Systems and methods for a weld training system

• US 10,056,010 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Salsich, Anthony Van Bergen, Becker, William Joshua, Albrecht, Bruce Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US14/554,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A weld training system is provided. The weld training system includes a welding torch configured to perform a welding procedure and a mobile device coupled to the welding torch. The mobile device is configured to detect, via one or more sensors, dynamic position or orientation information of the welding torch during the welding procedure to determine one or more operating parameters of the welding procedure. The mobile device is also configured to display a welding environment based at least in part on the one or more operating parameters.

Claims

1. A weld training system, comprising:

a welding torch comprising a mount, wherein the welding torch is configured to perform a welding procedure; and

a mobile device coupled to the mount of the welding torch and comprising one or more sensors, wherein the mobile device is configured to;

gather, via the one or more sensors, information indicative of dynamic position or orientation of the mobile device during the welding procedure; and

display, via a display of the mobile device, a welding environment.

2. The weld training system of claim 1, wherein the welding torch is configured to perform a simulated welding procedure on a simulated weld joint on a simulated work surface, and wherein the mobile device is configured to display the welding environment as a simulated welding environment.

3. The weld training system of claim 1, wherein the welding torch is configured to perform an actual welding procedure on an actual weld joint with a live arc, and wherein the mobile device is configured to display the welding environment as an augmented welding environment.

4. The weld training system of claim 3, wherein the display of the augmented welding environment comprises a live video of actual objects used in the actual welding procedure with one or more virtual objects superimposed on the actual objects.

5. The weld training system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is coupled to a neck of the welding torch via the mount.

6. The weld training system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the information indicative of the dynamic position or orientation information or the one or more operating parameters to an external device.

7. The weld training system of claim 6, wherein the external device is a welding helmet, an external display, a remote computing system, cloud storage or processing, or a combination thereof.

8. The weld training system of claim 1, further comprising a shield configured to hold the mobile device in a mounted position relative to the welding torch, and the mounting device is coupled between the welding torch and the shield.

9. The weld training system of claim 8, wherein the shield is transparent.

10. The weld training system of claim 8, wherein the shield comprises an aperture through which a camera of the mobile device may gather information.

11. The weld training system of claim 1, further comprising an orientation device, wherein the orientation device comprises one or more identifiers, wherein a sensor of the mobile device is configured to detect the one or more identifiers.

12. The weld training system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine a first position of the mobile device based at least on the detection of the one or more identifiers, and wherein the mobile device is configured to determine a second position of the welding torch relative to the orientation device based at least in part on the determined first position of the mobile device and the mounted position.

13. The weld training system of claim 11, wherein the one or more identifiers comprise at least one of patterns, dots, lines, curves, grids, recesses, protrusions, geometric shapes, textures, raised surfaces, barcodes, or QR codes.

14. The weld training system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a magnetometer configured to sense one or more magnets disposed on the orientation device to determine at least one of a speed of the mobile device, a direction of the mobile device, or an orientation of the mobile device.

15. The weld training system of claim 1, wherein the welding torch is configured to perform a simulated welding procedure on a simulated weld joint on a simulated work surface, and wherein the mobile device is configured to display the welding environment as an augmented welding environment.

16. The weld training system of claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to display the augmented welding environment as a live video of actual objects used in the actual welding procedure with one or more virtual objects superimposed on the actual objects, the one or more virtual objects comprising at least one of the simulated weld joint or the simulated work surface.

17. The weld training system of claim 2, wherein the mobile device is configured to display the simulated welding environment by displaying an entirety of a simulated weld generated by a simulated welding application, including the simulated weld joint, a simulated work surface, and live video of actual objects used in the actual welding procedure with one or more virtual objects superimposed on the actual objects, the one or more virtual objects comprising at least one of the simulated weld joint or the simulated work surface.