Damage detection system

• US 8,594,882 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Varghese, Sasha T
• Application Number:
  US12/015,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/34, 701/14, 701/29.1, 701/32.3, 701/32.7, 702/33, 702/34, 702/35, 702/183, 702/185, 702/57, 702/58, 702/59, 340/870.11, 340/870.09, 340/870.16, 340/945, 340/963, 455/98, 455/99, 714/25, 244/4.R, 737/73
• US Class Current: 701/32.7
• 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. Each of the plurality of connected transmitters may 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 comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of radio frequency stimulated transmitters,

a plurality of current conductive paths forming a conductive loop connecting all of the transmitters together, and

at least one node,

wherein each of said connected transmitters is configured to independently send a coded wireless damage signal through the at least one node to the processor when said connected transmitter determines that at least one of the current conductive paths to one of the neighboring transmitters is damaged, and to not communicate with the processor when said connected transmitter determines that the conductive paths to neighboring transmitters are undamaged; and

the processor is programmed to decode each wireless damage signal and identify a damage area based upon spatial coordinates of each transmitter sending the damage signal.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a vehicle, a machine, an aircraft, or a structure, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the damage area of the at least one vehicle, machine, aircraft, or structure.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to identify potentially affected systems that lie within the damage area.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to activate applicable checklists based on the potentially affected systems.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine at least one of a size, a location, or a map of the damage area based upon the spatial coordinates of each transmitter sending the damage signal.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are attached to the at least one vehicle, machine, aircraft, or structure.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are integrated into a component of the at least one vehicle, machine, aircraft, or structure.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine at least one of center X, Y, and Z coordinates of the damage area, or total X, Y, and Z coordinate distances of the damage area.

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

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to assign spatial coordinates to the unique transmitter identifier.

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

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connected transmitters are piezo-electric and are at least one of powered internally or powered due to an excitement signal.

13. A method of determining a damage area comprising:

providing a processor;

providing a plurality of radio frequency stimulated transmitters;

providing a plurality of current conductive paths forming a conductive loop connecting all of the transmitters together;

providing at least one node;

configuring each of the transmitters to send the processor a coded wireless damage signal through the at least one node when the transmitter independently determines that at least one conductive path passing current between the transmitter and one of the neighboring transmitters is damaged;

configuring each of the transmitters to not communicate with the processor when the transmitter determines that the conductive paths passing current to neighboring transmitters are undamaged;

decoding each wireless damage signal; and

identifying a damage area based on spatial coordinates of each transmitter sending the damage signal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the processor determining at least one of center X, Y, and Z coordinates of the damage area, or total X, Y, and Z coordinate distances of the damage area.