Patents by Inventor Tobias BRUCH

Tobias BRUCH 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: 12203889
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for examining a object under test. The apparatus can include a housing and a handle. The housing can include a sensing unit including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a circuit, a control unit, a display unit, and a communication interface. The circuit can include a memory, and a plurality of transceiver circuits coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. On receiving a triggering signal, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers emanates an ultrasonic beam to a object under test and can sense a reflected ultrasonic beam to generate a sensed signal. The control unit can process the received sensed signal to provide a processed data. The display unit can display the processed data. The communication interface can transmit the processed data to a monitoring device over a network. The handle has a frame configured to support the housing and allow the housing to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Hoemske, Johannes Buechler, Tobias Bruch
  • Publication number: 20240159712
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for examining a object under test. The apparatus can include a housing and a handle. The housing can include a sensing unit including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a circuit, a control unit, a display unit, and a communication interface. The circuit can include a memory, and a plurality of transceiver circuits coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. On receiving a triggering signal, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers emanates an ultrasonic beam to a object under test and can sense a reflected ultrasonic beam to generate a sensed signal. The control unit can process the received sensed signal to provide a processed data. The display unit can display the processed data. The communication interface can transmit the processed data to a monitoring device over a network. The handle has a frame configured to support the housing and allow the housing to rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Benjamin Hoemske, Johannes Buechler, Tobias Bruch
  • Publication number: 20240094169
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and a computer readable medium are provided for determining a minimum geometric dimension of an indication of an object being inspected using ultrasonic data. The system can include a computing device configured to receive ultrasonic data from an ultrasonic inspection device and to determine a contour of at least one indication of a defect. The computing device can apply a geometric template figure to the determined contour such that the geometric template figure is enclosed by the contour. At least one minimum geometric dimension of the indication can be determined based on determining a maximum dimension of the geometric template figure enclosed by the contour. The computing device can provide the at least one minimum geometric dimension of the indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventor: Tobias BRUCH
  • Patent number: 11835485
    Abstract: A stabilized ultrasonic probe includes a housing, at least one ultrasonic transducer, a flexible delay line, and a stabilizing element. The housing can be tubular and extend from a proximal to a distal end and define a cavity therein. The transducer can be positioned within the housing. The delay line can include recessed and tip portions. The recessed portion can be within the cavity and extend from the transducer(s) to the housing distal end. The tip portion can extend from the housing distal end to a distal terminal end of the delay line. The stabilizing element can be coupled to the housing distal end and extend distally from the housing distal end to a target facing surface. The stabilizing element can circumferentially surround at least part of the delay line tip portion. A stabilizing element modulus can be greater than or equal to a delay line modulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Bruch, Thorsten Michalk
  • Patent number: 11740207
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection system includes an ultrasonic probe and an analyzer. The probe includes a flexible delay line and an ultrasonic transducer array at a first delay line end. A second delay line end can contact a target. The analyzer can receive ultrasonic echoes from the ultrasonic transducers representing amplitude of ultrasonic signals reflected from the target as a function of time from transmission. The analyzer determines a maximum amplitude of the echoes received by each transducer, scale the maximum amplitudes based upon a greatest maximum amplitude, and bin the scaled maximum amplitudes. The analyzer assigns each bin a color and generate a C-scan based upon the scaled amplitudes. Each C-scan pixel can correspond to at least one transducer, and the relative position of each C-scan pixel can correspond to the relative position of the ultrasonic transducer represented by the pixel. Each pixel can be displayed with its assigned color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Bruch, Ralf Ratering
  • Publication number: 20220178882
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection system includes an ultrasonic probe and an analyzer. The probe includes a flexible delay line and an ultrasonic transducer array at a first delay line end. A second delay line end can contact a target. The analyzer can receive ultrasonic echoes from the ultrasonic transducers representing amplitude of ultrasonic signals reflected from the target as a function of time from transmission. The analyzer determines a maximum amplitude of the echoes received by each transducer, scale the maximum amplitudes based upon a greatest maximum amplitude, and bin the scaled maximum amplitudes. The analyzer assigns each bin a color and generate a C-scan based upon the scaled amplitudes. Each C-scan pixel can correspond to at least one transducer, and the relative position of each C-scan pixel can correspond to the relative position of the ultrasonic transducer represented by the pixel. Each pixel can be displayed with its assigned color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Bruch, Ralf Ratering
  • Patent number: 11353430
    Abstract: A phased array probe system and method for testing a spot-weld on a structure. The phased array probe includes a plurality of transducers and may include a flexible delay line. The phased array probe is positioned at a first position on the structure relative to the spot-weld. First ultrasonic signals are generated to and received from the spot-weld using at least one first transducer of the phased array probe. The first received ultrasonic signals are processed to determine a second optimized position on the structure relative to the spot-weld. Second ultrasonic signals are generated at the second optimized position to and received from the spot-weld using second transducers of the phased array probe. The second received ultrasonic signals are processed to determine a feature dimension of the spot-weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventor: Tobias Bruch
  • Publication number: 20220099631
    Abstract: A stabilized ultrasonic probe includes a housing, at least one ultrasonic transducer, a flexible delay line, and a stabilizing element. The housing can be tubular and extend from a proximal to a distal end and define a cavity therein. The transducer can be positioned within the housing. The delay line can include recessed and tip portions. The recessed portion can be within the cavity and extend from the transducer(s) to the housing distal end. The tip portion can extend from the housing distal end to a distal terminal end of the delay line. The stabilizing element can be coupled to the housing distal end and extend distally from the housing distal end to a target facing surface. The stabilizing element can circumferentially surround at least part of the delay line tip portion. A stabilizing element modulus can be greater than or equal to a delay line modulus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Bruch, Thorsten Michalk
  • Patent number: 10571432
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for solid axle testing are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Luca Scaccabarozzi, Tobias Bruch
  • Publication number: 20180259489
    Abstract: A phased array probe system and method for testing a spot-weld on a structure. The phased array probe includes a plurality of transducers and may include a flexible delay line. The phased array probe is positioned at a first position on the structure relative to the spot-weld. First ultrasonic signals are generated to and received from the spot-weld using at least one first transducer of the phased array probe. The first received ultrasonic signals are processed to determine a second optimized position on the structure relative to the spot-weld. Second ultrasonic signals are generated at the second optimized position to and received from the spot-weld using second transducers of the phased array probe. The second received ultrasonic signals are processed to determine a feature dimension of the spot-weld.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventor: Tobias BRUCH