System and method for welding torch display

• US 10,210,773 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Becker, William Joshua, Weber, Jeffrey Dale, Erdmann, Jeremy John
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US14/928,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/287 Supporting devices for electrode holders not restricted to arc welding B23K37/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/02 of industrial processes; of machinery
• 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 method including determining an orientation of a display of a welding torch relative to a joint of a workpiece, displaying, on the display of the welding torch during a welding operation, a graphical representation of a welding parameter in relation to a predetermined threshold range for the welding parameter as a position of the welding torch changes, the orientation of the welding torch changes, a movement of the welding torch changes, or some combination thereof, and rotating the graphical representation of the welding parameter based at least in part on the determined orientation of the display of the welding torch relative to the joint. The graphical representation of the welding parameter is associated with the position of the welding torch relative to the joint, the orientation of the welding torch relative to the joint, the movement of the welding torch relative to the joint, or some combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an orientation of a display of a welding torch relative to a joint of a workpiece by;

detecting, via a sensing device, a set of visual markers disposed on the welding torch;

associating a rigid body model to the detected set of visual markers disposed on the welding torch; and

determining the orientation of the display of the welding torch relative to the rigid body model of the detected set of visual markers based at least in part on a relative position of two or more visual markers of the detected set of visual markers;

displaying, on the display of the welding torch during a welding operation, a graphical representation of a welding parameter in relation to a predetermined threshold range for the welding parameter as a position of the welding torch changes, the orientation of the welding torch changes, a movement of the welding torch changes, or some combination thereof, wherein the graphical representation of the welding parameter is associated with the position of the welding torch relative to the joint, the orientation of the welding torch relative to the joint, the movement of the welding torch relative to the joint, or some combination thereof; and

rotating the graphical representation of the welding parameter on the display based at least in part on the determined orientation of the display of the welding torch relative to the joint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the welding parameter comprises at least one of a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a tip-to-work distance, and an aim.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the welding parameter comprises at least two of a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a tip-to-work distance, and an aim.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold range comprises values greater than a predetermined limit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold range comprises a predetermined limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the welding parameter comprises a target value for the welding parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the display of the welding torch comprises utilizing sensor feedback from inertial sensors coupled to the welding torch.

8. A system comprising:

a welding torch, comprising

a housing configured to enclose control circuitry of the welding torch;

a set of visual markers,

and

a display coupled to the housing, wherein the display is configured to display, during a welding operation, a graphical representation of a welding parameter in relation to a predetermined threshold range for the welding parameter as a position of the welding torch changes, an orientation of the welding torch changes, a movement of the welding torch changes, or some combination thereof, wherein the graphical representation of the welding parameter is associated with the position of the welding torch relative to a joint of a workpiece, the orientation of the welding torch relative to the joint of the workpiece, the movement of the welding torch relative to the joint of the workpiece, or some combination thereof, wherein the graphical representation is configured to rotate on the display relative to the housing based at least in part on the orientation of the display relative to the joint of the workpiece; and

processing circuitry configured to determine the orientation of the display relative to a joint of a workpiece by;

detecting, via a sensing device, the set of visual markers disposed on the welding torch;

associating a rigid body model to the detected set of visual markers disposed on the welding torch; and

determining the orientation of the display of the welding torch relative to the rigid body model of the detected set of visual markers based at least in part on a relative position of two or more visual markers of the detected set of visual markers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensing device comprises an optical sensing device, wherein each visual marker of the set of visual markers of the welding torch is oriented in a direction, and the sensing device is configured to determine the orientation of the display relative to the joint of the workpiece based at least in part on detection of three or more markers of the set of visual markers.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the visual markers comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the welding torch comprises one or more inertial sensors, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the orientation of the display relative to the joint of the workpiece based on the one or more inertial sensors.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the welding parameter comprises at least one of a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a tip-to-work distance, and an aim.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold range comprises values greater than or equal to a predetermined limit.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the welding parameter comprises an aim of the welding torch, and the graphical representation of the welding parameter comprises a line on the display that is substantially parallel with the joint of the workpiece.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the welding parameter comprises a travel speed of the welding torch, and the graphical representation of the travel speed or a target travel speed on the display comprises a line substantially perpendicular to the joint of the workpiece.

16. A method comprising:

determining an orientation of a display of a welding torch relative to a joint of a workpiece by;

detecting, via a sensing device, a set of visual markers disposed on the welding torch

detecting, via the sensing device, two or more secondary visual markers distinct from the detected set of visual markers;

associating a rigid body model to the detected set of visual markers disposed on the welding torch; and

determining the orientation of the display of the welding torch relative to the rigid body model of the detected set of visual markers based at least in part on a relative position of the two or more secondary visual markers;

displaying, on the display of the welding torch during a welding operation, a graphical representation of a welding parameter in relation to a predetermined threshold range for the welding parameter as a position of the welding torch changes, the orientation of the welding torch changes, a movement of the welding torch changes, or some combination thereof, wherein the graphical representation of the welding parameter is associated with the position of the welding torch relative to the joint, the orientation of the welding torch relative to the joint, the movement of the welding torch relative to the joint, or some combination thereof; and

rotating the graphical representation of the welding parameter on the display based at least in part on the determined orientation of the display of the welding torch relative to the joint.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the welding parameter comprises at least one of a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a tip-to-work distance, and an aim.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined threshold range comprises values greater than a predetermined limit.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphical representation of the welding parameter comprises a target value for the welding parameter.