Detecting structural integrity of a structural component

• US 10,520,388 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hyre, Bruce H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rios Russo, Raul J
• Application Number:
  US15/882,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 324 7611- 7683, 324459, 324600, 324629, 324637
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0008 of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0083 by measuring variation of impedance, e.g. resistance, capacitance, induction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/02 by investigating impedance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/028 Circuits therefor measuring impedance per se G01R27/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/041 of a solid body
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/06 Measuring reflection coefficients; Measuring standing-wave ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/28 Measuring attenuation, gain, phase shift or derived characteristics of electric four pole networks, i.e. two-port networks; Measuring transient response in line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/002 where the device under test is an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/11 using pulse reflection methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736

Abstract

Each of a plurality electronic circuit devices fixed to a structural component of a physical structure can be scanned a first time, using a radio frequency (RF) scanner to receive, from each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices, first data indicating a first measured electrical impedance of a respective conductor connected to the electronic circuit device and an identifier assigned to the electronic circuit device. For each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices, the first data indicating the first measured electrical impedance and the identifier assigned to the electronic circuit device can be stored to a first memory. The first data indicating the first measured electrical impedance and the identifier for each of the electronic devices can form a baseline measurement of the electronic circuit devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning a first time, using a radio frequency (RF) scanner, each of a plurality electronic circuit devices fixed to a structural component of a physical structure to receive, from each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices, first data indicating a first measured electrical impedance of a respective conductor connected to the electronic circuit device and an identifier assigned to the electronic circuit device; and

for each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices, storing the first data indicating the first measured electrical impedance and the identifier assigned to the electronic circuit device to a first memory, wherein the first data indicating the first measured electrical impedance and the identifier for each of the electronic devices forms a baseline measurement of the electronic circuit devices to which impedance data gathered from subsequent scans of the electronic devices is compared to determine whether any of the conductors of the electronic circuit devices have deformed or broken.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices and the respective electrical conductors are embedded into a structural wrap, wherein the structural wrap is configured to be attached to the physical structure; and

the structural wrap is attached to the structural component of the physical structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices and the respective electrical conductors are embedded into at least one structural material from which the at least one structural component of the physical structure is made.

4. A method comprising:

for each of a plurality of electronic circuit devices;

configuring the electronic circuit device to be fixed to a structural component of a physical structure and to, responsive to being scanned by a radio frequency (RF) scanner, use energy contained in an RF signal generated by the RF scanner to measure an electrical impedance of a respective electrical conductor and communicate to the RF scanner data indicating the measured electrical impedance of the respective electrical conductor, wherein impedance data gathered from a subsequent scan of the electronic circuit device is compared to the measured electrical impedance of the respective electrical conductor to determine whether the respective electrical conductor has deformed or broken; and

connecting the respective electrical conductor to the electronic circuit device, wherein the respective electrical conductor is configured to have a respective electrical impedance that changes in value responsive to the electrical conductor being deformed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices and the respective electrical conductors are fixed to, or fixed within, the structural component of the physical structure, the method further comprising:

scanning a first time, using the RF scanner, each of the plurality electronic circuit devices to receive, from each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices, first data indicating a first measured electrical impedance of the respective conductor and an identifier assigned to the electronic circuit device; and

for each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices, storing the first data indicating the first measured electrical impedance and the identifier assigned to the electronic circuit device to a first memory, wherein the first data indicating the first measured electrical impedance and the identifier for each of the electronic devices forms a baseline measurement of the electronic circuit devices.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

embedding each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices and the respective electrical conductors into a structural wrap, wherein the structural wrap is configured to be attached to the physical structure.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

attaching the structural wrap to the physical structure.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

embedding each of the plurality of electronic circuit devices and the respective electrical conductors into at least one structural material from which the at least one structural component of the physical structure is made.