Systems and methods providing enhanced education and training in a virtual reality environment

• US 10,134,303 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peters, Carl, Postlethwaite, Deanna, Wallace, Matthew Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/018,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20160155361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• 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 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• 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

Virtual reality arc welding systems that provide virtual reality simulations for training purposes. Virtual reality welding systems to aid in training welding students may provide intelligent connections to web sites on the internet, overlays of ideal weld puddles, recommended corrective actions based on virtual testing results, simulations of virtual environments with safety hazards, and simulations of relationships between improperly set welding parameters and weld defects and discontinuities.

Claims

1. A virtual reality welding system, comprising:

a programmable processor-based subsystem;

a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem;

at least one mock welding tool configured to be spatially tracked by the spatial tracker; and

at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem,

wherein the system is configured to simulate, in a virtual reality environment, a weld puddle that is responsive to manipulation of the at least one mock welding tool by a user and has real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics, and display the simulated weld puddle on the at least one display device in real-time, and

wherein the virtual reality welding system is further configured to overlay and display an image of an ideal weld puddle onto the simulated weld puddle when at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle deviates more than a determined amount from an ideal amount of the at least one characteristic.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image of the ideal weld puddle is a partially transparent, ghosted image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the image of the ideal weld puddle is an opaque image.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle includes one or more of a shape, a color, slag, a size, viscosity, heat dissipation, puddle wake, and dime spacing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality welding system is further configured to overlay and display a partially transparent, ghosted image of an ideal weld puddle onto the simulated weld puddle at least during a first portion of a simulated welding process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual welding system is further configured to intermittently display the image of the ideal weld puddle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the image of the ideal weld puddle is full motion video of the formation of the ideal weld puddle.

8. A simulated welding system, comprising:

a programmable processor-based subsystem;

a spatial tracker operatively coupled to the programmable processor-based subsystem;

a mock welding tool trackable by the spatial tracker; and

a display operatively coupled to the programmable processor-based subsystem,

wherein the programmable processor-based subsystem executes computer-executable instructions that configure the subsystem to;

simulate a weld puddle with real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics responsive to manipulation of the mock welding tool based on tracking information obtained from the spatial tracker,

display a simulated weld puddle on the display in real-time, and

display an image of an ideal weld puddle with the simulated weld puddle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the programmable processor-based subsystem measures at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle includes one or more of shape, color, slag, size, viscosity, heat dissipation, puddle wake, or dime spacing.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the programmable processor-based subsystem determines when the at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle deviates from a predetermined value by more than a predetermined amount.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the programmable processor-based subsystem displays the image of the ideal weld puddle when the at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle deviates in excess of the predetermined amount.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the image of the ideal weld puddle is a partially transparent, ghosted image overlying the simulated weld puddle.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the image of the ideal weld puddle is an opaque image overlying the simulated weld puddle.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the image of the ideal weld puddle is full motion video of the formation of the ideal weld puddle.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instruction for a welding simulation, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure a processor to:

obtain tracking information from a spatial tracker configured to spatially track a mock welding tool operated by a user;

simulate a weld puddle based on the tracking information and responsive to manipulation of the mock welding tool by the user, wherein the weld puddle is simulated with real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics;

display a simulated weld puddle on a display in real-time; and

display an overlay image of an ideal weld puddle on the simulated weld puddle.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further storing instructions that configure the processor to display the overlay image of the ideal weld puddle when at least one characteristic of the simulated weld puddle deviates from a normal value by a predetermined amount.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further storing instructions that configure the processor to display the overlay image as a partially transparent, ghosted image over the simulated weld puddle.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further storing instructions that configure the processor to display the overlay image on the simulated weld puddle at least during a first portion of a simulated welding process.