Light Shield Cartridge and HDR Imaging for Welding Camera Ghosting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Camera systems in welding processes struggle to generate high-quality images due to ghosting caused by strong welding light reflections and difficulty in recognizing the surrounding environment, necessitating improved image resolution and ghosting reduction.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a camera system with a light shield cartridge structure containing a blackening filter and neutral density filter, along with an anti-reflection coating layer, to control unwanted light reflections and enhance image capture, combined with high dynamic range (HDR) technology to synthesize high-resolution images.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a camera system captures welding images directly without light shielding, then the welding light intensity is sufficient for exposure, but ghosting occurs due to strong light source reflection from lens or sensor surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding light intensityVSAvoidghosting
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A light shield cartridge structure is introduced as an intermediary component between the camera and welding light source. This structure includes a blackening filter and anti-reflection coating layer that selectively block harmful welding light while allowing necessary illumination, thereby preventing ghosting without completely eliminating light

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The anti-reflection coating layer changes the optical parameters of the lens surface by reducing reflectivity through a specialized coating. This parameter change minimizes light reflection from the lens and sensor surface, directly addressing the ghosting problem while maintaining image quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the camera system uses a light shield to block welding light, then ghosting is reduced, but the surrounding environment becomes difficult to recognize

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveghostingVSAvoidenvironmental information
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The light shield cartridge structure applies selective light blocking properties - the blackening filter and anti-reflection coating are designed to block welding light specifically while maintaining transparency to other wavelengths. This local quality approach ensures that harmful light is blocked while environmental information remains visible

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The light shield cartridge combines multiple materials with different optical properties: a blackening filter material for absorbing welding light and an anti-reflection coating material for reducing surface reflection. This composite structure achieves both ghosting reduction and environmental visibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Measurement precision

If multiple image frames are synthesized using HDR technology, then image resolution and clarity are improved, but processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage resolutionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The light shield cartridge structure performs preliminary light filtering before image capture, reducing the need for extensive post-processing. By blocking harmful light in advance, the system captures cleaner images that require less processing time while maintaining high resolution through HDR synthesis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively reduces ghosting and enhances image clarity, allowing accurate determination of the welding environment and status through high-resolution images.

Implementation Method 1

a blackening filter and an anti-reflection coating layer disposed on at least one surface of the blackening filter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAnti-reflection coating: Anti-Reflective Coating

Implementation Method 2

a light shield disposed between a camera and a light source and including a light shield cartridge structure configured to control light entering the camera

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 3

a neutral density filter disposed in front of the blackening filter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNeutral density filtering: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentEP4654601A1Camera system
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 OTOS WING

AI summary

Provided is a camera system. The camera system includes a light shield disposed between a camera and a light source and including a light shield cartridge structure configured to control light entering the camera, an image capturing portion including the camera configured to obtain a plurality of image frames, and a processor configured to generate a plurality of combined preprocessed images based on two or more image frames selected from the plurality of image frames based on set criteria and synthesize the plurality of combined preprocessed images to generate at least one combined image.