Welding unit equipped with a communications interface and method for operating the welding unit

• US 6,797,921 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fronius International GmbH (G&K Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: Fronius International GmbH (G&K Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Lauber, Anton, Wittman, Manfred, Niedereder, Franz, Mair, Peter, Hackl, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US10/049,787
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 219/130.5, 219/130.01, 219/136, 219/137.PS, 700/9
• US Class Current: 219/130.5
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1062 with computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23297 Remote load of program with cellular, wireless, satellite connection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23298 Remote load of program, through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25192 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol

Abstract

The invention relates to a welding device (1) having a current source (2) for supplying electrical energy to at least one electrode and a control and/or evaluation unit (4) co-operating with the current source (2), having an input device (57) for setting various welding parameters, characterised in that a communications interface (23) connected to the control and/or evaluation unit (4) is provided in order to set up a two-way data exchange between the welding device (1) or the current source via a web-server, in particular a HTTP server.

Claims

1. A welding device in communication with a computer network comprising:

a) a current source for supplying electrical energy to the welding device;

b) at least one electrode in communication with said current source;

c) a housing;

d) a control and evaluation unit in communication with said current source disposed in said housing;

e) at least one memory system disposed in said housing and in communication with said control and evaluation unit, said memory system for storing a set of welding parameters and a set of instructions for controlling said control and evaluation unit;

f) a communications interface disposed in said housing coupled to said control and evaluation unit for two way data exchange between said control and evaluation unit and the computer network;

g) at least one sensor system in communication with said communication interface for detecting data relevant to welding during operation of the welding device; and

h) a HTTP server disposed of said housing and in communication with said communication interface wherein said HTTP server is for receiving information from the computer network including welding parameters and forwarding this information onto said control and evaluation unit and wherein said HTTP server is for receiving information from said communication interface in a form of welding parameters wherein this information is transmitted over the computer network to other computers wherein said HTTP server is for relaying information relating to the welding device while said control and evaluation unit is for controlling the welding device based upon this information from the server.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein said HTTP server is integrated with said welding device and said current source.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein said HTTP server is disposed external to said welding device and said current source.

4. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said HTTP server forms a connection with a network which includes at least one additional HTTP server.

5. The welding device as in claim 4, wherein said network is in the form of the internet.

6. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said control and evaluation unit is a complete unit which operates via at least one software module or a control program and processes and prepares received data or data to be transmitted.

7. The welding device as in claim 6, wherein said at least one software module can be downloaded via a local area network to said control and evaluation unit.

8. The welding device as in claim 6 wherein said at least one software module is an object oriented software modules.

9. The welding device as in claim 8, wherein said control and evaluation unit has a software module for a sequencing system or operating system for integrating the object-oriented software modules and processing control program.

10. The welding device as in claim 9, wherein said control and evaluation unit operates said software modules on a cyclical or interrupt-controlled basis.

11. The welding device as in claim 10, wherein said software modules are written in a JAVA source language.

12. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communication interface is a ICP/IP interface that enables communication to be operated using a TCP/IP protocol.

13. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communications interface is designed as a link to a local area network.

14. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said control and evaluation unit has a standardized interface, and wherein said communications interface is a modem.

15. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said control and evaluation unit has a standardized interface, and wherein said communications interface is a network card.

16. The welding device as in claim 15, wherein said control and evaluation unit is a standardized interface that is a serial interface in the form of a RS 232 interface.

17. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communications interface can be used to download or upload data for a welding process or welding codes.

18. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communications interface is used to transmit data relating to operating supplies and operating statuses including, the quantity and nature of a welding electrode, an amount of fusible welding wire, M level of any inert gas necessary for welding, or data relating to components susceptible to wear, a position of a contact sleeve, a position of a gas nozzle, wherein this information can be transmitted to other computers on the network via said communication interface.

19. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communications interface is in communication with the computer network to receive or transmit in cycles, data relating to the operation of the welding device including the duration of use, timing of usage, and welding settings.

20. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said input is set to operate said welding device and to navigate and select data from a set of data files in a technical data base for use with welding technology.

21. The welding device as in claim 20, wherein said input device comprises a keyboard, a pointer device, a push-stick control member at least one rotating or sliding member with keying or switching functions.

22. The welding device as in claim 1, further comprising an output device for displaying a set of data that can be input by said input device, managed by said control and evaluation unit or retrieved by said computer network which can then be displayed on said output device.

23. The welding device as in claim 22, wherein said control and evaluation unit comprises a personal computer, and wherein said output device is in the form of a monitor.

24. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said control and evaluation circuit has a JAVA interpreter.

25. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said control and evaluation circuit has a JAVA processor.

26. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communications interface is a wireless communications interface that sets up a wireless data transmission route to a desired communication or transmission partner.

27. The welding device as in claim 1, wherein said communications interface is an infrared interface for transmitting and receiving infrared signals between said welding device and a mobile telephone.

28. The welding device as in claim 27, wherein said infrared interface of said communications interface is set to connect with an infrared interface of a mobile telephone.

29. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a programming and display unit wherein said communications interface connects directly with said programming and display unit.

30. The device as in claim 1 wherein said memory unit is an EEPROM memory unit for storing said set of instructions which include instructions relating to a sequencing software for said control and evaluation unit.

31. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a cooling unit for cooling said electrodes when the electrode reaches a temperature that exceeds a preset operating temperature.

32. The device as in claim 31, further comprising at least one flow indicator, wherein said flow indicator is in communication with said control and evaluation unit to control a temperature of said electrode.

33. A method for operating a welding device in communication with a computer network comprising a current source;

a housing;

a control and evaluation unit in communication with said current source disposed in said housing;

a communications interface in communication with said control and evaluation unit disposed in said housing;

at least one sensor system in communication with said communications interface, a web server disposed in said housing in communication with said communications interface, the method comprising the steps of;

supplying electrical energy from said current source to at least one electrode in communication with the current source;

monitoring a set of welding parameters of the welding unit during operation using the sensor system;

exchanging data in two directions between said control and evaluation unit and the computer network, via the communications interface, through a communications network, the information including said welding parameters, and forwarding this information onto said control and evaluation unit; and

running at least one software module on said control and evaluation unit, wherein said at least one software module receives instructions in the form of data exchanged over the computer network to control a welding process and wherein said web server which is separate from said control and evaluation unit, transmits and receives data relating to said welding parameters.

34. The method as in claim 33, further comprising the step of:

transmitting codes across the computer network to control the software modules which are run by said control and evaluation unit.

35. The method as in claim 34, further comprising the step of:

transmitting operating data relating to operating supplies, and operating statuses including data relating to components susceptible to wear, a position of a contact sleeve, a position of a gas nozzle, through said communication interface through the communications network to another server on the network.

36. The method as in claim 35, further comprising the step of:

downloading servicing requirement messages and service requests including messages relating to stocks of operating supplies and orders for operating supplies from said control and evaluation unit to another server on the communication network.

37. The method as in claim 33, further comprising the step of:

downloading servicing requirement messages and service requests including messages relating to stocks of operating supplies and orders for operating supplies from said control and evaluation unit to another server on the communications network.

38. The method as in claim 33, wherein said communications network is in the form of the internet.