Control of mediated reality welding system based on lighting conditions

• US 10,725,299 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2018
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Nishank, Dandu, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Joni
• Application Number:
  US15/986,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20190121131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/06 Masks, shields or hoods for welders safety devices for welding in general F16P1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/061 with movable shutters, e.g. filter discs; Actuating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/067 with variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/322 Head protecting means masks, shields or hoods for weldersp A61F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/08 Measuring electromagnetic field characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/58 Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/14 Detecting light within display terminals, e.g. using a single or a plurality of photosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/141 the light conveying information used for selecting or modulating the light emitting or modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/20 : Details of the management of multiple sources of image data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 : Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 : Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 : Intensity circuits

Abstract

An example head-worn device includes a camera, a display device, weld detection circuitry, and pixel data processing circuitry. The camera generates first pixel data from a field of view of the head-worn device. The display device displays second pixel data to a wearer of the head-worn device based on the first pixel data captured by the camera. The weld detection circuitry determines whether a welding arc is present and generates a control signal indicating a result of the determination. The pixel data processing circuitry processes the first pixel data captured by the camera to generate the second pixel data for display on the display device, where a mode of operation of said pixel data processing circuitry is selected from a plurality of modes based on said control signal.

Claims

1. A head-worn device, comprising:

a camera configured to generate first pixel data from a field of view of the head-worn device;

a display device to display second pixel data to a wearer of the head-worn device based on the first pixel data captured by the camera;

a field sensor coupled to an antenna and configured to detect an electromagnetic field associated with the welding arc;

weld detection circuitry configured to;

determine whether a welding arc is present based on the electromagnetic field; and

generate a control signal indicating a result of the determination; and

pixel data processing circuitry configured to process the first pixel data captured by the camera to generate the second pixel data for display on the display device, wherein a mode of operation of said pixel data processing circuitry is selected from a plurality of modes based on said control signal.

2. The head-worn device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a receiver circuit configured to receive a communication, the weld detection circuitry configured to determine whether the welding arc is present based on the communication.

3. The head-worn device as defined in claim 1, wherein the weld detection circuitry is configured to receive a signal representative of a weld current flowing through a weld torch and to determine whether the welding arc is present based on the signal.

4. The head-worn device as defined in claim 3, wherein the mode of operation of the pixel data processing circuitry is selected based on a weld current level indicated by the signal.

5. The head-worn device as defined in claim 3, wherein the signal comprises a communication from at least one of a welding-type power supply, a wire feeder, or a welding-type torch.

6. The head-worn device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a microphone to receive an audio signal, at least one of the processing the first pixel data or the mode of operation of the pixel data processing circuitry being based on the audio signal.

7. The head-worn device as defined in claim 1, wherein the weld detection circuitry is configured to determine whether the welding arc is present based on receiving a signal indicative of whether the welding arc is present.

8. The head-worn device as defined in claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to overlay the second pixel data over a real view to create an augmented reality view for the wearer of the display device.

9. A head-worn device, comprising:

a camera configured to generate first pixel data from a field of view of the head-worn device;

a display device to display second pixel data to a wearer of the head-worn device based on the first pixel data captured by the camera;

weld detection circuitry configured to;

receive one or more signals from a corresponding one or more of a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, a touch sensor, or a gesture sensor;

determine whether a welding arc is present based on the one or more signals; and

generate a control signal indicating a result of the determination; and

pixel data processing circuitry configured to process the first pixel data captured by the camera to generate the second pixel data for display on the display device, wherein a mode of operation of said pixel data processing circuitry is selected from a plurality of modes based on said control signal.