Systems and methods for non-destructive testing involving remotely located expert
First Claim
1. A remote expert non-destructive testing system comprising a remote communications hub and a multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment located at respective testing sites and networked to said remote communications hub by respective communication links, wherein:
- the remote communications hub comprises a network server, first and second remote work stations, and a local area network that interconnects the network server and the first and second remote work stations; and
the multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment comprises first non-destructive testing equipment located at a first testing site and second non-destructive testing equipment located at a second testing site, the first and second non-destructive testing equipment being respectively in communication with the first and second remote work stations via the first network server and the local area network,wherein the first and second non-destructive testing equipment respectively comprise first and second software, and the remote communications hub further comprises a system management server that is connected to the local area network, wherein the system management server is configured to determine when the first and second software need to be upgraded and then send software updates to the first and second non-destructive testing equipment via the local area network and the network server when the first and second software respectively need to be upgraded.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated and networked system of remote operations is provided that extends remote expert NDT methodology to a variety of manufacturing and in-service processes. The functional elements of the system comprise remote NDT applications, advanced remote NDT, remote administration, remote NDT commercial operations, and remote data analytics, which are all tied together by a remote communications hub. The communications hub has communication links with computer systems of those functional elements.
12 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A remote expert non-destructive testing system comprising a remote communications hub and a multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment located at respective testing sites and networked to said remote communications hub by respective communication links, wherein:
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the remote communications hub comprises a network server, first and second remote work stations, and a local area network that interconnects the network server and the first and second remote work stations; and the multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment comprises first non-destructive testing equipment located at a first testing site and second non-destructive testing equipment located at a second testing site, the first and second non-destructive testing equipment being respectively in communication with the first and second remote work stations via the first network server and the local area network, wherein the first and second non-destructive testing equipment respectively comprise first and second software, and the remote communications hub further comprises a system management server that is connected to the local area network, wherein the system management server is configured to determine when the first and second software need to be upgraded and then send software updates to the first and second non-destructive testing equipment via the local area network and the network server when the first and second software respectively need to be upgraded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A remote expert non-destructive testing system comprising a remote communications hub and a multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment located at respective testing sites and networked to said remote communications hub by respective communication links, wherein:
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the remote communications hub comprises a first network server, first and second remote work stations, a first local area network that interconnects the first network server and the first and second remote work stations, a second network server, a system management server, a second local area network that interconnects the second network server and the system management server, and a wide area network that interconnects the first and second network servers; and the multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment comprises first non-destructive testing equipment located at a first testing site and second non-destructive testing equipment located at a second testing site, the first and second non-destructive testing equipment being respectively in communication with the first and second remote work stations via the wide area network, the first network server and the first local area network, wherein the first and second non-destructive testing equipment respectively comprise first and second software, and the system management server is configured to determine when the first and second software need to be upgraded and then send software updates to the first and second non-destructive testing equipment via the second network server and the wide area network when the first and second software respectively need to be upgraded. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A remote expert non-destructive testing system comprising a remote communications hub and a multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment located at respective testing sites and networked to said remote communications hub by respective communication links, wherein:
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the remote communications hub comprises a network server, first and second remote work stations, a database server, a system management server and a network that interconnects the network server, first and second remote work stations, database server, and system management server; the multiplicity of non-destructive testing equipment comprises first non-destructive testing equipment located at a first testing site and second non-destructive testing equipment located at a second testing site, the first and second non-destructive testing equipment being respectively in communication with the first and second remote work stations via the first network server and the local area network and respectively comprising first and second software; the database server stores non-destructive testing data acquired by the first and second non-destructive testing equipment; and the system management server is configured to determine when the first and second software need to be upgraded and then send software updates to the first and second non-destructive testing equipment via the network server when the first and second software respectively need to be upgraded.
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Specification