| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080283332 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING AN ANOMALY AND DETERMINING ITS SIZE - A method for detecting an anomaly and measuring its size may include generating a wave signal into a structure being evaluated and collecting at least one of any front and back scattered wave data and any side scattered wave data caused by the wave signal impacting an anomaly. The method may also include processing the at least one front and back scattered wave data and side scattered wave data to measure a size, location, and shape of the anomaly. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090032329 | IMAGING AN ANOMALY USING BACKSCATTERED WAVES - A method for generating an image of an anomaly may include generating a pulse wave into a structure being evaluated from each of a plurality of sensors and collecting any scattered wave data caused by the pulse wave impacting an anomaly. The scattered wave data may be collected by the same sensor that generated the pulse wave or by a different sensor. The method may also include identifying any backscattered wave data from a distal edge or border of any anomaly relative to a location of the sensor collecting the scattered wave data. The method may additionally include processing the backscattered wave data from each of the sensors collecting the scattered wave data to generate a two dimensional image of any anomaly. The method may further include presenting the two dimensional image of any anomaly. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090048721 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MODELING RESPONSES OF A MATERIAL TO VARIOUS INPUTS - A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for testing a material. A signal is sent into the material using the transmitter. The signal has a frequency range that falls within a selected frequency range to form a transmitted signal. An actual response to the transmitted signal is received at a sensor. A simulated response of the material to the transmitted signal is generated using a functional model capable of modeling responses of the material to different frequency ranges falling within the selected frequency range. The simulated response is compared to the actual response to determine if a change has occurred in the material. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090083004 | VIRTUAL TIME REVERSAL ACOUSTICS FOR STRUCTURALHEALTH MONITORING - A method, apparatus, and computer program product for monitoring structures using virtual time reversal signal processing. In one embodiment, a signal having a frequency range is sent into a structure in a vehicle from a fixed transmitter to form an original transmitted signal. A response to the original transmitted signal is received at a fixed sensor associated with the structure to form a received response. The received response is reversed. The reversed response is processed using a transfer function to simulate propagation of the reversed response from the fixed sensor to the fixed transmitter to form a simulated time reversed response. The simulated time reversed response is a simulation of a response of the fixed transmitter to receiving the reversed response from the fixed sensor. The simulated time reversed response is analyzed to monitor for anomalies associated with the structure. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090093999 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR QUANTIFYING DAMAGE IN A STRUCTURE - A method for quantifying damage in a test structure having a plurality of transducer units coupled to at least one portion of the test structure includes: (a) training an evaluating algorithmic system coupled with the transducer units to establish a trained algorithmic system able to recognize a plurality of characteristics of signals traversing a plurality of paths through a training structure substantially similar to the test structure after the training structure is damaged. Each path is situated between a respective pair of transducer units coupled to the training structure; the plurality of characteristics relates each path to a plurality of physical aspects of the damage. A trained algorithmic system is employed to recognize the plurality of characteristics of signals traversing paths in the test structure to effect the quantifying. The plurality of physical aspects includes less than ten physical aspects. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090192729 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE DETERMINATION OF DAMAGE LOCATION - A method for determining the health of a structural element. The method includes providing a plurality of transducer elements arranged and disposed to permit measurement of vibration generated by at least one of the transducer elements at one or more of the other transducers elements. Vibration is induced with at least one transducer element. Vibration is measured at least one other transducer element, where the measured vibration corresponding to a vibratory path. At least one damage index value is calculated for each vibratory path in response to the measured vibration. At least one damage image is generated in response to the damage index value. The damage image assigns damage index values to each vibratory path. A damage location is determined from the damage image. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090306907 | DECOMPOSITION MODE MATCHING CHANGE INDEX - A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for identifying change indices for a structure. In one advantageous embodiment a method receives a response signal in response to a transmission of an interrogation signal into the structure. The response signal is decomposed into a first plurality of modes. The first plurality of modes is compared to a second plurality of modes for a comparison signal to form a comparison. A change index is assigned to the response signal using the comparison. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100036618 | REDUCING THE RINGING OF ACTUATOR ELEMENTS IN ULTRASOUND BASED HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEMS - A method and apparatus are present for monitoring a structure. A signal is sent into the structure, wherein the signal has a limited duration and a varying frequency. A response to the signal is received and the response is compared to a baseline to form a comparison. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100079258 | MODE IDENTIFICATION AND DECOMPOSITION FOR ULTRASONIC SIGNALS - A method is present for processing a signal. A response signal is received from a structure. The response signal is decomposed into a plurality of signals based on a number of characteristics. A mode in the plurality of signals is identified based on a number of known characteristics for the mode, wherein the mode has a velocity. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100299095 | Method and Apparatus for Modeling Responses of a Material to Various Inputs - A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for testing a material. A signal is sent into the material using the transmitter. The signal has a frequency range that falls within a selected frequency range to form a transmitted signal. An actual response to the transmitted signal is received at a sensor. A simulated response of the material to the transmitted signal is generated using a functional model capable of modeling responses of the material to different frequency ranges falling within the selected frequency range. The simulated response is compared to the actual response to determine if a change has occurred in the material. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100319455 | DAMAGE VOLUME AND DEPTH ESTIMATION - In one embodiment, a system to characterize an anomaly in a laminate structure comprises a plurality of actuators to generate a wave signal into a structure being evaluated, a plurality of sensors to collect scattered wave data caused by energy of the wave signal being at least partially reflected or scattered by an anomaly, and a structural health monitoring unit. In some embodiments the structural health monitoring unit executes a scatter imaging algorithm to generate three dimensional image data for the anomaly from the scattered wave data, extracts a scatter volume from the from the scattered wave data, and generates a damage volume estimate and a damage depth estimate from the scattered wave data. Other embodiments may be described. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110132090 | Mode Decomposition of Sound Waves Using Amplitude Matching - The different advantageous embodiments provide a transducer unit, a testing system, and a method for testing a structure. The transducer unit comprises a first segment configured to generate a first electrical signal in response to detecting a plurality of waves propagating in a structure. The transducer unit also comprises a second segment configured to generate a second electrical signal in response to detecting the plurality of waves propagating in the structure. | 06-09-2011 |
