Systems and methods for a non-destructive testing ecosystem

• US 10,325,298 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Soorianarayanan, Sekhar, Ward, Robert Carroll, Domke, Michael Christopher, Sbihli, Scott Leo, De Fromont, Francois Xavier, Messinger, Jason Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Yesildag, Mehmet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Uche
• Application Number:
  US13/747,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A non-transitory computer readable medium may include executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide for a non-destructive testing (NDT) ecosystem. The NDT ecosystem includes a repository of digital content, and a store configured to sell the digital content to a customer, wherein the digital content is executable by a NDT device and wherein the digital content is created by a plurality of entities.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

provide for a non-destructive testing (NDT) ecosystem comprising;

a database repository of digital content, wherein the digital content comprises an executable content that is executed by an NDT device during operations of the NDT device to cause the NDT device to provide overlay-enhanced views of visual observation data in a display of the NDT device while performing nondestructive visual observations of a machinery, the executable content causing the NDT device to generate the overlay-enhanced views by displaying one or more overlays atop un-enhanced visual observation data provided by the NDT device using a synchronization signal, the one or more overlays selected from a plurality of overlays including a tip map overlay, a measurement overlay, a menu overlay, and/or an annotation overlay; and

a plurality of servers configured to;

provide the digital content to a remote user associated with the NDT device, wherein the plurality of servers are configured to communicate with the NDT device during operations of the NDT device to synchronize the NDT device by updating the digital content to a new digital content version and wherein the digital content is created by a plurality of entities;

receive a modified digital content from the remote user associated with the NDT device; and

distribute the modified digital content to a second remote user, wherein the modified digital content is configured to be executed by the NDT device during operations of the NDT device to nondestructively observe the machinery.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of servers comprises a private server configured to be created by the at least one of the plurality of entities and wherein the private server is configured to provide the digital content to a vetted user via a file transfer mechanism.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the plurality of servers comprises a public server configured to provide the digital content to a non-vetted user, an export controlled server configured to provide export controlled digital content to a government-vetted user, or a combination thereof.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the digital content comprises non-executable digital content.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the non-executable digital content comprises an NDT device manual.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable content comprise a firmware.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising instructions configured to download the digital content into a memory of the NDT device based on an identifier identifying an equipment, and wherein the digital content is configured to be used during inspection of the equipment.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the digital content includes historical logs of the equipment, analysis performed on the equipment, maintenance logs of the equipment, operational logs of the equipment, or a combination thereof.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the NDT ecosystem comprises a licensing/asset management system configured to manage licenses of the digital content, software assets, hardware assets, or a combination thereof.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the NDT ecosystem comprises an authentication system configured to automatically insure that the digital content complies with publishing guidelines.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the NDT ecosystem comprises a security/certificate system configured to created digital certificates linked to the digital content, encrypt the digital content, or a combination thereof.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the NDT device comprises a borescope, a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, or a combination thereof.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of entities comprise an asset owner, an inspection solution provider, a regulatory entity, an asset OEM, an asset inspection provider, an application developer, or a combination thereof.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the user comprises the asset owner, the inspection solution provider, the regulatory entity, the asset OEM, the asset inspection provider, the application developer, or the combination thereof.

15. A system comprising:

a non-destructive testing (NDT) device comprising a visual inspection device configured to non-destructively observe a machinery by executing executable digital content to cause the NDT device to provide overlay-enhanced views of visual observation data in a display of the NDT device while performing nondestructive visual observations of a machinery, the visual inspection device comprising a processor configured to communicatively couple to an NDT ecosystem and the executable content causing the NDT device to generate an overlay-enhanced view by displaying one or more overlays atop un-enhanced visual observation data provided by the NDT device using a synchronization signal, the one or more overlays selected from a plurality of overlays including a tip map overlay, a measurement overlay, a menu overlay, and/or an annotation overlay,

wherein the processor is configured to download the executable digital content executable via the processor, from a plurality of servers included in the NDT ecosystem;

wherein the processor is configured to communicate with the plurality of servers during operations of the NDT device to synchronize the NDT device with the plurality of servers by updating the executable digital content to a new digital content version;

modify the executable digital content into a modified digital content;

upload the modified executable digital content into the NDT ecosystem, wherein the NDT ecosystem is configured to distribute the modified digital content to one or more remote users.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein processor is configured to transmit an identifier identifying an equipment type of the machinery, wherein the processor is configured to download a second digital content configured to procure observations on the equipment type, and wherein the executable digital content, the non-executable digital content, or the combination thereof, includes digital content configured to aid in the inspection of the equipment type.

17. A method comprising:

providing for a non-destructive testing (NDT) ecosystem comprising;

a database repository of digital content, wherein the digital content comprises an executable content that is executed by an NDT device during operations of the NDT device to cause the NDT device to provide overlay-enhanced views of visual observation data in a display of the NDT device performing nondestructive visual observations of a machinery, the executable content causing the NDT device to generate the overlay-enhanced views by displaying one or more overlays atop un-enhanced visual observation data provided by the NDT device using a synchronization signal, the one or more overlays selected from a plurality of overlays including a tip map overlay, a measurement overlay, a menu overlay, and/or an annotation overlay; and

a plurality of servers configured to;

provide the digital content to a remote user associated with the NDT device, wherein the plurality of servers are configured to communicate with the NDT device during operations of the NDT device to synchronize the NDT device by updating the digital content to a new digital content version and wherein the digital content is created by a plurality of entities;

receive a modified digital content from the remote user associated with the NDT device; and

distribute the modified digital content to a second remote user, wherein the modified digital content is configured to be executed by the NDT device during operations of the NDT device to non-destructively observe the machinery.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising enabling the creation of user created digital content, wherein the user created digital content is created by the user.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising enabling a file transfer of the digital content between the plurality of entities.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising downloading the digital content onto the NDT device based on an equipment identifier, and wherein the equipment identifier is a tail number, a serial number, or a combination thereof.