# US 11,999,020 B2 · Method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,020 B2 - Document ID: US11999020B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/903,575 - Filed: 2022-09-06 - Published: 2023-05-11 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-07 - Assignees: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Applicants: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Inventors: Todd E. Holverson; William R. Giese; Douglas W. Krebs; Kenneth S. Dobson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999020B2 ## CPC - B23K 9/0953: {using computing means} - B23K 9/10: Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls - B23K 9/32: Accessories - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 50/04: Manufacturing - G07C 1/10: together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity - Y02P 90/30: Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell and related activity is disclosed. The activity is sensed using a variety of sensors, and reported to the controller, or to a remote location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A welding system, comprising: a sensor configured to detect sensor data relevant to activity within a weld cell; and a controller configured to: determine, based on the sensor data, whether a welding related task has occurred, the welding related task comprising grinding within the weld cell, sanding within the weld cell, scraping within the weld cell, loading of a part into a fixture in the weld cell, unloading the part from the fixture in the weld cell, or an operator waiting for the part in the weld cell, and in response to determining the welding related task has occurred, identify a time when the welding related task occurred, and report the welding related task and the time when the welding related task occurred, or transmit the welding related task and the time when the welding related task occurred. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, further comprising a welding power supply comprising the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the time when the welding related task occurred based on the sensor data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: in response to determining the welding related task has occurred, determine whether a duration of the welding related task is more than a threshold duration, and in response to determining the duration is more than the threshold duration, report the welding related task and the time when the welding related task occurred or transmit the welding related task and the time when the welding task occurred. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a reed switch, a Hall Effect sensor, a current sensor, a pressure sensor, a weight sensor, an air flow sensor, an audio sensor, an optical sensor, a temperature sensor, a bar code scanner, a radio frequency sensor, a global positioning sensor, a motion sensor, a magnetic sensor, or a vibration sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an audio sensor, the controller being further configured to determine whether the welding related task has occurred based on a comparison of the sensor data with training data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The welding system of claim 6, wherein the comparison comprises a frequency comparison of a first frequency of audio sensor data detected by the audio sensor with a second frequency of previously recorded audio training data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The welding system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor data comprises first sensor data, the welding system further comprising a second sensor configured to detect second sensor data relevant to the activity within the weld cell, and the controller being configured to determine whether the welding related task has occurred based on the first sensor data and the second sensor data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The welding system of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises a weight sensor or a pressure sensor, the second sensor being positioned in a floor mat within the weld cell. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The welding system of claim 8, wherein the second sensor data indicates which particular piece of protective equipment is being worn by the operator, whether the particular piece of protective equipment is being worn by the operator, or how the particular piece of protective equipment is being worn by the operator.