Augmented and mediated reality welding helmet systems

• US 10,032,388 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Sommers, Eric Thomas, Patel, Nishank Rudresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US14/561,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20160163221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 434234, 434219
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/06 Masks, shields or hoods for welders safety devices for welding in general F16P1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/09 Arrangements or circuits for arc welding with pulsed current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/322 Head protecting means masks, shields or hoods for weldersp A61F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

A welding helmet system is provided. The welding helmet system includes a protective shell and a welding display system. The welding display system is configured to be removably coupled to the protective shell. The welding display system is configured to receive data from a sensor, and to display a welding metric derived from the sensor via the image generation system.

Claims

1. A welding helmet system, comprising:

a protective shell; and

a welding display system configured to be removably coupled to the protective shell, wherein the welding display system is configured to be positioned on an exterior portion of the protective shell, wherein the welding display system comprises augmented reality eyeglasses, mediated reality eyeglasses, a detachable augmented reality welding shield, a detachable mediated reality welding shield, or a combination thereof, and wherein the welding display system is configured to;

receive data from a sensor; and

display a welding metric derived from the sensor.

2. The welding helmet system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera sensor disposed on the welding display system, on the protective shell, or a combination thereof.

3. The welding helmet system of claim 1, wherein the welding display system is configured to process the data via an external system to derive the welding metric and wherein the welding display system comprises a communications system configured to communicate with a second welding display system, the external system, or a combination thereof.

4. The welding helmet system of claim 1, wherein the welding display system comprises a processor configured to process the data to derive the welding metric, a user biometric, an environmental metric, a work order data, an alarm, an alert, or a combination thereof.

5. The welding helmet system of claim 1, wherein the welding metric comprises a welding speed, a welding voltage, a welding current, a weld concavity/convexity metric, a cross sectional weld area, a weld leg size, a weld toe angle, a weld undercut metric, a weld face metric, a weld throat metric, a weld mismatch metric, a weld bead width metric, a weld reinforcement height metric, a weld porosity metric, an image, a video, or a combination thereof.

6. The welding helmet system of claim 1, wherein the welding display system is configured to:

receive second data representative of a workpiece, a welding supply, a welding system, or a combination thereof;

derive a virtual welding environment based on the second data;

display the virtual welding environment; and

enable a welding helmet wearer to manipulate the virtual welding environment.

7. A welding display system, comprising:

an image generation system;

an attachment system configured to attach and to detach the welding display system to a welding helmet, to a protective face shield, or a combination thereof; and

a processor configured to;

receive data from a sensor;

display a welding metric via the image generation system, wherein the welding metric is derived from the data; and

change the welding display system from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on the coupling, the decoupling, or a combination thereof, of the welding display system to the welding helmet, to the protective face shield, or the combination thereof.

8. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the welding display system comprises augmented reality eyeglasses, mediated reality eyeglasses, or a combination thereof.

9. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the welding display system comprises a wireless communications system configured to communicate with a second welding display system, an external system, or a combination thereof.

10. The welding display system of claim 9, wherein the welding display system is configured to at least partially process the data via the external system to derive the welding metric.

11. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the first and second operating modes each comprise a virtual reality mode, an augmented reality mode, a mediated reality mode, or a reality-only mode.

12. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises a camera sensor disposed on the welding display system.

13. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to process the data to derive a user biometric, an environmental metric, a work order data, an alarm, an alert, or a combination thereof.

14. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the welding metric comprises a welding speed, a welding voltage, a welding current, a weld concavity/convexity metric, a cross sectional weld area, a weld leg size, a weld toe angle, a weld undercut metric, a weld face metric, a weld throat metric, a weld mismatch metric, a weld bead width metric, a weld reinforcement height metric, a weld porosity metric, an image, a video, or a combination thereof.

15. The welding display system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive second data representative of a workpiece, a welding supply, a welding system, or a combination thereof;

derive a virtual welding environment based on the second data;

display the virtual welding environment via the welding display system; and

enable a user to manipulate the virtual welding environment.