Measurement of three-dimensional welding torch orientation for manual arc welding process

• US 9,975,196 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Original Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yuming, Zhang, WeiJie
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, G. Bradley
• Application Number:
  US14/928,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20160193679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 33318
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/183 Compensation of inertial measurements, e.g. for temperature effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided herein for measuring 3D apparatus (e.g., manual tool or tool accessory) orientation. Example implementations use an auto-nulling algorithm that incorporates a quaternion-based unscented Kalman filter. Example implementations use a miniature inertial measurement unit endowed with a tri-axis gyro and a tri-axis accelerometer. The auto-nulling algorithm serves as an in-line calibration procedure to compensate for the gyro drift, which has been verified to significantly improve the estimation accuracy in three-dimensions, especially in the heading estimation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving signals from an inertial measurement unit affixed to an apparatus;

analyzing said signals to detect whether said apparatus is in quasi-static equilibrium;

generating a gravitational acceleration vector based on a portion of said signals received while said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium; and

performing a real-time calibration of said inertial measurement unit based on said gravitational acceleration vector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing said real-time calibration comprises determining the angle between an axis of a coordinate system of said inertial measurement unit and said gravitational acceleration vector.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing said real-time calibration comprises determining an initial angle for a gyroscope of said inertial measurement system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing said real-time calibration comprises determining a rate of angular drift.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising determining orientation of said inertial measurement unit in real-time based on said signals and based on values determined during said real-time calibration.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising processing said signals using an unscented Kalman filter.

7. A method comprising:

during a time interval in which an apparatus is known to be in quasi-static equilibrium;

receiving, via a transceiver, a first set of gyroscope output samples from an inertial measurement unit affixed to said apparatus;

calculating, by a processor, one or more metrics for said first set of gyroscope output samples;

during manipulation of said apparatus;

receiving, via said transceiver, a second set of gyroscope output samples from said inertial measurement unit affixed to said apparatus;

calculating, by said processor, said one or more metrics for said second set of gyroscope output samples;

generating, by said processor, a decision as to whether said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium based on said one or more metrics for said first set of gyroscope output samples and said one or more metrics for said second set second gyroscope output samples; and

determining, by said processor, an angular velocity of said apparatus based on said second set of gyroscope samples and based on said decision as to whether said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising determining a drift of said gyroscope based on a mean value of said first set of gyroscope output samples.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising using said drift of said gyroscope during said determining said angular velocity of said apparatus.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

if said decision is that said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium, said determining said angular velocity of said apparatus comprises determining said angular velocity to be a mean value of said second set of gyroscope output samples; and

if said decision is that said apparatus is not in said quasi-static equilibrium, said determining said angular velocity comprises compensating for said drift.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said determining said angular velocity comprises compensating for a difference between a temperature of said inertial measurement unit during generation of first set of gyroscope output samples and a temperature of said inertial measurement unit during generation of said second set of gyroscope output samples.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said one or more metrics comprise one or both of mean and standard deviation.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said generating said decision as to whether said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium comprising determining a difference, or absolute difference, between said one or more metrics for said first set of gyroscope output samples and said one or more metrics for said second set of gyroscope output samples.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said time interval is on the order of milliseconds.

15. A system comprising:

a computing device comprising a receiver and a processor, wherein;

said receiver is configured to

receive, during a time interval in which an apparatus is known to be in quasi-static equilibrium, a first set of gyroscope output samples from an inertial measurement unit affixed to said apparatus; and

receiver, during manipulation of said apparatus, a second set of gyroscope output samples from said inertial measurement unit affixed to said apparatus; and

said processor is configured to;

calculate one or more metrics for said first set of gyroscope output samples;

calculate said one or more metrics for said second set of gyroscope output samples;

generate a decision as to whether said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium based on said one or more metrics for said first set of gyroscope output samples and said one or more metrics for said second set second gyroscope output samples; and

determine an angular velocity of said apparatus based on said second set of gyroscope samples and based on said decision as to whether said apparatus is said quasi-static equilibrium.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is configured to determine a drift of said gyroscope based on a mean value of said first set of gyroscope output samples.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processor is configured to use said drift of said gyroscope during said determination of said angular velocity of said apparatus.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

if said decision is that said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium, said determination of said angular velocity of said apparatus is a determination of a mean value of said second set of gyroscope output samples; and

if said decision is that said apparatus is not in said quasi-static equilibrium, said determination of said angular velocity of said apparatus comprises compensating said mean value of said second set of gyroscope output samples based on said drift.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said determination of said angular velocity comprises compensation for a difference between a temperature of said inertial measurement unit during generation of first set of gyroscope output samples and a temperature of said inertial measurement unit during generation of said second set of gyroscope output samples.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said one or more metrics comprise one or both of mean and standard deviation.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said generation of said decision as to whether said apparatus is in said quasi-static equilibrium comprising a determination of a difference, or absolute difference, between said one or more metrics for said first set of gyroscope output samples and said one or more metrics for said second set of gyroscope output samples.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said time interval is on the order of milliseconds.