With Signal Analyzing Or Mathematical Processing Patents (Class 73/602)
  • Patent number: 12007448
    Abstract: A method determines a probe signal for acoustically characterising an electrochemical system, the probe signal being determined by an identification signal transmitted in a reference electrochemical system to induce a response from the reference electrochemical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Nicolas Guillet, Sylvain Lespinats
  • Patent number: 11962746
    Abstract: A stereoscopic vision system uses at least two cameras having different parameters to image a scene and create stereoscopic views. The different parameters of the two cameras can be intrinsic or extrinsic, including, for example, the distortion profile of the lens in the cameras, the field of view of the lens, the orientation of the cameras, the positions of the cameras, the color spectrum of the cameras, the frame rate of the cameras, the exposure time of the cameras, the gain of the cameras, the aperture size of the lenses, or the like. An image processing apparatus is then used to process the images from the at least two different cameras to provide optimal stereoscopic vision to a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: IMMERVISION, INC.
    Inventors: Patrice Roulet, Jocelyn Parent, Pierre Konen, Simon Thibault, Pascale Nini, Xiaojun Du, Valentin Bataille, Jhinseok Lee
  • Patent number: 11946923
    Abstract: A device and method for monitoring freezing-thawing damage of an underwater concrete member in situ. A main structure includes an upper link, concrete member, transverse sealed box, longitudinal sealed box, movable guide rod, probe launching box, multichannel data collector, frequency modulation transmitter, computer, auxiliary wheels, lower link, and a wireless temperature sensor. A process includes four steps: launching of a probe, collection of data, calculation of an elastic modulus, and evaluation of freezing-thawing damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: QINGDAO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jiuwen Bao, Zihao Yu, Peng Zhang, Shuguo Li, Tiejun Zhao
  • Patent number: 11927570
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an estimation device includes a processor. The processor accepts information. The information is acquired by each of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors transmitting an ultrasonic wave in a second direction toward a weld portion and receiving a reflected wave. The ultrasonic sensors are arranged in a first direction. The second direction crosses the first direction. The processor estimates a range of the weld portion in the second direction based on an intensity distribution of the reflected wave in the second direction. The processor calculates a centroid position of an intensity distribution of the reflected wave in the first direction for each of a plurality of points in the second direction, and estimates a range of the weld portion in the first direction based on a plurality of the centroid positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Masahiro Saito, Yasunori Chiba, Akira Ushijima, Toshiyuki Ono, Atsushi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11911175
    Abstract: An apparatus (100) for assessing condition of the bone tissue of a patient's bone region (21), comprising an ultrasound device (11) that has a probe for transmitting/receiving ultrasounds along a plurality of ultrasound propagation lines (15 i) and for receiving in response from the bone region (21) a plurality of raw reflected ultrasound signals (36,38); a computer configured generating and displaying a sonographic image and for extracting at least one frequency spectrum (43i,44i,47,48) starting from at least one part of the said plurality of raw reflected ultrasound signals (36,38) coming from corresponding points (34) of the bone region (21), each having a plurality of harmonic components wherein to each frequency (v) of the frequency range an intensity is associated (A) of a portion of one of the raw reflected ultrasound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ECHOLIGHT S.p.A.
    Inventors: Matteo Pernisa, Sergio Casciaro, Francesco Conversano, Ernesto Casciaro
  • Patent number: 11872078
    Abstract: A system and method for capturing ultrasound signals from a hemispheric imaging region (e.g., by a stationary array of transducer elements arranged in the shape of a faceted hemisphere) and estimating scattering measurements that would be made by a virtual array in the opposite hemisphere (e.g., by a network of processors that receive and process the transmitted ultrasound signals in parallel) by forming an initial estimate of a medium variation for each of a plurality of subvolumes in the scattering object to form an estimated object, calculating residual scattering by using a difference between a scattering response calculated for the estimated object and measured ultrasound signals received from the scattering object, forming an initial three-dimensional image of the scattering object, and extrapolating a difference between the scattering response calculated for the estimated object and the measured ultrasound signals received from the scattering object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Robert C. Waag, Jeffrey P. Astheimer
  • Patent number: 11869492
    Abstract: An anomaly detection apparatus includes a device identification database that stores device identification information for identifying a specific device for each type of a device, a hierarchical conditional vector generation unit that generates a hierarchical conditional vector based on the device identification information, an extraction unit that extracts a target device feature amount vector indicating a feature amount of an acoustic signal acquired from a target device by analyzing the acoustic signal, a hierarchical condition adversarial neural network that outputs background noise level information indicating a background noise level of a surrounding environment of the target device and true/false determination information indicating true/false of the target device feature amount vector by analyzing the hierarchical conditional vector and the target device feature amount vector, and an anomaly determination unit that determines whether an anomaly exists in the target device feature amount vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Harsh Pramodbhai Purohit, Takashi Endo, Yohei Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11795032
    Abstract: An elevator system includes a car door and a sensor module. The car door is movable relative to an elevator car by a drive mechanism. The sensor module includes a first acoustic sensor arranged to provide a first acoustic signal, a second acoustic sensor arranged to provide a second acoustic signal, and a processor arranged to receive the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal. The processor is programmed to, responsive to an input provided to the first acoustic sensor and the second acoustic sensor, identify a direction of an elevator system noise source based on a first time delay based on the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Derk Oscar Pahlke
  • Patent number: 11788992
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the characterization of a microtexture of a sample, component, or the like. The methods may include methods of determining a service life limiting region of a component, determining a treatment method for a component, and/or selecting components from a batch of components for use in production. The characterization may include calculating a microtexture level indicator from ultrasonic C-scan images for various samples, regions, components, or the like. The microtexture level indicator may include at least one of an average peak factor, a standard deviation of peak amplitude, and/or a baseband bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignees: RTX Corporation, Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc
    Inventors: Yong Tian, Ronald Roberts
  • Patent number: 11744525
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a transmission/reception part that sequentially supplies a drive signal to each of a plurality of ultrasound transducers, and receives and processes a reception signal output from each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers; and a hardware processor that: converts sampling data of each of positions into pixel values, and generates a first ultrasound image; upscales the first ultrasound image in accordance with a predetermined sample number increase magnification, and thereafter applies resolution enhancement processing on the first ultrasound image and thereby generates a second ultrasound image; converts the second ultrasound image into a display image; and controls transmission/reception conditions of the transmission/reception part so that an image size of the second ultrasound image becomes close to an image size of the display image, on the basis of the image size of the display image and the sample number increase magnification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 11709151
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a control method includes setting a transmission angle of an ultrasonic wave to a standard angle. The control method further includes transmitting an ultrasonic wave at the set transmission angle and detecting an intensity of a reflected wave from an object. The control method further includes calculating a tilt angle based on a gradient of the intensity. The tilt angle indicates a tilt of the object. The control method further includes resetting the transmission angle based on the tilt angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ono, Atsushi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11676294
    Abstract: A method for a passive single-viewpoint 3D imaging system comprises capturing an image from a camera having one or more phase masks. The method further includes using a reconstruction algorithm, for estimation of a 3D or depth image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignees: William Marsh Rice University, Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Yicheng Wu, Vivek Boominathan, Huaijin Chen, Aswin C. Sankaranarayanan, Ashok Veeraraghavan
  • Patent number: 11635394
    Abstract: A permittivity sensor, for determining an image of a distribution of permittivity of a material of an object in a scene, comprising an input interface, a hardware processor, and an output interface is provided. The input interface is configured to accept phaseless measurements of propagation of a known incident field through the scene and scattered by the material of the object in the scene. The hardware processor is configured to solve a multi-variable minimization problem over unknown phases of the phaseless measurements and unknown image of the permittivity of the material of the object by minimizing a difference of a nonlinear function of the known incident field and the unknown image with a product of known magnitudes of the phaseless measurements and the unknown phases. Further, the output interface is configured to render the permittivity of the material of the object provided by the solution of the multi-variable minimization problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Yanting Ma, Muhammad Asad Lodhi, Hassan Mansour, Petros Boufounos, Dehong Liu
  • Patent number: 11619614
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining a characteristic of a measurement intermediate layer (220) in a multilayer structure (200) using an ultrasonic transducer (100), wherein the multilayer structure (200) includes a first layer (210), a measurement intermediate layer (220) and a third layer (230) in series abutment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Tribosonics Limited
    Inventors: Philip Harper, Tapiwa Mutasa
  • Patent number: 11543325
    Abstract: A method can include receiving time-dependent vibration data characterizing a vibration of a machine. The method can also include generating first conditioned vibration data by at least identification of one or more vibrational peaks of intermediate data representative of the received vibration data, temporal interpolation of one or more portions of the intermediate data including the identified one or more vibrational peaks, and widening the one or more vibrational peaks. The method can further include generating a frequency spectrum based on the first conditioned vibration data. The method can also include providing the frequency spectrum to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Inventor: Nigel Trevor Leigh
  • Patent number: 11464487
    Abstract: A sensor system includes a sensor module that is embedded in a target environment and a signal system. The sensor module includes an active sensor of a first type that detects a target element in the target environment and a reference sensor of the first type that prevents detection of target elements by the reference sensor. The active sensor and the reference sensor receive an ultrasonic signal and respectively generate a first response signal and a second response signal. The first response signal is at least partially as a function of the detected target element. The signal system includes an ultrasonic transducer that generates the ultrasonic signal and receives the first and second response signals, and a controller communicatively coupled to the ultrasonic transducer. The controller identifies the detected target element based at least partially on the first and second response signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventors: Shantanu Chakrabartty, Yarub Alazzawi, Srikanth Signamaneni, Keng-Ku Liu, Mingquan Yuan
  • Patent number: 11455445
    Abstract: A method is provided for non-intrusively determining cross-sectional variation of a fluidic channel. The method includes creating a pressure pulse in a fluidic channel using a hammer to strike an external surface of a fluidic channel. The method also includes sensing, by one or more sensors, reflections of the pressure pulse; and obtaining, from the one or more sensors, a measured pressure profile based on the sensed reflections of the pressure pulse. A forward model of cross-sectional variation of the fluidic channel is generated based on a baseline simulation. Using the forward model, a simulated pressure profile is generated. Using the measured pressure profile and the simulated pressure profile, an error is determined. When the error is outside a predetermined threshold, the forward model is updated based on the error. An estimate of cross-sectional variation of the fluidic channel based on the forward model is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Jagannathan, Oluwatosin Ogundare, Terry Bickley
  • Patent number: 11435321
    Abstract: An ultrasonic wave inspection device includes: a transmitter that outputs ultrasonic waves toward an inspection object; a receiver that receives at least first ultrasonic waves passed through the inspection object, among the ultrasonic waves output from the transmitter; a member that regulates a second propagation path, the second propagation path being a portion of propagation paths through which the output ultrasonic waves reach the receiver, and the second propagation path being different from a first propagation path through which the first ultrasonic waves reach the receiver; and a signal controller that extracts ultrasonic waves of a predetermined time segment from at least the first ultrasonic waves, the predetermined time segment starting from a time when the first ultrasonic waves is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA FINE TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akihiro Nara
  • Patent number: 11435323
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatuses are disclosed for non-destructively a substrate using ultrasound waves, and enhancing resolution of imaging created from ultrasound signals that are back reflected from a substrate surface second, or back surface by maintaining the incident angles of the ultrasonic beams at the substrate second surface such that the ultrasonic beams strike the substrate second surface at an angle that is substantially perpendicular to the complex geometric profile of the substrate second surface by supplying known spatial coordinates to the system to maintain the incident angles of the ultrasonic beams at a predetermined angle relative to the substrate second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Gary E. Georgeson, William J. Tapia, Barry A. Fetzer
  • Patent number: 11407057
    Abstract: A bonding system is used for bonding a cover sheet to a core to form or repair a dual wall structure. The bonding system includes a plurality of bonding probes and controller circuitry. The bonding probes include a three dimensional (3D) contoured tip configured to align with a predetermined area of a 3D contoured cover sheet of a dual wall structure. The controller circuitry comprises processor circuitry and sensor circuitry. The sensor circuitry provides a location of an area of the 3D contoured cover sheet for bonding. The processor circuitry identifies a bonding probe having a contacting area that aligns with the 3D contour of the cover sheet in the location provided by the sensor circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph P. Henderkott, Timothy Fuesting, Raymond Xu
  • Patent number: 11380452
    Abstract: NDE probes provide unique data signals from a remote object such that can be used to accurately and precisely locate a position. With a computer processor, the data signals are converted into a positional fingerprint that is compact and easily analyzed as a file or information of probe position. The positional fingerprint is stored in association with the position or object to verify a same position at another time. Another probe detects other data signals for the object at another time. Under a similar transformation into a positional fingerprint, the position of the other probe can be matched to the first by comparing positional fingerprints. The comparison may use a probabilistic comparison and/or compare several different fingerprints from several different locations and times to ensure a best match. Position verification between probes may ensure a repair has been completed in the proper location, verify system integrity or investigate potential problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. Sapia
  • Patent number: 11366082
    Abstract: The invention discloses a non-linear Lamb wave mixing method for measuring stress distribution in thin metal plates. The method is suitable for stress distribution detection and stress concentration area positioning in a plate structure and belongs to the field of nondestructive detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jingpin Jiao, Li Li, Xiang Gao, Quan Cheng, Cunfu He, Bin Wu
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11346819
    Abstract: In a first aspect, the present description relates to a system for non-invasively characterizing a heterogeneous medium using ultrasound, comprising at least one first array (10) of transducers configured to generate a series of incident ultrasound waves in a region of said heterogeneous medium and record the ultrasound waves which are backscattered by said region as a function of time, as well as a computing unit (42) which is coupled to said at least one first array of transducers and configured to: record an experimental reflection matrix defined between an emission basis at the input and the basis of the transducers at the output; determine, from said experimental reflection matrix, at least one first wideband reflection matrix defined in a focused base at the input and output; determine a first distortion matrix defined between said focused basis and an observation basis, said first distortion matrix resulting, directly or after a change of basis, from the term-by-term matrix product of said first wideba
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, ECOLE SUPÉRIEURE DE PHYSIQUE ET DE CHIMIE INDUSTRIELLES DE LA VILLE DE PARIS
    Inventors: Alexandre Aubry, Amaury Badon, Victor Barolle, Claude Boccara, Laura Cobus, Mathias Fink, William Lambert
  • Patent number: 11333635
    Abstract: A rolling search unit for ultrasonic inspection of railroad rails employs a wheel assembly including a fluid-filled tire that rolls along a rail with ultrasonic transducers that propagate ultrasonic beams through the fluid and tire into an underlying rail during an inspection operation. The beams reflected from defects in the rail return to the transducers and are detected and analyzed for subsequent care. The wheel assembly also includes an anti-rotation baffle to reduce rotation of the fluid with the tire and a pressure regulator for controlling the pressure of the fluid within the tire at various speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Sperry Rail, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Kocur, Anthony Iorfino, John James O'Neill
  • Patent number: 11307177
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flaw detector for a composite material constituted by a plurality of materials which are different in physical properties from one another includes: a section specifier configured to specify first and second sections of an RF signal of a reflected wave of an ultrasonic wave with which the composite material is irradiated, a material reflected wave being possibly generated in the first section, an interface reflected wave being possibly generated in the second section; a material flaw determiner configured to determine whether or not a value of the RF signal exceeds a positive first threshold in the first section; and an interface flaw determiner configured to determine whether or not the value of the RF signal falls below a negative second threshold in the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Nishimura, Mitsuhiro Kamioka, Mamoru Nishio, Daisuke Watanabe, Yousuke Tsumura
  • Patent number: 11249187
    Abstract: A method for detecting movements of a plurality of points (P) of a surface (21), comprising a measuring step during which an incident ultrasonic wave is emitted into the air towards the surface and an ultrasonic wave reflected into the air by the surface (21) is detected. During the measuring step, each measuring point is illuminated by the incident ultrasonic wave at a multiplicity of angles of incidence, and the reflected ultrasonic wave is detected by a network of receiving transducers (3) comprising a plurality of ultrasonic receiving transducers (3a). The movements of the surface are determined at a measuring point by determining a delay and/or a phase shift between two beam-forming signals for said measuring point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIEN TIFIQUE (CNRS), ECOLE SUPÉRIEURE DE PHYSIQUE ET DE CHIMIE INDUSTRIELLES DE LA VILLE DE PARIS, SORBONNE UNIVERSITE, INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTÉ ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE), UNIVERSITÉ PARIS DIDEROT—PARIS 7
    Inventors: Ros Kiri Ing, Nathan Jeger-Madiot, Mathias Fink, Thomas Similowski
  • Patent number: 11243860
    Abstract: A computerized apparatus for presenting vibration data that is read under different conditions as a single trend line on a chart. A sensor measures vibration and produces vibration data. A memory stores the vibration data, an indicator of the condition under which the vibration data was produced, and a type associated with the vibration data. A processor reads the vibration data, the condition, and the type from the memory, and selectively plots the vibration data on the trend line when the type of the vibration data matches a given value, even though the condition might be different from data point to data point on the trend line. The processor selectively creates a flag indicating a condition change, and an interface presents a plot of the trend line, and the flag when a condition change occurs between data points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Computational Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Hayzen, Christopher G. Hilemon
  • Patent number: 11226246
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the technical field of non-destructive detecting of residual stress, and in particular to a non-destructive detecting device for component residual stress gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Chunguang Xu, Peng Yin, Zhixiang Li, Yuren Lu, Jianfeng Song, Wenyuan Song, Ruili Jia, Shuangyi Li
  • Patent number: 11163046
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing a transient glitch in ultrasound applications are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a transducer to (A) output a signal during a transmit phase and (B) receive a reflected signal corresponding to the signal during a receive phase; a receiver switch coupled to the transducer at a first node, the receiver switch to (A) open during the transmit phase and (B) close during the receive phase; and a clamp coupled to the transducer at the first node, the clamp to provide a high impedance during the transmit phase and the receive phase and provide a low impedance during a transient phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ravikumar Pattipaka, Raja Sekhar Kanakamedala, Aravind Miriyala, Vajeed Nimran P A, Sandeep Kesrimal Oswal
  • Patent number: 11154277
    Abstract: For viscoelastic estimation with ultrasound, shear wave speed is measured for different locations in a region of interest. For each location, the shear wave speed is estimated without frequency band division. A distribution of shear wave speeds in the region of interest is matched a modeled distribution corresponding to a particular value of the viscoelastic property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Rosenzweig
  • Patent number: 11143625
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultrasonic inspection of parts are disclosed. A method for inspection of a part comprises transmitting, by a source, an initial signal towards the part. The method further comprises reflecting, off of a surface of the part, the initial signal to generate a surface reflection signal. Also, the method comprises receiving, by a receiver, the surface reflection signal. In addition, the method comprises determining, by a processor(s), a shape of the surface of the part by using a magnitude of the surface reflection signal and an echo travel time of the initial signal with respect to the surface reflection signal. Additionally, the method comprises determining, by a processor(s), a surface inspection signal commensurate with the shape of the surface of the part. Further, the method comprises transmitting, by the source, the surface inspection signal towards the part for inspection of the surface of the part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: James C. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 11119199
    Abstract: An acoustic wave image generation apparatus for generating a photoacoustic image and a Doppler image is provided with a setting unit that sets a region of interest in the Doppler image, and a receiving-aperture controlling unit that sets receiving apertures of an acoustic wave detection probe for detecting photoacoustic waves to apertures smaller than all receiving apertures that the acoustic wave detection probe has, on the basis of a size of the region of interest, and for setting positions of the receiving apertures on the basis of a position of the set region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hashimoto, Kaku Irisawa, Yukiya Miyachi
  • Patent number: 11076834
    Abstract: An ultrasound processing system includes an ultrasound interface and processing electronics. The ultrasound interface receives imaging information. The processing electronics are coupled to the ultrasound interface and are configured to perform processing across a plurality of ultrasound channels by combining channel data for adaptively reducing the common mode noise prior to beamforming for a transmit event. The combination of the channel data may be computing an arithmetic mean, which is then multiplied to a weighting coefficient. This value may then be removed from the individual channel data. The modified channel data is then transmitted to a beamformer, which processes the channel data for directional signal transmission and reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: EDAN INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Seshadri Srinivasan, Yang Peng, Yonggang Dong, Sean Murphy, Jianhua Mo
  • Patent number: 11054399
    Abstract: A method for inspecting a test object for defects by using an ultrasonic probe including a transmitter, a wedge, and a receiver, the method comprising: placing the ultrasonic probe on the test object; transmitting ultrasound from the transmitter into the wedge such that surface waves propagate along a surface area of the test object; and determining that there is a defect in a part of the test object overlapped with the wedge when the receiver receives an ultrasonic echo, after the transmission of the ultrasound by the transmitter, in a time shorter than a time required to receive a front end-reflected ultrasonic echo produced by reflection of the surface waves at a front end of the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota Nomura, Yasuhiro Wasa, Toshihide Fukui
  • Patent number: 11029290
    Abstract: A method for the automatic calculation of a distance-amplitude correction curve for a non-destructive ultrasonic testing system, the system comprising an ultrasound sensor and a reference part. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a large number of measuring points uniformly distributed over the entire surface of the reference part and classifying, unsupervised, the acquisition points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: AIRBUS SAS
    Inventor: Frank Guibert
  • Patent number: 11002641
    Abstract: A statistical method is used to separate periodic from non-periodic vibration peaks in autocorrelation spectra. Generally, an autocorrelation spectrum is not normally distributed because the amplitudes of periodic peaks are significantly large and random relative to the generally Gaussian noise. In a normally distributed signal, the statistical parameter kurtosis has a value of 3. The method sequentially removes each largest amplitude peak from the peaks in the spectrum until the kurtosis is 3 or less. The removed peaks, which are all considered to be periodic, are placed into a set. The total energy of the peaks in the set is considered to be the total periodic energy of the spectrum. As the process of building the peak set proceeds, if its total energy becomes greater than or equal to a predefined energy threshold before its kurtosis reaches 3 or less, the process stops and the periodic peak set is defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Computational Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stewart V. Bowers, III, Anthony J. Hayzen
  • Patent number: 10962359
    Abstract: A measuring assembly for detecting the wall thickness of a pipe, including an ultrasonic probe and a testing head with a main element which receives an ultrasonic probe and the lower face of which defines a main element support surface is provided. The testing head has two wing elements, the lower face of each of which defines a wing element support surface and which are held on the main element in a pivotal manner about pivot axes extending substantially parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction such that the wing element support surfaces can be moved towards each other and away from each other. The wing elements are connected via synchronizing means such that the pivotal movements of the wing elements about the corresponding pivot axes are carried out in a synchronous manner. An associated method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Michael Clossen-von Lanken Schulz, Stefan Frank, Philipp Kahlert, Stefan Nendel, Stefan Obermayr
  • Patent number: 10928515
    Abstract: An ultrasound image is generated by recording data packages while moving an ultrasound transducer along an investigation surface. A plurality of recording locations separated by a recording spacing is determined. A data package is recorded by placing the ultrasound transducer in a recording location on the investigation surface, and assigning the data package to an image column of the ultrasound image corresponding to the recording location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Dermus Kft.
    Inventors: Miklós Gyöngy, Gergely Csány
  • Patent number: 10918355
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic device includes: an ultrasound probe including a plurality of ultrasound transducers transmitting ultrasound waves to an object and receiving ultrasound waves reflected from the object to output an ultrasound detection signal, a region-of-interest setting device setting a region of interest within the object, a transmission focus instructing device making the ultrasound probe transmit the ultrasound waves by focusing on the region of interest, a device setting at least one or more points of interest in the region of interest, a device finding a change in sound velocity or attenuation at the point of interest, and a device finding an index indicating a sonic variation or an attenuation variation based on the change in sound velocity or attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kimito Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 10874375
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasound diagnostic device including an ultrasound probe including a plurality of ultrasound transducers transmitting ultrasound waves to an object and receiving ultrasound waves reflected from the specimen to output an ultrasound detection signal, a region-of-interest setting unit setting a region of interest within the specimen, and a variation measuring unit measuring a sonic variation or an attenuation variation of ultrasound waves in the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kimito Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 10845343
    Abstract: A process is disclosed in which a computing device reads electronic data from an ultrasonic scanning probe and processes that data in real time to determine if any potential weld defects are encountered as the probe head moves along scanning the weld. The method receives weld scan data in the form of scanning slices and determines if any of the encountered indications match a predetermined criterion. The process utilizes a moving scan data window of scan slices and processes each window for indications of weld defects. The processing of the data window is optimized using a rule-based, indications counting set so that any found defect indications triggers the issuance of a signal to an operator, in various forms, such as activating a marking module, issuing an alert signal, or printing a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: VeriPhase, Inc.
    Inventors: John Mark Davis, Archibald Leach Cobbs, Charles Allan Hansen, Nicholas James Bublitz, Samuel Matthew Davis
  • Patent number: 10673101
    Abstract: A monitoring device for a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells, has at least one ultrasound source and at least one ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at one or more battery cells of the battery pack. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through one or more cells of the battery pack. A battery management unit receives one or more signals from the ultrasound sensor responsive to the detected ultrasound. The battery management unit can be configured to determine a state of the battery pack based at least in part on the detected ultrasound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Bhanu Sood, Michael G. Pecht, Michael D. Osterman
  • Patent number: 10641745
    Abstract: A method is disclosed to extract meta-data held in a weld scan data file and from such data determine whether the testing data is acceptable for review. A series of configuration parameters held in the scan data file are analyzed for inconsistencies and a select set of parameters are reviewed for codes and industry accepted standards compliance with recorded scan data. Additional qualitative tests may be implemented on the scan test file and unacceptable results may also provide guidance to the weld inspector as to whether continued review of the scan data file is worthwhile. Such consistency testing avoids wasteful activities reviewing a flawed weld scan data file and provides signals to operators to avoid the processing of such a file by weld scan analysis software when such processing will not result in successful assistance to a weld inspector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: VeriPhase, Inc.
    Inventors: John Mark Davis, Archibald Leach Cobbs, Charles Allan Hansen, Nicholas James Bublitz, Samuel Matthew Davis
  • Patent number: 10624610
    Abstract: An existing ultrasonic diagnostic device is used to obtain a color flow image of a target object whose stiffness is to be measured. At this time, a vibration exciter applies a micro vibration with a frequency of n/4 (n represents an odd number equal to or larger than 1) to the target object with respect to a burst frequency of an ultrasonic pulse to generate a shear elastic wave. As a result, a striped pattern corresponding to the stiffness of the target object caused by the shear elastic wave appears on a display of the ultrasonic diagnostic device as a shear elastic wave detection image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: National University Corporation Gunma University
    Inventor: Yoshiki Yamakoshi
  • Patent number: 10568528
    Abstract: A blood pressure detection method is used for the sphygmomanometer including an envelope, an air pressure control mechanism, an ultrasonic wave transmission mechanism and an ultrasonic wave reception mechanism. The blood pressure detection method includes: applying a control signal to the air pressure control mechanism and the ultrasonic wave transmission mechanism, to inflate and deflate the envelope, and enable the ultrasonic wave transmission mechanism to transmit an ultrasonic detection signal toward the to-be-detected body part at a predetermined interval; monitoring an ultrasonic reflection signal received by the ultrasonic wave reception mechanism; determining a detection time point for the blood pressure detection in accordance with a frequency of the ultrasonic reflection signal during the deflation of the envelope; and determining a blood pressure value for the blood pressure detection in accordance with a pressure value of air within the envelope at the detection time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yang Han
  • Patent number: 10533977
    Abstract: A method for detecting and characterizing defects in a heterogeneous material via ultrasound. The method includes the following steps: emitting ultrasound waves from an emitting ultrasound transducer placed against the material; acquiring, using a receiving ultrasound transducer in various positions relative to the material, a plurality of time signals, representing the amplitude of the sound propagated in the material as a function of time, for a position of the receiving ultrasound transducer; determining a time function representing a spatially averaged power of the time signals that correspond to different positions of the receiving transducer; and—normalizing the time signals by the time function so as to obtain normalized time signals. The defects in the material are detected from the normalized tune signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Electricite de France
    Inventors: Nicolas Paul, Pierre-Louis Filiot
  • Patent number: 10528089
    Abstract: Method and communication device adapted for detecting an opening in a casing a communication device, wherein the device comprises an acoustic speaker and an acoustic sensor. The acoustic speaker is arranged to distribute an acoustic signal within a casing of the communication device and the acoustic sensor is adapted to receive an acoustic signal response constituted of the acoustic signal and an echo of said acoustic signal. The communication device further being adapted to analyze the received acoustic signal response and determining if the casing constitutes a closed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Inventor: Robert Holmberg
  • Patent number: 10527591
    Abstract: A system for analyzing fiber reinforced composite including: an ultrasonic transmitter configured to provide ultra-sonic pulses to the fiber reinforced composite; an ultrasonic receiver configured to receive ultrasonic signal data related to the ultrasonic pulses; a filter module configured to filter the ultrasonic signal data; a signal processing module configured to process the filtered ultrasonic signal data; an analysis module configured to analyze the processed ultrasonic signal data by: calculating a characteristic value based on the ultrasonic signal data; comparing the characteristic value to a baseline established for the characteristic value; and determining a percentage of design strength based on the comparison; and an output module configured to output the percentage of design strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: UT COMP INC.
    Inventor: Geoffrey E Clarkson
  • Patent number: 10508974
    Abstract: A “store on alert” vibration data acquisition mechanism uses scalar data produced by a vibration monitoring device as a predicate to capturing and storing analytical vibration data in the vibration monitoring device. The scalar data may consist of scalar process variables generated in the vibration monitoring device that are acquired at a fixed interval, such as PeakVue and Overall Vibration. At each interval, these scalar data values are compared to machine performance threshold levels, such as ADVISE, MAINT and FAIL, to determine whether analytical vibration data is to be stored separately inside the vibration monitoring device. Since the analytical vibration data is captured based on a predicate inside the vibration monitoring device (i.e., comparison of the scalar value to the thresholds), the analytical vibration data includes more relevant diagnostic information about a specific machine performance event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Computational Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradford J. Duncan, Robert D. Skeirik, Stewart V. Bowers, III