Virtual reality pipe welding simulator and setup

• US 8,911,237 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• 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: Postlethwaite, Deanna, Wallace, Matthew Wayne, Zboray, David Anthony, Lenker, Zachary Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US13/545,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20130209976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 700/104, 434/234, 219/137.R
• US Class Current: 434/234
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools

Abstract

A simulator facilitates virtual welding activity of 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 orbital welding environment that emulates welding setup and activity on a section of virtual pipe having at least one virtual weld joint, wherein the interactive welding environment models fluidity of a weld puddle responsive to performing the virtual welding activity in real-time;

a virtual dynamic fluid particle emitter which streams a plurality of liquid particles onto a wexel map surface of said 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 section of virtual pipe and further wherein said displaying means depicts fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics of the weld puddle in real-time by displaying liquid particles comprising said weld puddle and by displaying a magnitude of heat by associating colors with said heat;

and wherein said subsystem comprises channels of information in which

at least one channel stores a displacement value for any liquefied particles at a specific location and

at least one other channel which stores a magnitude of heat at said specific location, and wherein

at least one additional channel represents a total of an initial base metal plus said displacement value for liquefied particles which have solidified at said specific location when said magnitude of heat falls below a cooling threshold of said emitted liquid particles;

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

2. The simulator as defined in claim 1, wherein

the input device emulates controls for input selection for virtual reality welding.

3. The simulator as defined in claim 2, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises

restricting controls or interactions based on a user to enhance learning objectives.

4. The simulator as defined in claim 3, 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 an orbital welding environment or can effect error recovery.

5. The simulator as defined in claim 4, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises

virtual calculators or tables that allow input and provide an output based on entered values.

6. The simulator as defined in claim 4, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises

intelligent agent-enabled results based on incorrect setup parameters or combination of parameters.

7. The simulator as defined in claim 6, 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.

8. The simulator as defined in claim 7, which further comprises

visual, audio or physical indicators of the setup parameters or combination of parameters.

9. The simulator as defined in claim 1, which further comprises

a simulated camera-based system to track a path of an orbital weld.

10. The simulator as defined in claim 9, which further comprises

path-following and path-determinative systems based upon a fuzzy logic controller-based system.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. The simulator as defined in claim 12, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises

a simulation of unsafe conditions for machine setup and materials defects.

14. The simulator of claim 1 which comprises

multi-language capabilities.

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

a logic processor based subsystem operable to execute coded instructions for generating an interactive orbital welding environment that emulates welding setup and activity on a section of virtual pipe having at least one virtual weld joint, wherein the interactive welding environment models fluidity of a weld puddle responsive to performing the virtual welding activity in real-time;

a virtual dynamic fluid particle emitter which steams a plurality of liquid particles onto a wexel map surface of said at least one virtual weld joint;

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 an orbital welding environment or can effect error recovery;

and further wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises virtual calculators or tables that allow input and provide an output based on entered values;

and further wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises intelligent agent-enabled results based on incorrect setup parameters or combination of parameters;

displaying means operatively connected to the logic processor based subsystem for visually depicting the interactive welding environment, wherein said displaying means depicts the section of virtual pipe and further wherein said displaying means depicts fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics of the weld puddle in real-time by displaying liquid particles comprising said weld puddle and by displaying a magnitude of heat by associating colors with said heat;

and wherein said subsystem comprises channels of information in which at least one channel stores a displacement value for any liquefied particles at a specific location and at least one other channel which stores a magnitude of heat at said specific location, and wherein at least one additional channel represents a total of an initial base metal plus said displacement value for liquefied particles which have solidified at said specific location when said magnitude of heat falls below a cooling threshold of said emitted liquid particles;

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

wherein the input device emulates controls for input selection for virtual reality welding.

16. The simulator as defined in claim 15, 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.

17. The simulator as defined in claim 16, which further comprises

visual, audio or physical indicators of the setup parameters or combination of parameters.

18. The simulator as defined in claim 15, which further comprises

a camera-based system to track a path of the orbital weld.

19. The simulator as defined in claim 18, which further comprises

path-following and path-determinative systems based upon a fuzzy logic controller-based system.

20. The simulator as defined in claim 15, 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.

21. The simulator as defined in claim 15, 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.

22. The simulator as defined in claim 21, wherein the logic processor based subsystem further comprises

a simulation of unsafe conditions for machine setup and materials defects.

23. The simulator of claim 15 which comprises

multi-language capabilities.