SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING AN ENHANCED USER EXPERIENCE IN A REAL-TIME SIMULATED VIRTUAL REALITY WELDING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130230832A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Matthew Wayne Wallace
• Inventors: Peters, Carl, Postlethwaite, Deanna, Wallace, Matthew Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 9,318,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/234
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1062 with computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• 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 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• 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 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 real-time virtual reality welding system including a programmable processor-based subsystem, a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem, at least one mock welding tool capable of being spatially tracked by the spatial tracker, and at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem. The system is capable of simulating, in virtual reality space, a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics. The system is further capable of displaying the simulated weld puddle on the display device in real-time.

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 wireless mock welding tool configured to wirelessly communicate with the programmable processor-based subsystem and the spatial tracker; and

at least one wireless face-mounted display device configured to wirelessly communicate with the programmable processor-based subsystem and the spatial tracker,

wherein said system is configured to simulate, in a virtual reality environment, a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics, and display the simulated weld puddle on the at least one wireless face-mounted display device in real time.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless hub device communicatively wired to the programmable processor-based subsystem and the spatial tracker, wherein the at least one wireless mock welding tool and the at least one wireless face-mounted display device each wirelessly communicate with the programmable processor-based subsystem and the spatial tracker through the wireless hub device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mock welding cable attached to the at least one mock welding tool and configured to simulate at least a weight and a stiffness of a real welding cable.

4. A method comprising:

displaying an image of a virtual weld joint having a virtual weld bead, on a display device of a virtual reality welding system, that was generated using the virtual reality welding system;

scrolling across a length dimension of the image of the virtual weld joint using a user interface of the virtual reality welding system; and

displaying an image of a cross-sectional area through the virtual weld joint at successive locations along the length dimension of the image of the virtual weld joint on the display device of the virtual reality welding system in response to the scrolling.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a cross-section indicator on the display device of the virtual reality welding system indicating a location along the length dimension of the image of the virtual weld joint corresponding to the displayed image of the cross-sectional area.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising stopping the scrolling at a location along the length dimension of the image of the virtual weld joint and observing the displayed image of the cross-sectional area through the virtual weld joint at the location.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein a displayed image of a cross-sectional area through the virtual weld joint at a location along the length dimension of the image of the virtual weld joint shows welding characteristics of the virtual weld joint at the location as simulated by the virtual reality welding system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the welding characteristics include penetration of the virtual weld bead into a virtual welding coupon and internal defects and discontinuities, as simulated by the virtual reality welding system.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically looping in time across a length dimension of the image of the virtual weld joint between a first location and a second location, successively displaying in time during the looping an image of a cross-sectional area through the virtual weld joint at each of a plurality of defined locations spanning from the first location to the second location.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual weld joint includes a virtual welding coupon as modified by the virtual weld bead.

11. A method comprising:

generating a virtual weld joint having a virtual weld bead using a virtual reality welding system, wherein the virtual weld joint is represented within the virtual reality welding system as a first digital data set; and

generating a three-dimensional (3D) digital model representative of at least a portion of the virtual weld joint using the first digital data set on the virtual reality welding system, wherein the 3D digital model is operatively compatible with a 3D printing system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transferring the 3D digital model to the 3D printing system; and

printing a 3D physical model representative of at least a portion of the virtual weld joint using the 3D digital model on the 3D printing system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual weld joint includes a virtual welding coupon as modified by the virtual weld bead.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the 3D printing system is in operative communication with the virtual reality welding system and the transferring is accomplished via the operative communication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the operative communication is via at least one of a wired means and a wireless means.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the 3D physical model is made of at least one of a plastic material, a metal material, and a ceramic material.

17. A method comprising:

tracking a user'"'"'s virtual reality welding progress on a virtual reality welding system;

generating an electronic file of user statistics representative of the user'"'"'s virtual reality welding progress on the virtual reality welding system;

transferring the electronic file, via an external communication infrastructure, from the virtual reality welding system to a server computer providing an on-line welding game; and

the on-line welding game reading the electronic file and updating a gaming profile of the user with respect to the on-line welding game based on the user statistics in the electronic file.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user statistics include at least one of data representative of types of welding processes the user has successfully performed on the virtual reality welding system, data representative of types of welding skills the user has successfully mastered on the virtual reality welding system, and data representative of reward points earned by the user on the virtual reality welding system that may be redeemed via the on-line welding game.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the gaming profile of the user includes at least one of types of welding projects in which the user is permitted to participate in the on-line welding game and specific types of welding processes in which the user is permitted to perform in the on-line welding game.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising comparing the user statistics of the user to a plurality of other users and ranking the user and the plurality of other users with respect to each other based on the comparing.