Patents by Inventor Vincent N. Romano

Vincent N. Romano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240028015
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributed weld monitoring using jobs and job sessions are described. In some examples, a distributed monitoring system comprises a central monitoring station in communication with a user device and a local monitoring station. A user may use the user device to enter weld monitoring data that is subsequently received by the central monitoring station and stored in a central data repository. The central data repository may associate the weld monitoring data with welding data received from a welding device, as well as with a job session that is, in turn, associated with a job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano, Craig Jeffords
  • Publication number: 20240012398
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributed weld monitoring using jobs and job sessions are described. In some examples, a distributed monitoring system comprises a central monitoring station in communication with a user device and a local monitoring station. A user may use the user device to enter weld monitoring data that is subsequently received by the central monitoring station and stored in a central data repository. The central data repository may associate the weld monitoring data with welding data received from a welding device, as well as with a job session that is, in turn, associated with a job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano, Craig Jeffords
  • Patent number: 11768483
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributed weld monitoring using jobs and job sessions are described. In some examples, a distributed monitoring system comprises a central monitoring station in communication with a user device and a local monitoring station. A user may use the user device to enter weld monitoring data that is subsequently received by the central monitoring station and stored in a central data repository. The central data repository may associate the weld monitoring data with welding data received from a welding device, as well as with a job session that is, in turn, associated with a job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano, Craig Jeffords
  • Patent number: 11597026
    Abstract: Systems and methods for welding are described. The welding system can include, for example, a welding power source, a welding torch, and a computer. The computer and the welding torch can be operatively coupled to the power source. A first weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. It is considered a high quality weld and is selected as a weld reference. A second weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. The computer then computes a single weld confidence result for the second weld based on a comparison between the signature data of the second weld and the signature data of the reference weld. A weld fault condition is triggered based on the single weld confidence result which causes the welding system to stop or to modify the welding operation, and/or which causes the welding system to send out communications relating to the triggering of the weld fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano
  • Patent number: 11373262
    Abstract: Systems and methods for part quality confidence are described. In some examples a part quality confidence system may receive inputs (e.g., via sensor measurements, operator input(s), etc.) related to one or more stages of a part assembly process. The inputs may be representative of certain feature characteristics of the part and/or one or more of the assembly stages. A computational engine of the system may determine one or more quality characteristics of the part based on the feature characteristics, and assign a quality metric to the part (and/or part assembly process) based on the quality characteristics. In some examples, a quality rating may be assigned to the part based on the quality metric, so as to provide an even simpler abstraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano
  • Publication number: 20200368839
    Abstract: Systems and methods for weld monitoring systems with unknown downtime disabling are described. In some examples, a local monitoring station may perform activity tracking as part of a larger weld monitoring system. A welding device may send welding data to the local monitoring system, which may be used to determine a current activity. A user may also manually input an activity to use as the current activity. If the local monitoring station is unable to determine a current activity from the welding data or user input, then the local monitoring station determines that an unknown downtime has occurred. If the local monitoring station cannot determine a reason for the unknown downtime, the welding device may be disabled until the user provides a reason for the unknown downtime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano, Craig Jeffords
  • Publication number: 20200371503
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributed weld monitoring using jobs and job sessions are described. In some examples, a distributed monitoring system comprises a central monitoring station in communication with a user device and a local monitoring station. A user may use the user device to enter weld monitoring data that is subsequently received by the central monitoring station and stored in a central data repository. The central data repository may associate the weld monitoring data with welding data received from a welding device, as well as with a job session that is, in turn, associated with a job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano, Craig Jeffords
  • Publication number: 20200311853
    Abstract: Systems and methods for part quality confidence are described. In some examples a part quality confidence system may receive inputs (e.g., via sensor measurements, operator input(s), etc.) related to one or more stages of a part assembly process. The inputs may be representative of certain feature characteristics of the part and/or one or more of the assembly stages. A computational engine of the system may determine one or more quality characteristics of the part based on the feature characteristics, and assign a quality metric to the part (and/or part assembly process) based on the quality characteristics. In some examples, a quality rating may be assigned to the part based on the quality metric, so as to provide an even simpler abstraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano
  • Publication number: 20200238419
    Abstract: Systems and methods for welding are described. The welding system can include, for example, a welding power source, a welding torch, and a computer. The computer and the welding torch can be operatively coupled to the power source. A first weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. It is considered a high quality weld and is selected as a weld reference. A second weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. The computer then computes a single weld confidence result for the second weld based on a comparison between the signature data of the second weld and the signature data of the reference weld. A weld fault condition is triggered based on the single weld confidence result which causes the welding system to stop or to modify the welding operation, and/or which causes the welding system to send out communications relating to the triggering of the weld fault condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano
  • Patent number: 10661373
    Abstract: Systems and methods for welding are described. The welding system can include, for example, a welding power source, a welding torch, and a computer. The computer and the welding torch can be operatively coupled to the power source. A first weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. It is considered a high quality weld and is selected as a weld reference. A second weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. The computer then computes a single weld confidence result for the second weld based on a comparison between the signature data of the second weld and the signature data of the reference weld. A weld fault condition is triggered based on the single weld confidence result which causes the welding system to stop or to modify the welding operation, and/or which causes the welding system to send out communications relating to the triggering of the weld fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano
  • Publication number: 20170072496
    Abstract: Systems and methods for welding are described. The welding system can include, for example, a welding power source, a welding torch, and a computer. The computer and the welding torch can be operatively coupled to the power source. A first weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. It is considered a high quality weld and is selected as a weld reference. A second weld is performed and its signature is saved by the computer. The computer then computes a single weld confidence result for the second weld based on a comparison between the signature data of the second weld and the signature data of the reference weld. A weld fault condition is triggered based on the single weld confidence result which causes the welding system to stop or to modify the welding operation, and/or which causes the welding system to send out communications relating to the triggering of the weld fault condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Leland D. Falde, Stephen P. Ivkovich, Vincent N. Romano