System and method providing automated welding information exchange and replacement part order generation

• US 6,809,292 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Spear, Theresa M., Blankenship, George Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US10/264,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20030042288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 219/125.1, 219/130.5, 219/130.01, 219/137.R, 219/136, 901/42, 700/95, 700/96, 700/106, 700/107, 700/117, 700/249, 705/26, 705/28, 705/29, 702/184, 709/219
• US Class Current: 219/130.5
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1062 with computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1087 Arc welding using remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A welding and network information system and methodology is provided in accordance with the present invention. The system includes a welder operatively coupled to a server and a network interface to enable a network architecture, the network architecture serving a network that communicates with at least one remote system, wherein the remote system includes at least one remote interface to communicate with the network architecture and provide welding information to a user, wherein the remote system accesses at least one HTTP socket to establish web communications with the welder and loads at least one application from the welder, wherein the remote system accesses at least one Welding Application socket via the at least one application to exchange information between the welder and the remote system, the at least one application includes at least one welding information broker to determine whether the welding information in a local database is to be updated, the user receives the welding information via the remote interface and the local database or the remote interface and the network. The present invention enables automated order and fulfillment of items such as replacement parts and/or welding programs and procedures.

Claims

1. A welding and network information system, comprising:

a welder operatively coupled to a network interface, the network interface communicates to at least one of a local database and a remote database; and

at least one welding information broker to determine whether welding information in the at least one of the local database and the remote database is applicable to a current welding operation, the welding information broker initiates at least one network request based upon one or more information requests from the current welding operation.

2. The system of claim 1, the welding information broker initiates the at least one network request based upon at least one of an automatic determination and a manual request.

3. The system of claim 2, the at least one of the automatic determination and the manual request is initiated as part of at least one of a training procedure, a maintenance procedure, a troubleshooting procedure, a manufacturing procedure, a replacement procedure and purchasing procedure.

4. The system of claim 2, the network request is communicated across the Internet.

5. The system of claim 3, the at least one of the automatic determination and the manual request is initiated in accordance with at least one of a web site, a web page, a web service and a web browser.

6. The system of claim 2, the automatic determination is based upon searching the local database for the welding information as applied to the current welding operation and initiating the network request to the remote database if the welding information is unavailable in the local database.

7. The system of claim 2, the automatic determination is based upon comparing at least one revision level in the local database with a file received from the remote database.

8. The system of claim 7, the file is an XML file describing current revision levels.

9. The system of claim 2, a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable at least one of the procedures.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the welding information broker is associated with at least one of a welding system on a local network and outside a welding system as an entity on a network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the welding information includes at least one of an operator manual, a troubleshooting procedure, a replacement component and a service manual.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a web page to select the replacement component from at least one of the operator manual, the troubleshooting procedure, and the service manual.

13. The system of claim 12, the replacement component is purchased and acquired from the web page.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising an ordering, receiving, and fulfillment component to automatically acquire the replacement component.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a configuration protocol to enable configuration of the welding information broker.

16. The system of claim 15, the configuration protocol transmits at least one of a manufacturing history version, software version, firmware version, hardware type, serial number and model number.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component to facilitate communications over the network interface.

18. A method to retrieve welder information, comprising:

registering at least one welding broker with version information relating to a welding system;

determining if welding system information resides in a remote information server or in a local information sever via the at least one welding broker; and

retrieving the welding system information from at least one of the remote information server and the local information server depending on the version information within the welding broker.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of:

processing the welding system information via web services;

displaying manuals to provide guidance in the operation or service of a welding system;

utilizing the welding system information to troubleshoot the welding system; and

identifying replacement components from the welding system information.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of:

receiving an electronic request from a welding system;

generating an order from the electronic request;

fulfilling the generated order; and

notifying a subsequent party in accordance with the generated order.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising at least one of,

displaying a status for the electronic request;

and

displaying an option to satisfy the electronic request.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for executing at least a portion of the method of claim 18.

23. A system to retrieve welder information, comprising:

means for determining version information rotating to a welding system;

means for determining if at least one of local welding information and remote welding information is available for the welding system; and

means for acquiring the at least one of the local welding information and the remote welding information depending on the version information.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for initiating a remote transaction.

25. A signal for communicating between welding systems, comprising:

the signal having a data packet comprising;

a first data field having version information relating to welding information; and

a second data field relating to a request for the welding information.

26. An automated welding information and part acquisition system comprising:

a welder coupled to a network interface that communicates to at least one of a local and remote database;

at least one welding information broker to determine whether welding information in the at least one local database and the remote database is applicable to a present welding operation, the welding information broker initiates at least one network request based upon one or more information requests from the current welding operation; and

a web page to select and purchase a replacement component from welding information including at least one of an operator manual, a troubleshooting procedure, and a service manual.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising an ordering, receiving and fulfillment component to automatically acquire the replacement component.