Systems and methods for synchronizing non-destructive testing devices

• US 9,185,161 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Messinger, Jason Howard, Domke, Michael Christopher, Sbihli, Scott Leo, Ward, Robert Carroll, De Fromont, Francois Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ballard, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/732,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A non-transitory computer readable medium may include executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to transmit device identification information and to receive a space requirement based on a digital content. The instructions further cause the processor to compare a memory space to the space requirement, and if the memory space is greater than the space requirement, receive a digital content based on the device identification, wherein the digital content is configured to be executed by, used by, or displayed by a non-destructive testing (NDT) device, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

automatically communicatively couple a non-destructive testing (NDT) device to an external system, wherein the NDT device comprises a sensor configured to non-destructively observe a machinery;

automatically receive a notification from the external system that an update to a digital content has been placed onto the external system;

transmit equipment type identification information to the external system based on the notification;

receive a space requirement based on the update to the digital content; and

compare a memory space to the space requirement, and if the memory space is greater than the space requirement, receive the update to the digital content based on the equipment type identification, wherein the equipment type identification identifies a type of equipment to be inspected, wherein the digital content is configured to be executed by, used by, or displayed by the NDT device, or a combination thereof, and wherein the digital content comprises a digital equipment manual, an inspection procedure, a training procedure, a regulatory document, a regulatory procedure, audio, video, text, multimedia, an interactive computer simulation, a device driver, a firmware, a configuration file, a configuration related file, an NDT executable application, an application programming interfaces (API), or a combination thereof.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically transmit the equipment type identification information to the external system upon receipt of the notification.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to receive the digital content automatically after the notification of the update to the digital content.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the notification of the update of the digital content comprises an automatic notification based on additions, deletions, or updates to the digital content.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the NDT device comprises an input device and the processor is configured to read an input from the input device to determine the equipment type.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the input device comprises a scanner.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive instructions to remove a second digital content from a memory included in the NDT device after transmitting the equipment type identification information.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive instructions to modify a second digital content from a memory included in the NDT device after transmitting the equipment type identification information.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the NDT device comprises a borescope, a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, an ultrasonic inspection device, an eddy current inspection device, an X-ray inspection device, or a combination thereof having the processor.

10. A system comprising:

a non-destructive testing (NDT) device comprising a memory, a sensor, and a processor configured to;

automatically communicatively couple the NDT device to an external system, wherein the sensor is configured to non-destructively observe a machinery;

automatically receive a notification from the external system that an update to a digital content has been placed onto the external system;

transmit a equipment type identification information;

receive instructions to add, modify, or delete a digital content based on the equipment type identification information, wherein the equipment type identification identifies a type of equipment to be inspected; and

execute the instructions, wherein the memory is configured to store the digital content, and wherein the digital content comprises a digital equipment manual, an inspection procedure, a training procedure, a regulatory document, a regulatory procedure, audio, video, text, multimedia, an interactive computer simulation, a device driver, a firmware, a configuration file, a configuration related file, an NDT executable application, an application programming interfaces (API), or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to add or modify the digital content comprise instructions to download the digital content from an online store.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to automatically transmit the equipment type identification information to the external system upon receipt of the notification.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to automatically receive the digital content after the notification.

14. A method for synchronizing a plurality of non-destructive testing (NDT) devices, the method comprising:

automatically selecting the plurality of NDT devices for synchronization based on an update to a digital content that has been placed onto an external system;

automatically transmitting from the external system a notification of the update to each NDT device of the plurality of NDT devices;

transmitting a equipment type identification information from each NDT device to the external system;

receiving, on each NDT device, a space requirement based on the update to the digital content; and

comparing, on each NDT device, a memory space to the space requirement, and if the memory space is greater than the space requirement, receiving the update to the digital content based on the equipment type identification, wherein the equipment type identification identifies a type of equipment to be inspected, wherein the digital content is configured to be executed by, used by, or displayed by a non-destructive testing (NDT) device, or a combination thereof, and wherein the digital content comprises a digital equipment manual, an inspection procedure, a training procedure, a regulatory document, a regulatory procedure, audio, video, text, multimedia, an interactive computer simulation, a device driver, a firmware, a configuration file, a configuration related file, an NDT executable application, an application programming interfaces (API), or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising automatically transmitting the equipment type identification information to the external system upon receipt of the notification.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising automatically receiving the digital content after determining that the memory space is greater than the space requirement.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein a first NDT device of the plurality of NDT devices comprises an input device and a processor, and wherein the processor is configured to read an input from the input device to determine a specific equipment type and to download the a customized digital content configured to target inspections for the specific equipment type based on the input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the customized digital content is derived based on a license to execute, to use, or to display the customized digital content.