System and method for data exchange and control with a wireless remote control for welding systems

• US 9,993,890 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Denis, Marc L., Gill, Michael A., Batzler, Todd G.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENNISON, BRIAN W
• Application Number:
  US14/064,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20150114941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 219 7614, 2191301, 2191305, 219132, 219136, 2191377
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/095 Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1043 characterised by the electric circuit B23K9/1012 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1087 Arc welding using remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A system and method for wirelessly controlling, monitoring, and updating various welding parameters from a remote device using a single remote control. The remote does not need to have the software to communicate with the welding-type system prior to initiating communications with the welding-type system. Rather, the welding-type system can provide a code download to the remote to perform an over-the-air programming of the remote to configure the remote to control the welding-type system.

Claims

1. A welding-type system comprising:

a power source having a controller to regulate welding operations for at least one welder;

a wireless communication system configured to receive a wireless signal and provide the wireless signal to the controller for controlling the at least one welder according to at least one operational parameter indicated by the wireless signal;

a pairing apparatus coupled to the wireless communication system and configured to;

identify a wireless remote control capable of communicating with the wireless communication system;

identify the wireless remote control as not running a software configured to remotely access the at least one operational parameter for the welding operations by communicating with the wireless remote control over the wireless communication system; and

initiate a download of a software image, comprising the software, from the controller to the wireless remote control, using wireless transmission protocol, when the wireless remote control is in an un-programmed state, to configure the wireless remote control to access the at least one operational parameter and update the at least one operational parameter by transmitting an updated operational parameter, using the wireless signal, from the software running on the wireless remote control to the controller.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pairing apparatus is configured to determine a type of configurable interface of the wireless remote control and a plurality of buttons of the wireless remote control and select the software image from a plurality of welder controller software images, upgrades or updates to be delivered to the wireless remote control using the wireless transmission protocol.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one operational parameter includes at least one of an oil parameter, an engine fuel parameter, an engine speed parameter, a battery parameter, a power supply parameter, an engine start/stop parameter, an engine parameter, an engine control parameter, an advanced engine diagnostics parameter, a process mode parameter, an error code parameter, a voltage and current parameter, an arc control parameter, and a polarity control parameter.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system is configured to communicate using at least one of a ZigBee protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Power (BLE) protocol, a Bluetooth 4.0 protocol, and a WiFi protocol.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pairing apparatus is configured to determine whether the wireless remote control includes a boot loader.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system includes a WiFi radio apparatus capable of operating as a wireless communication terminal (WCT), allowing the wireless remote control to access an interface via the WCT and configured to exchange data and remotely control the controller in the welding-type system.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pairing apparatus is configured to determine whether the wireless remote control includes a single code image to enable a code update to the at least one welder.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one operational parameter includes commands to remotely power down and power up the at least one welder.

9. A method for remotely controlling a welding-type system, the method comprising:

providing a power source having a controller for regulating welding operations for a plurality of welders;

determining whether a software for communicating with the controller is present within a memory of the wireless remote control;

responsive to the software not being present within the memory, downloading to the wireless remote control, using a wireless transmission protocol, a software image comprising the software;

configuring the wireless remote control to adjust at least one welding parameter by transmitting, using the wireless signal, an updated welding parameter from the software to the controller;

transmitting a wireless signal from a wireless remote control to the controller to control at least one of a plurality of welding parameters in the plurality of welders based on the updated welding parameter;

receiving the wireless signal to allow the controller to communicate with the wireless remote control;

pairing the wireless remote control to the controller via a radio apparatus installed on the wireless remote control; and

accessing and regulating the at least one of the plurality of welding parameters of at least one of the plurality of welders via the radio apparatus of the wireless remote control using the updated welding parameter.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein pairing includes initiating a code download to the wireless remote control using an over-the-air programming protocol to configure the wireless remote control to communicate the plurality of welding parameters to the at least one of the plurality of welders.

11. A remote control system for communicating with a welding-type system comprising:

a wireless communication system configured to send and receive a wireless signal with at least one of a plurality of welding-type systems;

a memory having at least one of a boot loader or executable software stored thereon;

a processor configured to;

communicate with the at least one of the plurality of welding-type systems using the wireless communication system to identify a wireless remote control as not running a software configured to remotely access at least one operational parameter for the at least one of the plurality of welding-type systems;

responsive to a determination that the wireless remote control not running the software, receive a download of a software image comprising the software from the at least one of a plurality of welding-type systems to the wireless remote control, using a wireless transmission protocol; and

install the software image using at least the boot loader or the executable software to configure the wireless remote control to update at least one operational parameter by transmitting an updated operational parameter, using the wireless signal, from the software running on the wireless remote control to the at least one of the plurality of welding-type systems.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless remote control includes a user interface that, following installation of the software image, operates as a process mode selector to allow an operator to select a desired welding process that is communicated over the wireless communication system to control the at least one of a plurality of welding-type systems to operate according to the desired welding process.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to identify a given welder in the plurality of welding-type systems by triggering the given welder to signal using one of a beeper and a light.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to perform a pairing process to communicate with a given welder in the plurality of welding-type systems.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless remote control is configured to remotely power down and power up the at least one of the plurality of welding-type systems.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless remote control includes a graphic display configured to display a status of the at least one of the plurality of welding-type systems.

17. A method for remotely controlling a welding-type system, the method comprising:

providing a wireless remote control having an antenna system configured to communicate with a plurality of welders;

identifying at least one of the plurality of welders;

determining whether a software for communicating with the at least one of the plurality of welders is present in a memory of the wireless remote control;

upon determining that the software for communicating with the at least one of the plurality of welders is not present in a memory of the wireless remote control, receiving a software image download from the at least one of the plurality of welders;

installing the software image download received from the at least one of the plurality of welders; and

using the software image download installed on the wireless remote control, controlling operation of the at least one of the plurality of welders.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising performing a pairing process with the at least one of the plurality of welders before controlling operation of the at least one of the plurality of welders.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein installing the software image download includes utilizing an over-the-air programming protocol directed by the at least one of the plurality of welders.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein, prior to installing the software image download, the wireless remote control is free of software for controlling the plurality of welders.