Welding shield with exposure detection for proactive welding hazard avoidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10849790-B2
Application number	US-201716310899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A system ( 2000 ) comprising a head-mounted device ( 2010 ); at least one position sensor coupled to the head-mounted device; at least one light-filtering shield ( 2012 ) coupled to the at least one position sensor; at least one light detector ( 2019 ); and at least one computing device ( 2017 ) configured to receive, from the light detector, an indication that an intensity of light detected by the light detector exceeds an exposure threshold; determine, from the at least one position sensor, that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold; and generate, in response to the determination that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker wearing the head-mounted device to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold, an indication for output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a head-mounted device;
at least one position sensor coupled to the head-mounted device;
at least one light-filtering shield coupled to the at least one position sensor;
at least one light detector; and
at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one position sensor and at least one light detector, the at least one computing device comprising a memory and one or more computer processors that:
receive, from the light detector, an indication that an intensity of light detected by the light detector exceeds an exposure threshold;
determine, from the at least one position sensor, that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold; and
generate, in response to the determination that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker wearing the head-mounted device to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold, an indication for output.

2. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the worker is a first worker;
wherein the indication of the intensity of light detected by the light detector is based on a second worker performing a welding activity while facing in a first direction;
wherein the one or more computer processors:
receive an indication of a direction in which the first worker is facing;
determine that the direction in which the first worker is facing at least has or will expose a face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker; and
send, based on the determination that the direction in which the first worker is facing at least has or will expose a face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker, the indication for output to the first worker.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein to determine that the direction in which the first worker is facing at least has or will expose a face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker, the one or more computer processors:
determine a first bearing of the direction in which the first worker is facing;
determine a second bearing of the direction in which the second worker is facing;
determine an angle between the first and second bearings; and
determine whether the angle between the first and second bearings satisfies an angular threshold.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a motion detector attached to the worker and communicatively coupled to the computing device;
wherein the one or more computer processors:
receive, prior to the first worker facing in the direction that exposes the face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker, a set of one or more indications of motion that indicate the face of the first worker moving towards the direction of the light from the welding activity of the second worker; and
send the indication for output to the first worker prior to the face of the first worker being exposed to light from the welding activity of the second worker.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the worker is a first worker, wherein the one or more computer processors:
send, prior to the first worker facing in a direction that exposes the face of the first worker to light from a welding activity of a second worker, the indication for output to the second worker.

6. A light-filtering apparatus comprising:
a head-mounted device;
at least one position sensor coupled to the head-mounted device;
at least one light-filtering shield coupled to the at least one position sensor; and
at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one position sensor, the at least one computing device comprising a memory and one or more computer processors that:
send an indication whether the light-filtering shield is positioned at the face of a worker wearing the head-mounted device to filter light with the intensity that exceeds an exposure threshold;
receive an indication for output that was generated based at least in part a determination that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold and a detection of an intensity of light within a distance threshold of the worker by the light detector that exceeds an exposure threshold; and
output the indication.

7. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device and from a light detector, an indication that an intensity of light detected by the light detector exceeds an exposure threshold, wherein a head-mounted device includes at least one position sensor coupled to the head-mounted device, and at least one light-filtering shield is coupled to the at least one position sensor;
determining, from at least one position sensor, that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold; and
generating, in response to determining that the light-filtering shield is not positioned at the face of a worker wearing the head-mounted device to filter light with the intensity that exceeds the exposure threshold, an indication for output.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the worker is a first worker, wherein the indication of the intensity of light detected by the light detector is based on a second worker performing a welding activity while facing in a first direction, the method further comprising:
receiving an indication of a direction in which the first worker is facing;
determining that the direction in which the first worker is facing at least has or will expose a face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker; and
sending, based on the determination that the direction in which the first worker is facing at least has or will expose a face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker, the indication for output to the first worker.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining that the direction in which the first worker is facing at least has or will expose a face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker further comprises:
determining a first bearing of the direction in which the first worker is facing;
determining a second bearing of the direction in which the second worker is facing;
determining an angle between the first and second bearings; and
determining whether the angle between the first and second bearings satisfies an angular threshold.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, prior to the first worker facing in the direction that exposes the face of the first worker to light from the welding activity of the second worker, a set of one or more indications of motion that indicate the face of the first worker moving towards the direction of the light from the welding activity of the second worker; and
sending the indication for output to the first worker prior to the face of the first worker being exposed to light from the welding activity of the second worker.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
sending, prior to the first worker facing in a direction that exposes the face of the first worker to light from a welding activity of a second worker, the indication for output to the second worker.

12. A computing device comprising:
a memory; and
one or more computer processors that:
receive, from a light detector, an indication that an intensity of light detected by the light detector exceeds an exposure threshold, wherein a head-mounted device includes at least one position sensor couple

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Awiszus Steven T
• Kanukurthy Kiran S
• Lobner Eric C
• Quintero Robert J
• Johnson Micayla A
• Ylitalo Caroline M
• Billingsley Britton G

Classifications

• G06N7/01

  Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G02F1/13318

  Circuits comprising a photodetector · CPC title

• A62B27/00

  Methods or devices for testing respiratory or breathing apparatus {for high altitudes}(apparatus for testing gastightness in general G01M) · CPC title