Wireless tracking and inventory monitoring for welding-type devices

• US 8,686,318 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Albrecht, Bruce, Nagarajan, Sundaram, Ulrich, James F., Harvey, Darryl Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): JENNISON, BRIAN W
• Application Number:
  US11/470,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,763 Days
• Field of Search: 219/137.71, 219/130.1, 219/130.01, 340/593.13, 340/593.17
• US Class Current: 219/137.71
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/10 Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1062 with computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1087 Arc welding using remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A welding-type device has a wireless communication unit to transmit wireless signals comprising at least identification information or location information. The information may be transmitted either automatically or in response to request signals. Such a welding-type device may be configured to communicate with other welding-type devices, a monitoring device, or both. A wireless communication system has at least one welding-type device, at least one wireless communication assembly, and at least one monitoring device and is capable of assisting a user in locating particular welding-type devices, monitoring inventory, preventing theft of welding-type devices, and scheduling preventive maintenance.

Claims

1. A welding-type consumable inventory system comprising:

at least one wireless monitoring device;

at least one welding-type consumable container having a consumable amount sensor and a wireless transmitter, the wireless transmitter configured to emit wireless signals having data encoded thereon indicative of a type and an amount of consumable in the container; and

wherein the at least one wireless monitoring device is arranged to find the at least one welding-type consumable container by receiving the wireless signals thereof.

2. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of welding-type consumable containers configured to wirelessly transmit in an at least partial mesh network arrangement.

3. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 1 wherein the at least one welding-type consumable container comprises a shipment unit having an active transmitter and a number of individual units having passive transmitters.

4. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless monitoring device includes at least one of a directional radio frequency (RF) antenna, a GPS data reader, RF distance and angle measuring equipment, and RF signal-receipt time differentiation equipment.

5. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless monitoring device is arranged to determine whether the at least one welding-type consumable container is near a corresponding welding process, based upon consumable type and location.

6. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 1 wherein the consumable amount sensor is connected to sense a remaining amount of consumable of the container and update the consumable amount data for the wireless signal.

7. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 6 further comprising an inventory controller arranged to receive the data of the at least one welding-type consumable container via the at least one wireless monitoring device and programmed to determine at least one inventory total categorized by type of consumable.

8. The welding-type consumable inventory system of claim 7 wherein the inventory controller is further programmed to automatically generate a re-supply order when the at least one inventory total of welding-type consumable reaches a designated level determined by at least one of user setting, past re-supply levels, rate of usage, and estimated requirements.