Methods and apparatus to provide visual information associated with welding operations

• US 10,380,911 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Christopher, Schmidt, Scott Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/061,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 434219, 434234
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 1/04 portable
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/02 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/06 Trays
• 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

Methods and apparatus to provide visual information associated with welding operations are disclosed. An weld training system includes a display, a camera, a communications device, and a welding helmet. The communications device communicates with welding equipment. The welding helmet has a view port. The communications device is configured to hold the camera, the communications device, and the display such that, when the welding helmet is worn by a wearer, the display is viewable by the wearer, the camera has a view through the view port such that the display displays to the wearer images taken by the camera through the view port and displays a simulated object generated based on information received from the welding equipment via the communications device.

Claims

1. A weld training system, comprising:

a display;

a camera;

a communications device to communicate with welding equipment capable of performing actual welding; and

a welding helmet comprising a view port and configured to hold the camera, the communications device, and the display such that, when the welding helmet is worn by a wearer, the display is viewable by the wearer, the camera has a view through the view port such that the display displays to the wearer images taken by the camera through the view port and displays a simulated object generated based on information received from the welding equipment via the communications device,

wherein the display, the camera, and the communications device are in a smartphone or tablet computer attached to the welding helmet.

2. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the communications device is to transmit a command to welding equipment to cause the welding equipment to operate in a training or simulation mode.

3. The weld training system as defined in claim 2, wherein the communications device is to receive a trigger signal identifying a start of a simulated weld, the display to display the simulated object in response to receiving the trigger signal.

4. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone or tablet computer comprises a microphone and a processor configured to:

recognize a first audio command received via the microphone;

begin a weld training operation, the weld training operation including displaying the images and the simulated object to the wearer via the display;

recognize a second audio command received via the microphone; and

end the weld training operation.

5. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a processor to execute software to provide weld training to the wearer.

6. The weld training system as defined in claim 5, the processor is to render at least one of a simulated weld arc, a simulated weld bead, or a simulated weld puddle as the simulated object.

7. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the communications device is to receive welding parameters from the welding equipment, the system further comprising a processor to:

process the images to extract a plurality of welding conditions; and

render the simulated object based on the welding parameters and based on the plurality of welding conditions, the display to superimpose the simulated object on the images with a position and a perspective based on the images.

8. The weld training system as defined in claim 7, wherein the welding conditions comprise at least one of a contact-tip-to-work distance, a workpiece gauge thickness, a workpiece fit-up, a torch aim with respect to a joint seam, a torch travel angle, a torch work angle, or a torch travel speed.

9. The weld training system as defined in claim 7, wherein the simulated object comprises at least one of a simulated weld arc, a simulated weld puddle, simulated spatter, simulated fumes, or a simulated weld bead.

10. The weld training system as defined in claim 9, further comprising a speaker to output at least one of a simulated arc sound or a simulated gas flow sound.

11. The weld training system as defined in claim 7, wherein the welding parameters comprise at least one of a voltage setpoint, an arc length setpoint, a current setpoint, or a wire feed speed setpoint, or a weld program preset.

12. The weld training system as defined in claim 7, wherein the processor is to process the images to extract a characteristic of a weld scene and render the simulated object based further on the characteristic, the characteristic comprising at least one of a welding process type, a torch type, a torch condition, a welding consumable type, a weld joint type, a tack weld presence, a workpiece surface cleanliness, a weld fixture state, or a weld clamp state.

13. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the communications device is configured to communicate with the weld equipment via wireless communications.

14. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a processor to:

measure a first characteristic of a weld scene by extracting and analyzing features of the images;

determining whether a difference between the first characteristic and a second characteristic corresponds to an unacceptable weld condition; and

when the difference corresponds to the unacceptable weld condition, outputting an alert via the display indicating that the weld scene has the unacceptable weld condition.

15. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a processor to:

analyze the images to identify objects in the images and spatial relationships between the objects;

render a graphic representative of the spatial relationships; and

superimpose the graphic over the images on the display.

16. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the communications device is to communicate with the welding equipment to detect a start of a simulated weld operation or an end of the simulated weld operation, and the display to present the simulated object in response to the start of the simulated welding operation or remove the simulated object in response to the end of the simulated welding operation.

17. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the camera is a high dynamic range camera and the images are high dynamic range images.

18. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the camera is a medium dynamic range camera and the images are medium dynamic range images.

19. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the camera is a wide dynamic range camera and the images are wide dynamic range images.