Probe assembly and methods for use in inspecting a component

• US 8,786,300 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bendall, Clark Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US13/367,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• US Class Current: 324/750.23
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50

Abstract

A probe tip includes a plurality of light emitters and a control circuit that is coupled to the light emitters. The control circuit is configured to control a projection of a plurality of light patterns from the light emitters for performing a phase-shift analysis using a plurality of images of the light patterns that are projected onto a component being inspected. The control circuit controls the projection of the light patterns by receiving electrical energy from a drive circuit. At least one of the light emitters is identified for receiving a power input based at least in part on the electrical energy received from the drive circuit. The power input is transmitted to the identified light emitter, based at least in part on the electrical energy received from the drive circuit, to enable the activation of the identified light emitter.

Claims

1. A probe tip comprising:

a plurality of light emitters; and

a control circuit coupled to said plurality of light emitters, said control circuit is configured to control a projection of a plurality of light patterns from said plurality of light emitters for performing an analysis of the plurality of light patterns using a plurality of images of the plurality of light patterns on a component being inspected, wherein said control circuit controls the projection of the plurality of light patterns by;

receiving electrical energy from a drive circuit;

identifying at least one of said plurality of light emitters for receiving a power input based at least in part on the received electrical energy; and

transmitting the power input to said at least one identified light emitter based at least in part on the received electrical energy to enable the activation of said at least one identified light emitter such that light is emitted therethrough.

2. A probe tip in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control circuit is configured to identify one of said plurality of light emitters based at least partially on at least one of a current, a voltage, a transition, a modulation, a frequency, and a binary pattern that each correspond to said at least one identified light emitter.

3. A probe tip in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control circuit is configured to receive electrical energy from the drive circuit within at least one of a first voltage range and a second voltage range.

4. A probe tip in accordance with claim 3, wherein said control circuit is configured to identify one of said plurality of light emitters based at least partially on the second voltage range of between about 1 Volt and about 10 Volts received from the drive circuit and said control circuit is configured to transmit the power input to said at least one identified light emitter based at least partially on the first voltage range of between about 15 Volts and about 25 Volts received from the drive circuit.

5. A probe tip in accordance with claim 3, wherein said control circuit is further configured to detect at least one transition between the first voltage range and the second voltage range received from the drive circuit.

6. A probe tip in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control circuit is configured to control the projection of the plurality of light patterns from said plurality of light emitters for performing a phase-shift analysis.

7. A probe tip in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control circuit is further configured to identify a different light emitter of said plurality of light emitters for receiving the power input after said at least one identified light emitter has received the power input.

8. A probe assembly comprising:

a probe body comprising a power supply; and

a probe tip coupled to said probe body, said probe tip comprising;

a plurality of light emitters; and

a control circuit coupled to said plurality of light emitters, said control circuit is configured to control a projection of a plurality of light patterns from said plurality of light emitters for performing an analysis of the plurality of light patterns using images of the plurality of light patterns on a component being inspected, wherein said control circuit controls the projection of the plurality of light patterns by;

receiving electrical energy from a drive circuit;

identifying at least one of said plurality of light emitters for receiving a power input based at least in part on the received electrical energy; and

transmitting the power input to said at least one identified light emitter, based at least in part on the received electrical energy to enable the activation of said at least one identified light emitter such that light is emitted therethrough.

9. A probe assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said control circuit is configured to identify one of said plurality of light emitters based at least partially on at least one of a current, a voltage, a transition, a modulation, a frequency, and a binary pattern that each correspond to said at least one identified light emitter.

10. A probe assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said control circuit is configured to receive electrical energy from the drive circuit within at least one of a first voltage range and a second voltage range.

11. A probe assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein said control circuit is configured to identify one of said plurality of light emitters based at least partially on the second voltage range of between about 1 Volt and about 10 Volts received from the drive circuit and said control circuit is configured to transmit the power input to said at least one identified light emitter based at least partially on the first voltage range of between about 15 Volts and about 25 Volts received from the drive circuit.

12. A probe assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein said control circuit is further configured to detect at least one transition between the first voltage range and the second voltage range received from the drive circuit.

13. A probe assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said control circuit is configured to control the projection of the plurality of light patterns from said plurality of light emitters for performing a phase-shift analysis.

14. A probe assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said control circuit is further configured to identify a different light emitter of said plurality of light emitters for receiving the power input after said at least one identified light emitter has received the power input.

15. A method of inspecting a component, said method comprising controlling a projection of a plurality of light patterns from a plurality of light emitters via a controller, wherein controlling the projection of the plurality of light patterns further comprises:

receiving electrical energy from a drive circuit;

identifying at least one of the plurality of light emitters for receiving a power input based at least in part on the received electrical energy; and

transmitting the power input to the at least one identified light emitter, based at least in part on the received electrical energy, to enable the activation of the at least one identified light emitter such that light is emitted therethrough.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising performing a phase shift analysis using a plurality of images of the plurality of light patterns on the component being inspected.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein receiving electrical energy further comprises receiving electrical energy from the drive circuit within at least one of a first voltage range and a second voltage range.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein identifying at least one of the plurality of light emitters further comprises identifying at least one of the plurality of light emitters based at least partially on the second voltage range of between about 1 Volt and about 10 Volts received from the drive circuit.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein transmitting the power input further comprises transmitting the power input based at least partially on the first voltage range of between about 15 Volts and about 25 Volts received from the drive circuit.

20. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein identifying at least one of the plurality of light emitters further comprises identifying at least one of the plurality of light emitters based at least partially on one of a current, a voltage, a transition, a modulation, a frequency, and a binary pattern that each correspond to the at least one identified light emitter.