USER DESIGNATED MEASUREMENT DISPLAY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NDT/NDI WITH HIGH RATE INPUT DATA

• US 20100100344A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Ndt
• Original Assignee: Olympus Ndt Incorporated (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Patel, Jayesh, Drummy, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/82 for investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/90 using eddy currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0618 synchronised with scanning, e.g. in real-time

Abstract

A user configured measurement display system and method for a non-destructive testing device and instrument (NDT/NDI) with high input data rate is disclosed. The system and the method provide the means for NDT/NDI instruments display measurement values that satisfies user designated measurement criterion occurring during any measurement time intervals (MTIs). The present disclosure overcomes the shortcomings of conventional ways of picking and displaying measurement values at fixed MTIs, by which the values truly satisfying the measurement criterion that occurs at random MTIs (other than scheduled MTIs) are often skipped.

Claims

1. A non-destructive inspection device including a measurement and display system, comprising:

a sensor facility operable to acquire measurement data for a test object at an acquisition data rate associated with time measurement intervals;

a user display operable for displaying measurement results at a display rate substantially below said acquisition data rate;

a criterion input unit operable by the user and effective for providing at least one user designated measurement criteria for said measurement data; and

a processor operable to process the measurement data and choose a portion of said measurement data that satisfies said measurement criteria for being displayed on said user display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user designated measurement criteria comprises one or more of:

a) a first echo amplitude;

b) a maximum amplitude echo;

c) a minimum amplitude echo;

d) a minimum time interval; and

e) a maximum time interval.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to display the measurement data that satisfies the measurement criteria in real time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to retrievably store the measurement data that satisfies said measurement criteria for later viewing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to produce on said user display one or more of a blinking or a changing or a persistent alarm condition, to signal to a user the acquisition of measurement data that satisfies the measurement criteria.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to choose said portion of said measurement data that satisfies said measurement criteria on the basis of the satisfaction of at least two of the measurement criteria.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to store the sensor facility'"'"'s positions relative to the test object and to associate the positions with corresponding measurement data.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the stored information includes time, MTI, alarm criteria and waveform information.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the real time information includes one or more of a waveform, a waveform marker, numeric readings and an alarm current indicator.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor facility comprises an ultrasonic sensor.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor facility comprises an eddy current sensor.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the system comprises a microprocessor with memory and embedded program software, a signal processor comprising analog to digital converters, and filters.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the acquisition data rate is at least four times as high as the display rate.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the user processor is configured to display only one of several data parameters sensed by the sensor facility, in given, repeating groups of data parameters.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the user display comprises a waveform display area and an alarm indicator.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each time measurement interval is associated with a response echo, a gate signal and a predetermined time interval.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a measured time interval is expressed as a thickness at which a test object is examined.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an alarm output and further includes a keypad operable with the criterion input module.

19. A measurement and display method, comprising the steps of:

acquiring parameter data from a test object at an acquisition data rate associated with time measurement intervals;

displaying test results at a display rate substantially below said acquisition data rate;

processing the parameter data and choosing at least a portion thereof for being displayed on said user display on the basis of a standard selection rule; and

displaying additional parameter data which satisfies user designated measuring criteria which is inputted through a criterion input module.

20. The method of claim 19, further including designating measurement criteria selected from one or more of:

a) a first echo amplitude;

b) a maximum amplitude echo;

c) a minimum amplitude echo;

d) a minimum time interval; and

e) a maximum time interval.

21. The method of claim 19, including setting the acquisition data rate to be at least four times as high as the display rate.

22. The method of claim 19, including displaying a waveform and operating an alarm indicator through a display.

23. The method of claim 19, including with each time measurement interval a response echo, a gate signal and a predetermined time interval.