Apparatus and method for mapping surfaces of an object

• US 6,285,320 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterlin, Dennis J., Olster, Elliot F., Dannenhoffer, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/389,561
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 342/463, 342/464, 342/465, 342/179
• US Class Current: 342/464
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude

Abstract

An apparatus and method for mapping surfaces of an object, such as a structure or vehicle, that utilizes transceivers mounted on portable support structures to orient a probe to form a local global positioning satellite (GPS) system. The probe is placed on reference points of the object and information related to the reference point is input into a data processor. The processor uses the reference points are used to identify and orient the object, and a model of the object is retrieved from memory. Additional position data of the object is gathered and processed to generate a graphical image of the object being mapped. The model is compared to the mapped image of the object and structural damage is assessed. Information relating to repair procedures is output to a workstation and the area under repair can be mapped to evaluate the success of the repair procedure.

Claims

1. A system for mapping the surface of an object comprising:

a plurality of orienting devices;

at least one probe, for contacting the object and being adapted to be oriented by the orienting devices; and

a data processing unit, coupled to each probe, for receiving probe position data relating to locations on the object and generating a graphical image of the object based on the probe position data,

wherein one or more of the orienting devices are transceivers and the probe is a receiver.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a storage medium, coupled to the data processing unit, for storing a graphical model image of the object,

wherein the probe position data includes probe contact data that represents a probe contact position and probe location data that represents a probe location, and the data processing unit correlates a first set of probe position data to the graphical representation and uses a second set of probe position data to generate a second graphical image based on the second set of probe position data.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the orienting devices are positioned to obtain data relating to a surface on an underside of the object.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the signals transmitted by the transceivers are of the magnitude between approximately two gigahertz and one-hundred gigahertz.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the orienting devices are receivers.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the orienting devices are mounted on a portable support structure.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data processing unit is coupled to a network of peripheral data processing units, for transmitting and receiving data between the data processing unit and the peripheral data processing units.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of probes, wherein one of the plurality of probes is a transmitter.

9. A method for identifying surfaces of an object comprising:

transmitting signals from a plurality of orienting devices to orient a probe;

placing the probe at a plurality of known locations of the object;

inputting data into a data processor representative of each of the known locations;

placing the probe at an unidentified location of the object;

inputting data into a data processor representative of the unidentified location; and

generating a graphical image of the object based on the input data,

wherein one or more of the orienting devices are transceivers and the probe is a receiver.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

retrieving a stored model image of the object from memory;

comparing the generated graphical image of the object to the stored model; and

outputting an image of the generated image superimposed on the stored model image of the object.

11. A method for mapping a surface of an object stored on a computer-readable medium comprising the steps of:

orienting a probe relative to an object using three or more orienting devices;

receiving data related to three or more reference points on the object;

retrieving a graphical model of the object based on the received reference point data;

receiving data related to an unidentified area of the object;

generating a graphical image of the object based on the received reference point data and the input data related to an unidentified area of the vehicle;

comparing the graphical image of the object to the graphical model of the object;

retrieving information related to repairs for areas of the object in which the graphical image differs from the graphical model; and

outputting the retrieved information related to repairs,

wherein one or more of the orienting devices are transceivers and the probe is a receiver.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

outputting the graphical model overlaying the graphical image so as to illustrate any variations between the graphical model and the graphical image.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a warning message is generated when the graphical image of the object and the graphical model do not correspond within a predetermined tolerance.

14. A portable apparatus for mapping a surface of a vehicle comprising:

one or more portable support structures;

a plurality of transceiver devices, mounted on the support structures, transmitting signals that encompass the vehicle;

one or more probes, for receiving the signals from the transceivers thereby having its position identified on a grid, each probe contacting the vehicle at a location, and each probe contact location being transmitted by the probe;

a first data processor, with an associated input device, coupled to each transceiver and each probe, for receiving probe contact data from the probe and receiving probe location data via the input device, and generating an image of the vehicle as a function of the probe contact data and probe location data;

a network of data processors, coupled to the first data processor, for transmitting stored vehicle data that corresponds to the image of the vehicle to the first data processor,

wherein the first data processor receives updated data from the probe and input device, the updated data representing additional probe contact and probe location data, the first data processor determining variations between the updated data and the stored vehicle data and outputting data related to the determination.