METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OPERATING LASER PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• US 20130299465A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Laser Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: David John Jr. Zirbel
• Inventors: Sukhman, Yefim P., Noto, Stefano J., Risser, Christian J., Stoute, Miesha T., Flanary, Michael L., Zirbel, David John Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,694,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.61
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/00 Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/702 Auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/00 Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted to a procedure covered by only one of the preceding main groups eye-shields for welders worn on the operator's body or carried in the hand A61F9/00 , i.e. A61F9/02; applicable to metal-working machines other than soldering, welding, or flame-cutting machines B23Q; laser protective screens B23K26/706; protective shields for other welding methods F16P1/06

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for distributing laser energy are disclosed herein. A method configured in accordance with one embodiment includes establishing communication with a laser energy source configured to dispense laser energy, and enabling the laser energy source to dispense laser energy by transferring laser energy credits to the laser energy source. The transferred laser energy credits correspond to an amount of enabled laser energy.

Claims

1. A method of distributing laser energy, the method comprising:

establishing communication with a laser energy source, wherein the laser energy source is configured to dispense laser energy;

enabling the laser energy source to dispense laser energy by transferring laser energy credits to the laser energy source, wherein the laser energy credits correspond to an amount of dispensable laser energy.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source comprises a laser.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source comprises multiple lasers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source comprises a laser system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source comprises a cluster of laser systems.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the laser energy source comprises transferring laser energy credits when the laser energy source dispenses laser energy to a predetermined refill threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source includes an initial amount of laser energy credits, and wherein:

enabling the laser energy source comprises transferring laser energy credits after the initial laser energy credits are at least partially dispensed; and

transferring laser energy credits comprises transferring additional laser energy credits to the laser source, wherein the additional laser credits correspond to an amount of additional enabled laser energy.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

enabling the laser energy source comprises transferring laser energy credits after the initial laser energy credits are consumed to a predetermined refill threshold; and

transferring laser energy credits comprises automatically transferring the additional laser energy credits when the laser source consumes the initial laser energy credits to the predetermined refill threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source does not include an initial amount of laser energy credits, and wherein:

enabling the laser energy source comprises transferring laser energy credits after the laser source dispenses a predetermined amount of laser energy; and

transferring laser energy credits comprises transferring additional laser energy credits to the laser source, wherein the additional laser credits correspond to an amount of additional enabled laser energy.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the laser energy dispensed by the laser energy source.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein monitoring the laser energy dispensed by the laser energy source comprises monitoring at least one of the following:

a portion of dispensed laser energy, wherein the portion of dispensed laser energy is related to a total amount of dispensed laser energy;

electrical current, wherein the electrical current corresponds to an amount of dispensed laser energy; and

the cumulative time of emission of laser energy multiplied by nominal power of the laser energy source.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser energy source is a first laser energy source, and wherein transferring laser energy credits comprises transferring laser energy credits from the first laser energy source to at least a second laser energy source.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein transferring the laser energy credits comprises transferring the laser energy credits to a computer that is coupled to at least one of the first and second laser energy sources, wherein the computer is configured to distribute the laser energy credits to the first and second laser energy sources.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing communication with a laser source comprises establishing secure communication with the laser energy source including encrypted transfer of laser energy credits to the laser energy source.

15. A system for dispensing laser energy by one or more laser energy sources, the system comprising:

a laser energy credit transferring component configured to—

communicate with a laser energy source, wherein the laser energy source is configured for producing and dispensing laser energy;

receive a request from the laser energy source for laser energy; and

transfer laser energy credits to the laser energy source, wherein the laser energy credits enable the laser energy source to dispense a corresponding amount of laser energy.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the laser energy credit transferring component is further configured to:

determine the validity of the request; and

transfer the laser energy credits when the request is valid.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the laser energy source has a laser energy credit cutoff threshold below which the laser energy source is inhibited from dispensing laser energy; and

the laser energy credit transferring component is further configured to receive the request when the laser source has reached the laser energy credit cutoff threshold.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the laser energy cutoff threshold is zero laser energy credits.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the laser energy cutoff threshold is a negative amount of laser energy credit.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising a laser energy tracking component configured to monitor the laser energy dispensed by the laser energy source.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the laser energy tracking component is further configured to:

monitor at least one of the following of the laser source—

a portion of dispensed laser energy, wherein the dispensed portion of laser energy is related to a total amount of dispensed laser energy;

electrical current, wherein the electrical current corresponds to an amount of dispensed laser energy; and

the cumulative time of emission of laser energy multiplied by nominal power of the laser energy source; and

correlate at least one of the portion of dispensed laser energy, electrical current, and/or sum of individual dispensed laser energy pulses to determine a corresponding amount of consumed laser energy credits.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the laser energy source contains one of the following:

a laser, multiple lasers, a laser system, or a cluster of laser systems.

23. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

establishing communication with a laser energy source, wherein the laser energy source is capable of producing and dispensing laser energy;

determining whether the laser energy source has sufficient laser energy credits to dispense laser energy; and

when the laser energy source has insufficient laser energy credits, transferring laser energy credits to the laser energy source, wherein the laser energy credits enable the laser energy source to dispense an amount of laser energy corresponding to the laser energy credits.

24. A method of operating a laser energy source, the method comprising:

activating a laser energy source, wherein the laser energy source is capable of producing and dispensing laser energy during operation, and wherein the amount of dispensable laser energy corresponds to an amount of laser energy credits issued to the laser energy source;

monitoring a level of the laser energy credits; and

when the level of laser energy credits reaches a predetermined threshold, requesting additional laser energy credits from a laser energy credit supplier.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the predetermined threshold is zero or more laser energy credits, and wherein the method further comprises requesting the additional laser energy credits from the laser energy credit supplier and prepaying for the laser energy credits from the laser energy credit supplier.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein requesting additional laser energy credits comprises automatically requesting additional laser energy credits when the level of laser energy credits reaches the predetermined threshold.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the predetermined threshold is a negative amount of laser energy credits, and wherein the method further comprises requesting the additional laser energy credits from the laser energy credit supplier and paying for the dispensed laser energy credits.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein monitoring the level of laser energy includes monitoring at least one of the following:

a portion of dispensed laser energy, wherein the portion of laser energy is related to a total amount of dispensed laser energy;

electrical current, wherein the electrical current corresponds to an amount of dispensed laser energy; and

the cumulative time of emission of laser energy multiplied by nominal power of the laser energy source.