Augmented and mediated reality welding helmet systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018308385-A1
Application number	US-201816012553-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A welding helmet system is provided. The welding helmet system includes a protective shell and a welding display system. The welding display system is configured to be removably coupled to the protective shell. The welding display system is configured to receive data from a sensor, and to display a welding metric derived from the sensor via the image generation system.

First claim

1 . A welding helmet system, comprising:
a protective shell; and a first welding display system configured to be removably coupled to the protective shell, wherein the first welding display system is configured to:
receive data from a sensor;
display a welding metric, wherein the welding metric is derived from the data; and
communicate with an external system.

2 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the external system comprises a second welding display system, and wherein the first welding display system is configured to transmit the data or the welding metric to the second welding display system.

3 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the first welding display system is configured to transmit the data to the external system to derive the welding metric.

4 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the protective shell comprises a filter screen configured to attenuate or otherwise filter light, and the sensor comprises a camera sensor disposed on the first welding display system, the camera sensor configured to capture images or video through the filter screen.

5 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the protective shell comprises an augmented reality grind shield and a processor configured to:
receive the data from the camera sensor; process the data to derive the welding metric; and display the welding metric via the augmented reality grind shield.

6 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the first welding display system comprises augmented reality eyeglasses, mediated reality eyeglasses, a detachable augmented reality welding shield, a detachable mediated reality welding shield, or a combination thereof.

7 . The welding helmet system of claim 5 , wherein the first welding display system is further configured to:
receive second data representative of a workpiece, a welding supply, a welding system, or a combination thereof; derive a virtual welding environment based on the second data; display the virtual welding environment via an image generation system; and enable a welding helmet wearer to manipulate the virtual welding environment.

8 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the first welding display system is configured to change from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on a coupling of the first welding display system to the protective shell or a decoupling of the first welding display system from the protective shell.

9 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the first welding display system is configured to be positioned on an interior portion of the protective shell or an exterior portion of the protective shell.

10 . The welding helmet system of claim 1 , wherein the first welding display system is configured to be positioned on an exterior portion of the protective shell, and wherein the first welding display system comprises a detachable augmented reality welding shield or a detachable mediated reality welding shield.

11 . A welding display system, comprising:
an image generation system; a coupler configured to removably couple the welding display system to a protective shell; a communication system; and a processor configured to:
receive data from a sensor;
display a welding metric via the image generation system, wherein the welding metric is derived from the data; and
communicate with an external system via the communication system.

12 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the external system comprises a second welding display system, and wherein the processor is configured to transmit the data or the welding metric to the second welding display system via the communication system.

13 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the data to the external system, via the communication system, to derive the welding metric.

14 . The welding display system of claim 11 , The welding helmet system of claim 5 , wherein the processr is further configured to:
receive, via the communication system, second data representative of a workpiece, a welding supply, or a welding system; derive a virtual welding environment based on the second data; display the virtual welding environment via the image generation system; and enable a user of the welding display system to manipulate the virtual welding environment.

15 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the protective shell comprises a welding helmet or a protective face shield.

16 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, an optical sensor, an x-ray sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductive sensor, an air quality sensor, or a biometric sensor.

17 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the image generation system is a virtual reality system or an augmented reality system.

18 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the welding metric comprises a welding speed, a welding voltage, a welding current, a weld concavity/convexity metric, a cross sectional weld area, a weld leg size, a weld toe angle, a weld undercut metric, a weld face metric, a weld throat metric, a weld mismatch metric, a weld bead width metric, a weld reinforcement height metric, or a weld porosity metric.

19 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to process the data to derive a user biometric, an environmental metric, a work order data, an alarm, an alert, or a combination thereof.

20 . The welding display system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the data to the external system, via the communication system, and receive the welding metric from the external system, via the communication system, in response to the data.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Sommers Eric Thomas
• Patel Nishank Rudresh

Classifications

• G09B19/00 Primary

  Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26) · CPC title

• G02B27/0176

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title

• B23K9/0953

  using computing means · CPC title

• G09B19/24

  Use of tools · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title