Systems and methods for associating data to a welder power source

• US 10,010,959 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Daniel, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Samuels, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US13/668,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20130119036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 21913021, 219137 R, 2191305, 21913001
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/095 Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/10 Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1043 characterised by the electric circuit B23K9/1012 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention described herein generally pertains to a system and method for welder system that associates a set of data to a portion of data collected by a welder power source based on a first indicia and a second indicia. The welder system includes an input device that collects a first input based on the first indicia to identify a type of the set of data and a welder power source to relate the set of data. Moreover, the input device collects a second input based on the second indicia that indicates a location for the set of data. Based on the first indicia and the second indicia, the set of data can be associated with a welder power source or a portion of data collected by the welder power source.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a command sheet which includes a plurality of first indicia, wherein each individual first indicia is one of a barcode, a QR code, or a radio frequency identification signal;

(b) reading one of the plurality of first indicia using an input device, wherein the step of reading the first indicia identifies a particular field for which a portion of data that will be entered subsequently for the particular field, the particular field is one of a job data, an identity of a welder power source, or an identity of a user;

(c) reading a second indicia using the input device, the step of reading the second indicia identifies the portion of data and the second indicia is one of a barcode, a QR code, or a radio frequency identification signal, the portion of data corresponds to the particular field identified by the reading of the first indicia;

(d) communicating the portion of data to at least one of a database, a workstation at which a welding operation is performed, or a welding power source used to perform a welding operation; and

(e) configuring the welding power source or the workstation with the portion of data for the particular field, the particular field is identified from the step of reading the first indicia and the portion of data is identified from the step of reading the second indicia.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device is a barcode scanner.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of associating the user'"'"'s identification to at least one of the welder power source and a portion of weld data collected by the welder power source.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the welder power source prints an identification barcode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein after reading the first indicia corresponding to job data, the subsequent second indicia is correlated to at least one of particular job data and weld system presets to setup the welder power source.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second indicia is correlated using a lookup table for retrieving data from the database.

7. A system comprising:

a command sheet which includes a plurality of first indicia, wherein each individual first indicia is one of a barcode, a QR code, or a radio frequency identification signal;

at least one welder power source that interfaces to an input device via a database, wherein the input device reads a first indicia selected from the plurality of first indicia on the command sheet, wherein reading the first indicia identifies a particular field for which a portion of data that will be entered subsequently for the particular field, the particular field is one of a job data, an identity of a welder power source, or an identity of a user;

the input device reads a second indicia, reading the second indicia identifies the portion of data and the second indicia is one of a barcode, a QR code, or a radio frequency identification signal, wherein the portion of data corresponds to the particular field identified by the reading of the first indicia; and

a processing component that sends the portion of data to the database.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device is a barcode scanner.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the command sheet includes a welding process that uses the at least one welder power source.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the database is remote to the at least one welder power source.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one welder power source is configured to collect welding data from a welding process performed by the at least one welder power source.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is configured to form an association between the portion of data and at least a portion of the welding data based on at least one of the first indicia or the second indicia.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the association is formed via at least one of a tag, a link, a key, or an appending of data.

8. A method, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a user by scanning a biometric;

(b) accessing a command sheet which includes a plurality of first indicia, wherein each individual first indicia is one of a barcode, a QR code, or a radio frequency identification signal;

(c) reading one of the plurality of first indicia using an input device, wherein the step of reading the first indicia identifies a particular field for which a portion of data that will be entered subsequently for the particular field, the particular field is one of a job data, an identity of a welder power source, or an identity of a user;

(d) reading a second indicia using the input device, the step of reading the second indicia identifies the portion of data and the second indicia is one of a barcode, a QR code, or a radio frequency identification signal, the portion of data corresponds to the particular field identified by the reading of the first indicia;

(e) communicating the portion of data to at least one of a database, a workstation at which a welding operation is performed, or a welding power source used to perform a welding operation; and

(f) configuring the welding power source or the workstation with the portion of data for the particular field, the particular field is identified from the step of reading the first indicia and the portion of data is identified from the step of reading the second indicia.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the input device is a barcode scanner.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the command sheet includes a welding operation that uses the welding power source.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the database is remote to the welding power source.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising collecting welding data from a welding operation performed by the welding power source.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising associating the portion of data with at least a portion of the welding data based on at least one of the first indicia or the second indicia.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the associating is formed via at least one of a tag, a link, a key, or an appending of data.