KR102768069B1 - Method and apparatus for processing welding images - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention discloses a welding image processing device including: a sensor for detecting a welding portion; a first camera unit and a second camera unit arranged adjacent to the sensor; and a processor, wherein the processor controls one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit to operate based on a result detected by the sensor to obtain a welding image with an adjusted angle of view.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING WELDING IMAGES

The present invention relates to a method for processing a welding image and a device therefor, and more specifically, to a method for receiving and processing a welding image from a camera that photographs a portion to be welded, and a device for implementing the method.

Protective gear is worn to protect workers from light and high heat generated during welding processes such as arc welding. Since workers can only check the welding process through the protective gear while wearing the protective gear, there is the inconvenience of having to remove the protective gear and visually check various information for welding, such as the conditions set for the welding device.

If the worker's skill level is not high, especially when wearing an automatic welding mask or manual welding mask, the worker can only see the part adjacent to the welding light, and it is difficult to recognize the specific welding situation, such as the welding environment. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide the worker with a high-definition image that allows the worker to visually check the welding environment, and to provide the worker with specific information about the welding area.

In particular, when performing a welding process in which smoke is generated, there is a problem in that it is difficult to identify the welding area even when using a welding light or lighting of a welding device.

The above problem can cause the same problem to medical staff not only in welding work, but also in skin treatment and/or diagnosis using high-brightness/high-intensity light such as laser light, and is the same problem in other work using high-brightness/high-intensity light.

Meanwhile, the most commonly used welding processes are MIG welding and TIG welding. When a worker performs the MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding process, welding fume is generated. Welding fume is a fine particle formed by condensation or oxidation of metal vapor, and is composed of the base material to be welded, stainless steel, chromium, nickel, manganese, nitrogen oxides, and ozone. When welding fume is generated, it is difficult for the worker to secure vision, so it is essential to wear equipment to secure vision and perform the work.

On the other hand, TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding produces almost no welding fume, unlike MIG welding, and workers can perform welding work by relying on equipment that outputs welding images based on visible light.

Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2244209 (Announced on April 26, 2021)

The present invention is in accordance with the above-described necessity, and aims to provide a welding image processing device that can show the welding environment as well as the welding spot to the worker in a welding environment where smoke is generated, thereby improving the welding accuracy of the worker.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for obtaining a clear welding image of a welding portion using a camera.

The present invention can provide accurate information to a user in work handling high brightness/high illuminance light.

However, these tasks are exemplary and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

According to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, a device comprises: a sensor for detecting a welding area; a first camera unit and a second camera unit arranged adjacent to the sensor; and a processor, wherein the processor controls one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit to operate based on a result detected by the sensor to obtain a welding image with an adjusted angle of view.

In the above device, a display unit for outputting the welding image may be further included.

In the above device, the sensor is a photo sensor, and the processor can determine whether welding is in progress at the welding part based on the sensor value of the photo sensor.

In the above device, the lenses of the first camera unit and the second camera unit are opened toward the welding portion, and the processor can switch one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit from the sleep mode to the wake-up mode.

In the above device, the lenses of the first camera unit and the second camera unit are opened toward the welding area, and the processor controls switching of the first camera unit and the second camera unit, thereby obtaining a welding image from the first camera unit or the second camera unit.

In the above device, the welding image captured by the first camera unit may be an image with an angle of view set to one of 20 degrees to 40 degrees, and the welding image captured by the second camera unit may be an image with an angle of view set to one of 80 degrees to 120 degrees.

According to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, a method comprises: a step of receiving a sensor value from a sensor detecting a welding area; a step of controlling one of a first camera unit and a second camera unit arranged adjacent to the sensor to operate based on the received sensor value; and a step of obtaining a welding image with an adjusted angle of view from one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit.

The present invention can provide a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the above method.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims and detailed description of the invention.

According to the present invention, even in an environment where various welding processes are performed, a welding area can be photographed and a welding image can be provided to a worker without replacing equipment.

In addition, according to the present invention, in an environment where the welding process and movement of the worker alternate, the convenience of the worker can be maximized.

In addition, according to the present invention, the welding efficiency of the worker can be maximized and the safety of the worker can be secured through selective activation processing for the two cameras.

FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the structure of a welding system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of a welding system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating modules included in the first processor described in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining an example of a control process applied to multiple cameras in the present invention.
Figure 5 is a drawing for explaining and comparing the first image and the second image.
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a control process of a welding image processing device according to an embodiment different from the embodiment described in FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a welding image processing method according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining an example of the appearance of a welding image processing device according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method different from the embodiment described in FIG. 7.

The present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. The effects and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be implemented in various forms.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. When describing with reference to the drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same drawing reference numerals and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In the examples below, the terms first, second, etc. are not used in a limiting sense but are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

In the examples below, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the following examples, terms such as “include” or “have” mean that a feature or component described in the specification is present, and do not exclude in advance the possibility that one or more other features or components may be added.

In some embodiments, where the embodiments are otherwise feasible, a particular process sequence may be performed in a different order than the order described. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously, or in a reverse order from the order described.

FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the structure of a welding system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the welding system of the present invention may include a welding image processing device (100) and a welding torch (200). The welding image processing device (100) and the welding torch (200) may be connected to each other through a communication network to transmit and receive data. The welding image processing device (100) and the welding torch (200) may be operated in a 1:1 matching manner, but is not limited thereto, and a 1:n relationship is possible. That is, n welding torches (200) may be connected to 1 welding image processing device (100) and implemented, and n welding image processing devices (100) may be connected to 1 welding torch (200). In addition, the welding image processing device (100) and the welding torch (200) may communicate with a separate server (not shown) to transmit and receive data.

The welding image processing device (100) can provide information about the welding situation to the worker. Specifically, the welding image processing device (100) can obtain a welding image obtained by using at least one camera module included in the camera section of the welding image processing device (100), generate a composite image based on the obtained welding image, and display the obtained image to the worker. At this time, the welding image processing device (100) can generate a composite image by using HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, and can display and provide a high-quality composite image and/or composite image to the worker. At this time, the worker can visually confirm information about the shape of the welding bead and the surrounding environment other than the part adjacent to the welding light through the high-quality composite image.

The welding image processing device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can obtain images through a camera unit and display each image through at least one display unit in order to synthesize and provide a high-quality welding image. At this time, the welding image processing device (100) can synthesize images by repeatedly shooting images with different shutter speeds, ISO sensitivity, and gain values of each camera. The welding image processing device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can improve image quality through contrast processing of the acquired synthesized image.

In addition, the welding image processing device (100) of the present invention can provide a function of displaying welding information in a preferred color (e.g., green, blue) using RGB. In addition, the welding image processing device (100) of the present invention can provide a magnifying glass degree correction function (e.g., screen enlargement and reduction). In addition, the welding image processing device (100) of the present invention can provide a temperature synthesis image using a separate thermal imaging camera. At this time, the welding image processing device (100) can display the welding temperature in color. The welding image processing device (100) of the present invention can support a function of providing all of the above-described functions as sound (e.g., guidance alarm) or guidance voice.

A welding torch (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention can detect a welding situation including a welding temperature, a welding direction, a welding inclination, a welding speed, and a gap between a workpiece and a welding torch for real-time welding work through at least one sensor. The welding torch (200) can monitor the status of the torch and change the setting value of the torch work according to the welding situation.

The welding image processing device (100) of the present invention can receive information on work settings and work status from the welding torch (200) through a communication network connected to the welding torch (200), and can provide work information to the worker through visual feedback based on the received welding information.

For example, when the welding image processing device (100) receives sensing information on a welding temperature value, it can output a notification corresponding to the temperature value in various ways, such as light, vibration, or a message. At this time, the notification can be visual feedback provided on the display unit or display of the welding image processing device (100), or auditory feedback through sound (e.g., a guidance alarm) or guidance voice.

Meanwhile, sensing information about the temperature value may include information about whether it exceeds a preset temperature range, etc. In addition, sensing information about the temperature value may include a numerical value, grade, level, etc. corresponding to the temperature value of the welding surface.

The welding image processing device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can guide the worker to stop work if it is determined that the temperature values of the torch and the welding surface are outside the preset temperature range. In the case of welding outside the preset temperature range, there is a risk of quality deterioration, and thus the worker can be guided to adjust the temperature value of the torch.

When the current or voltage state of the welding torch (200) is detected as abnormal, the welding image processing device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can provide visual feedback for a warning.

At this time, the visual feedback may be to provide an icon indicating danger in a part of the display area of the welding image processing device (100) displaying the work site. As another example, the welding image processing device (100) may provide work stoppage guidance through visual feedback by repeatedly increasing and decreasing the saturation of the entire display screen for a specific color (e.g., red).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the welding image processing device (100) can sense welding information through a sensor (e.g., a first sensor) included in the welding image processing device (100) in addition to at least one sensor (e.g., a second sensor) included in the welding torch (200). At this time, the welding information can detect a welding situation including light intensity, welding temperature, welding direction, welding inclination, welding speed, and a gap between a workpiece and a welding torch, etc. related to real-time welding work, through at least one sensor.

Similarly, the welding image processing device (100) can provide guiding corresponding to the welding information based on the welding information detected through a sensor (e.g., a first sensor) included in the welding image processing device (100).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the welding image processing device (100) can change the operation of the welding torch by sensing a preset user movement or a preset user voice after guidance for stopping work is provided.

In another embodiment, the welding image processing device (100) can obtain the temperature values of the torch and the welding surface through image sensing provided by itself when communication with the welding torch (200) is not smooth. For example, the welding image processing device (100) can obtain the temperature values of the torch and the welding surface based on image data obtained through a thermal imaging camera.

The above-described example only describes the case where the information received from the welding torch (200) is welding temperature information, and the welding image processing device (100) can provide various guiding for various welding information.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of a welding system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the welding system (10) may include a welding image processing device (100) and a welding torch (200). The welding image processing device (100) may include a camera unit (110), a lighting unit (112), a communication unit (120), a display unit (130), a first processor (150), and a sensor unit (140), and the welding torch (200) may include a communication unit (210), a sensor unit (220), and a second processor (230).

The camera unit (110) may include at least one camera module, for example, the camera module may include a camera for capturing images of a welding work site. The camera unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a camera positioned adjacent to the display unit (130) of the welding image processing device (100). For example, the first camera and the second camera of the camera unit (110) may be mounted symmetrically on one area of the front of the welding image processing device (100), respectively.

The camera unit (110) receives a control command from the first processor (150) and, in response to the control command, changes settings such as shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, and gain to capture a welding work site. The camera unit (110) may include a first camera and a second camera, each of which may capture a welding work site using different shooting settings.

The camera unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be included in an area of the front of the display unit (130), and may have a structure in which a light shielding cartridge is positioned in front of a lens that receives light from a subject.

The automatic shading cartridge can block welding light generated when a worker performs welding. That is, the automatic shading cartridge (not shown) can increase the shading level of the cartridge by blackening based on welding light information detected by a sensor unit (140), for example, a photo sensor. At this time, the automatic shading cartridge can include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel whose blackening level can be adjusted according to the alignment direction of liquid crystals. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be implemented with various panels such as a VA (Vertical Align) type LCD, a TN (Twist Nematic) type LCD, and an IPS (In Plane Switching) type LCD.

The blackening degree of the automatic shading cartridge can be automatically adjusted according to the brightness of the welding light. As described above, when automatically adjusted according to the brightness of the welding light, the sensor unit (140) can be used. The sensor unit (140) detects the intensity of the welding light to obtain welding light information, and transmits information about the intensity of the welding light included in the welding light information as a predetermined electrical signal to the first processor (150) to be described later, so that the first processor (150) can control the blackening degree based on the intensity of the welding light.

That is, the automatic shading cartridge (not shown) can change the shading intensity of the panel in real time to correspond to the intensity of light generated from the welding surface at the welding work site, and the camera unit (110) can capture a welding image with a certain amount of welding light blocked by the automatic shading cartridge installed on the front.

The camera unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a thermal imaging camera. The welding image processing device (100) may obtain a temperature image by synthesizing a thermal image obtained through the thermal imaging camera with an image of a welding site.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a lighting unit (112) electrically connected to the first processor (150) may be further included. The lighting unit (112) is located outside the welding image processing device (100) and is configured to irradiate light at least toward a welding work area. The lighting unit (112) may include a plurality of LED modules, and the output level of light irradiated through the lighting unit (112) may be adjusted by the control of the first processor (150). According to one embodiment, the lighting unit (112) may operate in conjunction with the operation of the camera unit (110) according to the control of the first processor (150). More specific embodiments will be described later.

The communication unit (120) is configured to receive welding information from the welding torch (200) and transmit a command to control the welding torch (200). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit (120) can transmit a composite image to an external device other than the welding torch (200). At this time, the external device can include various devices including a communication module, such as a smartphone or computer of a worker/third party.

The communication unit (120) may be configured to perform communication with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. The communication unit (120) may include at least one of a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a wireless communication chip, and an NFC chip. In particular, when a Wi-Fi chip or a Bluetooth chip is used, various connection information such as an SSID and a session key may be first transmitted and received, and then communication may be established using the information, and then various pieces of information may be transmitted and received. The wireless communication chip refers to a chip that performs communication according to various communication standards such as IEEE, Zigbee, 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), and LTE (Long Term Evolution). The NFC chip refers to a chip that operates in the NFC (Near Field Communication) method using a 13.56MHz band among various RF-ID frequency bands such as 135kHz, 13.56MHz, 433MHz, 860~960MHz, and 2.45GHz.

The display unit (130) is configured to provide a high-definition composite image to the operator. Specifically, the display unit (130) may be implemented in the form of goggle glasses including a display that displays a composite image obtained by synthesizing an image acquired through the camera unit (110) to the operator.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rear portion of the display unit (130), i.e., the portion facing the operator, may include a display for displaying a high-definition image to the operator, and an eyepiece and an eyepiece for viewing the display.

The display included in the display unit (130) can display a high-definition composite image so that the worker can visually check the surrounding environment (e.g., the shape of the welding bead that has already been worked on) other than the area adjacent to the welding light. In addition, the display unit (130) can guide the worker with visual feedback on the welding progress status (e.g., the welding progress direction).

The display included in the display unit (130) may be implemented with various display technologies such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), LED (Light-Emitting Diode), LcoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), or DLP (Digital Light Processing). In this case, the display according to one embodiment of the present invention is implemented with a panel made of an opaque material, and the operator may not be directly exposed to harmful light. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the display may be provided as a transparent display.

The sensor unit (140) may include a plurality of sensor modules configured to detect various information about the welding site and obtain welding information. At this time, the welding information may include welding temperature, welding direction, welding inclination, welding speed, and the gap between the mother material and the welding torch for real-time welding work. Furthermore, the sensor unit (140) may include a light sensor module configured to detect light intensity at least within the welding work area.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit (140) may include an illuminance sensor, and at this time, the sensor unit (140) may obtain information on the intensity of welding light at a welding site. In addition to the illuminance sensor, the sensor unit (140) may further include various types of sensors such as a proximity sensor, a noise sensor (a video sensor), an ultrasonic sensor, and an RF sensor, and may detect various changes related to a welding work environment.

The first processor (150) can generate a high-quality composite image by synthesizing welding image frames received through the camera unit (110). The first processor (150) can obtain a composite image by synthesizing frames acquired in time order in parallel while setting different shooting conditions for each frame by the camera unit (110). Specifically, the first processor (150) can control the camera unit (110) to take pictures by changing the shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, and gain of the camera unit (110).

At this time, the first processor (150) can set the shooting conditions differently according to conditions such as the welding light, ambient light, and the degree of movement of the welding torch (200) at the sensed welding site. Specifically, the first processor (150) can set the shooting conditions so that the ISO sensitivity and gain are reduced as the welding light and/or ambient light at the welding site are high. In addition, the shooting conditions can be set so that the shutter speed is increased when the movement and/or working speed of the welding torch (200) is detected to be fast.

The first processor (150) can synthesize images of a preset number of frames in parallel. According to one embodiment of the present invention, each image within the preset frames may be captured under different shooting conditions.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first processor (150) can control shooting by setting shooting conditions of each camera unit differently when there are two or more camera units (110). In this case as well, the first processor (150) can synthesize images of a preset number of frames in parallel.

In addition, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the first processor (150) receives a sensor value from the welding device, sets the shooting mode of the camera module to the first mode or the second mode based on the sensor value, and obtains an image frame for the welding portion from the camera module, and when the shooting mode of the camera module is set to the first mode, an infrared image frame for the welding portion can be obtained.

The first processor (150) can control the overall operation of the welding image processing device (100) using various programs stored in the memory (not shown). For example, the first processor (150) can include a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a system bus. Here, the ROM is a configuration in which a command set for system booting is stored, and the CPU copies the operating system stored in the memory of the welding image processing device (100) to the RAM according to the command stored in the ROM, and executes the O/S to boot the system. When booting is complete, the CPU can copy various applications stored in the memory to the RAM and execute them to perform various operations. In the above, the first processor (150) has been described as including only one CPU, but it can be implemented with multiple CPUs (or DSPs, SoCs, etc.) when implemented.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first processor (150) may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing a digital signal, a microprocessor, and/or a time controller (TCON). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, or may be defined by the corresponding terms. In addition, the first processor (150) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) having a processing algorithm built-in, a large scale integration (LSI), or may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

The welding torch (200) may include a communication unit (210), a sensor unit (220), and a second processor (230).

The communication unit (210) transmits and receives data with the welding image processing device (100). The communication unit (210) may include a module capable of short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth, Wifi, Wifi-Direct) or long-range wireless communication (3G, HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) or LTE (Long Term Evolution)).

The sensor unit (220) or the second sensor is included in the welding torch and is configured to sense welding conditions such as welding temperature, welding speed, welding inclination, welding direction, and the gap between the workpiece and the welding torch.

The sensor unit (220) can detect at least one of various changes, such as a change in the posture of a user holding a welding torch (200), a change in the illuminance of a welding surface, a change in the acceleration of the welding torch (200), etc., and transmit an electrical signal corresponding thereto to the second processor (230). That is, the sensor unit (220) can detect a state change that occurs based on the welding torch (200), generate a detection signal accordingly, and transmit the same to the second processor (230).

In the present disclosure, the sensor unit (220) may be composed of various sensors, and when the welding torch (200) is driven (or based on user settings), power may be supplied to at least one preset sensor according to control to detect a change in the status of the welding torch (200).

In this case, the sensor unit (220) may be configured to include at least one of all types of sensing devices capable of detecting a change in the state of the welding torch (200). For example, the sensor unit (220) may be configured to include at least one sensor of various sensing devices such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, an illuminance sensor, a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, a noise sensor, a video sensor, a gravity sensor, etc. The light intensity within the welding work area detected by the light intensity sensor of the welding torch (200) can be transmitted to the first processor (150) through the communication unit (210), and the first processor (150) can control the lighting unit (112) and/or the camera unit (110) based on the light intensity transmitted through the light intensity sensor of the welding torch (200) without going through the sensor unit (140) of the welding image processing device (100).

Meanwhile, the acceleration sensor is a component for detecting the movement of the welding torch (200). Specifically, the acceleration sensor can measure dynamic forces such as acceleration, vibration, and impact of the welding torch (200), and thus can measure the movement of the welding torch (200).

The gravity sensor is a component for detecting the direction in which gravity is directed. That is, the detection result of the gravity sensor can be used to determine the movement of the welding torch (200) together with the acceleration sensor. In addition, the direction in which the welding torch (200) is held can be determined through the gravity sensor.

In addition to the types of sensors described above, the welding torch (200) may further include various types of sensors such as a gyroscope sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and an RF sensor, and may detect various changes related to the welding work environment.

The names of each module included in the welding image processing device (100) and the welding torch (200) of FIG. 2 are arbitrarily named to intuitively explain the representative functions performed by each module, and when the welding image processing device (100) and the welding torch (200) are actually implemented, each module may be given a different name than the name described in FIG. 2.

In addition, the number of modules included in the welding image processing device (100) and the welding torch (200) of FIG. 2 may vary from embodiment to embodiment. More specifically, the welding image processing device (100) of FIG. 2 includes a total of six sub-modules, but the six sub-modules may be implemented in a form in which at least two modules are integrated into one module, or at least one module is separated into two or more modules, depending on the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating modules included in the first processor described in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the first processor (150) includes a sensor value receiving unit (151), a camera driving control unit (152), and a welding image acquisition unit (153). For convenience of explanation, the following description will be given with reference to FIG. 2, and any explanation that is redundant with the content already explained in FIG. 2 will be omitted.

The first processor (150) of the welding image processing device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor value receiving unit (151), a camera driving control unit (152), and a welding image obtaining unit (153). According to some embodiments, the sub-modules of the first processor (150) described above may be selectively combined with modules other than the first processor (150) and may be excluded from the first processor (150).

The sensor value receiving unit (151), the camera driving control unit (152), and the welding image acquisition unit (153) included in the first processor (150) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be driven in a form included in a hardware device such as a microprocessor or a general-purpose computer system. The names of each module included in the first processor (150) are arbitrarily named to intuitively explain the functions performed by each module, and when the first processor (150) is actually implemented, each module may be given a name different from the name described in FIG. 3.

In addition, the number of modules included in the first processor (150) of FIG. 3 may vary depending on the embodiment. More specifically, the first processor (150) of FIG. 3 includes a total of three modules, but depending on the embodiment, at least two or more modules may be integrated into one module, or at least one or more modules may be implemented in a form in which they are separated into two or more modules.

The sensor value receiving unit (151) is a module compatible with the sensor unit (140), and can perform a function of receiving the output sensor signal when the sensor unit (140) senses a specific external stimulus that is defined in advance, processes it into a signal, and outputs it. The sensor included in the sensor unit (140) may be one of an image sensor, a photo sensor, and a welding fume sensor, but is not limited thereto. In particular, the welding fume sensor is a sensor that detects fume generated when a MIG welding process is performed, and specifically, may be a sensor that detects at least one of the amount of welding fume and the components of the welding fume to calculate a sensor value (sensor signal).

The camera driving control unit (152) can control the driving of the camera included in the camera unit (110). More specifically, the camera unit (110) of the welding image processing device (100) according to the present invention can be at least two, and each camera unit (110) can photograph the same welding area and generate welding images having different characteristics. For example, the camera driving control unit (152) can continuously generate welding images having different characteristics by selectively activating only one of two different cameras. The operating characteristics of the camera driving control unit (152) will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

The welding image acquisition unit (153) can acquire an image captured by the camera unit (110). The image acquired by the welding image acquisition unit (153) is processed into a final image through a series of filtering processes, and the final image is output to a display unit (130) that the worker can observe with the naked eye, so that the worker can easily perform the welding work.

The sensor value receiving unit (151), the camera driving control unit (152), and the welding image obtaining unit (153) described above are connected by wires or wirelessly to communicate, and can operate in conjunction with each other according to a series of processes. For example, the sensor value receiving unit (151) receives a sensor signal output by the sensor of the sensor unit (140) and transmits it to the camera driving control unit (152), and the camera driving control unit (152) reads the sensor signal and controls only one of the cameras included in each of the plurality of camera units (110) to photograph the welding area, and the welding image obtaining unit (153) can operate in a manner of communicating with the camera unit (110) to obtain the generated welding image. The description above describes a method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the sensor value receiving unit (151), the camera driving control unit (152), and the welding image obtaining unit (153) may operate in a manner different from the description above, depending on the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining an example of a control process applied to multiple cameras in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for easily explaining the operation of a welding image processing device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 highlights the components necessary for the operation of the welding image processing device.

First, the panel (405) is physically attached to a sensor (410) that detects the welding area and performs the function of transmitting light (490) incident from the welding area to the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470).

The sensor (410) is attached to the front of the panel (405), senses the welding area, and performs the function of transmitting the sensing result to the AP (430). The welding area is usually located in the opposite direction to where the light (490) is incident, but since the type and number of the sensors (410) are not limited to a specific type and number, the direction of the welding area is also not limited to a specific direction. As an example, the sensor (410) may be one of an image sensor, a photo sensor, and a welding fume sensor, as described above.

AP (430) is an application processor that controls the operation of the welding image processing device. The first processor (150) described above can be an example of AP (430). AP (430) receives a sensing result (sensor value) from sensor (410) and controls the operation of the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470).

Referring to FIG. 4, the AP (430) can perform a control to turn OFF the power of the first camera unit (450) and turn ON the power of the second camera unit (470), and it can be seen that the camera included in the second camera unit (470) generates an image of the welding area based on the light (490) passing through the panel (405) and transmits the image to the AP (430). According to an embodiment, the AP (430) can perform a control to turn OFF the power of the second camera unit (470) and turn ON the power of the first camera unit (450) so as to acquire the image generated by the first camera unit (450).

As an optional embodiment, the AP (430) may change only the active state of the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470) while keeping the power of the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470) turned ON. For example, the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470) may operate in a sleep mode, and according to a control signal received from the AP (430), only the first camera unit (450) may switch to a wake-up mode to photograph the welding area and transmit the generated image to the AP (430). According to this optional embodiment, when the power of the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470) is not completely turned OFF, only a specific camera unit may be quickly woken up by receiving a control signal from the AP (430) to generate an image, so that the delay in the control process may be minimized.

The first camera unit (450) includes a camera that processes information included in incident light (490) into visualization information, and can generate an image of a welding area. Hereinafter, an image generated by the first camera included in the first camera unit (450) will be referred to as a first image. The first camera included in the first camera unit (450) may be a device that receives light in the infrared range (wavelength of 780 nm to 880 nm) and generates an image according to the received light. Specifically, the angle of view of the lens of the first camera included in the first camera unit (450) may be a value selected from 20 degrees to 40 degrees, and as a preferred example, the lens of the first camera may be a telephoto lens having an angle of view of 30 degrees. The first image is transmitted to the AP (430) and then processed by various filters, and the user can check the final filtered first image through the display unit (130), thereby safely and accurately performing the welding work.

In particular, in the MIG welding process, since welding fume is generated and the operator's field of vision is not secured, an infrared-based image must be provided to the operator so that the operator can observe the welding area even in a situation where the field of vision is not secured due to welding fume. That is, the present invention can control the first camera to generate an infrared-based image by deactivating the second camera unit (470) and activating only the first camera unit (450) during the MIG welding process.

The second camera unit (470) includes a second camera that processes information included in incident light (490) into visualization information and can generate an image including a welding area. Hereinafter, the image generated by the second camera included in the second camera unit (470) will be referred to as a second image. The second camera included in the second camera unit (470) may be a device that receives light in the visible light range (wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm) and generates an image according to the received light. Specifically, the angle of view of the lens of the second camera included in the second camera unit (470) may be a value selected from 80 degrees to 120 degrees, and as a preferred example, the lens of the second camera may be a wide-angle lens having an angle of view of 100 degrees. By checking the second image through the display unit (130), the user can secure a wide field of view of the surrounding space and demonstrate cognitive agility when welding work is not in progress.

Figure 5 is a drawing for explaining and comparing the first image and the second image.

Fig. 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 4.

Figure 5 (A) schematically shows the operation when the AP (430) turns off the power of the first camera unit (450) and turns on the power of the second camera unit (470) to acquire a second image.

Fig. 5(B) is an example of a second image acquired through the operation of Fig. 5(A). The image of Fig. 5(B) is a visible light-based image, and is an image captured by a lens having a wide angle of view (a value selected from 80 degrees to 120 degrees), and includes many surrounding objects centered on the welding area. As an example, the image of Fig. 5(B) may be a FHD 60fps (frame per second) image.

The second image shown in (B) of Fig. 5 is useful when a welding operation is not being performed by a user. The user wears a helmet-shaped welding image processing device as shown in Fig. 1 and performs welding operation, and when the welding operation is completed at a designated location, the user must move to perform another welding operation. The welding image processing device according to the present invention provides a wide field of view image composed of natural colors to the user through the display unit (130) when welding is not being performed, thereby preventing an accident in which the user collides with another object or falls.

Figure 5 (C) schematically shows the operation when the AP (430) turns on the power of the first camera unit (450) and turns off the power of the second camera unit (470) to acquire the first image.

Fig. 5(D) is an example of a first image acquired through the operation of Fig. 5(C). The image of Fig. 5(D) is an infrared-based image, and is an image captured by a lens having a relatively narrow angle of view (a value selected from 20 degrees to 40 degrees) compared to Fig. 5(B), and only focuses on the welding area. As an example, the image of Fig. 5(D) may be an FHD 30fps image.

The first image shown in (D) of Fig. 5 is useful when a welding operation is performed by a user. The welding image processing device according to the present invention provides a filtered image with a narrow field of view to the user through the display unit (130) when welding is performed, thereby improving the concentration of the user on the welding operation.

In the present invention, the image is a concept that includes both a still image and a moving image, and since the moving image is also a concept that continuously plays back still images through a certain frame rate, the welding image generated by the first camera unit (450) and the second camera unit (470) can include both a still image of one frame and a moving image composed of multiple frames.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a control process of a welding image processing device according to an embodiment different from the embodiment described in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 6, the first panel (605), the sensor (610), the AP (630), the first camera unit (650), the second camera unit (670), and the light (690) correspond to the panel (405), the sensor (410), the AP (430), the first camera unit (450), the second camera unit (470), and the light (490) described in FIG. 4, and any duplicate description will be omitted below.

The switching control unit (635) can switch the state in which the lenses of the first camera unit (650) and the second camera unit (670) are exposed to incident light (690) according to the control signal of the AP (630).

AP (630) can indirectly control the first camera unit (650) and the second camera unit (670) through the switching control unit (635), thereby allowing light (690) incident only on the first camera of the first camera unit (650) to be received. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a first image is generated from the first camera unit (650) and transmitted to AP (630), and the second camera unit (670) does not receive light (690) through the second panel (675), and thus cannot generate a second image.

In FIG. 6, both the first camera unit (650) and the second camera unit (670) remain activated, and the lenses are opened toward the welding area, but the relative positions with respect to the first panel (605) and the second panel (675) are physically adjusted by the switching control unit (635), so that only the first image or the second image can be generated and transmitted to the AP (630). According to the method described in FIGS. 4 to 6, since the first image and the second image are not generated and acquired at the same time, an operation for determining the type of image to be output to the display unit (130) can be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a welding image processing method according to the present invention.

Since the method according to Fig. 7 can be implemented by the welding image processing device (100) described in Figs. 2 and 3, the following description will be given with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, and any description that overlaps with the content already described will be omitted. In addition, unless specifically limited, the processor is considered to refer to the first processor (150) of Fig. 2.

The sensor value receiving unit (151) of the processor receives the sensor value from the sensor of the sensor unit (140) (S710).

The camera drive control unit (152) of the processor determines whether welding work is in progress based on the received sensor value (S720).

When welding work is in progress (S730), the camera drive control unit (152) of the processor controls the drive of the first camera unit and the second camera unit so that the welding image acquisition unit (153) can acquire a welding image with a narrow angle of view through the first camera unit (S740).

The camera drive control unit (152) of the processor controls the drive of the first camera unit and the second camera unit if welding work is not in progress, so that the welding image acquisition unit (153) can acquire a surrounding image with a wide angle of view through the second camera unit (S750).

FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining an example of the appearance of a welding image processing device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the welding image processing device (100) includes a main body (160), a display unit (130) installed on the front of the main body (160), and a camera unit (110) mounted on the outside of the main body. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 8, the welding image processing device (100) may further include a lighting unit (112), a communication unit (120), a sensor unit (140), and a processor (150), as described above with reference to FIG. 2.

The camera unit (110) may be implemented with one or more cameras. For example, if the camera unit (110) is implemented with a single camera, the single camera may be placed in one area of the main body (160). As another example, if the camera unit (110) is implemented with a plurality of cameras, the camera unit (110) may be symmetrically placed in one area of the main body (160). However, the position where the camera unit (110) is placed in the welding image processing device (100) is not limited to a specific position. In addition, if necessary, the camera unit (110) may be implemented in a detachable form by changing the position.

The front part of the display part (130) may be an external area (as shown in FIG. 1) corresponding to the direction in which the welding work is performed. Conversely, the rear part of the display part (130) may be an internal area corresponding to the direction of the worker's face.

In addition, the sensor unit (140) includes at least one of an image sensor, a photo sensor, and a welding fume sensor. For example, the image sensor may be included in the camera unit (110) or may be positioned adjacent to the camera unit (110). In addition, the photo sensor may be included in the cartridge or may be positioned adjacent to the cartridge. Accordingly, the sensor included in the sensor unit (140) can accurately detect various material properties emitted from the welding area viewed by the camera unit (110).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method different from the embodiment described in FIG. 7.

The method according to Fig. 9 can be implemented by the welding image processing device described in Figs. 2 and 3, and below, for convenience of explanation, the description will be based on the first processor (150).

The first processor (150) receives a sensor value from the sensor (S910).

The first processor (150) deactivates one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit based on the received sensor value (S930).

The first processor (150) controls the camera that was not deactivated in step S930 to generate a welding image (S950).

The first processor (150) acquires the generated welding image and controls the acquired welding image to be output to a display unit that can be visually confirmed by the worker (S970). In step S970, the display unit may be implemented in a form included in a welding image processing device mounted on the head of the worker as shown in Fig. 8, or may be implemented in a form located at a certain distance from the worker through wired or wireless communication.

As an optional embodiment, the welding image processing device according to the present invention may operate in a default mode in which only the second camera is activated and operates when welding is not detected by the sensor, and in which only the first camera is activated the moment welding is detected, thereby automatically obtaining a welding work image with a narrow angle of view. In particular, the welding image processing device according to the present invention includes a structure to be mounted on the entire face of the user, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, and therefore, it is necessary to supplement the point where the user's naked eye cannot secure a field of view, but the user can safely perform welding work and move around by the above-described process.

In addition, according to the present invention, in an environment where the welding process and movement of the worker alternate, the convenience of the worker can be maximized.

In addition, according to the present invention, the welding efficiency of the worker can be maximized and the safety of the worker can be secured through selective activation processing for the two cameras.

The embodiments of the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. At this time, the medium may include a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, and a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM and a DVD, a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk, and a hardware device specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, and the like.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be one that is specifically designed and constructed for the present invention or one that is known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer programs may include not only machine language codes created by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

The specific implementations described in the present invention are only exemplary embodiments and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. For the sake of brevity of the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connections or lack of connections of lines between components illustrated in the drawings are merely exemplary of functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and may be replaced or represented as various additional functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections in an actual device. In addition, if there is no specific mention such as “essential,” “important,” etc., it may not be a component absolutely necessary for the application of the present invention.

The use of the term “above” and similar referential terms in the specification of the present invention (especially in the claims) may be in both singular and plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, it is intended to include inventions that apply individual values belonging to the range (unless otherwise stated), and it is the same as describing each individual value constituting the range in the detailed description of the invention. Finally, unless the order of the steps constituting the method according to the present invention is explicitly stated or otherwise stated to the contrary, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. The invention is not necessarily limited by the order in which the steps are described. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (e.g., etc.) in the present invention is merely intended to describe the invention in detail, and the scope of the invention is not limited by the examples or exemplary terms unless otherwise defined by the claims. In addition, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, combinations, and alterations may be made according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

100: Welding image processing device
110: Camera section
112: Lighting Department
120: Communications Department
130: Display section
140: Sensor section
150: 1st processor
200: Welding Torch
210: Communications Department
220: Sensor
230: Second Processor

Claims (8)

A sensor that detects the welding area and generates welding information based on the detection results;
A first camera unit and a second camera unit are positioned adjacent to the sensor and are installed toward the welding area with a panel in between to photograph the welding area with light passing through the panel; and
Contains a processor,
The above processor,
By performing switching control of the first camera unit and the second camera unit, a welding image is obtained from one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit.
Based on the welding information received from the above sensor, the progress of MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is determined,
When the above MIG welding is in progress, only the first camera part is activated and controlled so that the first welding image is captured at an angle of view set to one of 20 degrees to 40 degrees.
A welding image processing device that, when the above MIG welding is not in progress, activates only the second camera unit to control the second welding image to be captured with an angle of view set to one of 80 degrees to 120 degrees, thereby acquiring one of the first welding image and the second welding image. In the first paragraph,
A welding image processing device further comprising a display unit that outputs the welding image. In the first paragraph,
The above sensor,
It's a photo sensor,
The above processor,
A welding image processing device that determines whether welding is in progress at the welding area based on the sensor value of the above photo sensor. In the first paragraph,
The lenses of the first camera unit and the second camera unit are opened toward the welding area,
The above processor,
A welding image processing device that switches one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit from sleep mode to wake-up mode. In the first paragraph,
The above sensor,
A fume sensor that detects fume generated at the above welding site.
Welding image processing device. delete A step of receiving a sensor value from a sensor detecting a welding area;
A step of controlling one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit positioned adjacent to the sensor to operate based on the received sensor value; and
A step of obtaining a welding image with an adjusted angle of view from one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit is included.
The step of obtaining the above welding image is:
By performing switching control of the first camera unit and the second camera unit, a welding image is obtained from one of the first camera unit and the second camera unit.
Based on the above sensor values, the progress of MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is determined,
When the above MIG welding is in progress, only the first camera part is activated and controlled so that the first welding image is captured at an angle of view set to one of 20 degrees to 40 degrees.
A welding image processing method, wherein, if the above MIG welding is not in progress, only the second camera unit is activated and a second welding image having a field of view set to one of 80 degrees and 120 degrees is controlled to be captured, thereby obtaining one of the first welding image and the second welding image. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to Article 7.

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