WIRELESS AND POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS IN A WELDING-TYPE SYSTEM

• US 20170021442A1
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Denis, Marc Lee, Peotter, Benjamin Gene
• Granted Patent: US 10,369,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B23K 9/124 Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/125 Feeding of electrodes for stabilising arc B23K9/073
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/18 Phase-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using phase-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A welding-type system includes a wireless network interface configured to connect a wire feeder or power supply to a wireless network. The wireless network interface is also configured to receive a wireless command in a first format. The wireless command is configured to control the power supply. Moreover, the wireless network interface is configured to convert the wireless command from the first format to a second format. The welding-type system also includes a wired transceiver configured to transmit the converted wireless command across a power delivery cable to the power supply. Furthermore, the welding-type system includes power terminals configured to receive power from the power supply at a level based at least in part on the transmitted wireless command.

Claims

1. A welding-type system comprising:

a wire feeder comprising;

a wireless network interface configured to;

connect the wire feeder to a wireless network;

receive a wireless command in a first format, wherein the wireless command is configured to control a power supply; and

convert the wireless command from the first format to a second format;

a wired transceiver configured to transmit the converted wireless command across a power delivery cable to the power supply; and

power terminals configured to receive power from the power supply at a level based at least in part on the transmitted wireless command.

2. The welding-type system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises an 802.11 wireless network, an 802.15.4 wireless network, or an 802.1 wireless network.

3. The welding-type system of claim 1, wherein the wired transceiver is configured to transmit the converted wireless command using binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation or quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation.

4. The welding-type system of claim 1, wherein the wire feeder comprises a wire feed motor, and the wireless network interface is configured to receive a wire feed speed command and transmit the wire feed speed command to the wire feed motor, and the wire feed motor is configured to alter a wire feed speed based on the wire feed speed command.

5. The welding-type system of claim 1, comprising the power supply having a power supply wireless interface.

6. The welding-type system of claim 5, wherein the power supply wireless interface has a same network type as the wireless network interface of the wire feeder, and the wireless network interface of the wire feeder and the power supply wireless interface are configured to interchange commands when a signal strength between the wireless network interface of the wire feeder and the power supply wireless interface surpasses a signal strength threshold.

7. The welding-type system of claim 6, wherein when the signal strength between the wireless network interface of the wire feeder and the power supply wireless interface does not surpass the signal strength threshold, the power supply and the wire feeder are configured to communicate via the wired transceiver of the wire feeder.

8. The welding-type system of claim 5, wherein the power supply wireless interface has a same network type as the wireless network interface of the wire feeder, and the wireless network interface of the wire feeder and the power supply wireless interface are configured to interchange commands when a transfer speed between the wireless network interface of the wire feeder and the power supply wireless interface surpasses a transfer speed threshold.

9. The welding-type system of claim 8, wherein when the transfer speed between the wireless network interface of the wire feeder and the power supply wireless interface does not surpass the transfer speed threshold, the power supply and the wire feeder are configured to communicate via the wired transceiver of the wire feeder.

10. A welding-type system comprising:

a power supply comprising;

a wired transceiver configured to receive commands from a wire feeder through a power cable through which the power supply supplies power to the wire feeder, wherein the received commands are wirelessly transmitted to the wire feeder; and

a power controller configured to change a level of power supplied to the wire feeder based at least in part on the received commands.

11. The welding-type system of claim 10, wherein the power supply comprises a wireless network interface configured to couple the power supply to one or more remote devices.

12. The welding-type system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface is configured to receive wire feed speed commands, and the wired transceiver is configured to transmit the wire feed speed commands to the wire feeder through the power cable.

13. The welding-type system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface couples the power supply to the Internet via one or more networks.

14. The welding-type system of claim 13, wherein the wireless network interface is configured to receive a command from an Internet-enabled device.

15. The welding-type system of claim 14, wherein the Internet-enabled device comprises a cellular phone, a tablet, or a computing device.

16. A welding-type system comprising:

a wire feeder comprising;

a wire feed motor;

a wireless network interface configured to;

connect the wire feeder to a wireless network; and

receive, via the wireless network, a command in a first format; and

control circuitry having a wired transceiver configured to exchange communications with a power supply through a power cable through which the power supply supplies power to the wire feeder, wherein the control circuitry is configured to;

determine whether the command relates to a power level or a wire feed speed;

if the command relates to the power level, convert the command from the first format to a second format and transmit the command to the power supply via the wired transceiver in the second format; and

if the command relates to the wire feed speed, adjust a wire feed speed of the wire feed motor.

17. The welding-type system of claim 16, wherein the command comprises a relative change in power.

18. The welding-type system of claim 16, wherein the command comprises an absolute change in power.

19. The welding-type system of claim 16, wherein the command comprises an increase or decrease in wire feed speed.

20. The welding-type system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive the command from a mobile computing device.