Welding monitoring system with unknown downtime disablement

Abstract

Systems and methods for a welding monitoring system with unknown downtime disablement are described. In some examples, a local monitoring station can perform activity tracking as part of a larger welding monitoring system. Welding equipment can send welding data to the local monitoring system, which can be used to determine current activity. A user can also manually enter an activity to use as the current activity. If the local monitoring station cannot determine the current activity from the welding data or user input, the local monitoring station determines that unknown downtime has occurred. If the local monitoring station cannot determine the cause of the unknown downtime, the welding equipment can be disabled until the user provides a reason for the unknown downtime.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 851,219, filed May 22, 2019, entitled “WELD MONITORING SYSTEMS WITH UNKNOWN DOWNTIME DISABLING,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to welding monitoring systems and, more particularly, to welding monitoring systems with unknown downtime disablement. Background Art

[0004] The welding monitoring system monitors data related to the welding operation. In order to monitor the welding operation, the welding monitoring system relies on the welding operator to provide input about the welding operation. The absence of operator input may lead to inefficient monitoring.

[0005] The limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to those skilled in the art by comparing such systems with the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of this application with reference to the accompanying figures. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure is directed to a welding monitoring system with unknown downtime disable substantially as shown in and / or described in connection with at least one of the accompanying drawings and as more fully set forth in the claims.

[0007] These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, as well as details of illustrated examples of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 A welding system in communication with a local monitoring station is shown according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 According to some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 1 A local monitoring station that communicates with several welding systems.

[0010] Figure 3 An exemplary distributed welding monitoring system according to some aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 4 According to some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 3An exemplary data repository for an exemplary distributed welding monitoring system having data organized according to jobs and job sessions.

[0012] Figure 5 is an exemplary custom domain settings screen according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 6a is a diagram illustrating some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 3 A flow chart of an exemplary user device monitoring procedure for an exemplary distributed welding monitoring system.

[0014] Figure 6b is an exemplary session inventory screen according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6c is a diagram illustrating some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 6a Flowchart of an exemplary start new session box of a user device monitoring program.

[0016] Figure 6d is an exemplary new conversation screen according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 7a is a diagram illustrating some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 3 Flowchart of an exemplary central monitoring procedure for an exemplary distributed welding monitoring system.

[0018] Figure 7b is a diagram illustrating some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 7a Flowchart of an exemplary start new session box of the central monitoring program.

[0019] Figure 8a is a diagram illustrating some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 3 Flowchart of an exemplary local monitoring procedure for a local monitoring station.

[0020] Figure 8b is a diagram illustrating some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 8a Flowchart of an exemplary activity tracking block of a local monitoring program.

[0021] The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Where appropriate, the same or similar reference numbers are used in the drawings to indicate similar or identical elements. For example, a reference number with a letter (e.g., Job 420a, Job 420b) represents an instance of the same reference number (e.g., Job 420) without the letter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Some examples of the present disclosure relate to a distributed welding monitoring system with job tracking. Conventional welding monitoring systems require an operator to provide monitoring input in order to function effectively. Typically, monitoring input is entered at a local monitoring station. However, local monitoring stations are designed to be stationary and can be difficult to transport. Furthermore, some work environments are relatively large. In such environments, the welding equipment may be located a significant distance from the local monitoring station, necessitating the need to move the local monitoring station or to travel long distances between the welding equipment and the local monitoring station.

[0023] The present disclosure contemplates a distributed welding monitoring system that allows welding operators to provide monitoring input via a lightweight, handheld user device, such as a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, laptop, personal digital assistant, etc.). The user device can, in turn, transmit the monitoring input to a central monitoring station. This distributed monitoring system eliminates the need for long distance travel or heavy lifting, allowing operators to instead use convenient, lightweight devices to enter monitoring input.

[0024] In some examples, the distributed welding monitoring system organizes monitoring data around specific jobs and / or work sessions. For example, a job might be the construction of a vehicle chassis for a large excavator. In such an example, each job session might correspond to a period of time during which an operator worked on the vehicle chassis. As another example, a job might be the construction of an entire excavator, and each job session might correspond to a period of time during which an operator worked on any aspect of the excavator. In some examples, each job is associated with multiple job sessions. In some examples, each job session is associated with a single job, a single piece of welding equipment, and / or a single operator. By organizing monitoring data by job and job session during collection, the monitoring data can be reviewed and / or analyzed based on each job and / or job session after the job is completed. For example, the distributed welding monitoring system may be able to determine the amount of time, materials, and / or other resources expended to complete a job (and / or one or more specific job sessions), which can be used for billing, accounting, quality assurance, performance reviews, future planning, and the like.

[0025] In some examples, job and job session data collection can also allow for monitoring data analysis while the job is still in progress. For example, the distributed welding monitoring system can estimate the completion percentage of the job while the job is in progress. For example, the job can be estimated to require a certain number of one or more job parameters (e.g., man-hours, arc or welding time, number of welds, amount of cladding material, etc.). In such an example, the distributed welding monitoring system can be able to estimate the completion percentage based on a comparison of the estimated job requirement(s) and the recorded job data.

[0026] Because distributed welding monitoring systems perform best when an operator regularly provides monitoring input, in some examples, the distributed welding monitoring system can take steps to encourage operator input. In some examples, this encouragement can take the form of disabling one or more welding devices being used by the operator until operator input is forthcoming.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary welding system 100 and a local monitoring station 200 are shown. As shown, the welding system 100 includes a welding torch 118 and a workpiece fixture 117 connected to a welding power supply 108. As shown, the local monitoring station 200 is electrically coupled to (and / or in electrical communication with) the welding power supply 108. In some examples, the local monitoring station 200 can also communicate with the welding torch 118 (e.g., via the welding power supply 108).

[0028] exist Figure 1 In the example of , an operator 116 is manipulating a welding torch 118 near a welding station 112. In some examples, the welding station 112 can be and / or include a clamping system configured to hold one or more workpieces 110. In some examples, the clamping system can include one or more workpiece clamps 117 (e.g., manual clamps and / or pneumatic clamps). In some examples, the workpiece(s) 110 can be independent of the welding station 112, such as free-standing components, such as structural steel components, pipelines, or bridges. Although Figure 1 A human operator 116 is shown in FIG. 1 , but in some examples, the operator 116 may be a robot and / or an automated welding machine.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG, the welding torch 118 is connected to the welding-type power supply 108 via the welding cable 126. The clamp 117 is also connected to the welding-type power supply 108 via the clamp cable 115. The welding-type power supply 108, in turn, communicates with the local monitoring station 200, such as via the conduit 130. In some examples, the welding-type power supply 108 may alternatively or additionally include wireless communication capabilities (e.g., wireless communication circuitry) through which wireless communication can be established with the local monitoring station 200.

[0030] exist Figure 1In some examples, the welding torch 118 is a welding gun configured for gas metal arc welding (GMAW). In some examples, the welding torch 118 may include an electrode holder (i.e., a stinger) configured for shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). In some examples, the welding torch 118 may include a welding torch and / or a welding rod configured for gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). In some examples, the welding torch 118 may include a welding gun configured for flux cored arc welding (FCAW). In some examples, the welding torch 118 may additionally or alternatively include a welding rod. Figure 1 In the example of FIG, the welding torch 118 includes a trigger 119. In some examples, the trigger 119 can be activated by the operator 116 to trigger a welding-type operation (e.g., an arc).

[0031] exist Figure 1 In some examples, the welding power supply 108 includes (and / or is connected to) a wire feeder 140. In some examples, the wire feeder 140 houses a wire spool that is used to provide a wire electrode (e.g., solid wire, cored wire, coated wire) to the welding torch 118. In some examples, the wire feeder 140 further includes motorized rollers configured to feed the wire electrode (e.g., from a spool) to the welding torch 118 and / or retract the wire electrode from the welding torch 118 (e.g., to a spool).

[0032] exist Figure 1 In some examples, the welding power supply 108 further includes (and / or is connected to) a gas source 142. In some examples, the gas source 142 supplies a shielding gas and / or a shielding gas mixture to the welding torch 118 (e.g., via the cable 126). As used herein, a shielding gas can refer to any gas (e.g., CO2, argon) or gas mixture that can be supplied to the arc and / or weld pool to provide a specific local atmosphere (e.g., to protect the arc, improve arc stability, limit the formation of metal oxides, increase the wetness of the metal surface, change the chemical properties of the weld deposit, etc.).

[0033] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example of FIG, the welding-type power supply 108 also includes an operator interface 144. Figure 1In some examples, the operator interface 144 includes one or more adjustable inputs (e.g., knobs, buttons, switches, keys, etc.) and / or outputs (e.g., display screens, lights, speakers, etc.) on the welding power supply 108. In some examples, the operator interface 144 may include a remote control and / or a pendant. In some examples, the operator 116 may use the operator interface 144 to input and / or select one or more welding parameters (e.g., voltage, current, gas type, wire feed speed, workpiece material type, filler type, etc.) and / or welding operations of the welding power supply 108. In some examples, the operator interface 144 may further include one or more containers configured to connect to (and / or receive) one or more external memory devices (e.g., floppy disks, optical disks, digital video disks, flash drives, etc.).

[0034] exist Figure 1 In an example, the welding-type power supply 108 includes a power conversion circuit system 132 that is configured to receive input power (e.g., from a utility, a generator, etc.) and convert the input power into welding-type output power. In some examples, the power conversion circuit system 132 may include circuit elements (e.g., transformers, rectifiers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, switches, etc.) capable of converting the input power into output power. In some examples, the power conversion circuit system 132 may also include one or more controllable circuit elements. In some examples, the controllable circuit elements may include circuit systems configured to change states (e.g., ignition, on / off, closed / open, etc.) based on one or more control signals. In some examples, the state(s) of the controllable circuit elements may affect the operation of the power conversion circuit system 132 and / or affect the characteristics of the output power provided by the power conversion circuit system 132 (e.g., current / voltage amplitude, frequency, waveform, etc.). In some examples, the controllable circuit elements may include, for example, switches, relays, transistors, etc. In examples where the controllable circuit element includes a transistor, the transistor may include any suitable transistor, such as a MOSFET, a JFET, an IGBT, a BJT, or the like.

[0035] As shown, the welding-type power supply 108 further includes a control circuit system 134 electrically connected to the power conversion circuit system 132 and configured to control the power conversion circuit system. In some examples, the control circuit system 134 may include processing circuit system (and / or one or more processors) and analog and / or digital memory. In some examples, the control circuit system 134 is configured to control the power conversion circuit system 132 to ensure that the power conversion circuit system 132 generates appropriate welding-type output power to perform the desired welding-type operation.

[0036] In some examples, the control circuit system 134 is also electrically connected to the wire feeder 140 and / or the gas source 142 and / or is configured to control the wire feeder and / or the gas source. In some examples, the control circuit 134 can control the wire feeder 140 to output the welding wire at a target speed and / or direction. For example, the control circuit system 134 can control the motor of the wire feeder 140 to feed the welding wire electrode into the welding torch 118 (and / or retract the welding wire electrode 250 from the welding torch) at a target speed. In some examples, the welding power supply 108 can control the gas source 142 to output a target type and / or amount of gas. For example, the control circuit system 134 can control a valve connected to the gas source 142 to regulate the gas delivered to the welding torch 118.

[0037] exist Figure 1 In some examples, the welding system 100 further includes several sensors 150. In some examples, the sensors 150 can be configured to sense, detect, and / or measure various welding data of the welding system 100. For example, the sensors 150 can sense, detect, and / or measure the voltage and / or current of the power received by the welding power supply 108, the power conversion circuitry 132, and / or the welding torch, and / or the voltage and / or current of the power output by the welding power supply 108 and / or the power conversion circuitry 132. As another example, the sensors 150 can sense, detect, and / or measure the speed (e.g., rate and / or wire feed direction) of the wire feeder 140 and / or the type of welding wire fed by the wire feeder 140. As another example, the sensors 150 can sense, detect, and / or measure the type of gas and / or gas flow rate from the gas source 142 (e.g., via a valve) to the welding torch 118. As another example, the sensor 150 can sense, detect, and / or measure a trigger signal (e.g., pulled, released, etc.) of the welding torch 118 and / or a clamping signal (e.g., clamped, unclamped, etc.) of the clamp 117. In some examples, the control circuit system 134 can communicate with the sensor 150 and / or be otherwise configured to receive information from the sensor 150.

[0038] In some examples, a welding operation (and / or welding process) can begin when an operator 116 activates a trigger 119 of a welding torch 118 (and / or otherwise activates the welding torch 118). During the welding operation, welding power provided by the welding power supply 108 can be applied to an electrode (e.g., a wire electrode) of the welding torch 118 to generate a welding arc between the electrode and one or more workpieces 110. The heat of the arc can melt a filler material (e.g., a welding wire) and / or a portion of the workpiece 110, thereby generating a molten weld pool. Movement of the welding torch 118 (e.g., by an operator) can cause the weld pool to move, thereby generating one or more welds 111.

[0039] When the welding operation is complete, the operator 116 can release the trigger 119 (and / or otherwise deactivate the welding torch 118). In some examples, the control circuit system 134 can detect that the welding operation has been completed. For example, the control circuit system 134 can detect a trigger release signal via the sensor 150. As another example, the control circuit system 134 can receive a torch deactivation command via the operator interface 144 (e.g., when the welding torch 118 is operated by a robot and / or automated welding machine).

[0040] In some examples, the control circuitry 134 can detect certain welding data related to the welding-type power supply 108, the fixture 117, the table 112, and / or the welding torch 118 during the welding process (e.g., via the sensor 150). In some examples, the control circuitry 134 is configured to transmit this welding data (e.g., via a data transfer object (DTO)) to the local monitoring station 200. In some examples, the control circuitry 134 can be configured to transmit the welding data to the local monitoring station 200 in real time during the welding operation, periodically, and / or after the welding operation.

[0041] Figure 2 An exemplary local monitoring station 200 is shown electrically (and / or communicatively) connected to several exemplary welding-type power supplies 108 and / or welding torches 118. As shown, the local monitoring station 200 is also electrically (and / or communicatively) connected to a user interface (UI) 202 and a local data repository 204. In some examples, the local data repository 204 includes a database. In some examples, the local data repository 204 is configured to store and / or organize welding data, monitoring input entered by an operator 116 (or other individual), and / or other relevant information.

[0042] In some examples, the user interface 202 may include a touch screen interface and / or one or more input devices (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, buttons, knobs, microphone, etc.) and / or output devices (e.g., a display screen, speakers, etc.). In some examples, the user interface 202 may further include one or more containers configured to connect to (and / or receive) one or more external memory devices (e.g., floppy disks, compact disks, digital video disks, flash drives, etc.). In operation, the operator 116 or other user may provide input to and / or receive output from the local monitoring station 200 via the user interface 202. Although in Figure 2 Although shown as separate components in the example of , in some examples, UI 202 and / or local data repository 204 can be part of local monitoring station 200.

[0043] Figure 2Additionally shown are exemplary components of a local monitoring station 200. As shown, local monitoring station 200 includes communication circuitry 206, processing circuitry 208, and memory 210 interconnected via a common electrical bus. In some examples, processing circuitry 208 may include one or more processors. In some examples, communication circuitry 206 may include one or more wireless adapters, wireless cards, cable adapters, line adapters, dongles, radio frequency (RF) devices, wireless communication devices, Bluetooth devices, devices compliant with IEEE 802.11, WiFi devices, cellular devices, GPS devices, Ethernet ports, network ports, lightning cable ports, cable ports, and the like. In some examples, communication circuitry 206 may be configured to facilitate communication via one or more wired media and / or protocols (e.g., Ethernet cable(s), Universal Serial Bus cable(s), etc.) and / or wireless media and / or protocols (e.g., near field communication (NFC), ultra-high frequency radio waves (commonly known as Bluetooth), IEEE 802.11x, Zigbee, HART, LTE, Z-Wave, Wireless HD, WiGig, etc.). In some examples, the local monitoring station 200 can be implemented by a desktop computer or a local server computer. In some examples, the memory 210 can store the local data repository 204. Figure 2 In the example of , the memory stores a local monitoring program 800 discussed further below.

[0044] Figure 3 An example of a distributed welding monitoring system 300 is shown. As shown, the distributed welding monitoring system 300 includes a central monitoring station 302 electrically (and / or communicatively) connected to several local monitoring stations 200, each of which is electrically (and / or communicatively) connected to several welding devices 399. In some examples, each welding device 399 includes a welding-type power supply 108, an output of the welding-type power supply 108 (e.g., for a multi-output welding-type power supply 108), a welding torch 118, a gas source 142, a wire feeder 140, a clamp 117, and / or one or more other welding-type devices (e.g., a polishing device, a grinding device, an induction heating device, etc.). Figure 3 In the example shown, the central monitoring station 302 is further electrically (and / or communicatively) connected to the central data repository 400.

[0045] exist Figure 3 In the example of , the central monitoring station 302 is additionally communicatively connected to the user device 350. Figure 3Only one user device 350 is depicted in the example of FIG, however, for simplicity, in some examples, multiple user devices may communicate with central monitoring station 302. In some examples, user device 350 may be implemented by a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, etc.).

[0046] exist Figure 3 In an example of FIG, user device 350 includes communication circuitry 356, processing circuitry 358, memory 360, and a human-machine interface (HMI) 352 interconnected via a common electrical bus. In some examples, processing circuitry 358 may include one or more processors. In some examples, communication circuitry 356 may include one or more wireless adapters, wireless cards, cable adapters, line adapters, dongles, radio frequency (RF) devices, wireless communication devices, Bluetooth devices, devices compliant with IEEE 802.11, WiFi devices, cellular devices, GPS devices, Ethernet ports, network ports, lightning cable ports, cable ports, etc. In some examples, communication circuitry 356 may be configured to facilitate communication via one or more wired media and / or protocols (e.g., Ethernet cable(s), Universal Serial Bus cable(s), etc.) and / or wireless media and / or protocols (e.g., near field communication (NFC), ultra-high frequency radio waves (commonly known as Bluetooth), IEEE 802.11x, Zigbee, HART, LTE, Z-Wave, Wireless HD, WiGig, etc.).

[0047] In some examples, the HMI 352 may include a touch screen interface and / or one or more input devices (e.g., a keyboard, buttons, knobs, microphones, etc.) and / or output devices (e.g., a display screen, speakers, etc.). In some examples, the HMI 352 may further include one or more containers configured to connect to (and / or receive external memory devices) one or more external memory devices (e.g., floppy disks, compact disks, digital video disks, flash drives, etc.). In operation, the operator 116 or other user may provide input (e.g., monitor input) to the user device 350 and / or receive output from the user device via the HMI 352. Figure 3 In the example of , the memory stores a user device monitoring program 600 discussed further below.

[0048] Figure 3Additionally shown are exemplary components of a central monitoring station 302. As shown, central monitoring station 302 includes communication circuitry 306, processing circuitry 308, and memory 310 interconnected via a common electrical bus. In some examples, processing circuitry 308 may include one or more processors. In some examples, communication circuitry 306 may include one or more wireless adapters, wireless cards, cable adapters, line adapters, dongles, radio frequency (RF) devices, wireless communication devices, Bluetooth devices, devices compliant with IEEE 802.11, WiFi devices, cellular devices, GPS devices, Ethernet ports, network ports, lightning cable ports, cable ports, and the like. In some examples, communication circuitry 306 may be configured to facilitate communication via one or more wired media and / or protocols (e.g., Ethernet cable(s), Universal Serial Bus cable(s), etc.) and / or wireless media and / or protocols (e.g., near field communication (NFC), ultra-high frequency radio waves (commonly known as Bluetooth), IEEE 802.11x, Zigbee, HART, LTE, Z-Wave, Wireless HD, WiGig, etc.). In some examples, the central monitoring station 302 can be implemented by a desktop computer or a central server computer. In some examples, the memory 310 can store the central data repository 400. Figure 3 In the example of , memory 310 stores a central monitoring program 700 discussed further below.

[0049] Figure 4 A more detailed example of a central data repository 400 is shown. In some examples, the central data repository 400 and the local data repository 204 can be similar (or identically structured). In some examples, the central data repository 400 and / or the local data repository 204 can be implemented via one or more databases, database tables, and / or other data structures.

[0050] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 4 , the central data repository 400 stores welding equipment information 402, user information 404, activity information 406, and custom domain information 408. In some examples, the central data repository 400 may also include additional information, such as local monitoring station information, central monitoring station information, and / or other related information. In some examples, the welding equipment information 402, user information 404, activity information 406, custom domain information 408, and / or other information may be modified by user input (e.g., by a user with specific administrative privileges via the user device 350 and / or the local monitoring station 200), program input, and / or other appropriate means.

[0051] In some examples, the welding equipment information 402 may include one or more welding equipment identifications. In some examples, each welding equipment identification may be uniquely associated with a specific welding equipment 399 and information about the welding equipment 399, such as the equipment type (e.g., MIG welding gun, TIG welding torch, wire feeder, AC welding power supply, DC welding power supply, gas source, etc.), the equipment location, approved users of the equipment, approved jobs for the equipment, the associated local monitoring station 200, the manufacturer, model, serial number, maintenance history, software version, etc. In some examples, the user information 404 may include one or more user identifications. In some examples, each user identification 452 may be associated with a specific user (e.g., operator 116) and information about the user, such as name, age, experience, certification, certification level, equipment approved for the user, jobs approved for the user, login credentials, work plan(s), training history, operation history, assigned tasks, assigned workflow items, assigned work orders, etc.

[0052] In some examples, the activity information 406 may include information about various known and / or recorded activities that occurred during the work session 450. Such activities may include, for example, activities related to the welding equipment (e.g., normal operation, maintenance operation, startup operation, shutdown operation, etc.), maintenance activities, quality assurance activities, replenishment activities, replacement activities, rest activities, error-related activities, training activities, meeting activities, and / or other activities. In some examples, some or all activities may be associated with one or more timestamps indicating the date and / or time that the activity occurred and / or the date and / or time that the activity was expected to occur. In some examples, some or all activities may be associated with one or more custom fields. In some examples, each activity may be uniquely associated with an activity identifier.

[0053] In some examples, the custom field information 408 may include information about various custom fields used by the distributed welding monitoring system 300. In some examples, the custom field information 408 may include one or more custom field identifiers. In some examples, each custom field identifier may be uniquely associated with a particular custom field. In some examples, the custom field information 408 may include additional information about each custom field, such as its name, type (e.g., Boolean, text, drop-down list, number, date, checkbox, radio button, etc.), input options (e.g., drop-down options, checkbox, radio button, etc.), prompt(s) (e.g., input: wire feed speed, wire type, wire size, gas type, work order identifier, operator certification level, workpiece material, joint number, operation suggestion, operation problem, corrective action, administrative instructions, etc.), instructions, contracts (e.g., required / optional for each person or specific user / job / equipment, etc.), associated jobs 420, associated activities, associated users, associated welding equipment 399, and / or other related information.

[0054] In some examples, custom fields can be associated with different jobs 420, welding devices 399, users, activities, etc., to collect different information from the user depending on the job 420, welding device 399, user, activity, etc. For example, a user (and / or administrator) can create a numeric custom field and associated prompt to query for the wire size and associate this custom field with all wire feeder welding devices 399. In such an example, whenever a user begins a job session 450 and specifies a wire feeder as the welding device 399, the wire size custom field and prompt will be presented. As another example, a user (and / or administrator) can create a Boolean custom field and associated prompt to query whether a certain certification level has been achieved and associate this custom field with certain jobs 420 (e.g., more complex jobs). In such an example, whenever a user begins a job session 450 for that particular job 420, the certification level custom field and prompt will be presented. In some examples, entries populated into custom fields (ie, custom field entries 456 ) may be stored in central data repository 400 (and / or local data repository) and / or associated with a particular job session 450 .

[0055] Figure 5 An exemplary custom field setup screen 500 is shown. In some examples, the custom field setup screen 500 can be presented to a user (e.g., a user with administrative privileges) during setup of the distributed welding monitoring system 300. As shown, the custom field setup screen 500 allows for entry of a name, description, help information, and field type. As shown, the custom field setup screen 500 also allows for marking the custom field as required or optional via button 502.

[0056] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG, the central data repository 400 also stores data related to several jobs 420. As shown, each job 420 includes several job sessions 450. Figure 4 Further illustrated is exemplary monitoring data associated with each job 420 and job session 450. As shown, each job 420 is associated with a job identification 422, one or more session identifications 424, an open / close timestamp 426, approved users 428, and approved welding equipment 430.

[0057] As shown, each job session 450 is associated with an open / close timestamp 426, a user identifier 452, a job identifier 422, a session identifier 424, custom fields 454, custom field entries 456, device data 458, and activity data 460. In some examples, the custom fields 454 may be stored as part of the entire job 420 rather than as a separate job session 450 or in addition to a separate job session. In some examples, each job 420 and / or job session 450 may be more than Figure 4 For example, each job 420 can be associated with a textual description of the job 420, a due date, specifications, schematics, estimated man-hours and / or arc time to complete, a budget, and / or other information and / or materials related to the job 420.

[0058] In some examples, each job 420 is associated with a job identifier 422 that is not associated with any other job 420. In some examples, each job session 450 is associated with a job session identifier 424 that is not associated with any other job session 450. In some examples, each user is associated with a user identifier 452 that is not associated with any other user. In some examples, each welding device 399 is associated with a welding device identifier that is not associated with any other welding device 399. In some examples, each job identifier 422, user identifier 452, and / or device identifier can be automatically generated by the central data repository 400, the local data repository 204, the central monitoring station 302, or the local monitoring station 200.

[0059] In some examples, one or more (or no) job sessions 450 can be associated with a job 420 via a session identifier 424 of the job 420. In some examples, one or more (or no) users can be associated with a job 420 via an approved user 428 of the job 420. In some examples, one or more (or no) welding devices 399 can be associated with a job 420 via an approved welding device 430 of the job 420. In this manner, monitoring data of the distributed welding monitoring system 300 can be organized according to the job 420 and the job sessions 450.

[0060] In some examples, the open / close timestamp 426 for each job 420 and / or job session 450 may include a timestamp representing the date and / or time the job 420 and / or job session 450 was opened and / or closed. In some examples, each open job 420 and / or job session 450 may have an open timestamp. However, in some examples, if the job 420 and / or job session 450 has already been closed, the job 420 and / or job session 450 may only have a closed timestamp. Thus, in some examples, a job 420 and / or job session 450 that is still open may not have a closed timestamp in order to identify the job 420 and / or job session 450 as open. In some examples, each job 420 and / or job session 450 may additionally or alternatively be associated with an explicit flag indicating whether the job 420 and / or job session 450 is open or closed.

[0061] In some examples, the approved users 428 for each job 420 include data identifying (e.g., via user identification 452) one or more operators 116 approved to work on the job 420. In some examples, this information can be used by the distributed welding monitoring system 300 to determine what jobs 420 to present as options to a user when starting a job session 450, compiling a report, performing an analysis, etc. In some examples, the approved welding equipment 430 for each job 420 includes data identifying (e.g., via welding equipment identification) one or more welding equipment 399 approved to work on the job 420. In some examples, this data can be used by the distributed welding monitoring system 300 to determine what welding equipment 399 to present as options to a user when starting a job session 450, compiling a report, performing an analysis, etc.

[0062] exist Figure 4In the example of FIG4 , each job session 450 is associated with a single user (e.g., via user identification 452) and a single job 420 (e.g., via job identification 422). In some examples, each job session 450 is associated with only a single user, and no job session 450 may be associated with more than one user. In some examples, each job session 450 is also associated with only a single job 420, and no job session 450 may be associated with more than one job 420.

[0063] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, each job session 450 is also associated with one or more (or no) custom fields 454. In some examples, each custom field 454 associated with a job session 450 (and / or job 420) is also associated with one of the custom fields of custom field information 408. Figure 4 Custom field entries 456 shown in FIG. 4 as part of job session 450 include entries entered by a user (eg, via HMI 352 of user device 350 ) in one or more custom fields 454 .

[0064] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 4 , each job session 450 is associated with welding device data 458. In some examples, each job session 450 can be associated with a single welding device 399 (or no welding device 399), and no job session 450 can be associated with more than one welding device 399. In some examples, the welding device data 458 can include data identifying a single welding device 399 associated with the job session 450, if such a welding device 399 exists. For example, the welding device data 458 can include a welding device identification that corresponds to the welding device identification of the welding device information 402. In some examples, the welding device data 458 can also include welding data received from the welding device 399. For example, welding data can be continuously collected from the welding device 399 by the local monitoring station 200 and stored in the welding device data 458 of the local data repository 204, which can then be synchronized with the welding device data 458 of the central data repository. In some examples, the welding device data 458 can also include one or more timestamps associated with the welding data.

[0065] exist Figure 4In the example shown, each work session 450 is also associated with activity data 460. In some examples, the activity data 460 may include data related to one or more activities that occurred during the work session 450. In some examples, each activity may be related to the welding equipment 399 being used by the operator 116, or to an activity unrelated to the welding equipment 399. In some examples, the activity data 460 may include one or more timestamps associated with each activity (e.g., marking the time period during which the activity was occurring). In some examples, the one or more activities for each work session 450 may be automatically determined by the distributed welding monitoring system 300 (e.g., using known activities stored in the activity information 406), selected by a user from several options (e.g., pulled from the activity information 406), and / or manually entered by a user.

[0066] Figure 6a is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary user device monitoring program 600 of the distributed welding monitoring system 300. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 can be implemented as machine-readable instructions stored in the memory 360 of the user device 350 and / or executed by the processing circuitry 358 of the user device 350. In some examples, for example, the user device monitoring program 600 can be a web-based application that is sent to the user device 350 and / or executed through a web browser. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 can communicate with the central monitoring station 302 and / or the local monitoring station 200 during operation of the user device monitoring program 600 (e.g., via the communication circuitry 356 of the user device 350).

[0067] exist Figure 6a In the example of FIG, user device monitoring procedure 600 begins at block 602, where a user logs in using user credentials. In some examples, user device 350 can send the credentials to central monitoring station 302 at block 602 and wait for a positive response before proceeding to block 604 of user device monitoring procedure 600. In some examples, central monitoring station 302 can access user information 404 of central data repository 400 to verify the user credentials.

[0068] exist Figure 6a In the example of FIG, the user device monitoring program 600 allows several options at blocks 604-608 following block 602. At blocks 604-608, the user is given the option to start a new job session 450 (block 604), present the user with a list of existing job sessions 450 (block 606), or analyze monitoring data stored in the central data repository 400. In some examples, the user may be presented with a list of available job sessions 450. Figure 6aMore or fewer options may be shown. For example, if the user credentials are associated with certain administrative privileges, additional administrative options may be presented to the user. These additional administrative options may include, for example, options to create and / or edit information (and / or contacts) associated with the job 420, welding equipment information 402, custom domain information 408, activity information 406, local monitoring stations 200, central monitoring stations 302, user information 404, user devices 350, and / or other aspects of the distributed welding monitoring system 300 (e.g., see Figure 5 As another example, the user may be given only the option of being presented with a list of existing job sessions 450 (block 606), or having jobs 420 and / or job sessions 450 analyzed if their user credentials are associated with sufficient administrative privileges.

[0069] exist Figure 6a In the example of FIG, if the user selects to start a new job session 450 at block 604, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 610. Block 610 is further explained below. Figure 6a In the example shown in FIG. 4 , if the user selects to list existing job sessions 450 at block 606, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 612. At block 612, the user device sends a query request to the central monitoring station 302, receives a response including result data of the query request from the central monitoring station 300, and outputs the result data to the user via the HMI 352 of the user device 350.

[0070] In some examples, the query request sent to the central monitoring station 300 at block 612 may request data related to one or more job sessions 450 that meet certain search criteria. In some examples, the search criteria may be input by a user via the HMI 352 of the user device 350. In some examples, the search criteria may include one or more jobs 420, welding equipment 399, open / close timestamps 426, activity, status (e.g., open or closed), and / or other monitoring data. In some examples, the user's credentials may be automatically included as part of the search criteria. In some examples, the user (and / or user identification 452) may be a selectable search criterion (e.g., where the logged-in user has credentials associated with certain administrative privileges).

[0071] Figure 6bAn example of a session list screen 620 is shown, which can be displayed to the user at box 612 of the user device monitor 600 via the HMI 352 of the user device 350. As shown, the session list tab 624 is selected and highlighted, making it larger than the new session tab 622 and the analysis tab 626. The user filter 626 has been set to "My Sessions" to automatically use the current login credentials for the search criteria. In some examples, if "All Sessions" is selected instead, the session list screen 620 can allow for the entry of some identifying information for different operators (e.g., name, user ID 452, etc.). As shown, the session list screen 620 further displays the job 420, welding equipment 399, open / close timestamp 426, and active search criteria fields 628. In some examples, more or fewer search criteria fields 628 may be presented.

[0072] exist Figure 6b In the example of , the refresh button 630 can be selected to submit the query request. As shown, the query request has been submitted, and the data returned by the central monitoring station 300 is displayed in the result table 632. Figure 6b In the example shown, result table 632 is organized into rows, with information for the same job session 450 displayed in the same row. As shown, each row of result table 632 also includes a selectable edit button 634. In some examples, selecting edit button 634 may allow a user to make changes to some or all of the information associated with the job session 450 corresponding to that row of result table 632. In some examples, edit button 634 may only be displayed or selected if the user's credentials are associated with certain administrative privileges.

[0073] exist Figure 6a In the example of FIG6 , if the user selects to perform analysis at block 608, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 614. At block 614, the user device monitoring program 600 provides an analysis of the data stored in the central data repository 400. For example, the user device 350 can send a query request to the central monitoring station 302 along with an analysis request for a specific analysis to be performed (similar to block 612). In some examples, the query request can use one or more search criteria described above in conjunction with block 612.

[0074] In some examples, the analysis request may be a time-based analysis, such that the user device monitoring program 600 may present the query result data returned from the central monitoring station 302 in a time-synchronized graph, chart, diagram, or other suitable format showing data over a period of time. In some examples, the analysis request may be used to compare data (e.g., monitoring data for one job 420a versus monitoring data for another job 420b). In some examples, the analysis request may be used to estimate completion (e.g., percentage completed, percentage not completed) and / or estimated completion time (e.g., arc time, work time, session time, etc.) for one or more jobs 420. In some examples, such estimates may be based on recorded job 420 information (e.g., input during setup and / or after setup) and / or monitoring information recorded by the distributed welding monitoring system 300 (e.g., arc time, session time, equipment normal activity time, etc.). In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 may receive the analysis data from the central monitoring station 300 and present the analysis data to the user via the HMI 352 of the user device 350.

[0075] exist Figure 6a In the example of FIG6 , after any of blocks 610-614, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 616. At block 616, the user device monitoring program 600 checks whether the user device monitoring program 600 should end. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 can end at block 616 in response to an explicit request by the user to end the user device monitoring program 600 (e.g., by closing the user device monitoring program 600 and / or an associated web browser), a logout request by the user, an end command received from the central monitoring station 302, and / or other appropriate actions and / or inputs. If the user device monitoring program 600 determines that the user device monitoring program 600 should end, an indication that the user device monitoring program 600 is about to end can be sent to the central monitoring station 302 before the user device monitoring program 600 ends, along with any other necessary data. If the user device monitoring program 600 determines that the user device monitoring program 600 should not end, the user device monitoring program 600 returns to block 604.

[0076] Figure 6c It's a picture Figure 6a6 is a flow diagram of an exemplary implementation of a start new job session box 610 of an exemplary user device monitoring program 600. As shown, the start new job session box 610 begins at box 640. At box 640, the user device monitoring program 600 prompts the user to enter job session data 642, for example, via one or more input fields presented to the user via the HMI 352 of the user device 350. In some examples, the job session data can include an identification of the job 420, a custom field 454, a custom field entry 456, welding equipment data 458, activity data 460, and / or other job session data 642. In some examples, some job session data may not need to be entered (e.g., if the welding equipment 399 is not used, the welding equipment data 458 is not needed).

[0077] In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 may require identification of the job before allowing entry of custom field entries, welding equipment data 458, and / or activity data 460. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 may provide the user with entry options and / or input prompts for the custom fields 454, welding equipment data 458, activity data 460, and / or other job session data 642, for example, via drop-down boxes, check boxes, and / or dialog buttons. In some examples, for example, in response to a user activating an entry field (e.g., clicking a drop-down box) or entry of some other job session data, the user device monitoring program 600 may send a request to the central monitoring station 302 for the entry options and / or input prompts. In some examples, in response to the user input and / or selection of one or more input options, the user device monitoring program 600 may provide some or all of the user-entered job session data 642 to the central monitoring station 302. In some examples, the input options and / or input prompts provided by the central monitoring station 302 may depend on the user (e.g., the user's credentials and / or associated privileges) and / or on the job session data 640 entered.

[0078] exist Figure 6c In the example of FIG, after block 640, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 644. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 may be started in response to a user action (e.g., activation of the start session button 698 (e.g., see FIG). Figure 6d )) and a transition occurs from block 640 to block 644. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 may require some or all of the job session data 642 to be completed before allowing activation of the start session button 698 and execution of block 644. At block 644, the user device monitoring program 600 attempts to start a new job session 450 using the input job session data in block 640. For example, the user device monitoring program 600 may send some or all of the job session data 642 to the central monitoring station 300 along with a request to start a new job session 450.

[0079] exist Figure 6c In the example of FIG, after block 644, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 646. At block 646, the user device monitoring program 600 receives a signal from the central monitoring station 302 indicating whether the request to start a new job session 450 succeeded or failed. If failed, the user device monitoring program 600 returns to block 640. If the request to start a new job session 450 succeeded, the user device monitoring program 600 starts the job session 450 and proceeds to block 648.

[0080] exist Figure 6c In the example of FIG. 4 , at block 648, the user device monitoring program 600 retrieves (e.g., requests and / or receives) a job session report from the central monitoring station 302. In some examples, at block 648, the user device monitoring program 600 may additionally provide information from the job session report to the user (e.g., via the HMI 352 of the user device 350). In some examples, the job session report may include welding data and / or welding-related data, such as arc count, consumable cost, weld volume, current, voltage, wire feed speed, gas flow rate, torch working angle, torch travel angle, torch tip-to-workpiece distance, torch travel speed, torch orientation, arc length, and / or other appropriate parameters related to the operation of the welding device. In some examples, the job report may additionally or alternatively include other information about the job session 450, such as an open / close timestamp 426 of the job session 450, a last updated timestamp, activity, and / or other relevant information related to the job session 450.

[0081] exist Figure 6c In the example of FIG, after block 648, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 650. At block 650, the user device monitoring program 600 checks whether there is new activity associated with the job session 450, such as new activity transmitted by the central monitoring station 302 or input via the HMI 352 of the user device 350. If so, the user device monitoring program 600 updates the current activity at block 652. In some examples, updating the current activity at block 652 may include sending the current activity to the local monitoring station 200 (e.g., via SignalR). In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 may request and / or receive information about which local monitoring station 200 sent the current activity at (or before) block 650.

[0082] In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 can receive one or more custom input fields 454 (and / or custom input prompts) and / or one or more requests for updated custom field entries 456 from the central monitoring station 302 and / or the local monitoring station 200 in response to the updated current activity. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 can provide the one or more custom input fields 454 (and / or custom input prompts) to the user via the HMI 352. In some examples, the user device monitoring program 600 can transmit any user input related to the one or more custom input fields 454 (and / or requests for updated custom field entries 456) to the central monitoring station 302. Figure 6c In the example of , after block 652 , the user device monitoring program 600 repeats block 648 .

[0083] exist Figure 6c In the example of , if there is no new activity at block 650, the user device monitoring program 600 proceeds to block 654. At block 654, the user device monitoring program 600 checks whether the job session 450 should end. In some examples, the job session 450 can end at block 654 in response to an explicit request by the user to end the job session 450 (e.g., by activating an end session button), a logout request by the user, an end command received from the central monitoring station 302, and / or other appropriate actions and / or inputs. If the user device monitoring program 600 determines at block 654 that the job session 450 should end, an indication that the job session 450 should end is sent to the central monitoring station 302 along with any other data required to end the job session. Thereafter, the user device monitoring program 600 returns to Figure 6a If the user device monitoring program 600 determines that the job session 450 should not end, the user device monitoring program 600 returns to block 648.

[0084] Figure 6d An exemplary new session screen 699 is shown that can be displayed to a user at block 610 of the user device monitoring program 600 via the HMI 352 of the user device 350. In some examples, the new session screen 699 can be displayed within a web browser of the user device 350. As shown, the new session tab 622 is selected and highlighted, making it larger than the session inventory tab 624 and the analysis tab 626. Figure 6dIn the example shown in FIG. 4 , a new session screen 699 includes a job input field 696, a welding equipment input field 694, an activity input field 688, and several custom field prompts 692 and a custom input field 690. As shown, the job input field 696, the welding equipment input field 694, and the activity input field 688 are drop-down boxes, while the custom input field 690 includes a drop-down box, a numeric field, and an on / off (i.e., Boolean) button. The new session screen 699 further includes an information panel 686 that can be updated with information related to the job session 450 during the job session 450. The new session screen 699 further includes a start session button 698 that can be activated by the user to start the job session 450. In some examples, the start session button 698 can become an end session button after the session begins.

[0085] Figure 7a is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary central monitoring program 700 of the central monitoring station 302. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can be implemented as machine-readable instructions stored in the memory 310 of the central monitoring station 302 and / or executed by the processing circuitry 308 of the central monitoring station 302. In some examples, multiple instances of the central monitoring program 700 can be executed simultaneously to accommodate multiple user devices 350 and / or instances of the user device monitoring program 600. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can communicate with the local monitoring station 200 and / or the user device 350 during operation of the central monitoring program 700 (e.g., via the communication circuitry 306 of the central monitoring station 302).

[0086] exist Figure 7a In the example of FIG, the central monitoring program 700 begins at block 702. At block 702, the central monitoring program 700 receives user credentials from the user device 350 and either authenticates the user credentials (e.g., using the user information 404 of the central data repository 400) or rejects the user credentials if the authentication fails. In either case, the central monitoring program 700 sends one or more corresponding signals representing the user authentication results to the user device 350.

[0087] exist Figure 7aIn the example of FIG. 5 , after block 702, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 704. At blocks 704-708, the central monitoring program 700 responds to requests received from the user device 350 (e.g., via one or more signals) to start a new job session 450 (block 704), process a query (block 706), and / or process an analysis (block 708). In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can be configured to respond to more or fewer requests. For example, if the user credentials are associated with certain administrative privileges, the central monitoring program 700 can be configured to respond to one or more signals indicating one or more administrative requests. Such additional administrative requests can include, for example, creating and / or editing information associated with a job 420, a job session 450, welding equipment information 402, user information 404, activity information 406, custom domain information 408, a local monitoring station 200, a central monitoring station 302, a user device 350, and / or other aspects of the distributed welding monitoring system 300 (e.g., see FIG. 5 ). Figure 5 ) related information (and / or associations). In some examples, if the user credentials received at block 702 are not associated with appropriate administrative privileges, the central monitoring program 700 can respond negatively (e.g., with an error, dismissal, rejection, etc.) to the management, query, and / or analysis request.

[0088] exist Figure 7a In the example of FIG, if a request to start a new job session 450 is received at block 704 (e.g., from a user device 350), the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 710. Block 710 is further explained below. Figure 7a In the example of FIG, if a query request is received at block 706, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 712. At block 712, the central monitoring program 700 receives the query request and the search criteria on which the query is to be based, and uses the search criteria to query the central data repository 400. The central monitoring program 700 then sends the query results back to the user device 350.

[0089] exist Figure 7aIn the example of , if an analysis request is received at box 708, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to box 714. At box 714, the central monitoring program 700 receives the query request along with the search criteria and the analysis request. Similar to box 712, the central monitoring program 700 performs a query using the search criteria, and the central data repository 400 returns query result data in response to the query. The central monitoring program 700 further formats, constructs, and / or processes the query result data based on the analysis request so that the query result data can be appropriately presented to the user in a useful and / or executable format. For example, the central monitoring program 700 can receive an analysis request for time-synchronized query result data, and the central monitoring program 700 can format and / or construct the query result data so that the query result data can be presented in a time-synchronized graph, chart, diagram, or other appropriate form showing data over a period of time. As another example, the analysis can be used for comparison of data, and the central monitoring program 700 formats and / or structures the query result data so that the query result data can be presented in a graph, chart, diagram, or other suitable form showing the comparison of data based on or more criteria (e.g., identified in the analysis request). As another example, the analysis can be used for completion estimates (e.g., percentage completed, percentage not completed) and / or estimated completion time (e.g., arc time, man-hour time, session time, etc.) for one or more jobs 420. In such an example, the central monitoring program 700 can query the central data repository 400 to determine how much time is estimated to be required for the job 420 (e.g., arc time, session time, equipment normal activity time, etc.) and / or how much time has been recorded for the job 420 (e.g., in all of its associated job sessions 450, a portion of the associated job session 450 subject to date / time constraints, etc.), and return analysis results based on this process.

[0090] exist Figure 7a In the example of FIG. 7 , after any of blocks 710-714, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 716. At block 716, the central monitoring program 700 checks whether the central monitoring program 700 should end. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can end at block 716 in response to an explicit request from a user, a logout request from a user, and / or other appropriate action and / or input. If the central monitoring program 700 determines that the central monitoring program 700 should end, an indication that the user device monitoring program 600 is to end can be sent to the user device 350 and / or the local monitoring station 200 along with any appropriate information. If the central monitoring program 700 determines that the central monitoring program 700 should not end, the central monitoring program 700 returns to block 704.

[0091] Figure 7b It's a picture Figure 7aFIG2 is a flow diagram of an exemplary implementation of a start new job session block 710 of an exemplary central monitoring program 700. As shown, the start new job session block 710 begins at block 720. At block 720, the central monitoring program 700 sends job session data 642 to the user device 350. For example, the central monitoring program 700 may provide one or more jobs 420 for the user to select. The central monitoring program 700 also receives job session data 642, such as a selection (and / or identification) of a job 420, from the user device 350. In some examples, multiple iterations of sending and receiving job session data 642 (e.g., custom fields 454, custom field entries 456, welding equipment data 458, activity data 460, and / or other job session data 642) may occur at block 720. In some examples, some job session data may not need to be received (e.g., if the operator 116 is not using the welding equipment 399, the welding equipment data 458 may not be needed).

[0092] In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can also provide selection options (e.g., options for custom field entries 456, welding equipment data 458, activity data 460, and / or other job session data 642) and / or custom fields 454 based on the job session data 642 and / or user credentials provided at block 720. In some examples, this can occur in response to a user activating an input field (e.g., clicking a drop-down box) or inputting some job session data 642. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can query the central data repository 400 to determine one or more selection options and / or custom fields 454. In such examples, the central monitoring program 700 can use some or all of the user credentials (and / or associated privileges) and / or the received job session data 642 as search criteria. For example, the central monitoring program 700 can receive a request for selection options for a welding device 399, and the central monitoring program 700 can query the central data repository 400 (e.g., welding device information 402) to determine what welding device 399 can be used given the current user and / or the currently selected job 420. The resultant data of the query can then be sent to the user device 350 in response to the request.

[0093] exist Figure 7b In the example of FIG, after block 720, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 724. At block 724, the central monitoring program 700 checks whether a request to start a new session has been received. If such a request has not been received, the central monitoring program 700 returns to block 720. If a request to start a new session has been received, the central monitoring program proceeds to block 725.

[0094] exist Figure 7bIn the example of FIG. 7 , the central monitoring program 700 determines whether an open job session 450 already exists with the job session data 642 input from block 720. In some examples, this determination can include querying the central data repository 400 to see if there is a job session 450 associated with certain search criteria, such as user credentials and / or one or more of the input job session data 642 (e.g., welding equipment data 458) input at block 720. If such a job session 450 exists, the central monitoring program 700 can then determine whether the job session 450 is open, such as, for example, whether the job session 450 has an open timestamp and no closed timestamp (e.g., in the open / close timestamp 426).

[0095] exist Figure 7b In the example shown in FIG5 , if there is an open job session 450 associated with the search criteria, the central monitoring program 700 returns to block 720 and sends an error signal (and / or a reason for the error) to the user device 350. If there is no open job session 450 associated with the search criteria, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 728. At block 728, the central monitoring program 700 creates a new job session 450 in the central data repository 400 using the job session data 642 entered in block 720. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 may also send a signal to the user device 350 indicating that the new job session 450 was successfully created.

[0096] exist Figure 7b In the example of FIG. 7 , after block 728, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 730. At block 730, the central monitoring program 700 synchronizes the central data repository 400 with the local data repository 204. In some examples, the synchronization at block 730 can occur in response to a synchronization request from the local monitoring station 200 (and / or the local data repository 204), a job report request from the user device 350, and / or the expiration of a threshold synchronization time period (e.g., stored in the memory 310 and / or the central data repository 400). In some examples, the central data repository 400 may need to synchronize with the local data repository 204 to retrieve welding data received at the local data repository 204 from the welding device 399 associated with the job session 450. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can determine which local monitoring station 200 to synchronize with based on the welding device 399 associated with the newly created job session 450. Additionally, the local monitoring station 200 can perform activity tracking functions and store data related to the activity in the local data repository 204 until synchronization. In an example where there is no welding equipment 399 associated with the new job session 450, the central monitoring program 700 can synchronize with a default or nearest local monitoring station 200.

[0097] exist Figure 7b In the example of FIG4 , after block 730, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 732. At block 732, the central monitoring program 700 sends a job session report to the user device 350. In some examples, the job session report can include activity tracking information, welding data, timestamp information, and / or other data associated with the job session 450. In some examples, the job session report sent to the user device 350 at block 732 can be used by the user device 350 to update its information panel 686 and / or otherwise present it to the user.

[0098] exist Figure 7b In the example of FIG. 7 , after block 732, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 734. At block 734, the central monitoring program 700 determines whether the job session 450 should end. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 may determine that the job session 450 should end at block 734 in response to a signal from the user device 350 requesting that the job session 450 end, a determination that the job 420 associated with the job session 450 has ended, and / or other appropriate actions and / or inputs. If the central monitoring program 700 determines that the job session should not end, the central monitoring program 700 returns to block 730. If the central monitoring program 700 determines that the job session 450 should end, the central monitoring program 700 proceeds to block 736.

[0099] exist Figure 7b In the example of , the central monitoring program 700 closes the job session 450 at block 736. In some examples, the central monitoring program 700 can send a signal indicating the closure of the job session 450 along with any necessary data to the user device 350 and / or the local monitoring station 200. After block 736, the central monitoring program 700 returns to Figure 7a Frame 716.

[0100] Figure 8a is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary local monitoring program 800 of the local monitoring station 200. In some examples, the local monitoring program 800 can be implemented as machine-readable instructions stored in the memory 210 of the local monitoring station 200 and / or executed by the processing circuitry 208 of the local monitoring station 200. In some examples, the local monitoring program 800 can communicate with the central monitoring station 302 and / or one or more welding devices 399 during operation of the local monitoring program 800 (e.g., via the communication circuitry 206 of the local monitoring station 200). In some examples, for example, multiple instances of the local monitoring program 800 can be executed simultaneously to accommodate multiple welding devices 399 and / or multiple instances of the central monitoring program 700. Although for illustrative purposes, Figure 8aThe start and end of the local monitoring procedure 800 are shown, but in some examples, the local monitoring procedure 800 may be executed continuously, repeated, and / or looped.

[0101] exist Figure 8a In the example of FIG. 8 , the local monitoring program 800 begins at block 802. At block 802, the local monitoring program 800 receives welding data from one or more welding devices 399 in communication with the local monitoring station 200. The welding data is further stored in the local data repository 204. In some examples, the welding data may include data related to the operation of the welding device 399, such as arc count, weld deposition, current, voltage, wire feed speed, gas flow rate, torch working angle, torch travel angle, torch tip-to-workpiece distance, torch travel speed, torch orientation, arc length, and / or other appropriate data related to the operation of the welding device 399. In some examples, the welding device 399 may continuously or periodically transmit the welding data to the local monitoring station 200 while the welding device 399 performs a welding operation. In some examples, the welding device 399 may transmit the welding data to the local monitoring station 200 in response to a request from the local monitoring station 200.

[0102] exist Figure 8a In the example of FIG. 8 , after block 802 , the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 804 . At block 804 , the local monitoring program 800 processes event tracking operations, such as weld tracking and / or part tracking operations. For example, the local monitoring program 800 can analyze the welding data received at block 802 to detect certain events (e.g., workflow events, part tracking events, trigger activation / deactivation events, arc start / stop events, etc.). For example, the welding device 399 can transmit welding data describing data read by the sensor 150 that indicates a certain event (e.g., a wire spool change, the loading of a workpiece 110). In such an example, the local monitoring station 200 can determine that an event has occurred and, in light of that event, execute certain instructions (e.g., display a schematic, issue an alarm, etc.). In some examples, the local monitoring program 800 can store data representing the detected events and / or instructions in the local data repository 204 . In some examples, when stored in the local data repository 204 , the local monitoring program 800 can associate data and / or instructions representing the detected event with the welding device 399 from which the welding data was received and / or the job session 450 associated with the welding device 399 .

[0103] exist Figure 8aIn the example of FIG. 8 , after block 804, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 806. At block 806, the local monitoring program 800 processes an activity tracking operation. In some examples, the activity tracking at block 806 determines what current activity should be recorded and / or associated with the work session 450 and / or welding equipment 399. Figure 8b The activity tracking operation of block 806 is further explained.

[0104] exist Figure 8a In the example of FIG, after block 806, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 808. At block 808, the local monitoring program 800 synchronizes the local data repository 204 with the central data repository 400. In some examples, the synchronization at block 808 can occur in response to a synchronization request from the central monitoring station 302, expiration of a threshold synchronization time period (e.g., stored in the memory 210 and / or the local data repository 204), and / or some other occurrence. After block 808, the local monitoring program 800 ends.

[0105] Figure 8b It's a picture Figure 8a FIGURE 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary implementation of an activity tracking block 806 of an exemplary local monitoring program 800. As shown, the activity tracking block 806 begins at block 810, where the local monitoring program 800 determines whether the current activity should be recorded as activity related to the welding device 399. In some examples, this determination can include determining whether welding data has been recently received (e.g., within a threshold time period) from a welding device 399 (e.g., a welding device 399 associated with an open job session 450). As shown, if welding data has been recently received, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 812, where the local monitoring program 800 analyzes the welding data, determines activity related to the welding device based on the welding data, and sets the current activity as activity related to the welding device. Following block 812, the local monitoring program 800 ends. However, if the local monitoring program 800 determines at block 810 that the current activity is not activity related to the welding device, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 814.

[0106] At block 814, the local monitoring program 800 determines whether the local monitoring station 200 has received a user-input activity, such as from the user device 350 (e.g., via SignalR). If no user-input activity has been received, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 820, which will be discussed further below. If user-input activity has been received, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 816, where the current activity is set to the user-input activity. Following block 816, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 818, where the welding device 399 is enabled. Following block 818, the local monitoring program 800 ends.

[0107] In some examples, the welding device 399 can be enabled by transmitting a signal from the local monitoring station 200 to the welding device 399. For example, the signal can indicate a request to enable the welding device 399. In some examples, the welding device 399 can be a welding-type power supply 108 having a power conversion circuitry 132 that outputs welding-type power only when the control circuitry 134 sends a control signal to a controllable switching element of the power conversion circuitry 132. In some examples, the control circuitry 134 can be configured to stop sending the control signal to the controllable switching element in response to a disable signal received from the local monitoring station 200, and to resume sending the control signal to the controllable switching element in response to an enable signal received from the local monitoring station 200.

[0108] In some examples, the welding device 399 can be a welding-type power supply 108, a wire feeder 140, or a gas source 142 that only provides power, welding wire, and / or gas in response to a trigger signal received from the welding torch 118. In such examples, the welding device 399 can be configured to ignore the trigger signal in response to a disable signal received from the local monitoring station 200, and / or to stop ignoring the trigger signal in response to an enable signal received from the local monitoring station 200. In some examples, the welding device 399 can be a welding torch 118 that stops sending the trigger signal in response to a disable signal received from the local monitoring station 200 and resumes sending the trigger signal in response to an enable signal received from the local monitoring station 200.

[0109] exist Figure 8bIn the example of FIG. 8 , if no user-input activity has been received, the local monitoring program 800 proceeds to block 820. At block 820, the local monitoring program 800 determines whether a threshold time has elapsed since there has been user-input activity (e.g., block 814) or automatically determined activity related to the welding device 399 (e.g., block 810). In some examples, the threshold time period can be stored in the memory 210 of the local monitoring station 200, sent from the central monitoring station 302, programmatically determined (e.g., by the processing circuitry 208 of the local monitoring station 200), input by a user, and / or provided in some other manner. If the threshold time has not elapsed, the local monitoring program 800 ends. If the threshold time has elapsed, the local monitoring program 800 determines that some downtime has occurred and proceeds to block 822.

[0110] exist Figure 8b In the example of , the local monitoring program 800 determines whether the downtime is due to a known activity. In some examples, this determination can include determining whether there are any known activities (e.g., stored with the activity information 406) that overlap in time with the current date / time. For example, the activity information 406 can indicate that there is a planned break, shift change, maintenance, supply, replacement, training, meeting, or other activity scheduled to occur at or near the current time. In some examples, the determination can further include determining whether any known activities that overlap in time are also associated with the user operating the welding equipment 399 and / or associated with the current work session 450. In some examples, the determination can include additional or alternative considerations.

[0111] exist Figure 8bIn the example shown in FIG. 8 , if the local monitoring program 800 determines at block 822 that the downtime was due to a known activity, then at block 824, that known activity is set as the current activity and associated with the time period spanning the threshold time period of block 820 until the current time at block 824. Following block 824, the local monitoring program 800 ends. However, if the local monitoring program 800 determines that there is no known activity to which the downtime is attributable, then at block 826, the local monitoring program 800 prompts the user to perform an activity to which the downtime is attributable. In some examples, a signal indicating a prompt for an activity is sent to the user device 350 (e.g., via SignalR) and / or a prompt is presented on the UI 202 of the local monitoring station 200. As shown, the local monitoring program 800 additionally disables the welding device 399 at block 826, such that no further welding operations can be performed using the welding device 399 until an activity is determined. This disabling can prompt the user to provide an activity to which the downtime can be attributed, which can further ensure that the distributed welding monitoring system 300 receives all necessary information for monitoring. After block 826 , the local monitoring program 800 returns to block 810 .

[0112] The distributed welding monitoring system 300 allows for input of monitoring data via a user device 350, which can be more easily transported within a wide work environment than a local monitoring station 200. Additionally, by organizing the monitoring data by job 420 and job session 450 as it is collected, the monitoring data can be viewed and / or analyzed based on each job and / or job session after the job is completed or even while the job is still in progress, which can facilitate analysis. Because distributed welding monitoring systems perform best when an operator regularly provides monitoring input, in some examples, the distributed welding monitoring system 300 can also take steps to encourage operator input, such as by, for example, disabling one or more welding devices 399 being used by the operator 116 until operator input is forthcoming.

[0113] The present method and / or system can be implemented with hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present method and / or system can be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computing system, or in a distributed manner with different elements spread across several interconnected computing systems or cloud systems. Any type of computing system or other device suitable for executing the methods described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software can be a general-purpose computing system with a program or other code that controls the computing system when loaded and executed so that the computing system executes the methods described herein. Another typical embodiment can include a dedicated integrated circuit or chip. Some embodiments can include a non-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium (e.g., a flash drive, an optical disc, a magnetic storage disk, etc.), which stores one or more lines of code that can be executed by a machine, thereby causing the machine to execute a process as described herein.

[0114] Although the present method and / or system has been described with reference to certain implementations, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present method and / or system. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present method and / or system is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but rather the present method and / or system will include all implementations falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0115] As used herein, “and / or” refers to any one or more of the items in a list connected by “and / or”. For example, “x and / or y” refers to any element in the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, “x and / or y” means “one or both of x and y”. As another example, “x, y and / or z” refers to any element in the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, “x, y and / or z” means “one or more of x, y and z”.

[0116] As used herein, the terms "eg," and "for example," introduce a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations.

[0117] As used herein, the terms "connect," "connected to," and "connected with" refer to structural and / or electrical connections, whether attached, affixed, connected, joined, fastened, associated, and / or otherwise secured, respectively. As used herein, the term "attach" refers to affixing, joining, connecting, joining, fastening, associated, and / or otherwise securing. As used herein, the term "connect" refers to attaching, attaching, coupling, joining, fastening, associated, and / or otherwise securing.

[0118] As used herein, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and / or firmware ("code") that may configure, be executed by, and / or otherwise be associated with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory may constitute a first "circuit" when executing a first line or lines of code, and a second "circuit" when executing a second line or lines of code. As used herein, a circuitry is "operable" and / or "configured" to perform a function when it includes the necessary hardware and / or code (if necessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether performance of the function is disabled or enabled (e.g., by a user-configurable setting, factory adjustment, etc.).

[0119] As used herein, control circuitry may include digital circuitry and / or analog circuitry, discrete circuitry and / or integrated circuitry, microprocessors, DSPs, etc., located on one or more boards forming part or all of a controller and / or software, hardware, and / or firmware for controlling the welding process and / or devices such as a power supply or wire feeder.

[0120] As used herein, the term "processor" refers to processing equipment, devices, programs, circuits, components, systems and subsystems, whether implemented in hardware, tangible form of software or both and whether programmable. As used herein, the term "processor" includes but is not limited to one or more computing devices, hard-wired circuits, signal modification equipment and systems, equipment and machines for controlling systems, central processing units, programmable devices and systems, field programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits, chip systems, systems including discrete components and / or circuits, state machines, virtual machines, data processors, processing facilities and the combination of any of the foregoing. The processor can, for example, be any type of general-purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, digital signal processing (DSP) processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), graphics processing unit (GPU), reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor with advanced RISC machine (ARM) core. The processor can be connected to a memory device and / or integrated with the memory device.

[0121] As used herein, the terms "memory" and / or "memory device" refer to computer hardware or circuitry for storing information for use by a processor and / or other digital device. The memory and / or memory device may be any suitable type of computer memory or any other type of electronic storage medium, such as, for example, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), cache memory, compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-optical memory, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), computer-readable media, and the like. The memory may include, for example, non-transitory memory, non-transitory processor-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-volatile memory, dynamic RAM (DRAM), volatile memory, ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory, last-in-first-out (LIFO) memory, stack memory, non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), static RAM (SRAM), cache, buffer, semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, flash memory, flash card, compact flash card, memory card, secure digital memory card, micro card, mini card, expansion card, smart card, memory stick, multimedia card, picture card, flash memory device, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, hard drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), etc. The memory may be configured to store code, instructions, applications, software, firmware and / or data and may be external to the processor 130, internal to the processor 130, or both.

[0122] For convenience, the term "power" is used throughout this specification, but also includes related measurements such as energy, current, voltage, and enthalpy. For example, controlling "power" may involve controlling voltage, current, energy, and / or enthalpy, and / or controlling based on "power" may involve controlling based on voltage, current, energy, and / or enthalpy.

[0123] As used herein, welding-type power refers to power suitable for welding, cladding, brazing, plasma cutting, induction heating, carbon arc cutting and / or hot wire welding / preheating (including laser welding and laser cladding), carbon arc cutting or skiving, and / or resistive preheating.

[0124] As used herein, a welding-type power supply and / or power source refers to any device that is capable of supplying power for welding, cladding, brazing, plasma cutting, induction heating, laser heating (including laser welding, laser hybrid welding, and laser cladding), carbon arc cutting or scraping, and / or resistive preheating when power is applied thereto, including but not limited to transformer-rectifiers, inverters, converters, resonant power supplies, quasi-resonant power supplies, switch-mode power supplies, etc., as well as control circuit systems and other auxiliary circuit systems associated therewith.

[0125] Disabling of circuit systems, actuators, and / or other hardware can be accomplished via hardware, software (including firmware), or a combination of hardware and software, and can include physical disconnection, power failure, and / or software control that restricts the implementation of commands to activate circuit systems, actuators, and / or other hardware. Similarly, enabling of circuit systems, actuators, and / or other hardware can be accomplished via hardware, software (including firmware), or a combination of hardware and software using the same mechanism as disabling.

Claims

1. A welding monitoring station comprising: communications circuitry configured to communicate with the welding device; processing circuitry; and memory circuitry comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processing circuitry to: receiving welding data from the welding device via the communication circuitry during a first time period, the welding data relating to a welding-type operation; determining whether a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the end of the first time period without further welding data being received; In response to determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed, determining that downtime exists, and sending a disable command to the welding device via the communication circuitry, the disable command being a command instructing the welding device to inhibit further welding-type operations; determining whether there is a known reason why the threshold amount of time has elapsed without further welding data being received; In response to determining that the known cause does not exist, determining that the downtime is unknown downtime; and Prompts welding operators to identify downtime activities.

2. The welding monitoring station of claim 1, wherein: The memory circuitry includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to record the welding data in a data repository and associate the welding data with the first time period in the data repository.

3. The welding monitoring station of claim 1, wherein: The memory circuitry includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to: Receive downtime activities, and In response to receiving the downtime activity: defining a second time period starting at the end of the first time period, recording said downtime activities in a data repository, associating the downtime activity with the second time period in the data repository, and An enable command is sent to the welding device via the communication circuitry, the enable command being a command instructing to re-enable the welding device for welding-type operations.

4. The welding monitoring station of claim 1, wherein: The welding equipment includes a welding-type power supply, a gas source, a wire feeder, or a welding torch.

5. The welding monitoring station of claim 1, wherein: Prompting the welding operator to identify the downtime activity includes sending a request to a user device associated with the welding operator via the communication circuit system, or prompting the welding operator via a user interface.

6. The welding monitoring station of claim 1, wherein: Determining whether there is a known reason why the threshold amount of time has elapsed includes checking whether a defined break time period, shift change time period, maintenance time period, quality assurance time period, training time period, or meeting time period overlaps with a second time period beginning at the end of the first time period.

7. A method of tracking activity during a welding session, comprising: receiving welding data from the welding device via the communication circuitry during a first time period, the welding data relating to a welding-type operation; determining, via the processing circuitry, whether a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the end of the first time period without further welding data being received, In response to determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed, determining that downtime exists, and sending a disable command to the welding device via the communication circuitry, the disable command being a command instructing the welding device to inhibit further welding-type operations; determining whether there is a known reason why the threshold amount of time has elapsed without further welding data being received; In response to determining that the known cause does not exist, determining that the downtime is unknown downtime; and Prompts welding operators to identify downtime activities.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising recording the welding data in a data repository and associating the welding data with the first time period in the data repository.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving the downtime activity; as well as In response to receiving the downtime activity: defining a second time period starting at the end of the first time period, recording said downtime activities in a data repository, associating the downtime activity with the second time period in the data repository, and An enable command is sent to the welding device via the communication circuitry, the enable command being a command instructing to re-enable the welding device for welding-type operations.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein: The welding data includes data related to the operation of a welding-type power supply, a gas source, a wire feeder, or a welding torch.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein: Prompting the welding operator to identify the downtime activity includes sending a request to a user device associated with the welding operator via the communication circuit system, or prompting the welding operator via a user interface.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein: Determining whether there is a known reason for the threshold amount of time to have elapsed includes checking whether a break time period, shift change time period, maintenance time period, quality assurance time period, training time period, or meeting time period overlaps with a second time period beginning at the end of the first time period.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein: The welding equipment includes a welding-type power supply, a gas source, a wire feeder, or a welding torch.

14. A welding monitoring system comprising: a welding device having one or more sensors configured to detect welding data associated with a welding-type operation of the welding device; as well as A welding monitoring station in communication with the welding equipment, the welding monitoring station comprising communication circuitry configured to communicate with the welding equipment, processing circuitry, and memory circuitry, the memory circuitry comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processing circuitry to: receiving the welding data from the welding device via the communication circuitry during a first time period; determining whether a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the end of the first time period without further welding data being received; in response to determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed, determining that downtime exists, and sending a disable command to the welding device via the communication circuitry, the disable command being a command instructing the welding device to inhibit further welding-type operations; determining whether there is a known reason why the threshold amount of time has elapsed without further welding data being received; In response to determining that the known cause does not exist, determining that the downtime is unknown downtime; and Prompts welding operators to identify downtime activities.

15. The welding monitoring system of claim 14, wherein: The memory circuitry includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to record the welding data in a data repository and associate the welding data with the first time period in the data repository.

16. The welding monitoring system of claim 14, wherein: The memory circuitry includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to: receiving the downtime activity, and In response to receiving the downtime activity: defining a second time period starting at the end of the first time period, recording said downtime activities in a data repository, associating the downtime activity with the second time period in the data repository, and An enable command is sent to the welding device via the communication circuitry, the enable command being a command instructing to re-enable the welding device for welding-type operations.

17. The welding monitoring system of claim 14, wherein: The welding data includes data related to the operation of a welding-type power supply, a gas source, a wire feeder, or a welding torch.

18. The welding monitoring system of claim 14, wherein: Prompting the welding operator to identify the downtime activity includes sending a request to a user device associated with the welding operator via the communication circuit system, or prompting the welding operator via a user interface.

19. The welding monitoring system of claim 14, wherein: Determining whether there is a known reason for the threshold amount of time to have elapsed includes checking whether a break time period, shift change time period, maintenance time period, quality assurance time period, training time period, or meeting time period overlaps with a second time period that begins at the end of the first time period.

20. The welding monitoring system of claim 14, wherein: The welding equipment includes a welding-type power supply, a gas source, a wire feeder, or a welding torch.

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