Systems and methods for collaborating in a non-destructive testing system

• US 10,484,438 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Soorianarayanan, Sekhar, Ward, Robert Carroll, Domke, Michael Christopher, Messinger, Jason Howard, Sbihli, Scott Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jahnige, Caroline H
• Application Number:
  US15/938,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20180219925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A collaboration system may include a computing device that may communicate with the at least one other computing device via a computing network. The computing device may receive data that has been acquired using one or more non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection devices, receive an input that may cause a list of one or more experts indicated as available to collaborate to be derived. The computing device may also receive a selection of at least one expert from the list of experts. After receiving the expert selection, the computing device may establish a communication connection between the computing device and the at least one other computing device that corresponds to the at least one expert. Here, the communication connection may share data depicted on the computing device with the at least one other computing device.

Claims

1. A collaboration system, comprising:

a computing device configured to communicate with at least one other computing device via a computing network, and wherein the computing device is configured to;

receive image data that has been acquired during an inspection of equipment using one or more non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection devices;

receive an input configured to derive a list of one or more recipients indicated as available to collaborate;

receive a selection of at least one recipient from the list of recipients;

establish a communication connection between the computing device and the at least one other computing device that corresponds to the at least one recipient, wherein the communication connection is configured to share the image data depicted on the computing device with the at least one other computing device;

enable the at least one other computing device to control the NDT inspection device upon establishing the communication connection and when the image data being shared is displayed on a display of the computing device and on at least one other display of the at least one other computing device;

determine location information of the NDT inspection device with respect to equipment being inspected based on the image data retrieved by the NDT inspection device, the location information including a pre-defined textual annotation identifying a location of the equipment being inspected; and

overlay a tip map on the received image data provided via the display and based on the location information, wherein the tip map comprises the pre-defined textual annotation, a grid including four quadrants, and an approximation of a disposition of a tip of the one or more inspection devices provided with respect to a direction within a cross-sectional view of the equipment to guide insertion of the tip within the equipment, wherein the approximation of the disposition of the tip is displayed as an icon within any one of the four quadrants included in the tip map to represent a position of the tip being inserted into the location of the equipment being inspected, wherein the location of the equipment being inspected is associated with the pre-defined textual annotation and the quadrant of the cross-sectional view.

2. The collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the list of one or more recipients indicated as available to collaborate comprise one or more individuals or entities that broadcast one or more statuses via the computing network.

3. The collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the one or more statuses comprise information related to availability, expertise, or any combination thereof associated with the one or more recipients.

4. The collaboration system of claim 2, comprising a database configured to:

couple to the computing device and to the at least one other computing device via the computing network; and

store the statuses, one or more profiles associated with the one or more recipients, or any combination thereof.

5. The collaboration system of claim 4, wherein the one or more profiles comprise experience, one or more areas of technical specialty, or any combination thereof.

6. The collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to establish the communication connection by sending a notification message to the at least one recipient, wherein the notification message comprises information or an interface enabling the at least one other computing device to connect to the computing device.

7. The collaboration system of claim 6, wherein the notification message comprises an electronic-mail message, a text message, an automated call, or any combination thereof.

8. The collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the communication connection is configured to share control of the computing device with the at least one other computing device.

9. The collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to superimpose one or more writings or drawings onto the shared inspection data, wherein the writings or drawings are received via the computing device or the at least one other computing device after the communication connection between the computing device and the at least one other computing device is established.

10. The collaboration system of claim 9, wherein the writings or drawings are generated using one or more virtual whiteboarding tools.