"The first report of digitally combining multiple pictures of the same scene to improve dynamic range appears to be Mann [Mann 1993]." [JEI 12(2), p220].Mann's HDR and Panoramics inventions (extending dynamic range by combining multiple exposures of the same subject matter) are both now used in or with nearly every commercially produced camera including the Apple iPhone.
Whereas other breakthroughs in welding helments, like 3M's Speedglas, provide global auto-darkening, the MannGlas helmet provides HDR vision. This means the user can see the welding arc plus also the weld pudle and surrounding material all very clearly, including being able to see in complete darkness the surroundings well beyond the area being welded.
Related invention:
HDR (High Dynamic Range) Imaging and CCRF (Comparametric Camera Response Function):