System and method providing combined virtual reality arc welding and three-dimensional (3D) viewing

• US 8,834,168 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peters, Carl, Wallace, Matthew Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US13/792,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 345/427
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597

Abstract

A real-time virtual reality welding system including a programmable processor-based subsystem configured to generate simulation data corresponding to elements of a welding environment in virtual reality space; a three-dimensional (3D) conversion unit operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem and configured to convert at least a portion of the simulation data, representative of at least a portion of the virtual welding environment, to 3D data in a stereoscopic 3D transmission format; and a 3D display-facilitating device operatively connected to the 3D conversion unit and configured to receive the 3D data from the 3D conversion unit and facilitate displaying of a stereoscopic representation of the 3D data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a programmable processor-based subsystem configured to generate simulation data corresponding to a virtual weldment generated in real time in virtual reality space, wherein a weld bead portion of the virtual weldment results from a simulated weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics providing a real-time fluidity-to-solidification transition of the simulated weld puddle as the simulated weld puddle is moved to form the weld bead portion of the virtual weldment;

a three-dimensional (3D) conversion unit operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem and configured to convert at least a portion of the simulation data, representative of at least a portion of the virtual weldment, to 3D data in a stereoscopic 3D transmission format in real time; and

a 3D display-facilitating device operatively connected to the 3D conversion unit and configured to receive the 3D data, in the stereoscopic 3D transmission format, from the 3D conversion unit and facilitate displaying of a stereoscopic representation of the 3D data in a stereoscopic display format in real time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the 3D display facilitating device comprises a 3D projector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the 3D display facilitating device comprises a 3D television set.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display screen operatively connected to the 3D display-facilitating device and configured to display the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data; and

3D eyewear configured to be worn by a user to view the representation of the stereoscopic 3D data on the display screen as a 3D image in 3D space.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display screen operatively connected to the 3D display facilitating device and configured to display the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a 3D user interface operatively interfacing to the 3D display-facilitating device and configured to allow a user to manipulate a spatial orientation of the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data on the display screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulation data is representative of at least a cross-sectional portion of the virtual weldment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic 3D transmission format includes one of frame sequential, frame packing, side-by-side, or checkerboard formats.

9. A method comprising:

generating simulation data corresponding to a simulated weld bead generated in real time, in virtual reality space, having real-time weld bead wake characteristics, wherein simulation of the weld bead includes simulating a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics providing a real-time fluidity-to-solidification transition of the simulated weld puddle as the simulated weld puddle is moved to form the weld bead;

converting the simulation data, representative of the weld bead, to 3D data in a stereoscopic 3D transmission format in real time; and

displaying a stereoscopic representation of the 3D data in a stereoscopic display format in real time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the stereoscopic 3D transmission format includes one of frame sequential, frame packing, side-by-side, or checkerboard formats.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data includes projecting the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data onto a display screen.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data includes displaying the stereoscopic representation of the 3D data on a display screen of a 3D television set.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising viewing the displayed stereoscopic representation of the 3D data by using 3D eyewear configured to be worn by a user.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising manipulating a spatial orientation of the displayed stereoscopic representation of the 3D data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the simulation data is representative of at least a cross-sectional portion of the simulated weld bead.

16. A method comprising:

generating simulation data corresponding to a virtual welding environment in virtual reality space, wherein the virtual reality environment includes the simulation of a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics providing a real-time fluidity-to-solidification transition of the simulated weld puddle as the simulated weld puddle is moved to form weld bead;

converting a portion of the simulation data, representative of a portion of the virtual welding environment, to 3D data in a stereoscopic 3D transmission format in real time; and

displaying a stereoscopic representation of the 3D data in a stereoscopic display format in real time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the portion of the virtual welding environment includes one or more of a simulated welding electrode, a simulated welding tool, a simulated weldment, or a simulated welding coupon.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising manipulating a spatial orientation of the displayed stereoscopic representation of the 3D data.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising viewing the displayed stereoscopic representation of the 3D data by using 3D eyewear configured to be worn by a user.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the stereoscopic 3D transmission format is an auto-stereoscopic format.

21. A system comprising:

a programmable processor-based subsystem configured to generate simulation data corresponding to a virtual weldment generated in real time, in virtual reality space;

a three-dimensional (3D) conversion unit operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem and configured to convert at least a portion of the simulation data, representative of at least a portion of the virtual weldment, to 3D data in a stereoscopic 3D transmission format; and

a 3D display-facilitating device operatively connected to the 3D conversion unit and configured to receive the 3D data, in the stereoscopic 3D transmission format, from the 3D conversion unit and facilitate displaying of a stereoscopic representation of the 3D data in a stereoscopic display format in real time,

wherein a weld bead portion of the virtual weldment results from a simulated weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics providing a real-time fluidity-to-solidification transition of the simulated weld puddle as the simulated weld puddle is moved to form the weld bead portion of the virtual weldment,

and wherein said real-time fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics of said simulated weld puddle are illustrated on a texture map having a plurality of defined locations with each defined location comprising channels of information which comprise at least

a first channel which stores a displacement value for any liquefied metal at the defined location,

a second channel which stores a value giving the magnitude of heat at the defined location,

a third channel which stores a displacement value for a solidified metal at the defined location, and

a fourth channel which stores logical information, including a representation regarding slag, at the defined location.

22. A system comprising:

a standalone virtual reality simulator configured to convert simulation data to 3D data in a stereoscopic 3D transmission format in real time,

wherein at least a portion of said simulation data is represented in virtual reality space in real time as virtual dynamic fluid particles interacting with each other and with a displacement map,

and wherein said virtual dynamic fluid particles are modeled in real time to include properties of attraction and repulsion, velocity related to heat, dampening related to heat dissipation, and direction related to gravity.