Modular inspection system handset

• US 9,638,553 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Coombs, Kevin Andrew, Bendall, Clark Alexander, Scott, Joshua Lynn, Hournbuckle, Jr., Bobby Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkin, Daniel S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Megna Fuentes, Anthony W
• Application Number:
  US14/010,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20150053025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 600101-187, 738665, 738658
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/024 Modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means G01N3/00 – G01N25/00 take precedence; measurement or testing of electric or magnetic variables or of electric or magnetic properties of materials G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/9006 Details, e.g. in the structure or functioning of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/226 Handheld or portable devices

Abstract

A handset for inspecting a target object with a sensor in an inspection module is disclosed. The handset includes a housing having a grip portion adapted to be held by a person, the housing adapted to selectively mechanically engage with the inspection module, a handset interface on the housing adapted to exchange signals with the inspection module, a handset processor, a user input interface accessible to the person gripping the grip portion and adapted to provide a control signal to the handset processor, and a user output interface responsive to the handset processor to display the data transmitted by the handset processor about the target object.

Claims

1. A handset for inspecting a target object with an inspection modality not found in the handset using an inspection module having a sensor, the inspection module comprising a modality-specific inspection component having a modality-specific hardware, modality-specific processing functions, modality-specific configuration information, and modality-specific sensor information, and the handset comprising:

a handset interface configured to exchange signals with the inspection module;

a handset processor, the handset processor configured to receive information for supporting the inspection modality not found in the handset from the inspection module, including the handset processor being configured to;

receive the modality-specific configuration information and the modality-specific sensor information from the modality-specific hardware of the inspection module; and

control the modality-specific processing functions of the inspection module, wherein the modality-specific configuration information of the inspection module includes data formatting information for the inspection modality not found in the handset;

a user input interface configured to provide a control signal to the handset processor to control the modality-specific hardware of the inspection module; and

a user output interface responsive to the handset processor to display the modality-specific sensor information about the target object using the modality-specific processing functions and the modality-specific configuration information including the data formatting information for the inspection modality not found in the handset.

2. The handset of claim 1, further comprising a housing having a grip portion configured to be held by a person, the housing configured to selectively mechanically engage with the inspection module, wherein the grip portion is arranged as one of a hammer grip or a pistol grip.

3. The handset of claim 1, wherein the handset interface comprises a handset connector.

4. The handset of claim 3, wherein the handset connector comprises one of a pogo pin or a conductive pad for receiving a pogo pin.

5. The handset of claim 1, wherein the control signal is at least one of a steering mode or a joystick position, and the handset processor is configured to provide an articulation control signal to the inspection module.

6. The handset of claim 1, wherein the control signal is a light control signal, and the handset processor is configured to provide a light source command to the inspection module.

7. The handset of claim 1, wherein the control signal is a stop acquiring data from the sensor control signal, and the handset processor is configured to provide a command to the inspection module to reduce power in the inspection module.

8. The handset of claim 1, wherein the handset processor is configured to automatically receive the control signal from the user input interface, in response to the received control signal, provide a modality specific control signal via the handset interface to the inspection module, receive the modality-specific sensor data via the handset interface from the inspection module;

and automatically provides the received modality-specific sensor information to the user output interface.

9. The handset of claim 1, wherein the handset is configured to provide electrical power to the sensor.

10. The handset of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an image sensor and the handset does not include an articulation driver configured to move the sensor.

11. The handset of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an image sensor and the handset does not include a light source configured to illuminate the target object.

12. The handset of claim 1, wherein the handset is configured to selectively mechanically engage with a battery.

13. The handset of claim 1, wherein the user input interface comprises a touchscreen interface.

14. The handset of claim 1, wherein the user input interface comprises one or more of a joystick and a button.

15. The handset of claim 1, further comprising a wireless network interface.

16. The handset of claim 1, further comprising one or more of input ports and output ports.