Patent ID: 7102098

Claim:
A welding assistance method for a user to exploit information available at a remote computer welding database in a contemplated welding operation, comprising the steps of: the user supplying an information request to a remote computer database, the information request comprising (a) a first indication and/or selection by the user of a type of contemplated heat treatment process, (b) a second indication and/or selection by the user of at least one type of technical problem to be solved arising or likely to arise during implementation of the contemplated heat treatment process, and (c) a third indication and/or selection by the user of at least one parameter relating to a configuration of the contemplated heat treatment process; the database processing at least some of the first, second, and third indications or selections made by the user; after the processing step, the database supplying information relating to the contemplated heat treatment process as a proposal to the user of at least some information relating to at least one modification or at least one adjustment to be made to at least one configuration parameter of the contemplated heat treatment process so as to solve, at least partly, the type of technical problem supplied by the user in the second indication; the user receiving the information in the proposal; the user accepting the information in the proposal; communicating the user's acceptance of the information in the proposal to a computer as an authorization for the computer to act consistent with the accepted information in the proposal; and subsequent to the communicating step, the computer setting, modifying or adjusting at least one parameter of the welding operation of the contemplated heat treatment process based on the information proposal accepted by the user thereby solving, at least partially, the type of technical problem supplied by the user.