Systems and methods providing a computerized eyewear device to aid in welding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991267-B2
Application number	US-201615051766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Jul 10, 2009
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods to aid a welder or welding student. A system may provide a real-world arc welding system or a virtual reality arc welding system along with a computerized eyewear device having a head-up display (HUD). The computerized eyewear device may be worn by a user under a conventional welding helmet as eye glasses are worn and may wirelessly communicate with a welding power source of a real-world arc welding system or a programmable processor-based subsystem of a virtual reality arc welding system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for a computerized eyewear device having a transparent display, a wireless communication interface, a processor, and memory storing computer-executable instructions for a software application that augments a welding operation performed with a welding system, the method comprising:
obtaining weld sequence information for the welding operation, which involves a weld sequence having multiple welds corresponding to a sequence of welding steps for a part;
receiving a spatial position of the computerized eyewear device from a spatial tracker via the wireless communication interface;
generating sequencing support information related to the weld sequence based on the spatial position and weld sequence information; and
displaying, on the transparent display based on the sequencing support information, an indicator to guide a welder to a location, on the part, of a next weld corresponding to a next step of the sequence of welding steps to be performed on the part, the indicator being displayed while the part is viewable by the welder through the transparent display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the location of the next weld corresponding to the next step of the sequence of welding steps is responsive to user input from the welder requesting the next weld associated with the part.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computerized eyewear device includes a microphone and the method further comprises receiving, with the microphone, user input from the welder wearing the computerized eyewear device and performing the welding operation with the welding system.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the user input indicates a verbal request for the next weld corresponding to the next step of the sequence of welding steps.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising communicating, via the wireless communication interface, a command to the welding system based on the user input.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the command is a request for a change to a welding parameter.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the wireless communication interface, welding parameters from the welding system; and
displaying at least a portion of the welding parameters on the transparent display.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising displaying, on the transparent display, an indication of whether a particular welding parameter is within an acceptable range.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, on the transparent display, an image depicting a three-dimensional representation of the part and an indicator on the three-dimensional representation corresponding to the location of the next weld corresponding to the next step of the sequence of welding steps.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator is displayed on the transparent display so as to overlay the location of the next weld on the part.

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Matthews William T
• Daniel Joseph A

Classifications

• B23K9/0956 Primary

  using sensing means, e.g. optical · CPC title

• G06V20/20

  in augmented reality scenes · CPC title

• G02B2027/0158

  with adjustable nose pad · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

  comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera · CPC title

• A61F9/06

  Masks, shields or hoods for welders · CPC title