3D Printing User Design Customization via Style Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing techniques lack the ability to provide personalized product customization efficiently, leading to mass-produced products that do not cater specifically to individual users, resulting in inefficiencies in production, inventory, and waste.
Innovation Solution
A product customization system that allows users to customize products with a single action by applying personalized styles to product designs, utilizing a database to store customizable designs and styles, and a customization algorithm to match user-specific attributes with product attributes for on-demand manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If mass production techniques are used, then production cost is reduced, but product personalization capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into modular components: base product design, customization vectors, and style data. This allows mass production of standardized base products while enabling personalized customization through separate style applications, resolving the contradiction between production efficiency and personalization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal customization system where a single base product design can serve multiple customers with different personalization needs. The customization vectors and style data structure enable one product platform to generate infinitely varied personalized versions, achieving both economies of scale and individualization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customization options are increased, then product adaptability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides customization into discrete vectors (dimensions, materials, colors, etc.) that can be independently selected and combined. This segmentation allows complex customization to be managed through simple modular choices rather than overwhelming complexity, enabling high adaptability with manageable manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter-based customization where product variations are defined by changing specific parameters (size, color, material) rather than redesigning entire products. This approach allows infinite customization combinations without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity, as the base manufacturing process remains unchanged.
3Quantity of substance
If on-demand manufacturing is implemented, then inventory is reduced, but production time may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares base product designs and customization templates in advance, storing them in a database ready for rapid deployment. When customization orders arrive, the system applies pre-prepared style data to base products, enabling fast on-demand production without full customization lead times, thus reducing inventory while maintaining quick fulfillment.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for determining 3D printing customizations for a user. One of the methods includes receiving data indicating a selection of a product design by a user for creation of a three-dimensional product that includes a plurality of attributes, determining a style which includes values for some of the plurality of attributes and that is associated with the user, for each of the plurality of attributes determining whether the style includes a value for the respective attribute, and upon determining that the style includes a value for the respective attribute, customizing the product design using the value for the respective attribute, or upon determining that the style does not include a value for the respective attribute, customizing the product design using a default value for the respective attribute, and providing data for the customized product design for the three-dimensional product.