Systems and methods for wireless control of an engine-driven welding power supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943924-B2
Application number	US-201414229271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include wireless control of a welding power supply via portable electronic devices. In particular, operating parameters and statuses of the welding power supply may be modified by the portable electronic device, as well as be displayed on the portable electronic device. For example, in certain embodiments, the welding power supply may be an engine-driven welding power supply, and the portable electronic device may be configured to start and/or stop an engine of the engine-driven welding power supply. A pairing procedure may be used to pair the welding power supply and the portable electronic device in a wireless communication network. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, a method of prioritization of control between a control panel of the welding power supply and the portable electronic device may be implemented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding power supply comprising:
a housing comprising a control panel configured to receive inputs from an operator;
a generator disposed within the housing and configured to generate power;
an engine disposed within the housing and configured to drive the generator;
power conversion circuitry disposed within the housing and configured to convert the power generated by the generator into output power for a welding operation; and
local control circuitry disposed within the housing and configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from remote control circuitry of a portable electronic device, and to control the welding power supply based at least in part on the received control signal;
wherein the local control circuitry is configured to set prioritization of control of the welding power supply between the portable electronic device and the control panel of the welding power supply, to prevent the control panel from controlling at least one parameter of the welding power supply when the portable electronic device is prioritized, and to prevent the portable electronic device from controlling the at least one parameter of the welding power supply when the control panel is prioritized.

2. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the remote control circuitry comprises a radio subsystem configured to wirelessly send and receive control signals to and from the local control circuitry using a signaling protocol.

3. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from the remote control circuitry to start the engine, and to start the engine based at least in part on the received control signal.

4. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from the remote control circuitry to stop the engine, and to stop the engine based on the received control signal.

5. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from the remote control circuitry to control a speed of the engine, and to control the speed of the engine based at least in part on the received control signal.

6. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from the remote control circuitry to control an engine run mode of the engine, and to control the engine run mode based at least in part on the received control signal.

7. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send data relating to a fuel level of the engine to the remote control circuitry, and the remote control circuitry is configured to display the data on the display.

8. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send data relating to a time to scheduled oil change for the engine to the remote control circuitry, and the remote control circuitry is configured to display the data on the display.

9. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send data relating to total hours of use of the engine to the remote control circuitry, and the remote control circuitry is configured to display the data on the display.

10. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send data relating to total hours of use of the welding power supply to the remote control circuitry, and the remote control circuitry is configured to display the data on the display.

11. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send data relating to diagnostic messages or diagnostic codes for the welding power supply to the remote control circuitry, and the remote control circuitry is configured to display the data on the display.

12. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send data relating to engine diagnostic messages or engine diagnostic codes for the engine to the remote control circuitry, and the remote control circuitry is configured to display the data on the display.

13. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to facilitate access by the remote control circuitry to an engine serial data bus of the engine.

14. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from the remote control circuitry to control an operating parameter or status of an air compressor of the welding power supply, and to control the operating parameter or status based at least in part on the received control signal.

15. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from the remote control circuitry to control an operating parameter or status of a hydraulic pump of the welding power supply, and to control the operating parameter or status based at least in part on the received control signal.

16. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a display, and the local control circuitry is configured to wirelessly send instructions to the remote control circuitry to display a nested graphical hierarchical structure of operating parameters and statuses of the welding power supply via the display.

17. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the remote control circuitry is configured to place the portable electronic device in a sleep mode, and to wirelessly send a control signal to the local control circuitry to place the welding power supply in a sleep mode while maintaining network pairing between the portable electronic device and the welding power supply.

18. The welding power supply of claim 17 , wherein the remote control circuitry is configured to wake the portable electronic device from the sleep mode upon detection of activity on the portable electronic device, and to wirelessly send a control signal to the local control circuitry to wake the welding power supply from a sleep mode upon the detection of the activity on the portable electronic device.

19. The welding power supply of claim 17 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wake the welding power supply from a sleep mode upon detection of activity on the welding power supply, and to wirelessly send a control signal to the remote control circuitry to wake the portable electronic device from the sleep mode upon the detection of the activity on the welding power supply.

20. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to place the welding power supply in a sleep mode, and to wirelessly send a control signal to the remote control circuitry to place the portable electronic device in a sleep mode while maintaining network pairing between the portable electronic device and the welding power supply.

21. The welding power supply of claim 20 , wherein the local control circuitry is configured to wake the weldin

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Denis Marc Lee
• Peotter Benjamin G

Classifications

• B23K9/1087 Primary

  Arc welding using remote control · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04L63/062

  for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819) · CPC title

• F02D29/06

  peculiar to engines driving electric generators · CPC title