System and method for welder with help request functionality

A welder includes a network interface configured to connect to a network. The welder includes a user interface that indicates to a user entities to whom help requests may be sent and receives from the user a selection of an entity to whom to send a help request. A data store stores welder data and entity data. The welder data includes welder identification and location information, and the entity data correlates entities to respective communication modes. The welder includes a communication logic that receives signals from the user interface indicating the selection and receives from the data store the welder data and the entity data. The communication logic also generates the help request in at least one format corresponding and directed to a communication mode correlated to the selected entity. The welder further includes a processor that causes the network interface to transmit the help request in the network.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of welding and welding equipment. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a welder with functionality for transmitting help requests.

BACKGROUND

Welding systems are deployed in manufacturing facilities that often employ hundreds or thousands of welders. One example of such welders include electric arc welders. These systems are often deployed over great distances in relatively large manufacturing environments and are often spread across multiple manufacturing centers. Moreover, given the nature and requirements of modern and relatively complex manufacturing operations, increasing challenges are faced in upgrading, maintaining, servicing, and supplying welding systems.

Often when upgrading, maintaining, servicing, and supporting is necessary, a user or operator of the welder must request help from an appropriate entity that has the expertise, tools, authority, and so on. Such an entity includes, but is not limited to, quality, maintenance, service, or engineering departments, and so on. Often conventional welding systems require the user to stop production to request help, which may cause delays or disruptions in the manufacturing process.

SUMMARY

A welder with help request functionality includes a network interface configured to connect to a network. The welder further includes a user interface configured to indicate to a user one or more entities to whom help requests may be sent and further configured to receive from the user a selection indicating a selected entity from the one or more entities to whom to send a help request. The welder further includes a data store storing welder data and entity data. The welder data includes welder identification and location information and the entity data includes data correlating entities from the one or more entities to respective communication modes. The welder further includes a communication logic configured to receive a signal from the user interface indicating the selection and further configured to receive from the data store the welder data and the entity data corresponding to the welder and the selected entity respectively. The communication logic is further configured to generate the help request in at least one format corresponding and directed to a communication mode correlated to the selected entity. The welder further includes a processor operably connected to the network interface and the communication logic and configured to cause the network interface to transmit the help request in the network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1illustrates a simplified block diagram of a welding system100with help request communication capability. The system100includes a welder110. The welder110is equipped such that a user at the welder110may convey help requests via the welder110to a plurality of entities1201-n. An entity may be an individual, a group of individuals, a machine, a plurality of machines, an application program, a computer, a network of computers, combinations thereof, and so on.

A user of the welder110may access a display of a subset of entities via operation of a user interface in the welder110. In one embodiment, the user may choose an appropriate entity to receive the help request from the subset of entities displayed by the welder110. In another embodiment, the user may select a subject or context to which the help request relates and the system100identifies the appropriate entity or entities to receive the help request. For example, the user may request help with a quality issue by selecting “quality” as the context and the system may send a help request to a quality engineering department. The system100conveys the help request to the appropriate entity via a communication mode (e.g., electronic mail, voice, text message, and so on) that is the most suitable given the context or the entity.

FIG. 2illustrates a simplified block diagram of a welding system200with help request communication capability. The system200comprises a plurality of welders2101-m. In one embodiment, the welding system includes one or more networks of welders. In another embodiment (not shown), the welding system includes other machines or equipment that relate to welding and are connected in the network. At least some of the welders2101-mare equipped such that users may convey help requests via the welders2101-mto a plurality of entities2201-n.

FIG. 3illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary welding system300. The welding system300includes a welder310. The welder310includes a network interface320that connects the welder310to a network315. The network interface320may connect the welder310to Local Area Networks (LAN) through technologies including, but not limited to, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), copper distributed data interface (CDDI), Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), token ring (IEEE 802.5), wireless computer communication (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), combinations thereof, and so on. Similarly, the network interface320may connect the welder310to Wide Area Networks (WAN) through technologies including, but not limited to, point to point links, circuit switching networks like integrated services digital networks (ISDN), cable internet, WiMAX, High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), packet switching networks, and digital subscriber lines (DSL). While individual network types are described, it is to be appreciated that communications via, over, or through a network may include combinations and mixtures of communications.

The welder310further includes a user interface330. The user interface330indicates to a user of the welder310one or more entities to whom help requests may be sent. The user interface330also receives from the user a selection indicating a selected entity or entities from the plurality of entities. In one embodiment (not shown), a user interface logic controls at least some functionality of the user interface330. The user interface logic causes the user interface330to display at least one entity corresponding to one or more persons to whom help requests may be sent. The user interface logic also receives a selection signal including data indicating the user selection of an entity or entities via the user interface330on the welder310.

FIG. 3aillustrates an exemplary user interface330. The user interface330includes displays332a-c, knobs334a-c, and soft buttons336a-b. In the illustrated embodiment, a user may operate knob334c, for example, to select from a series of menus. The user may operate the soft button336ato select the help request menu (help) from the series of menus. In the help request menu, the user may operate the knob334cto scroll through entities to whom help requests may be sent. The user interface330indicates on display332cthat help requests may be sent to a maintenance entity (maint) and a quality entity (quality). The user may operate one of the soft buttons336a-bto select between displayed entities. The user interface may include various types of displays (LED, LED displays, LCD, and so on) and various input types (touch screens, dials, knobs, buttons, click wheels, roller balls, roller pads, mice, and so on).

Returning toFIG. 3, the welder310includes a data store340. The data store340stores welder data and entity data. Welder data includes welder identification and location information (e.g., serial number, model number, IP address, physical address, global positioning coordinates, physical location relative to a facility or other equipment, and so on). Entity data includes data correlating the entities to respective communication modes. Communication modes include, but are not limited to, electronic mail, SMS text message, push notifications, voice message, combinations thereof, and so on. The data correlating the entities to the respective communication modes include, but is not limited to, data indicating a device (e.g., PDA, telephone, smart phone, computer, pager, combinations thereof, and so on) in which the entity would receive the help request and data indicating the address at which the help request is to be sent or directed (e.g., telephone number, IP address, email address, MAC address, mobile equipment identifier (MEID), electronic serial number (ESN), username, combinations thereof, and so on).

In one embodiment, the entity data includes data correlating at least some of the entities to multiple communication modes or multiple addresses. For example, the entity data may include data correlating an entity to electronic mail as the primary communication mode and to voice message as the secondary communication mode. In another example, the entity data may include data correlating an entity to a first address as the primary address and to a second address and the secondary address.

In the illustrated embodiment, the entity data342includes a table correlating entities to modes of communication and addresses. For example, the entity data342correlates an entity named “Maintenance” to electronic email “Email” as the communication mode and “maint@lincolelectric.com” as the electronic email address. Similarly, the entity data342correlates other entities to communications modes and addresses.

In the illustrated embodiment, the welder data344includes a table correlating the welder to a serial number, an IP address, a physical location indicator. For example, the welder data344correlates the welder “PW S350” to serial number “S009876543,” to IP address “207.54.157.1,” and to a physical location indicator described as “1st Quadrant of Rim Production Floor, 22801 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44117.”

Returning toFIG. 3, the welder310further includes a communication logic350. The communication logic350receives a signal from the user interface330indicating the user selection of an entity. The communication logic350further receives from the data store340the welder data corresponding to the welder310and the entity data corresponding to the user selected entity. Based on the received information, the communication logic350generates help requests in at least one format corresponding to the communication mode or modes correlated in the entity data to the selected entity. The communication logic350generates the help requests directed to the address or addresses correlated to the selected entity in the entity data.

In one embodiment, the communication logic350generates the help request in at least two formats, a first format corresponding to a primary communication mode and a second format corresponding a secondary communication mode. In another embodiment, the communication logic350generates the help request directed to at least two addresses, a first address corresponding to a primary address and a second address corresponding a secondary address.

In one embodiment, an entity includes a plurality of persons or network devices and the communication logic350generates a plurality of instances of the help request, each instance corresponding to one person or network device from the plurality of persons or network devices. For example, if the maintenance group has three employees, A, B, and C, who perform maintenance on welders, the communication logic350generates three instances of the help request, a first instance addressed to employee A, a second instance addressed to employee B, and a third instance addressed to employee C.

The welder310further includes a processor360operably connected to the network interface320and the communication logic350. The processor360causes the network interface320to transmit the help request or multiple instances of the help request in the network315.

In the illustrated embodiment, the welder310transmits the help request via the network315to a remote interface370. The remote interface370includes servers configured to receive the help request and transmit it to the entity in the appropriate communication mode. The remote interface370includes an email server375that receives the help request and transmits a help request electronic mail to the entity in cases where electronic mail is the appropriate communication mode. The remote interface370includes a text messaging server380that receives the help request and transmits a help request text message to the entity in cases where text messaging is the appropriate communication mode. The remote interface370includes a voice messaging server385that receives the help request and transmits a help request voice message to the entity in cases where voice messaging is the appropriate communication mode. The remote interface370may include other messaging servers such as server390that receives the help request and transmits a help request message to the entity in the appropriate communication mode.

FIG. 4illustrate an exemplary help request electronic mail400. The electronic mail400includes a “To:” field indicating the entity receiving the help request electronic mail400. The electronic mail400further includes a “From:” field indicating identification of the welder or related equipment whose user is requesting help. In one embodiment, identification of the welder includes a given name such as the model number or some other name (e.g., PW S350). In another embodiment, identification of the welder includes the welder serial number (e.g., S009876543). In yet another embodiment, identification of the welder includes the welder's IP address (e.g., 207.54.157.1). In the illustrated embodiment, identification of the welder includes a combination of the given name, the serial number, and the IP address. In other embodiments (not shown), identification of the welder includes identification other than the given name, the serial number, and the IP address (e.g., an asset number, a tracking number, and so on).

The electronic mail400further includes a “Subject:” field indicating that the electronic mail400is a help request message. The electronic mail400further includes body text indicating the physical location of the welder or related equipment whose user is requesting help.

In one embodiment, physical location information appears in the “From:” or “Subject:” fields. Help request text messages, voice messages, or any other type of messages would have a similar format that includes at least information identifying the welder or related equipment whose user is requesting help.

FIG. 5illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an alternatively arranged welding system500. The welding system500includes the welder510and additional welders512and514, which all connect to the network515.

The welder510includes a network interface520that connects the welder510to the network515. The welder510further includes a user interface530that indicates to a user of the welder510one or more entities to whom help requests may be sent. The user interface530also receives from the user a selection indicating a selected entity. The welding system500includes a data store540, however unlike in exemplary welding system300discussed above, the data store540is located remote from the welder510. The welder510, as well as the other welders,512and514, in the network515may obtain data from data store540via the network515.

The welder510further includes a communication logic550that receives a signal from the user interface530indicating the user selection of an entity. The communication logic550receives data from the data store540. In one embodiment, the communication logic550receives the welder data corresponding to the welder510and the entity data corresponding to the user selected entity from the data store540. In another embodiment (not shown), the communication logic550receives the welder data from a data store other than the data store540which may be local or remote to welder510. In one embodiment, the communication logic550receives only the entity data from the data store540.

Based on the received information, the communication logic550generates help requests in at least one format corresponding to the communication mode or modes correlated in the entity data to the selected entity. The communication logic550generates the help requests directed to the address or addresses correlated to the selected entity in the entity data.

The welder510further includes a processor560operably connected to the network interface520and the communication logic550. The processor560causes the network interface520to transmit the help request or multiple instances of the help request in the network515.

In the illustrated embodiment, the welder510transmits the help request via the network515to a remote interface570. The remote interface570includes servers575,580,585, and590that receive the help request and transmit it to the entity in the appropriate communication mode.

FIG. 6illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an alternatively arranged welding system600. The welding system600includes the welder610and additional welders612and614, which all connect to the network615.

The welder610includes a network interface620that connects the welder610to the network615. The welder610further includes a user interface630that indicates to a user of the welder610one or more entities to whom help requests may be sent. The user interface630also receives from the user a selection indicating a selected entity. The welder610includes a data store640. The data store640stores at least one of welder data and entity data. The welder610further includes a communication logic650that receives a signal from the user interface630indicating the user selection of an entity. The communication logic650further receives from the data store640at least one of the welder data corresponding to the welder610and the entity data corresponding to the user selected entity.

Based on the received information, the communication logic650generates help requests in at least one format corresponding to the communication mode or modes correlated in the entity data to the selected entity. The communication logic650generates the help request directed to the address or addresses correlated to the selected entity in the entity data.

The welder610includes servers configured to receive the help request and transmit it to the entity in the appropriate communication mode. The welder610may include an email server675that receives the help request and generates a help request electronic mail that the network interface620transmits to the entity. The welder610may include a text messaging server680that receives the help request and generates a help request text message that the network interface620transmits to the entity. The welder610may include a voice messaging server685that receives the help request and generates a help request voice message that the network interface620transmits to the entity. The welder610may include other messaging servers such as server690that receives the help request and generates a help request message that the network interface620may transmit to the entity in the appropriate communication mode.

The welder610further includes a processor660operably connected to the network interface620and the communication logic650. The processor660causes the network interface620to transmit the help request message in the network615. In the illustrated embodiment, the network interface620transmits the help request messages in the appropriate communication mode via the network615to a remote interface670that may be local or remote to the entity receiving the help request.

Example methods may be better appreciated with reference to the flow diagram ofFIG. 7. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can occur in different orders or concurrently with other blocks from that shown or described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an example methodology. Furthermore, additional or alternative methodologies can employ additional, not illustrated blocks.

In the flow diagram, blocks denote “processing blocks” that may be implemented with logic. The processing blocks may represent a method step or an apparatus element for performing the method step. A flow diagram does not depict syntax for any particular programming language, methodology, or style (e.g., procedural, object-oriented). Rather, a flow diagram illustrates functional information one skilled in the art may employ to develop logic to perform the illustrated processing. It will be appreciated that in some examples, program elements like temporary variables, routine loops, and so on, are not shown. It will be further appreciated that electronic and software applications may involve dynamic and flexible processes so that the illustrated blocks can be performed in other sequences that are different from those shown or that blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. It will be appreciated that the processes may be implemented using hardware or software and using various programming approaches like machine language, procedural, object oriented or artificial intelligence techniques.

In one example, methodologies are implemented as processor executable instructions or operations provided on a computer-readable medium. Thus, in one example, a computer-readable medium may store processor executable instructions operable to perform a method. While the above method is described being provided on a computer-readable medium, it is to be appreciated that other example methods described herein can also be provided on a computer-readable medium.

WhileFIG. 7illustrates various actions occurring in serial, it is to be appreciated that various actions illustrated inFIG. 7could occur substantially in parallel. While a number of processes are described, it is to be appreciated that a greater or lesser number of processes could be employed and that lightweight processes, regular processes, threads, and other approaches could be employed. It is to be appreciated that other example methods may, in some cases, also include actions that occur substantially in parallel.

FIG. 7illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method700for a welder to receive and communicate help requests in a network. The method700includes at710presenting to a user a plurality of entities to whom help requests may be sent. An entity may be a single person or machine, or an entity may include a plurality of persons or network devices. The method700further includes at720receiving a user selection of an entity from the plurality of entities to whom to send a help request. The user makes the selection via a user interface in the welder. The method700further includes at730receiving welder data including welder identification and location information. The welder data maybe local or remote to the welder and includes at least the minimum information necessary to identify the physical location of the welder whose user is requesting help. The method700further includes at740receiving entity data including data correlating the entity to communication mode information including at least one communication format (e.g., electronic mail, text message, voice message, and so on) and at least one address (e.g., email address, IP address, telephone number, ESN, and so on). The method700further includes at750generating a help request message directed to the entity. The help request message is formatted and addressed based on the communication mode information.

In one embodiment, where the entity includes a plurality of persons or network devices, the method generates a plurality of instances of the help request message, each instance corresponding to one person or network device.

Definitions

“Data store,” as used herein, refers to a physical or logical entity that can store data. A data store may be, for example, a database, a table, a file, a list, a queue, a heap, a memory, a register, and so on. A data store may reside in one logical or physical entity or may be distributed between two or more logical or physical entities.

To the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” is used in the specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only “directly connected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such as connected through another component or components. An “operable connection,” or a connection by which entities are “operably connected,” is one by which the operably connected entities or the operable connection perform its intended purpose. For example, two entities may be operably connected to each other directly or through one or more intermediate entities.

An “operable connection,” or a connection by which entities are “operably connected,” is one in which signals, physical communications, or logical communications may be sent or received. Typically, an operable connection includes a physical interface, an electrical interface, or a data interface, but it is to be noted that an operable connection may include differing combinations of these or other types of connections sufficient to allow operable control. For example, two entities can be operably connected by being able to communicate signals to each other directly or through one or more intermediate entities like a processor, operating system, a logic, software, or other entity. Logical or physical communication channels can be used to create an operable connection.

“Query,” as used herein, refers to a semantic construction that facilitates gathering and processing information. A query might be formulated in a database query language like structured query language (SQL) or object query language (OQL). A query might be implemented in computer code (e.g., C#, C++, Javascript) that can be employed to gather information from various data stores or information sources.

“Signal,” as used herein, includes but is not limited to one or more electrical or optical signals, analog or digital signals, data, one or more computer or processor instructions, messages, a bit or bit stream, or other means that can be received, transmitted or detected.

“Software,” as used herein, includes but is not limited to, one or more computer or processor instructions that can be read, interpreted, compiled, or executed and that cause a computer, processor, or other electronic device to perform functions, actions or behave in a desired manner. The instructions may be embodied in various forms like routines, algorithms, modules, methods, threads, or programs including separate applications or code from dynamically or statically linked libraries. Software may also be implemented in a variety of executable or loadable forms including, but not limited to, a stand-alone program, a function call (local or remote), a servelet, an applet, instructions stored in a memory, part of an operating system or other types of executable instructions. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the form of software may depend, for example, on requirements of a desired application, the environment in which it runs, or the desires of a designer/programmer or the like. It will also be appreciated that computer-readable or executable instructions can be located in one logic or distributed between two or more communicating, co-operating, or parallel processing logics and thus can be loaded or executed in serial, parallel, massively parallel and other manners.

Suitable software for implementing the various components of the example systems and methods described herein may be produced using programming languages and tools like Java, Java Script, Java.NET, ASP.NET, VB.NET, Cocoa, Pascal, C#, C++, C, CGI, Perl, SQL, APIs, SDKs, assembly, firmware, microcode, or other languages and tools. Software, whether an entire system or a component of a system, may be embodied as an article of manufacture and maintained or provided as part of a computer-readable medium as defined previously. Another form of the software may include signals that transmit program code of the software to a recipient over a network or other communication medium. Thus, in one example, a computer-readable medium has a form of signals that represent the software/firmware as it is downloaded from a web server to a user. In another example, the computer-readable medium has a form of the software/firmware as it is maintained on the web server. Other forms may also be used.

“User,” as used herein, includes but is not limited to one or more persons, which is typically an operator of the machine in question.

Some portions of the detailed descriptions that follow are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a sequence of operations that produce a result. The operations may include physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, the physical quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a logic and the like.