System for assessing metal deterioration on maritime vessels

• US 6,633,820 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: XYBERNAUT CORPORATION
• Inventors: Bizar, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, TUNG S
• Application Number:
  US09/727,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 702/38, 702/83, 364/512, 364/507, 364/551, 736/20, 128/731, 600/545, 137/551, 378/98.2
• US Class Current: 702/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02854 Length, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0289 Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0609 Display arrangements, e.g. colour displays indicating or recording in connection with measuring in general G01D

Abstract

This invention involves an apparatus for on-site testing and inspecting of metal structures and their deterioration. The NDT and hands free computer are both worn by the inspector to give him or her immediate results of the test.

Claims

1. An apparatus for on-site testing and analysis of deterioration of metal structure which comprises a wearable NDT metal diagnostic device used with a wearable hands-free computer, said wearable hands free computer comprising a display in connection thereto and having hands-free activation means selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means and mixtures thereof, said apparatus comprising means for mounting both said display and said hands-free computer on the user such that the display is carried hands-free in view of the user, and wherein said computer is enabled to process data transmitted from said diagnostic device and analyze said data in conjunction with a database stored in a memory in said computer wherein said database contains information including historic and baseline data of the item being inspected, and wherein said data gathering and analysis is performed at the location of inspection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic means, radiographic means, resonance thickness measurement means and mixtures thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is ultrasonic.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is radiographic.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an ultrasonic testing program or a radiographic testing program is loaded directly into said wearable hands-free computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wearable hands-free computer has a port for connection to a printer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wearable hands-free computer has a port for connection to a camera.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises communication means selected from the group consisting of portable phones, cell phones, hard wire phones, radios, infra-red transceivers, two-way radios and mixtures thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wearable hands-free computer, said NDT metal diagnostics device and said display are combined into a single housing worn by the user in a hands-free manner.

10. An system for on-site diagnostics and analysis of a metal structure of a ship which comprises a wearable NDT metal diagnostic device which is used in a hands-free manner, and a wearable hands-free computer in electrical connection to said NDT metal diagnostic device, said system optionally comprising a display device which is in electrical connection to said NDT metal diagnostic device and said wearable hands-free computer, said wearable hands-free computer having activation means selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye-tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means and mixtures thereof, and wherein said computer is enabled to process data transmitted from said diagnostic device and analyze said data in conjunction with a database stored in a memory in said computer wherein said database contains information including historic and baseline data of the item being inspected, and wherein said data gathering and analysis is performed at the location of inspection.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic means, radiographic means, resonance thickness measurement means and mixtures thereof.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is ultrasonic.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is radiographic.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein an ultrasonic testing program or a radiographic testing program is loaded directly into said wearable hands-free computer.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said wearable hands-free computer has a port for connection to a printer.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said wearable hands-free computer has a port for connection to a camera.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said apparatus comprises communication means selected from the group consisting of portable phones, cell phones, hard wire phones, radios, infra-red transceivers, two-way radios and mixtures thereof.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein said wearable hands-free computer, said NDT metal diagnostics device and said display are combined into a single housing worn by the user in a hands-free manner.

19. A method for on-site testing of deterioration of a metal structure which comprises providing a wearable NDT metal diagnostic device to be used with a wearable hands-free computer providing said wearable hands-free computer with a display in electrical connection thereto providing in said hands-free computer hands-free activation means selected from the group consisting of audio activation means, eye tracking activation means, electroencephalography activation means and mixtures thereof, providing means for mounting both said display and said hands-free computer on the user such that the display is carried hands-free in view of the user, and providing means such that said computer is enabled to process data transmitted from said diagnostic device and analyzing said data in conjunction with a database stored in a memory in said computer wherein said database contains information including historic and baseline data of the item being inspected, and wherein said data gathering and analysis is performed at the location of inspection.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic means, radiographic means, resonance thickness measurement means and mixtures thereof.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is ultrasonic.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said NDT metal diagnostic device is radiographic.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein an ultrasonic testing program or a radiographic testing program is loaded directly into said wearable hands-free computer.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein said wearable hands-free computer has a port for connection to a printer.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein said wearable hands-free computer has a port for connection to a camera.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein said apparatus comprises communication means selected from the group consisting of portable phones, cell phones, hard wire phones, radios, infra-red transceivers, two-way radios and mixtures thereof.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein said wearable hands-free computer, said NDT metal diagnostics device and said display are combined into a single housing worn by the user in a hands-free manner.