot end and ensure the accuracy of identification. Moreover, the image sensing module of the present application can reuse some working cameras in the 3D printer, such as a fault detection camera or a time-lapse camera, which can not only realize the automation of hot end type identification but also not increase the hardware cost.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1A schematic structural diagram of a hot end provided by an embodiment of the present application. The hot end 100 includes a heat dissipation fin 110, a throat 120, a heating block 130, and a nozzle 140 connected in sequence. The heat dissipation fin 110 dissipates the heat in the heating component into the air based on the tip heat release effect. The throat 120 guides the wire material, the heating block 130 heats the wire material into a molten state, and the nozzle 140 extrudes the molten wire material for model printing.

[0046] It can be understood that the heating block 130 can be connected to the heating base assembly, and the heating base assembly can heat the heating block 130 so that the heating block 130 can heat the wire material.

[0047] The hot end 100 can be detachably connected to the heating base assembly through a fixing component, that is, under the action of the fixing component, the hot end 100 can be fixedly connected to the heating base assembly, and when the fixing component is released, the hot end 100 and the heating base assembly can be separated. Among them, the connection between the hot end 100 and the heating base assembly refers to the connection between the heating block 130 and the heating base assembly. When the hot end 100 is connected to the heating base assembly, the heating block 130 is fixedly attached to the heating base assembly, and the heating block 130 and the heating base assembly have a large heating area, and the heat on the heating base assembly can be more efficiently transferred to the heating block 130, and the heating block 130 is attached to the heating base, and the heating block 130 is used as the stress area, and the connection between the fixing component and the heating block 130 reduces the length of the cantilever structure and the stress on the throat, and can avoid the deformation of the hot end 100.

[0048] The above is an example of contact heating of the hot end. In some feasible embodiments, the hot end of the present application can also adopt non-contact heating, such as induction heating.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present application, the surface of the heat dissipation fin can be provided with coding information, and the coding information can include information related to the type of the hot end.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a three-dimensional printer provided by an embodiment of the present application. The three-dimensional printer includes: a hot end 100, a print head 200, an image sensing module 300, a guide 400, and a processor (not shown in the figure). The print head 200 is arranged above the printing platform, and the print head 200 can be slidably connected to the guide 400. The three-dimensional printer can be such as Figure 2In the corexy structure shown, the guide member 400 can be supported by the frame of the 3D printer. The print head 200 can move along the guide member 400 driven by a belt in the XY plane. The processing platform is connected to the Z-axis lead screw to achieve the movement of the processing platform in the Z-axis direction. Exemplarily, the guide member can be at least one of a Y-axis linear guide, a carbon rod, and an X-axis optical axis.

[0051] Exemplarily, the image sensing module 300 can include a camera, a profiler, etc. The profiler can be composed of a camera and a line laser emitter. Among them, the image sensing module 300 can be used to obtain the encoded information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins.

[0052] In a possible embodiment, the image sensing module 300 can be fixedly arranged on the housing of the 3D printer (such as Figure 2 shown), and can control the print head 200 to move near the image sensing module 300, and orient the surface of the heat dissipation fins provided with encoded information towards the image sensing module 300 to collect an image including the encoded information.

[0053] In a possible embodiment, the image sensing module can also be arranged on a movable component, and can control the image sensing module to move near the print head and align with the surface of the heat dissipation fins provided with encoded information for shooting, so as to collect an image including the encoded information. Optionally, the image sensing module can be arranged on the print head and can move along with the print head.

[0054] It can be understood that the above 3D printer is an illustration and does not limit the structural type of the 3D printer. In some feasible embodiments, the 3D printer can also be a gantry structure, a cantilever type structure, etc. In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, terms such as "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components, unless otherwise clearly limited. "Connection" includes detachable connection and non-detachable connection. For example, fixed connection can include detachable fixed connection and non-detachable fixed connection, rotational connection can include detachable rotational connection and non-detachable rotational connection, and sliding connection can include detachable sliding connection and non-detachable sliding connection. Connection can also be a direct connection or an indirect connection through a component. For example, for a detachable fixed connection, it means that in the installed state, the positional relationship between at least two connected objects can be fixed; similarly, for rotational connection and sliding connection, there are similar examples.

[0055] Among them, the 3D printer can obtain the encoded information on the heat dissipation fins through the image sensing module, so as to automatically identify the type of the hot end. It can be understood that the 3D printer includes a processor, and the processor is used to execute the following method for identifying the type of the hot end.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A method for identifying the type of the hot end provided by an embodiment of the present application. The hot end is used to be connected to the print head of the 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoded information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. The encoded information includes at least two codewords. Specifically, the method includes the following steps:

[0057] Step S301, obtain the encoded information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins through the image sensing module in the 3D printer.

[0058] Among them, the encoded information includes at least two codewords. The at least two codewords include a first codeword and a second codeword. The first codeword is represented by a first sub-image, and the second codeword is represented by a second sub-image. It can be understood that each codeword can indicate a character, and the character can be a number, a letter, a Chinese character, a punctuation mark, etc., which are not specifically limited herein. It can be understood that the shape of a single codeword is likely to be misdetected because it is similar to other objects in the chassis. In the embodiment of the present application, the encoded information includes at least two codewords to ensure accuracy and scalability.

[0059] In a possible embodiment, the image sensing module can be fixedly arranged on the housing of the 3D printer. It can be understood that the image sensing module can be used to obtain the encoded information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. Therefore, it can be arranged at a position on the housing of the 3D printer where the surface of the heat dissipation fins can be photographed. Among them, the print head can be controlled to move near the image sensing module, and the surface of the heat dissipation fins provided with the encoded information faces the image sensing module. So that the image sensing module can obtain clear and accurate encoded information. Exemplarily, the image sensing module can reuse the camera with a fault detection function in the 3D printer, or reuse the time-lapse video camera.

[0060] In a possible embodiment, the image sensing module can be arranged on a movable component. The position of the surface of the heat dissipation fins can be determined, and then the movable component can be controlled to move, driving the image sensing module to move to a position where the surface of the heat dissipation fins can be photographed, so as to obtain clear and accurate encoded information.

[0061] Step S302, determine the type of the hot end based on at least two codewords in the encoded information.

[0062] Among them, the type of the hot end may include the diameter of the nozzle. For example, the diameter of the nozzle may include 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, etc.

[0063] In a possible embodiment, the type of the hot end may further include at least one of the flow rate of the nozzle and the material of the nozzle. The flow rate of the nozzle may refer to the speed at which the printing consumable is extruded from the nozzle. For example, it may be divided into a high-flow hot end or a low-flow hot end. The material of the nozzle may include, but is not limited to, brass, stainless steel, hardened steel, nickel-plated or copper-plated materials, tungsten alloy, gemstone (such as ruby), ceramic, or a combination thereof.

[0064] In a possible embodiment, at least two codewords in the encoded information include a first codeword and a second codeword. The first codeword is represented by a first sub-image, and the second codeword is represented by a second sub-image. Therefore, the first sub-image and the second sub-image can be obtained through the image sensing module. Based on the first sub-image and the second sub-image, the type of the hot end is determined. Specifically, since the first sub-image is generated by the first codeword according to the first encoding rule, and the second sub-image is generated by the second codeword according to the first encoding rule, the first codeword can be reversely decoded through the first encoding rule to obtain the information represented by the first codeword, and the second codeword can be reversely decoded through the first encoding rule to obtain the information represented by the second codeword, and then the type of the hot end is determined. For example, the information represented by the first codeword may be "h", and the information represented by the second codeword may be "2", then it is determined that the diameter of the nozzle is 0.4 mm corresponding to the "h2" model. Or, the first sub-image carries the flow rate information of the nozzle, and the second sub-image carries the diameter information of the nozzle. For example, the information represented by the first sub-image is "m", and the information represented by the second sub-image is "v", then it is determined that the flow rate of the nozzle is 0.2 cubic millimeters per second corresponding to "m", and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.2 mm corresponding to "v", which will not be elaborated here.

[0065] In a possible embodiment, at least two codewords in the encoded information include a third codeword, a fourth codeword, a fifth codeword, and a sixth codeword. The third codeword is represented by a third sub-image, the fourth codeword is represented by a fourth sub-image, the fifth codeword is represented by a fifth sub-image, and the sixth codeword is represented by a sixth sub-image. Therefore, the third sub-image, the fourth sub-image, the fifth sub-image, and the sixth sub-image can be obtained by the image sensing module. Based on the third sub-image, the fourth sub-image, the fifth sub-image, and the sixth sub-image, the type of the hot end is determined. Specifically, since the third sub-image is generated by the third codeword according to the second encoding rule, the fourth sub-image is generated by the fourth codeword according to the second encoding rule, the fifth sub-image is generated by the fifth codeword according to the second encoding rule, and the sixth sub-image is generated by the sixth codeword according to the second encoding rule, the third codeword can be reversely decoded by the second encoding rule to obtain the information represented by the third codeword, the fourth codeword can be reversely decoded by the second encoding rule to obtain the information represented by the fourth codeword, the fifth codeword can be reversely decoded by the second encoding rule to obtain the information represented by the fifth codeword, and the sixth codeword can be reversely decoded by the second encoding rule to obtain the information represented by the sixth codeword, and then the type of the hot end is determined. For example, the information represented by the third codeword can be "k", the information represented by the fourth codeword can be "2", the information represented by the fifth codeword can be "k", and the information represented by the sixth codeword can be "4", then it is determined that the diameter of the nozzle is 0.8 mm corresponding to the model "k2k4". Or, the third sub-image and the fourth sub-image carry the material information of the nozzle, and the fifth sub-image and the sixth sub-image carry the diameter information of the nozzle. For example, the information represented by the third sub-image and the fourth sub-image is "t2", and the information represented by the fifth sub-image and the sixth sub-image is "r1", then it is determined that the material of the nozzle is the material corresponding to "t2", and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.2 mm corresponding to "r1", which will not be elaborated here. It should be noted that the difference in the use of the first encoding rule and the second encoding rule is that when any two characters are different characters, the first encoding rule can be used. When there are any two identical characters, the second encoding rule can be used. This is because if the same characters are encoded conventionally, the same codewords will be obtained, which is likely to cause errors in recognition. Therefore, at this time, the second encoding rule can be used to represent the same characters with different codewords to improve the recognition accuracy.

[0066] In a possible embodiment, the length of the surface of the heat dissipation fin that accommodates the encoded information can be 7 mm - 10.8 mm, and the width can be 1.9 mm - 2.88 mm. This is limited by the size of the heat dissipation fin itself. The first target image is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, and the first target image is determined according to the size data of the surface of the heat dissipation fin, the first sub-image, and the second sub-image.

[0067] In a possible embodiment, a second target image is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, and the second target image is determined according to the dimension data of the surface of the heat dissipation fin, the third sub-image, the fourth sub-image, the fifth sub-image, and the sixth sub-image. It can be understood that the target image may further include more sub-images, which are not specifically limited herein.

[0068] It can be seen that through the above method for identifying the type of the hot end, the hot end is used to connect to the print head of a 3D printer. The hot end includes a heat dissipation fin and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, and the encoding information includes at least two codewords. First, the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fin is obtained through an image sensing module in the 3D printer. Then, based on at least two codewords in the encoding information, the type of the hot end is determined. The type of the hot end includes the diameter of the nozzle. The present application can determine the type of the hot end based on the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fin. Implementing the present application can automatically identify the type of the hot end and ensure the accuracy of identification. Moreover, the image sensing module of the present application can reuse some working cameras in the 3D printer, such as a fault detection camera or a time-lapse video camera, which can not only realize the automation of hot end type identification but also not increase the hardware cost.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 which is a schematic flowchart of another method for identifying the type of the hot end provided by an embodiment of the present application. The hot end is used to connect to the print head of a 3D printer. The hot end includes a heat dissipation fin and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, and the encoding information includes at least two codewords. Specifically, it includes the following steps:

[0070] Step S401, receiving a printing task or a request for detecting the type of the hot end.

[0071] Among them, the printing task may be in the form of a task file (usually in the.gcode format). The printing task may include parameters such as the three-dimensional coordinate information of the model to be printed, the printing speed, the temperature setting, and the extrusion amount. In order to ensure the smooth execution of the printing task, it is necessary to identify the type of the current hot end.

[0072] Step S402, controlling the print head to move near the image sensing module, and the surface of the heat dissipation fin provided with the encoding information faces the image sensing module.

[0073] In a possible embodiment, the image sensing module can be controlled to move near the print head, and the shooting range of the image sensing module includes the surface of the heat dissipation fin provided with the encoding information.

[0074] Step S403, obtain the encoded information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins through the image sensing module in the 3D printer.

[0075] Step S404, determine the type of the hot end based on at least two codewords in the encoded information.

[0076] Step S405, send the type of the nozzle to the terminal device connected to the 3D printer, so that the terminal device slices the three-dimensional model based on the diameter of the nozzle.

[0077] Among them, the relevant parameters of the nozzle, such as the diameter, flow rate, material, etc. of the nozzle, can be determined based on the identified type of the hot end, and the three-dimensional model to be printed can be sliced. First, parameters such as the thickness of each layer of printing, printing speed, filling density, support mechanism, temperature setting, etc. can be determined. Among them, a smaller layer thickness can obtain higher printing accuracy, but will increase the printing time; a larger layer thickness can improve the printing speed, but may reduce the smoothness of the model surface. The printing speed includes the moving speed of the nozzle head, the extrusion speed, etc. If the speed is too fast, it may cause uneven extrusion of the material, affecting the printing quality; if the speed is too slow, it will prolong the printing time. The filling density refers to the filling degree inside the model. The higher the filling density, the stronger the model, but it will consume more materials and time. Common filling methods include grid, honeycomb, etc. For a suspended or complex model structure, a support structure needs to be added to ensure the stability of the model during the printing process. The support structure can be automatically generated through slicing, or manually adjusted as needed. The appropriate nozzle head temperature and printing platform temperature can be set according to the printing material used to ensure that the material can be extruded and adhered well.

[0078] Then perform the slicing operation, slice the three-dimensional model into a series of two-dimensional layers according to the set parameters, and generate a corresponding G-code file. This file contains detailed instructions such as the moving path and extrusion amount of the 3D printer on each layer. It can be understood that the 3D printer can perform printing based on the G-code file.

[0079] It can be seen that through the above method for identifying the type of the hot end, the hot end is used to be connected to the print head of a 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins, and the encoding information includes at least two codewords. First, the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins is obtained through an image sensing module in the 3D printer. Then, based on at least two codewords in the encoding information, the type of the hot end is determined. The type of the hot end includes the diameter of the nozzle. This application can determine the type of the hot end based on the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. Implementing this application can automatically identify the type of the hot end and ensure the accuracy of identification. Moreover, the image sensing module in this application can reuse some working cameras in the 3D printer, such as a fault detection camera or a time-lapse video camera, which can not only realize the automation of hot end type identification but also not increase the hardware cost.

[0080] For the steps not described in detail above, reference can be made to Figure 3 the description of the steps of the method in, and details will not be elaborated here.

[0081] For ease of understanding, the first encoding rule is described below. Since the currently used two-dimensional code is relatively complex, when it is reduced to a certain extent, a high-resolution camera is required to capture a two-dimensional code with a clear and complete image structure, which will increase the hardware cost. Without using a high-resolution camera, it is impossible to obtain a two-dimensional code with a clear and complete image structure, resulting in information recognition failure. In view of this, the embodiment of this application provides a first encoding rule, which can encode information including at least two characters according to the characters to generate at least two codewords, and combine the size of the area actually presenting the codewords to generate the final image, so that the type of the hot end can be accurately identified even in a low-resolution or small-size scenario, greatly improving the accuracy of information recognition without increasing the hardware cost.

[0082] Before executing the method for identifying the type of the hot end in the embodiment of this application, it is necessary to set encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. The encoding information includes at least two codewords, and each codeword can correspond to a character. First, the first information corresponding to the type of the hot end can be determined. Among them, the first information includes a first character and a second character, and the first character and the second character include any one of letters, numbers, words, and symbols. It should be noted that in the embodiment of this application, the first information is described as including two characters, but this solution is not limited to this case, and it is applicable to the case where the information includes three characters, four characters, or even more characters.

[0083] Among them, the first information is the information that needs to be recognized. Due to the high complexity of the characters, the small target area, and the low camera resolution, it is necessary to encode it into an image with a simpler structure, and then decode the image to obtain the first information.

[0084] Among them, a first sub-image corresponding to the first character and a second sub-image corresponding to the second character can be generated according to a first coding rule. The first sub-image can represent a first codeword, and the second sub-image can represent a second codeword.

[0085] Among them, the first coding rule can be the following steps:

[0086] First, determine the first binary data corresponding to the first character and the second binary data corresponding to the second character. Then, determine the number of first image elements according to the length of the first binary data, and determine the number of second image elements according to the length of the second binary data. Next, determine the form of each first image element according to the value of the first binary data, and determine the form of each second image element according to the value of the second binary data. Finally, generate the first image according to the number of first image elements and the form of each first image element; and generate the second image according to the number of second image elements and the form of each second image element.

[0087] In a possible embodiment, the first character and the second character can be English or numbers, and the ASCII coding rule can be applied. ASCII uses a specified combination of 7-bit or 8-bit binary numbers to represent 128 or 256 possible characters. The standard ASCII code is also called the basic ASCII code, which uses 7-bit binary numbers to represent all uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers 0 to 9, punctuation marks, and special control characters used in American English. It can be understood that the length of the first binary data and the length of the second binary data can be 7 at this time. For the convenience of recognition, the number of first image elements can be set to the length of the first binary data plus 2 to form a 3×3 nine-square grid, because regular graphics are easier to recognize, and each first image element corresponds to one "cell" in the nine-square grid. Similarly, the number of second image elements can be set to the length of the second binary data plus 2 to form a 3×3 nine-square grid, and each second image element corresponds to one "cell" in the nine-square grid.

[0088] In one possible embodiment, the first and second characters may be Chinese characters. Chinese characters can be encoded using a variety of encoding rules. Eight bits (i.e., 8 bits) of binary code constitute a byte. For single-byte ASCII characters, an 8-bit binary value can represent a single character. Multi-byte characters, such as Chinese characters, need to be segmented by bytes, with each byte represented by 8 bits. However, multi-byte characters involve different character set encodings, such as Unicode, UTF-8, and GB18030. Different character sets may encode the same multi-byte character differently, and the number of bytes used to encode it may also vary. For example, the character "中" (meaning "中") is represented by 4 bytes in Unicode, 3 bytes in UTF-8, and 2 bytes in GB18030. This means that the binary data length of "中" is 32 in Unicode, 24 in UTF-8, and 16 in GB18030. This will not be discussed further here.

[0089] It should be noted that the number of first image elements is greater than or equal to the length of the first binary data, and the number of second image elements is greater than or equal to the length of the second binary data. In order to make the final image easier to identify, the number of first image elements is generally set to n*n, where n*n is a value equal to the length of the first binary data, or n*n is a first value greater than the length of the first binary data. For example, if the length of the first binary data is 16, then n is 4; if the length of the first binary data is 24, then n is 5, which will not be elaborated here; similarly, the number of second image elements is set to m*m, where m*m is a value equal to the length of the second binary data, or m*m is a first value greater than the length of the second binary data. For example, if the length of the second binary data is 16, then n is 4; if the length of the second binary data is 24, then n is 5, which will not be elaborated here.

[0090] In a possible embodiment, the form of each first image element can be a color. Since each first image element corresponds to the numerical value of the corresponding first binary data, 0 can be set to black and 1 can be set to white, thus obtaining the form of each first image element. Similarly, the form of each second image element can be a color. Since each second image element corresponds to the numerical value of the corresponding second binary data, 0 can be set to black and 1 can be set to white, thus obtaining the form of each second image element.

[0091] In a possible embodiment, the form of each first image element can be a shape. Since each first image element corresponds to the value of the corresponding first binary data, 0 can be set as a circle and 1 as a triangle, thus obtaining the form of each first image element. Similarly, the form of each second image element can be a shape. Since each second image element corresponds to the value of the corresponding second binary data, 0 can be set as a circle and 1 as a triangle, thus obtaining the form of each second image element, which will not be elaborated here.

[0092] It should be noted that when the number of first image elements is greater than the length of the first binary data and the number of second image elements is greater than the length of the second binary data, the extra first image elements and second image elements can be set as locators, which can be placed anywhere. For example, they can be placed in the upper left corner and the lower right corner, etc., without specific limitation here.

[0093] The following combines Figures 5A to 6D to give an exemplary illustration of the coding information provided by this application. As for how to generate these coding information, it is by means of conventional binary information conversion, and this application does not limit and describe it.

[0094] The following combines Figure 5A to describe a first sub-image in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a first sub-image provided by an embodiment of this application. The first character is "H", corresponding to the Figure 5A shown first sub-image.

[0095] The following combines Figure 5B to describe a second sub-image in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of a second sub-image provided by an embodiment of this application. The second character is "2", obtaining the Figure 5B shown second sub-image.

[0096] It can be seen that according to the first coding rule, the first sub-image corresponding to the first character and the second sub-image corresponding to the second character can be generated, and the encoded image can be generated at the character level. Since the amount of information of a single character is small, the generated image is also relatively simple without too many details and can be clearly recognized even when reduced to a very small state, greatly improving the accuracy and versatility of information detection.

[0097] Finally, the first target image can be determined according to the size data on the surface of the heat dissipation fin, the first sub-image, and the second sub-image.

[0098] Among them, the surface of the heat dissipation fin is used to present the first target image, and the first target image is used to be recognized by a 3D printer to present the first information, that is, the type of the hot end.

[0099] Among them, the first sub-image size and the second sub-image size can be determined according to the size data of the surface of the heat dissipation fin, and the first sub-image with the first sub-image size and the second sub-image with the second sub-image size are spliced to obtain the first target image. It should be noted that the first sub-image and the second sub-image are only graphics and may not include size parameters. When generating the first target image, the sizes of the first sub-image and the second sub-image need to be set so that the first target image can be completely presented on the surface of the heat dissipation fin. It should be noted that since there is a sequence between the first character and the second character in the first information, there is also a sequence between the first sub-image and the second sub-image, which can be arranged from left to right or from top to bottom, and no specific limitation is made here. For ease of understanding, the following combines Figure 5C to give an exemplary illustration of a first target image in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5C is a schematic diagram of a first target image provided by an embodiment of the present application. It can be seen that on the basis of Figure 5A and Figure 5B , the first target image can be obtained by arranging the first sub-image and the second sub-image from left to right, and the specific size parameters are not shown.

[0100] In a possible embodiment, the resolution data of the image sensing module of the 3D printer can be obtained. The image sensing module is used to obtain the first target image. The image sensing module here can include a low-resolution camera. Then, according to the resolution data, an image size threshold is determined. The image size threshold is the minimum image size with a recognition clarity meeting the preset clarity under the resolution data. For example, if the resolution data at this time can only recognize images above 10mm * 10mm, the image size threshold is 10mm * 10mm. Then, according to the image size threshold and the size and shape data of the target area, the surface of the heat dissipation fin is divided into a first sub-image area and a second sub-image area. The division rule is not specifically limited, as long as it is ensured that the first sub-image area and the second sub-image area are larger than the image size threshold. Then, the first sub-image size and the second sub-image size can be determined. The first sub-image size is smaller than the size of the first sub-image area, and the second sub-image size is smaller than the size of the second sub-image area. Finally, the first target image is generated according to the first sub-image area, the second sub-image area, the first sub-image size, and the second sub-image size.

[0101] In a possible embodiment, if the value of the image size threshold is greater than the value of the size data of the heat dissipation fin surface, a prompt message is generated, and the prompt message is used to prompt to adjust the resolution data of the image sensing module or the size data of the heat dissipation fin surface. It can be seen that in this way, the camera resolution can be adjusted in time or the size of the heat dissipation fin surface can be adjusted, preventing the failure of information recognition and greatly improving the user experience.

[0102] The following describes the case where two pieces of information are required to represent the type of the hot end, that is, the type of the hot end is indicated by the first information and the second information. The first information includes a first character and a second character, and the second information includes the first character and a third character. It can be understood that one character in the second information is the same as one character in the first information, and the second information and the first information need to be set in the same area. In this case, if the traditional coding method is used, there will be a similar part between the image corresponding to the first information and the image corresponding to the second information, increasing the probability of recognition error.

[0103] At this time, the third sub-image corresponding to the first character in the first information and the second sub-image corresponding to the second character can be generated according to the second coding rule, and the fourth sub-image corresponding to the first character in the second information and the fifth sub-image corresponding to the third character can be generated according to the second coding rule.

[0104] Among them, the second coding rule can be determined manually, and the present application does not limit this.

[0105] For ease of understanding, the following combines Figure 6A to illustrate a third sub-image in the embodiments of the present application. Figure 6A FIG. is a schematic diagram of a third sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0106] For ease of understanding, the following combines Figure 6B to illustrate a fourth sub-image in the embodiments of the present application. Figure 6B FIG. is a schematic diagram of a fourth sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0107] For ease of understanding, the following combines Figure 6C to illustrate a fifth sub-image in the embodiments of the present application. Figure 6C FIG. is a schematic diagram of a fifth sub-image provided by an embodiment of the present application, where the third character is "4", and the obtained Figure 6C is the fifth sub-image shown.

[0108] Finally, a second target image is determined according to the size and shape data of the target area, the third image, the second image, the fourth image, and the fifth image.

[0109] Among them, the target area is used to present the second target image, and the second target image is used to present the first information and the second information after being recognized.

[0110] Among them, the third sub-image size, the second sub-image size, the fourth sub-image size, and the fifth sub-image size can be determined according to the size data on the surface of the heat dissipation fins. The third sub-image with the third sub-image size, the second sub-image with the second sub-image size, the fourth sub-image with the fourth sub-image size, and the fifth sub-image with the fifth sub-image size are spliced together to obtain the second target image. It should be noted that the third sub-image, the second sub-image, the fourth sub-image, and the fifth sub-image are only graphics and may not include size parameters. When generating the second target image, the sizes of the third sub-image, the second sub-image, the fourth sub-image, and the fifth sub-image need to be set so that the second target image can be completely presented in the target area. It should be noted that since there is a sequence between the first character and the second character in the first information, and there is also a sequence between the first character and the third character in the second information, there is also a sequence among the third sub-image, the second sub-image, the fourth sub-image, and the fifth sub-image, which can be arranged from left to right or from top to bottom, determined according to the shape of the target area, and no specific limitation is made here. For the sake of understanding, an exemplary description of a second target image in an embodiment of the present application is given below in combination with Figure 6D an exemplary illustration of a second target image in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 6D which is a schematic diagram of a second target image provided by an embodiment of the present application. It can be seen that on the basis of Figures 6A to 6C , the second target image can be obtained by arranging the third sub-image, the second sub-image, the fourth sub-image, and the fifth sub-image from left to right, and the specific size parameters are not shown.

[0111] In a possible embodiment, resolution data of an image sensing module of a 3D printer can be obtained. The image sensing module is used to obtain the second target image. Here, the image sensing module may include a low-resolution camera. Then, an image size threshold is determined according to the resolution data. The image size threshold is the minimum image size that can identify a clarity meeting a preset clarity under the resolution data. For example, if the resolution data at this time can only identify an image of 10 mm * 10 mm or more, the image size threshold is 10 mm * 10 mm. Next, the target area is divided into a third sub-image area, a second sub-image area, a fourth sub-image area, and a fifth sub-image area according to the image size threshold and the size and shape data of the target area. The division rule is not specifically limited, as long as it is ensured that the third sub-image area, the second sub-image area, the fourth sub-image area, and the fifth sub-image area are larger than the image size threshold. Then, the third sub-image size, the second sub-image size, the fourth sub-image size, and the fifth sub-image size can be determined. The third sub-image size is smaller than the size of the third sub-image area, the second sub-image size is smaller than the size of the second sub-image area, the fourth sub-image size is smaller than the size of the fourth sub-image area, and the fifth sub-image size is smaller than the size of the fifth sub-image area. Finally, the second target image is generated according to the third sub-image area, the second sub-image area, the fourth sub-image area, the fifth sub-image area, the third sub-image size, the second sub-image size, the fourth sub-image size, and the fifth sub-image size.

[0112] In this way, information including at least two characters can be encoded according to the characters to generate at least two images, and combined with the size of the area where the information is actually presented to generate the final image, so that the information can be accurately identified even in a low-resolution or small-size scenario, greatly improving the accuracy of information recognition. And the image sensing module of the present application can reuse some working cameras in the 3D printer, such as a fault detection camera or a time-lapse video camera, which can not only realize the automation of hot-end type recognition but also not increase the hardware cost.

[0113] The above mainly introduced the solution of the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of the execution process on the method side. It can be understood that in order for an electronic device to implement the above functions, it includes the corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, combining the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments provided in this article, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed in the manner of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present application.

[0114] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores a computer program for electronic data exchange, and the computer program enables the computer to execute part or all of the steps of any of the methods described in the above method embodiments, and the above computer includes an electronic device.

[0115] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product, the above computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, and the above computer program is operable to enable the computer to execute part or all of the steps of any of the methods described in the above method embodiments. The computer program product can be a software installation package, and the above computer includes an electronic device.

[0116] It should be noted that for the above various embodiments, for the sake of simple description, they are all expressed as a series of action combinations. Those skilled in the art should know that the present application is not limited by the described action sequence, because some steps in the embodiments of the present application can be performed in other sequences or simultaneously. In addition, those skilled in the art should also know that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions, steps, modules or units involved are not necessarily essential to the embodiments of the present application.

[0117] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of the embodiments of the present application each have their own focuses. For the parts not detailed in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0118] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in a hardware manner or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable hard disks, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium well-known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. Additionally, the ASIC can be located in a terminal device or a management device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the terminal device or the management device.

[0119] Those skilled in the art should be able to realize that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that the computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more integrated available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (such as a solid state disk (SSD)), etc.

[0120] Each device and product described in the above embodiments includes various modules / units, which can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or partially software modules / units and partially hardware modules / units. For example, for each device and product applied to or integrated into a chip, each module / unit it includes can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits. Alternatively, at least some of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the chip, and the remaining (if any) part of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits. For each device and product applied to or integrated into a chip module, each module / unit it includes can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (such as a chip, a circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module. Alternatively, at least some of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the chip module, and the remaining (if any) part of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits. For each device and product applied to or integrated into a terminal device, each module / unit it includes can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (such as a chip, a circuit module, etc.) or different components within the terminal device. Alternatively, at least some of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the terminal device, and the remaining (if any) part of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits.

[0121] The specific embodiments described above further elaborate on the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the above description is only the specific embodiments of the embodiments of the present application and is not used to limit the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made on the basis of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for identifying the type of hot end, characterized in that, The hot end is used to connect to the print head of a 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins, and the encoding information includes at least two codewords. The method includes: Obtaining the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins through an image sensing module in the 3D printer; Determining the type of the hot end based on at least two codewords in the encoding information; the type of the hot end includes the diameter of the nozzle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The image sensing module is fixedly arranged in the housing of the 3D printer; Before obtaining the encoding information on the surface of the heat dissipation fins through the image sensing module in the 3D printer, the method further includes: Controlling the print head to move near the image sensing module, and the surface of the heat dissipation fins provided with the encoding information faces the image sensing module.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein Before controlling the print head to move near the image sensing module, the method includes: Receiving a printing task or a request to detect the type of the hot end.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: Sending the type of the nozzle to a terminal device connected to the 3D printer, so that the terminal device slices a three-dimensional model based on the diameter of the nozzle.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The type of the hot end further includes at least one of the flow rate of the nozzle and the material of the nozzle.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein The at least two codewords include a first codeword and a second codeword. The first codeword is represented by a first sub-image, and the second codeword is represented by a second sub-image; Determining the type of the hot end based on at least two codewords in the encoding information includes: Obtaining the first sub-image and the second sub-image through the image sensing module; Determining the type of the hot end based on the first sub-image and the second sub-image.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The type of the hot end further includes the flow rate of the nozzle. The first sub-image carries the flow rate information of the nozzle, and the second sub-image carries the diameter information of the nozzle.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The first sub-image is generated by the first codeword according to a first coding rule, and the second sub-image is generated by the second codeword according to the first coding rule; A first target image is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins, and the first target image is determined according to the size data on the surface of the heat dissipation fins, the first sub-image, and the second sub-image.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein The length of the surface of the heat dissipation fins accommodating the encoding information is 7 mm - 10.8 mm, and the width is 1.9 mm - 2.88 mm.

10. A 3D printer, characterized in that, Includes: A hot end, a print head, an image sensing module, and a processor. The hot end is used to connect to the print head of a 3D printer. The hot end includes heat dissipation fins and a nozzle for extruding printing consumables. Encoding information is provided on the surface of the heat dissipation fins, and the encoding information includes at least two codewords. The processor is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 - 9.

11. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program includes program instructions. When the program instructions are executed by the processor, the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 1 - 9.

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