Damage detection system

• US 7,298,152 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: McCarthy, Dennis K., Wilke, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): NATALINI, JEFF WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US11/437,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 324/369, 324/639
• US Class Current: 324/639
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A damage detection system includes a processor and a transmitter communicatively connected to the processor. The transmitter sends a signal to the processor and the processor is programmed to assign a spatial coordinate to the transmitter. The processor is further programmed to identify a transmitter location as damaged when the transmitter fails to send the signal. The damage detection system may analyze the damaged area and report potentially affected sub-systems to users of a machine or vehicle equipped with the damage detection system.

Claims

1. A damage detection system for a vehicle comprising:

a processor; and

at least one transmitter communicatively connected to the processor, wherein said at least one transmitter is adapted to be attached directly to a vehicle;

wherein the at least one transmitter sends a signal to the processor, the processor is programmed to assign a spatial coordinate to the at least one transmitter while attached directly to a vehicle and the processor is further programmed to identify a vehicle location of the at least one transmitter as damaged when the at least one transmitter fails to send the signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter is adapted to send a respective signal to the processor through a node.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a damaged area based upon the spatial coordinates of each damaged transmitter.

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

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

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the 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 at least one transmitter is selected from the group consisting of a power scavenging chip, a radio frequency responsive chip, a solar powered chip and a wind powered chip.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one transmitter obtains power from vibration.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to transmit a radio signal which activates the at least one transmitter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor transmits the radio signal upon one of a user initiation and a regular interval.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter is attached to a vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one transmitter is attached with one of an adhesive or paint.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one transmitter is integrated into a structural component of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter communicates wirelessly with the processor.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter may be manually removed from the system if the transmitter malfunctions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one transmitter is either physically removed or removed from the programming in the processor.

19. A method of determining a damaged area of a vehicle comprising:

providing a processor;

attaching a plurality of remotely powered transmitters to a vehicle, each of the plurality of transmitters adapted to send a signal to the processor;

providing remote power to the plurality of transmitters, thereby causing each of the plurality of transmitters to send the signal to the processor;

assigning spatial coordinates to each transmitter in the plurality of transmitters;

monitoring the plurality of transmitters to identify non-functioning transmitters; and

identifying a damaged area of the vehicle based upon the spatial coordinates assigned to any non-functioning transmitters.

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

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of transmitters comprises a plurality of power scavenging chips.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of power scavenging chips converts structural vibrations into power.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the power scavenging chips are piezo-electric chips.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of transmitters comprises one of a solar powered chip, a wind powered chip and a piezo-electric chip.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of transmitters comprises a plurality of radio frequency responsive chips, each of the plurality of radio frequency responsive chips converts radio frequency energy into power.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the processor interpolates between non-functioning transmitters to determine the damaged area.