Patents by Inventor William George Patterson

William George Patterson 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).

  • Characterization of flaws in composites identified by thermography
    Patent number: 8393784
    Abstract: A method for identifying types of flaws in a composite object includes: a) rapidly heating the surface of the object; b) recording pixel intensities in a sequence of IR images; c) determining temperature-versus-time data for each of the pixels from the IR images; and d) determining what type of flaw if any corresponds to each of the pixels using the temperature-versus-time data determined in step (c). A contrast curve derived from the temperature-versus-time data may be used in determining what type of flaws if any corresponds to each of the pixels. The contrast curve may be determined by subtracting a synthetic reference curve from a temperature time curve from the temperature-versus-time data. The types of flaws may be determined from size and/or shapes of peaks in the contrast curves. Some flaws are delaminations, layers of porosity, and uniformly distributed porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, William George Patterson, Thomas Edward Bantel
  • Two slope reference for synthetic thermal time of flight imaging
    Patent number: 7805251
    Abstract: A method including receiving a first line and a second line to be joined at a junction location to provide a reference curve. A corresponding system and computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, William George Patterson
  • TWO SLOPE REFERENCE FOR SYNTHETIC THERMAL TIME OF FLIGHT IMAGING
    Publication number: 20100088041
    Abstract: A method including receiving a first line and a second line to be joined at a junction location to provide a reference curve. A corresponding system and computer program product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, William George Patterson
  • CHARACTERIZATION OF FLAWS IN COMPOSITES IDENTIFIED BY THERMOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20090245321
    Abstract: A method for identifying types of flaws in a composite object includes: a) rapidly heating the surface of the object; b) recording pixel intensities in a sequence of IR images; c) determining temperature-versus-time data for each of the pixels from the IR images; and d) determining what type of flaw if any corresponds to each of the pixels using the temperature-versus-time data determined in step (c). A contrast curve derived from the temperature-versus-time data may be used in determining what type of flaws if any corresponds to each of the pixels. The contrast curve may be determined by subtracting a synthetic reference curve from a temperature time curve from the temperature-versus-time data. The types of flaws may be determined from size and/or shapes of peaks in the contrast curves. Some flaws are delaminations, layers of porosity, and uniformly distributed porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Harry Israel Ringermacher, Donald Robert Howard, Bryon Edward Knight, William George Patterson, Thomas Edward Bantel