Method and system for testing a bundle of tubular objects guided by a computing device

• US 9,335,299 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arise Global Pte. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AcousticEye Ltd. (Arise Global Pte. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Amir, Noam, Pechter, Tal, Barzelay, Oded
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US13/162,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 702/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2626 Wires, bars, rods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/043 in the interior, e.g. by shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/075 by measuring or comparing phase angle measuring frequencies or phase angles per se G01R23/00, G01R25/00

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of method and system for guiding a tester of a bundle of similar objects are disclosed. The disclosed embodiments may obtain a picture of the bundle of the similar objects. The image may be processed in order to identify the bundle of similar objects to be tested. Then, the system may determine which object of the similar objects to measure and accordingly it may instruct a tester to associate an object-measuring device with the determined object to be measured. Upon receiving a trigger signal issued by the tester, information is collected regarding the test results of the measured object and information on the location of the measured object. Then the process can proceed for additional objects in the bundle.

Claims

1. A system that guides a tester while measuring a plurality of similar pipes that are bundled together, comprising:

a pipe-measuring device;

a location measuring system associated with the pipe-measuring device and is configured to deliver location information about the location in the bundle of a pipe that is currently measured by the pipe-measuring device;

a computing-assistance device (CAD) that is configured to;

obtain information on a front of a plurality of similar pipes that are bundled together;

obtain location information from the location measuring system about the location of the front of the pipe that is currently measured within the front of the bundle of similar pipes; and

obtain measurements signals from the pipe-measuring device,

wherein the measurements signals reflect the condition of the pipe that is currently measured; and

wherein the location information of the pipe that is currently measured is related to the front of the plurality of similar pipes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing-assistance device is further configured to report on the condition of the pipe and associate the report with the location of the pipe in the bundle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the CAD that is further configured to:

instruct a tester to associate the pipe-measuring device to a requested-next pipe;

obtain location information from the location measuring system about the location in the bundle of an actual-next pipe that is currently measured;

obtain measurements signals from the pipe-measuring device, wherein the measurements signals reflect the condition of the actual-next pipe that is currently measured; and

report on the condition of the actual-next pipe and associate the report with the location of the actual-next pipe in the bundle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the CAD further configured to:

determine based on the location of the actual-next pipe whether the actual-next pipe is the requested-next pipe if not then correction instruction are given to the tester to associate the pipe-measuring device with the requested-next pipe;

if the actual-next pipe is the requested-next pipe then the CAD continues measuring a plurality of pipes from the bundle and creating a report per each pipe.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the pipe-measuring device is a hand-held probe of an Acoustic pulse reflectometry (APR) system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the location measuring system uses transmitting-receiving relation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the location measuring system uses a mechanical-position-detection system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein information on a bundle of similar pipes is obtained from a picture of the bundle.