Construction equipment discovery on a network

• US 20060173619A1
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cole, Stephen R., Brant, Dmitry, Hillen, Edward D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methodologies that facilitate a search for construction equipment(s) (e.g., a welding terminal) via a locator component that searches a networked area as defined by a plurality of reference points. Upon locating a network address of the construction unit, a physical location of such unit on the network, or the reference points, can also be determined via employing technologies such as a Global Positioning System (GPS), angle and Time Difference of a Signal'"'"'s Arrival (TDOA), probabilistic analysis of strength of a wireless signal with respect to the reference points and the like. Also, a composition of welding equipments employed on the construction site can be determined and/or configured.

Claims

1. A system that determines location of equipment on a construction site comprising:

a locator component as part of a central host unit to locate an address of a construction equipment on a network;

the network defined by a plurality of reference points, and

a mapping component that maps the network address to a physical location of the construction equipment.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a GPS system as part of the plurality of reference points or construction equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, the physical location determined by at least one of a Time Difference of Signal Arrival (TDOA) and probabilistic analysis of a wireless signal.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising an artificial intelligence unit that facilitates determination of a physical location for a construction unit in relation to the reference points.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a portable wireless communication unit operably connected central host unit, to receive data regarding state of the construction equipment.

6. The system of claim 5, the state comprises at least one of a physical location, maintenance requirement, and operation status of the construction equipment.

7. The system of claim 1, the construction equipment is a welding system that comprises:

a welding component;

a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) client component facilitating transfer of information associated with welding between the welding component and at least one other device; and

,

a wireless communication component facilitating wireless communication between the WAP client component and the at least one other device.

8. The welding system of claim 7, the WAP client component utilizes a Wireless Application Protocol.

9. The welding system of claim 7, the transfer of information occurs via at least one of a Wireless Mark-up Language (WML) document and a Wireless Mark-up Language script (WML script) document.

10. The system of claim 7, the WAP gateway component communicates with the remote system via at least one of a wide area network, a local area network, the Internet and a personal area network.

11. The system of claim 7, the welding system further comprising a browsing component.

12. The system of claim 7, the transferred information being at least one of diagnostic information and error logs.

13. The welding system of claim 7, the transfer of information being via at least one of a WML document and a WML script document.

14. A method of locating equipment on a construction site comprising:

determining a physical location and a network address of an equipment connected to a network, and

mapping the network address to the physical location.

15. The method of claim 14, the determining a physical location act employs a GPS system.

16. The method of claim 14, the determining a physical location act employs at least one of a Time Difference of Signal Arrival (TDOA) and a probabilistic analysis of a wireless signal.

17. A system that determines location of equipment on a construction site comprising:

a central host unit in communication with a network defined by a plurality of reference points, the reference points associated with construction equipment having transceiving capabilities; and

a locator component as part of the central host unit that locates a network address of the construction equipment.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising an artificial intelligence component that facilitates determining a location of the construction equipment.

19. The system of claim 18, the artificial intelligence component employs a support vector machine classifier.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising a socket arrangement as part of the locator component.

21. A method of providing a location of an equipment to a central host unit comprising:

establishing a communication between the equipment and a WAP gateway component for transfer of data associated with the equipment to a central host unit;

exchanging information with the WAP gateway component; and

identifying a location of the equipment to the central host unit.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising mapping the location of the equipment with a network address of the equipment.

23. A system that determines location of equipment on a construction site comprising:

means for locating a network address of a construction equipment associated with a network, the network defined by a plurality of reference points, and

means for mapping the network address to a physical location of the construction equipment.