Dual-spectrum digital imaging welding helmet

摘要

Arc welding systems, methods, and apparatus that provide dual-spectrum, real-time viewable, enhanced user-discrimination between arc welding characteristics during an arc welding process. Welding headgear is configured to shield a user from harmful radiation and to include a digital camera or cameras to provide dual-spectrum (i.e., both visible spectrum and infrared spectrum) real-time digital video image frames. The welding headgear is also configured with an optical display assembly for displaying real-time digital video image frames to the user while wearing the headgear during an arc welding process. Image processing is performed on the visible and infrared spectrum video image frames to generate dual-spectrum video image frames providing an integrated and optimized view of both the visible and thermal characteristics of the arc welding process which can be viewed by the user on the optical display assembly in real time.

主权项

1. A dual-spectrum digital imaging arc welding system providing enhanced discrimination between arc welding characteristics to a user, said system comprising:
a welding headgear configured to be worn on a head of a user and to shield at least the eyes of said user from spectral radiation emitted by an arc welding process; a visible-spectrum digital camera physically integrated with said welding headgear and configured to provide raw visible spectrum real-time digital video image frames; an infrared-spectrum digital camera physically integrated with said welding headgear and configured to provide raw infrared-spectrum real-time digital video image frames; an optical display assembly physically integrated with said welding headgear and configured to present real-time digital video images to said user while said user is wearing said welding headgear; a vision engine integrated with said welding headgear and operatively interfacing with said visible spectrum digital camera, said infrared-spectrum digital camera, and said optical display assembly, wherein said vision engine is configured to spatially align and temporally correlate at least said raw visible spectrum and raw infrared-spectrum real-time digital video image frames producing at least dual-spectrum real-time digital video image frames from said raw visible spectrum and raw infrared-spectrum real-time digital video image frames; and a user interface integrated with said welding headgear and operatively interfacing to at least one of said vision engine and said optical display assembly and configured to allow a user to manually select an imaging mode from a plurality of selectable and pre-defined imaging modes, wherein the plurality of selectable and pre-defined imaging modes include displaying infrared-spectrum information in a first portion of said optical display assembly associated with one of a welding arc and a weld puddle, and displaying visible spectrum information in a second portion of said optical display assembly associated with the other of the welding arc and the weld puddle.