1. A method of determining the location of communications nodes in a distributed network, comprising the steps of:
creating, at a first node, a transmit timestamp for a message as said message is transmitted by said first node to a second node;
creating, at said second node, a receive timestamp as said message is received by said second node;
storing, at said second node, a measurement tuple corresponding to said message, wherein said storing includes recording an identifier for said first node, said transmit timestamp from said first node and said receive timestamp from said second node;
exchanging, by said second node, said measurement tuple with said first node, so that said first node and said second node each have a record of all measurement tuples stored therein; and
analyzing said record of measurement tuples to determine the location of said first node and said second node with respect to each other.
2. A method of claim 1, wherein said storing step is repeated at least once prior to said exchanging step.
3. A method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing step comprises determining a distance between said first node and said second node.
4. A method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing step comprises determining spatial coordinates for said first node and said second node.
5. A method of claim 1, wherein said exchanging step comprises exchanging, by said second node, said measurement tuple with multiple nodes, so that said second node and said multiple nodes each have a record of all measurement tuples stored therein; whereby said analyzing step determines the location of said second node and said multiple nodes with respect to each other.
6. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining clock attributes for at least one of said first node and said second node.
7. A method of claim 6, further comprising the step of determining clock attributes as a measure of relative offset andor drift for at least one of said first node and said second node.
8. A method of claim 6, further comprising the step of synchronizing said first node and said second node with respect to each other based on one of said clock attributes.
9. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the location of a mobile sensor node while said mobile sensor node is in motion, wherein said mobile sensor node is one of said first node and said second node.
10. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the location of a sensor node in a wireless network, wherein said sensor node is one of said first node and said second node.
11. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting said message andor exchanging said measurement tuple at a UHF frequency.
12. A method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first node and said second node is selected from a group consisting of an automobile, aircraft, submarine, and ship.
13. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the location of an object that is not a sensor node.
14. A method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
creating, at said second node, a transmit timestamp for a second message as said second message is transmitted by said second node to said first node;
creating, at said first node, a receive timestamp as said second message is received by said first node;
storing, at said first node, a second measurement tuple corresponding to said second message, wherein said storing includes recording an identifier for said second node, said transmit timestamp from said second node and said receive timestamp from said first node; and
exchanging, by said first node, said second measurement tuple with said second node, so that said second node and said first node each have a record of all second measurement tuples stored therein, wherein said analyzing step processes both sets of measurement tuples to determine the location of said first node and said second node with respect to each other.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electromechanical contactor device in a wire feeder for an electric arc welder having a power source and a gun with a contact tip through which welding wire is fed and a weld cycle start trigger switch having a closed condition to initiate and hold a weld cycle and an open condition, said contactor device comprising:
a power inlet lead connected to said power source;
an output lead connected to said contactor tip;
one or more current branches between said input lead and said output lead with a mechanical contactor having an open condition and closed condition for opening and closing each of said branches, respectively; and
a solenoid operating said contactor based upon the condition of said trigger switch, with a first position to close said contactor when said trigger switch is shifted from said open condition to said closed condition and to hold said contactor closed when said trigger switch is in said closed condition,
wherein the contactor includes electrical contacts formed from a non-hazardous silver alloy.
2. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the silver alloy is silver tin oxide.
3. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the silver alloy is silver tungsten.
4. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the silver alloy is silver tungsten carbide.
5. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the silver alloy is silver molybdenum.
6. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the silver alloy is silver graphite.
7. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the silver alloy is silver nickel.
8. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the contact is comprised entirely of a non-hazardous silver alloy.
9. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the contact includes a thin layer of a non-hazardous silver alloy.
10. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 1 wherein the contact comprises at least two non-hazardous silver alloys.
11. An electromechanical contactor device adapted for use in a wire feeder for an electric arc welder having a power source and a gun with a contact tip through which welding wire is fed and a weld cycle start trigger switch having a closed condition to initiate and hold a weld cycle and an open condition, said contactor device comprising:
a power inlet lead connected to said power source;
an output lead connected to said contact tip;
a current branch between said input lead and said output lead;
a mechanical contactor having an open condition and a closed condition for opening and closing said branch, respectively;
a solenoid operating said contactor based upon the condition of said trigger switch with a first position to close said contactor when said trigger switch is shifted from said open condition to said closed condition and to hold said contactor closed when said trigger switch is in said closed condition;
wherein the mechanical contactor includes contacts comprising at least one non-hazardous silver alloy.
12. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the silver alloy is silver tin oxide.
13. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the silver alloy is silver tungsten.
14. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the silver alloy is silver tungsten carbide.
15. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the silver alloy is silver molybdenum.
16. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the silver alloy is silver graphite.
17. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the silver alloy is silver nickel.
18. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the contact is made entirely from the non-hazardous silver alloy.
19. The electromechanical contactor device of claim 11 wherein the contact includes a thin layer of the non-hazardous silver alloy.
20. A modular contactor device adapted for use in a welding wire feeder, the contactor device comprising:
an enclosure defining a generally hollow interior;
a solenoid disposed in the enclosure, the solenoid including power leads which upon energizing, actuate the solenoid;
a set of switchable contacts disposed within the enclosure, the contacts being switchable between an open state and a closed state upon actuation of the solenoid;
electrical conductors accessible from the exterior of the enclosure and in electrical communication with the set of contacts;
wherein the contacts are formed from a non-hazardous silver alloy.
21. The modular contactor device of claim 20 further comprising:
a mechanical bias component disposed in the enclosure, the bias component urging the contacts in a normally open state.
22. The modular contactor device of claim 20 further comprising:
a mechanical bias component disposed in the enclosure, the bias component urging the contacts in a normally closed state.
23. The modular contactor device of claim 20 wherein the non-hazardous silver alloy is selected from the group consisting of silver tin oxide, silver tungsten, silver tungsten carbide, silver molybdenum, silver graphite, silver nickel, and combinations thereof.