System and method of recording multi-run data

• US 10,490,098 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Jerry-Daryl
• Application Number:
  US14/928,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/02 of industrial processes; of machinery
• 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 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 includes calibrating a first path of a joint of a workpiece of a welding system relative to a component, determining a first set of welding parameters of a welding torch based at least in part on a tracked position and a tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a first live-arc welding operation, calibrating a second path of the joint of the workpiece relative to the component, determining a second set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part the tracked position and orientation of the welding torch along the second path of the joint during a second live-arc welding operation, and displaying at least one of the first and second sets of welding parameters on a display. The second path is disposed at least partially over the first path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calibrating a first path of a joint of a workpiece of a welding system relative to a component of the welding system;

determining a first set of welding parameters of a welding torch based at least in part on a first tracked position and a first tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a first live-arc welding operation of a plurality of live-arc welding operations;

calibrating a second path of the joint of the workpiece relative to the component of the welding system;

determining a second set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part on a second tracked position and a second tracked orientation of the welding torch along the second path of the joint during a second live-arc welding operation of the plurality of live-arc welding operations, wherein the second path is disposed at least partially over the first path; and

displaying at least one of the first set of welding parameters and the second set of welding parameters on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of welding parameters and the second set of welding parameters comprise 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, comprising:

determining a third set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part on the first tracked position and the first tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a simulated welding operation prior to first live-arc welding operation along the first path of the joint; and

displaying the third set of welding parameters on the display.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

determining one or more simulation scores for the third set of welding parameters corresponding to the simulated welding operation; and

displaying the one or more simulation scores on the display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is coupled to a welding stand of the welding system.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining one or more first scores for the first set of welding parameters corresponding to the first live-arc welding operation;

determining one or more second scores for the second set of welding parameters corresponding to the second live-arc welding operation, wherein the one or more second scores are independent of the one or more first scores; and

displaying the one or more first scores and the one or more second scores on the display.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a total score for the plurality of live-arc welding operations, wherein the total score is based at least in part on a mean of determined scores of a threshold quantity of live-arc welding operations of the plurality of live-arc welding operations,

whether a determined score of each live-arc welding operation of the plurality of live-arc welding operations is a passing score, a minimum score of the plurality of live-arc welding operations, a sum of the determined scores, or any combination thereof; and

displaying the total score for the plurality of live-arc welding operations on the display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of live-arc welding operations consists of a specified quantity of live-arc welding operations, and the threshold quantity of live-arc welding operations is equal to the specified quantity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein calibrating the first path comprises interfacing a calibration tool with a first end point of the first path of the joint and interfacing the calibration tool with a second end point of the first path of the joint, wherein a controller determines the first path between the first end point and the second end point.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

calibrating a third path of the joint of the workpiece relative to the component of the welding system;

determining a third set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part on a third tracked position and a third tracked orientation of the welding torch along the third path of the joint during a third live-arc welding operation of the plurality of live-arc welding operations, wherein the third path is disposed at least partially over the second path; and

displaying the third set of welding parameters on the display.

11. A method comprising:

calibrating a first path of a joint of a workpiece of a welding system relative to a component of the welding system;

detecting, via one or more cameras of the welding system, three or more visual markers coupled to the welding torch, wherein a position and an orientation of a welding torch are tracked at least in part on the detection of the three or more visual markers;

determining a first set of welding parameters of a welding torch based at least in part on a first tracked position and a first tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a simulated welding operation;

determining a second set of welding parameters of a welding torch based at least in part on a second tracked position and a second tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a first live-arc welding operation of a plurality of live-arc welding operations;

calibrating a second path of the joint of the workpiece relative to the component of the welding system;

determining a third set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part on a third tracked position and a third tracked orientation of the welding torch along a second path of the joint during a second live-arc welding operation of the plurality of live-arc welding operations, wherein the second path is disposed at least partially over the first path; and

displaying at least one of the first set of welding parameters, the second set of welding parameters, and the third set of welding parameters on a display.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining a total score for the plurality of live-arc welding operations, wherein the total score is based at least in part on a mean of determined scores of a threshold quantity of live-arc welding operations of the plurality of live-arc welding operations, whether a determined score of each live-arc welding operation of the plurality of live-arc welding operations is a passing score, a minimum score of the plurality of live-arc welding operations, a sum of the determined scores, or any combination thereof; and

displaying the total score for the plurality of live-arc welding operations on the display.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining one or more scores for a scored set of welding parameters based at least in part on a comparison of the scored set of welding parameters to ranges of acceptable values for the welding parameters, wherein the welding parameters comprise a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a tip-to-work distance, or an aim, or any combination thereof; and

displaying the one or more scores for the scored set of welding parameters on the display, wherein the display is coupled to the welding torch or to a welding stand of the welding system.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining one or more scores for a scored set of welding parameters based at least in part on a comparison of the scored set of welding parameters to ranges of acceptable values for the welding parameters, wherein the welding parameters comprise a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a tip-to-work distance, or an aim, or any combination thereof; and

displaying the one or more scores for the scored set of welding parameters on the display, wherein the display is coupled to the welding helmet.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein calibrating the first path comprises:

interfacing a calibration tool with a first end point of the first path of the joint;

detecting, via the one or more cameras, calibration markers of the calibration tool at the first end point;

interfacing the calibration tool with a second end point of the first path of the joint;

detecting, via the one or more cameras, the calibration markers of the calibration tool at the second end point; and

determining the first path between the first end point and the second end point.

16. A system comprising:

one or more cameras configured to detect a first set of visual markers coupled to a welding device and a second set of visual markers coupled to a calibration tool;

a workpiece comprising a joint;

a display; and

a controller coupled to the one or more cameras and to the display, wherein the controller is configured to;

calibrate a first weld path along the joint based at least in part on detection of the second set of visual markers when the calibration tool interfaces with the joint;

determine a first set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part on a first tracked position and a first tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a first live-arc welding operation;

calibrate a second weld path along the joint based at least in part on detection of the second set of visual markers when the calibration tool interfaces with the joint, wherein the second weld path is disposed at least partially over the first path;

determine a second set of welding parameters of the welding torch based at least in part on a second tracked position and a second tracked orientation of the welding torch along the second path of the joint during a second live-arc welding operation; and

display at least one of the first set of welding parameters and the second set of welding parameters on the display.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising a non-transitory, computer readable memory coupled to the controller and configured to locally store the first set of welding parameters and the second set of welding parameters until a welding session comprising the first live-arc welding operation and the second live-arc welding operation is completed.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a third set of welding parameters of a welding torch based at least in part on a third tracked position and a third tracked orientation of the welding torch along the first path of the joint during a simulated welding operation prior to the first live-arc welding operation; and

display the third set of welding parameters on the display.

19. The system of claim 16, comprising a welding stand, wherein the display is coupled to the welding stand.

20. The system of claim 16, comprising a welding helmet, wherein the display is coupled to the welding helmet or to the welding torch.