A system and a method for tracking and analyzing welding activity. Dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool are sensed during a welding process producing a weld. The sensed dynamic spatial properties are tracked over time and the tracked dynamic spatial properties are captured as tracked data during the welding process. The tracked data is analyzed to determine performance characteristics of a welder performing the welding process and quality characteristics of a weld produced by the welding process. The performance characteristics and the quality characteristics may be subsequently reviewed.

System for tracking and analyzing welding activity

Virtual reality arc welding systems that provide virtual reality simulations for training purposes. Virtual reality welding systems to aid in training welding students may provide intelligent connections to web sites on the internet, overlays of ideal weld puddles, recommended corrective actions based on virtual testing results, simulations of virtual environments with safety hazards, and simulations of relationships between improperly set welding parameters and weld defects and discontinuities.

Systems and methods providing enhanced education and training in a virtual reality environment

Arc welding simulations that provide simulation of virtual destructive and non destructive testing and inspection of virtual weldments for training purposes. The virtual testing simulations may be performed on virtual weldments created using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g., a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system). The virtual inspection simulations may be performed on "pre-canned" (i.e. pre-defined) virtual weldments or using virtual weldments created using a virtual reality welding simulator system. In general, virtual testing may be performed using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g., a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system), and virtual inspection may be performed using a standalone virtual weldment inspection (VWI) system or using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g., a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system). However, in accordance with certain enhanced embodiments of the present invention, virtual testing may also be performed on a standalone VWI system.

Virtual testing and inspection of a virtual weldment

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.

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

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Virtual welding system

A method and system of aligning a helmet mounted display mounted to a helmet is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of; - aligning a first helmet mounted display guide symbol with a reference direction; - selecting the alignment of the first helmet mounted display guide symbol with the reference direction; - aligning a first stabilised guide symbol, starting at the position of the aligned first symbol, with a reference direction, the first stabilised symbol being stabilised to reduce the movement of the stabilised symbol with respect to the reference direction in response to movements of the head of the user; - selecting the alignment of the first stabilised guide symbol with the reference direction; - aligning a second helmet mounted display guide symbol with the reference direction; - selecting the alignment of the second helmet mounted display guide symbol with the reference direction; - aligning a second stabilised guide symbol, starting at the position of the aligned second symbol, with a reference direction, the second stabilised symbol being stabilised to reduce the movement of the stabilised symbol with respect to the reference direction in response to movements of the head of the user; - selecting the alignment of the second stabilised display guide symbol with the reference direction; - determining a relative position and orientation between the helmet and the display mounted to the helmet according to the positions and orientations of the helmet at said alignments.

A method of aligning a helmet mounted display

A user ( 18 ) views a reference symbol ( 36 ) along a line of sight ( 28 ) intersected by an image intensifier ( 22 ), arranged to present an intensified image of a forward scene ( 26 ) to the eye ( 24 ) of the user ( 18 ), and an image display ( 14 ), arranged to display an image to the eye ( 24 ) of the user ( 18 ) overlaid on the intensified image. The user indicates alignment of first and alternate symbols generated at known positions on the image display ( 14 ) with the reference symbol ( 36 ) and the position of a helmet ( 16 ) carrying the image display ( 14 ) is determined by a helmet tracking system ( 30 ) for each alignment. A line of sight can be determined for each symbol alignment given the helmet ( 16 ) position and known location of the first and alternate symbols. These lines of sight can be used to determine the magnification factor of the forward scene ( 26 ) induced by the image intensifier ( 20 ). Accordingly, symbology generated and displayed on the image display ( 14 ) can be compensated for relative to the magnification factor.

Image display systems

A method is provided for determining corrections to rate data output by inertial sensors of a type typically used in tracking changes in orientation of anobject. The invention also extends to a tracker system incorporating the correction functionality of the method. The method makes use of rate data output by inertial sensors associated with the object being tracked and rate data derived from measures of orientation supplied by a non-inertial tracker system also associated with the object being tracked and comprises determining from those rate data corrections for errors due to misalignment in rate data output by inertial sensors, by calculating a mapping between vectors linking points in inertial sensor rate space represented by a sample set of received rate data from the inertial sensors and vectors linking points in a derived object orientation rate space represented by a corresponding and synchronised sample set of derived rate data. Corrections for inertial sensor bias may be determined separately from corrections for misalignment-related errors, after correction of inertial sensor rate data for misalignment-related errors by determining the vector translation between a point represented by corrected inertial sensor rate data in the derived object orientation rate space and the point in the same rate space represented by derived rate data synchronised therewith. The invention is applicable to a pilot helmet tracker system as indicated in figure 4.

Inertial sensor data correction

물체의 배향의 변화를 추적하는 데에 통상적으로 사용되는 타입의 관성 센서에 의해 출력된 레이트 데이터에 대한 정정을 결정하기 위한 방법이 제공된다. 본 발명은 또한 본 발명의 정정 기능을 포함하는 추적기 시스템으로 연장된다. 이러한 방법은, 추적되고 있는 물체와 연관된 관성 센서에 의해 출력된 레이트 데이터 및 역시 추적되고 있는 물체와 연관되는 비-관성 추적기 시스템에 의해 공급되는 배향의 측정치로부터 유도된 레이트 데이터를 이용하고, 그러한 레이트 데이터로부터, 상기 관성 센서로부터의 수신된 레이트 데이터의 샘플 세트에 의해 표현되는, 관성 센서 레이트 공간 내의 점들을 연결하는 벡터와 유도된 레이트 데이터의 대응하고 동기화된 샘플 세트에 의해 표현되는, 유도된 물체 배향 레이트 공간 내의 점들을 연결하는 벡터 사이의 매핑을 계산함으로써, 관성 센서에 의해 출력된 레이트 데이터 내의 오정렬에 기인한 오차에 대한 정정을 결정하는 단계를 포함한다. 관성 센서 편향에 대한 정정은, 상기 유도된 물체 배향 레이트 공간 내의 정정된 관성 센서 레이트 데이터에 의해 표현되는 점과, 동일한 레이트 공간 내의, 상기 정정된 관성 센서 레이트 데이터와 동기화되는 유도된 레이트 데이터에 의해 표현되는 점 사이의 벡터 병진을 결정함으로써, 오정렬-관련 오차에 대한 관성 센서 레이트 데이터의 정정 이후에, 오정렬-관련 오차에 대한 정정과 별개로 결정될 수 있다.

관성 센서 데이터 정정

A method and apparatus are provided for determining the orientation of an object relative to fixed,moving or moveable platform likely to be exposed to buffeting or similar effects. The object may for example be a helmet worn by a pilot of an aircraft in which orientation of the helmet relative the aircraft while in flight may usefully be known, in particular when determining the position of space-stabilised symbols being displayed in an associated helmet-mounted digital display system. According to the method, not only may orientation of an object may be predicted at some time ahead of a time point of validity of source sensor data – a useful feature for digital display systems –but the functionality carrying out the prediction may be dynamically configured to according to a detected severity of buffeting upon the object and upon the tracker system sensors to reduce the effects of the buffeting upon the quality of data output by the tracker system. The method includes functionality to measure the severity of any buffeting using the same source data as used to determine orientation of the object.

John Richard Williams

Papers

A method of aligning a helmet mounted display

Image display systems

Inertial sensor data correction

관성 센서 데이터 정정

Helmet tracker buffeting compensation