Importing and analyzing external data using a virtual reality welding system
First Claim
1. A system for simulating welding activity;
- said system comprising;
a welding tool for a simulated welding operation;
a spatial tracker which tracks a movement and orientation of said welding tool;
a welding coupon;
a helmet comprising a first display device to display said simulating welding operation to a user;
a simulated welding console having a user input system and a second display device to display said simulated welding operation; and
a processor based subsystem located within said simulated welding console which is operatively coupled to said spatial tracker and receives information from said spatial tracker related to said movement and orientation of said welding tool;
wherein during said simulated welding operation, said processor based subsystem models a simulated welding surface for said welding coupon and displays said simulated welding surface on each of said first and second display devices;
wherein during said simulated welding operation, said processor based subsystem creates a simulated welding arc between an emitting end of said welding tool and said simulated welding surface and simulates a creation of a weld puddle have real-time molten metal fluidity and real-time heat dissipation characteristics during said simulated welding operation;
wherein said simulated weld puddle has a plurality of voxels, where each of said voxels has a first value representative of displacement and a second value representative of heat, where each of said first and second values change dynamically during said simulated welding operation to display on each of said first and second display devices a simulated deposition of material into said simulated weld puddle, and where said dynamic changes are based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool; and
wherein said processor based subsystem displays a simulated completed weld bead on said first and second display devices which is based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool, and based on a cooling threshold value for a transition of said voxels from a molten state to a solid state.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A real-time virtual reality welding system including a programmable processor-based subsystem, a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem, at least one mock welding tool capable of being spatially tracked by the spatial tracker, and at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem. The system is capable of simulating, in virtual reality space, a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics. The system is further capable of importing data into the virtual reality welding system and analyzing the data to characterize a student welder'"'"'s progress and to provide training.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A system for simulating welding activity;
- said system comprising;
a welding tool for a simulated welding operation; a spatial tracker which tracks a movement and orientation of said welding tool; a welding coupon; a helmet comprising a first display device to display said simulating welding operation to a user; a simulated welding console having a user input system and a second display device to display said simulated welding operation; and a processor based subsystem located within said simulated welding console which is operatively coupled to said spatial tracker and receives information from said spatial tracker related to said movement and orientation of said welding tool; wherein during said simulated welding operation, said processor based subsystem models a simulated welding surface for said welding coupon and displays said simulated welding surface on each of said first and second display devices; wherein during said simulated welding operation, said processor based subsystem creates a simulated welding arc between an emitting end of said welding tool and said simulated welding surface and simulates a creation of a weld puddle have real-time molten metal fluidity and real-time heat dissipation characteristics during said simulated welding operation; wherein said simulated weld puddle has a plurality of voxels, where each of said voxels has a first value representative of displacement and a second value representative of heat, where each of said first and second values change dynamically during said simulated welding operation to display on each of said first and second display devices a simulated deposition of material into said simulated weld puddle, and where said dynamic changes are based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool; and wherein said processor based subsystem displays a simulated completed weld bead on said first and second display devices which is based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool, and based on a cooling threshold value for a transition of said voxels from a molten state to a solid state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- said system comprising;
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23. A system for simulating welding activity;
- said system comprising;
a welding tool for a simulated welding operation; a spatial tracker which tracks a movement and orientation of said welding tool using an optical sensor; a welding coupon; a helmet comprising a first display device to display a simulating welding operation to a user, and which has said optical sensor mounted thereto; a simulated welding console having a user input system and a second display device to display said simulated welding operation; and a processor based subsystem located within said simulated welding console which is operatively coupled to said spatial tracker and receives information from said spatial tracker related to said movement and orientation of said welding tool, and where said second display device displays a plurality of simulated welding parameters, in real-time, during said simulated welding operation, where said simulated welding parameters are generated by said processor based subsystem using said movement and orientation of said welding tool; wherein during said simulated welding operation, said processor based subsystem models a simulated welding surface for said welding coupon and displays said simulated welding surface on each of said first and second display devices; wherein during said simulated welding operation, said processor based subsystem creates a simulated welding arc between an emitting end of said welding tool and said simulated welding surface and simulates a creation of a weld puddle have real-time molten metal fluidity and real-time heat dissipation characteristics during said simulated welding operation; wherein said simulated weld puddle has a plurality of voxels, where each of said voxels has a first value representative of displacement and a second value representative of heat, where each of said first and second values change dynamically during said simulated welding operation to display on each of said first and second display devices a simulated deposition of material into said simulated weld puddle, and where said dynamic changes are based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool; and wherein said processor based subsystem displays a simulated completed weld bead on said first and second display devices which is based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool, and based on a cooling threshold value for a transition of said voxels from a molten state to a solid state. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
- said system comprising;
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43. A method for simulating welding activity to be performed by a processor-based apparatus, said method comprising:
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tracking a movement and orientation of a welding tool using a spatial tracker; displaying a simulating welding operation on a helmet comprising a first display device; providing a second display device on a simulated welding console to display said simulated welding operation, said simulated welding console having a user input system; and receiving information from said spatial tracker related to said movement and orientation of said welding tool; modeling, during said simulated welding operation, a simulated welding surface for a welding coupon; displaying said simulated welding surface on each of said first and second display devices; creating, during said simulated welding operation, a simulated welding arc between an emitting end of said welding tool and said simulated welding surface and simulating a creation of a weld puddle have real-time molten metal fluidity and real-time heat dissipation characteristics during said simulated welding operation, wherein said simulated weld puddle has a plurality of voxels, where each of said voxels has a first value representative of displacement and a second value representative of heat, where each of said first and second values change dynamically during said simulated welding operation to display on each of said first and second display devices a simulated deposition of material into said simulated weld puddle, and where said dynamic changes are based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool; and displaying a simulated completed weld bead on said first and second display devices which is based on said movement and orientation of said welding tool, and based on a cooling threshold value for a transition of said voxels from a molten state to a solid state. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification