VIRTUAL REALITY PIPE WELDING SIMULATOR AND SETUP

• US 20150235565A1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zboray, David, Aditjandra, Antonius, Wallace, Matthew, Lenker, Zach, Postlethwaite, Deanna, Gandee, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/095 Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1056 by using digital means B23K9/1068 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1068 Electric circuits for the supply of power to two or more arcs from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/167 and of a non-consumable electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• 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 simulator facilitates virtual welding activity of boss (e.g., orbital) weld joints. The simulator may include a logic processor based system operable to execute coded instructions for generating an interactive welding environment that emulates welding activity on a section of virtual pipe having at least one virtual weld joint. It also includes a display connected to the logic processor based system for visually depicting the interactive welding environment, wherein the display depicts the section of virtual pipe. A pendant is provided for performing welding equipment setup and virtual welding activity on the at least one weld joint in real time where one or more sensors are adapted to track movement of the input device in real time for communicating data about the movement of the input device to the logic processor based system.

Claims

1. A simulator for facilitating virtual welding activity, comprising:

a logic processor based subsystem operable to execute coded instructions for generating an interactive welding environment that emulates at least one of welding setup and activity at an interface of a first virtual work piece and a second virtual work piece defining a virtual weld joint;

displaying means operatively connected to the logic processor based subsystem for visually depicting the interactive welding environment, wherein said displaying means depicts the virtual weld joint;

a pendant or hand-held input device for performing the at least one of setup and virtual welding activity on the virtual weld joint in real time.

2. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first virtual work piece and the second virtual work piece is a pipe.

3. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first virtual work piece and the second virtual work piece is a rod.

4. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first virtual work piece and the second virtual work piece is a nut.

5. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein the input device emulates controls for input selection for virtual reality welding.

6. The simulator as defined in claim 5, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises restricting controls or interactions based on a user to enhance learning objectives.

7. The simulator as defined in claim 6, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises teaching interaction or reactions based on visual, audible, physical changes to ensure that said user can properly setup a welding environment or can effect error recovery.

8. The simulator as defined in claim 7, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises virtual calculators or tables that allow input and provide an output based on entered values.

9. The simulator as defined in claim 7, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises intelligent agent-enabled results based on incorrect setup parameters or combination of parameters.

10. The simulator as defined in claim 9, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises intelligent agent-enabled input to identify the proper setup parameters or combination of parameters which should have been entered by the user.

11. The simulator as defined in claim 10, which further comprises visual, audio or physical indicators of the setup parameters or combination of parameters.

12. The simulator as defined in claim 1, which further comprises a simulated camera-based system to track a path of the weld.

13. The simulator as defined in claim 12, which further comprises path-following and path-determinative systems based upon a fuzzy logic controller-based system.

14. The simulator as defined in claim 13, wherein the path-following and path-determinative systems are used to assess a tie-in operation.

15. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises multiple levels for a user, each level adapted to the skill level, learning pace, and learning style of the user.

16. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises artificial intelligence based fault instruction in order to test a user'"'"'s ability to detect, correct, and recover from problems.

17. The simulator as defined in claim 16, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises a simulation of unsafe conditions for machine setup and materials defects.

18. The simulator of claim 1 which comprises multi-language capabilities.