Patents by Inventor Ronald Cecil McFarland

Ronald Cecil McFarland has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7522756
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for processing a radiographic image of a scanned object is disclosed. A pixel offset correction is performed in integer format on the radiographic image using saturation arithmetic to produce an image in integer format with any negative corrected values clipped to a value of zero. The resulting pixels are converted to floating point format and the converted pixels are multiplied by a gain factor. Optionally the resulting pixels are recursively averaged with previous results. The resulting pixels are converted to integer format and the converted pixel values are clamped to a maximum value using saturation arithmetic. Non-functional pixel correction is performed in integer format and the resulting pixel values are clamped to a maximum value using saturation arithmetic. An optional processing path replaces the recursive average by a linear average. The resulting pixel values are optionally filtered to enhance features of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Clifford Bueno, Elizabeth Lokenberg Dixon, Walter Vincent Dixon, Forrest Frank Hopkins, Michael Robert Hopple, Brian Walter Lasiuk, Ronald Cecil McFarland, August David Matula, Robert James Mitchell, Jr., Kevin Layne Moermond, Gregory Alan Mohr
  • Publication number: 20080159477
    Abstract: A method of radiographic inspection of an object includes the steps of: providing a radiation source and a radiation detector located on opposite sides of the object; positioning the radiation detector to receive radiation transmitted through the object from the radiation source; radiographically imaging an region of interest of the object with the radiation source and the radiation detector, using an set of initial imaging parameters, to produce a test image; obtaining at least one quality measurement of the test image; comparing the quality measurement to predetermined image quality limits; and in response to the quality measurement exceeding the predetermined image quality limits, changing at least one of the initial imaging parameters to generate a new set of image parameters. The process may be repeated iteratively until a final set of imaging parameters is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas William Birdwell, Ralph Gerald Isaacs, Joseph M. Portaz, Ronald Cecil McFarland
  • Patent number: 7272254
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying flaws in a part being inspected includes generating a 3-d representation of the part, the 3-d representation comprising 3-d spatial coordinates corresponding to different locations on the part, and registering the 3-d spatial coordinates with corresponding locations of a part being inspected. An image of the part being inspected is generated, and a flaw in the part being inspected is identified from the generated image. A location of the flaw is correlated to a corresponding 3-d spatial coordinate, and a device is controlled to perform an operation on the part being inspected at the flaw location using information of the corresponding 3-d spatial coordinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Suneel Tumkur Shankarappa, Gregory Alan Mohr, Mysore Siddu Dinesh, Brian Walter Lasiuk, Ronald Cecil McFarland, Elizabeth Lokenberg Dixon
  • Patent number: 7194474
    Abstract: An NDE test data record management system is provided. The test data record management system can include a format conversion server, a local archiving server, a cataloging server, an image and data cache server, and an image query and review station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas William Birdwell, Joseph Benjamin Ross, Ronald Cecil McFarland, Christopher Reynolds Hammond
  • Patent number: 7065176
    Abstract: A system and method to inspect a component is disclosed. The system to inspect a component may include an x-ray source to direct an x-ray beam through the component and an x-ray detector to detect the x-ray beam after passing through the component. A processor may be included to transform coordinates on an x-ray detection panel of the x-ray detector that detect any defects to a digital representation of locations on the component of any defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Moermond, Andy Joseph Galish, John Robert Brehm, Francis Howard Little, Dean Fredrich Graber, Michael Timothy La Tulippe, Ronald Cecil McFarland
  • Publication number: 20040240607
    Abstract: A system and method to inspect a component is disclosed. The system to inspect a component may include an x-ray source to direct an x-ray beam through the component and an x-ray detector to detect the x-ray beam after passing through the component. A processor may be included to transform coordinates on an x-ray detection panel of the x-ray detector that detect any defects to a digital representation of locations on the component of any defects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kevin Moermond, Andy Joseph Galish, John Robert Brehm, Francis Howard Little, Dean Fredrich Graber, Michael Timothy La Tulippe, Ronald Cecil McFarland
  • Publication number: 20040210586
    Abstract: An NDE test data record management system is provided. The test data record management system can include a format conversion server, a local archiving server, a cataloging server, an image and data cache server, and an image query and review station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Thomas William Birdwell, Joseph Benjamin Ross, Ronald Cecil McFarland, Christopher Reynolds Hammond
  • Patent number: 6614872
    Abstract: A system and method for radiographic inspection of airfoil structure on aircraft includes a radiation source located on one side of the airfoil structure and an X-Y scanning device located on an opposing side of the airfoil structure. The X-Y scanning device is positioned to receive radiation from the radiation source. A radiation detector is mounted on the X-Y scanning device so as to be moveable relative to the airfoil structure along t two mutually orthogonal axes. In operation, the radiation detector is moved in a predetermined raster pattern while the radiation source is emitting radiation. This allows a large area to be inspected with single positioning of the X-Y scanning device, thereby improving throughput. The radiation detector converts impinging radiation into electrical signals, and a computer system processes the signals to generate radiographic images of the airfoil structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Clifford Bueno, Gregory Alan Mohr, Kelly Mark Doyle, Ronald Cecil McFarland
  • Publication number: 20030147493
    Abstract: A system and method for radiographic inspection of airfoil structure on aircraft includes a radiation source located on one side of the airfoil structure and an X-Y scanning device located on an opposing side of the airfoil structure. The X-Y scanning device is positioned to receive radiation from the radiation source. A radiation detector is mounted on the X-Y scanning device so as to be moveable relative to the airfoil structure along two mutually orthogonal axes. In operation, the radiation detector is moved in a predetermined raster pattern while the radiation source is emitting radiation. This allows a large area to be inspected with single positioning of the X-Y scanning device, thereby improving throughput. The radiation detector converts impinging radiation into electrical signals, and a computer system processes the signals to generate radiographic images of the airfoil structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Clifford Bueno, Gregory Alan Mohr, Kelly Mark Doyle, Ronald Cecil McFarland