DAMAGE DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20090182465A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc., The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: WILKE, DANIEL D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

A damage detection system for a vehicle, a machine, and/or another type of structure may comprise a processor, and a plurality of connected transmitters communicatively connected to the processor. The plurality of connected transmitters may be adapted to be attached directly to a vehicle, a machine, and/or another type of structure. The plurality of connected transmitters may each be independently configured to only send a coded damage signal to the processor when at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged, and not to send a damage signal to the processor if no neighboring transmitter is damaged. The processor may be programmed to identify a vehicle location of any transmitter which sends a damage signal indicating that at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged. The damage detection system may analyze the damaged area and report potentially affected sub-systems to users of a vehicle, machine, or other structure equipped with the damage detection system.

Claims

1. A damage detection system for at least one of a vehicle, a machine, and a structure comprising:

a processor; and

a plurality of connected transmitters communicatively connected to the processor, wherein said plurality of connected transmitters are adapted to be attached directly to at least one of a vehicle, a machine, and a structure, and wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are each independently configured to only send a damage signal to the processor when at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged and not to send a damage signal to the processor if no neighboring transmitter is damaged, and the processor is programmed to identify a location of any transmitter on the at least one vehicle, machine, and structure which sends a damage signal indicating that at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one node, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are each independently configured to only send a damage signal through the at least one node to the processor when at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged and not to send a damage signal through the at least one node to the processor if no neighboring transmitter is damaged.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to Determine a damage area based upon spatial coordinates of each transmitter sending a damage signal indicating that at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to identify potentially affected systems that lie within the damage area.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further programmed to activate applicable checklists based on the potentially affected systems.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the damage signal includes a unique transmitter identifier.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further programmed to assign spatial coordinates to the unique transmitter identifier.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters comprise conductive paths passing current between the transmitters.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the conductive paths form a conductive loop looping all of the plurality of connected transmitters together.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is configured so that when at least one of the conductive paths are broken between two or more previously connected neighboring transmitters at least one of the disconnected neighboring transmitters sends a damage signal to the processor.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine at least one of a size, a location, and a map of the damage area based upon at least one of the spatial coordinates of each transmitter sending a damage signal indicating that at least one neighboring transmitter is damaged and upon each transmitter which is not sending a damage signal indicating that no neighboring transmitters are damaged.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are attached to at least one of a vehicle, a machine, an aircraft, and a structure.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are attached with one of an adhesive and paint.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are integrated into a structural component of the at least one vehicle, machine, and structure.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters communicate wirelessly with the processor.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of connected transmitters are independently configured to be, upon at least one of malfunction and damage, at least one of physically removed from the system and removed from the programming in the processor.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the system is configured to allow at least one transmitter to be added to the system to replace at least one malfunctioned and damaged transmitter.

18. A method of determining a damaged area of at least one of a vehicle, a machine, and a structure comprising:

providing a processor;

attaching a plurality of connected transmitters to at least one of a vehicle, a machine, and a structure, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters do not transmit signals to the processor when none of the connected transmitters are damaged;

when at least one of the plurality of connected transmitters are damaged, sending at least one damage signal to the processor through at least one neighboring transmitter of the at least one damaged transmitter; and

identifying a damage area of the at least one vehicle, machine, and structure based upon spatial coordinates of the at least one neighboring transmitter sending the at least one damage signal to the processor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters comprise conductive paths passing current between the plurality of connected transmitters.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the conductive paths comprise a conductive loop passing current in a loop between all of the plurality of connected transmitters.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the sending step occurs when at least one of the conductive paths is broken between at least two neighboring transmitters.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein when the at least one transmitter is damaged, no damage signal is sent though a non-neighboring transmitter of the at least one damaged transmitter.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifying step further comprises the processor interpolating between the spatial coordinates of a plurality of neighboring transmitters sending a plurality of damage signals in order to determine at least one of a size, a location, and a map of the damage area.