Leak-detection device, program, and control method

• US 9,739,684 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shinoda, Shigeki, Yoshinari, Tetsuya, Kinoshita, Shohei, Yamamoto, Hiromi, Takahashi, Masatake, Sasaki, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US14/430,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20150211953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/16 using electric detection means G01M3/045, G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/243 for pipes

Abstract

A signal acquisition unit (2020) acquires a signal. From the signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit (2020), a detection signal extraction unit (2060) extracts, as a detection signal, a signal of any frequency band among a plurality of partial detection frequency bands into which the frequency band that is the subject of detection has been divided. A determination unit (2070) determines, in order, for each detection signal corresponding to each of the different partial detection frequency bands, whether the detection signal shows any leakage, and if at least a prescribed number of the detection signals are not showing any leakage, determines that leakage is not taking place.

Claims

1. A leak inspection device comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing code that the processor executes to;

causes an acquisition hardware device to acquire a signal;

extract, as an inspection signal, a signal in any of a plurality of partial inspection frequency bands obtained by dividing a frequency band as an inspection target, from the signal acquired; and

sequentially determine whether the inspection signals corresponding to the partial inspection frequency bands which are different from one another indicate a leak or not and, when predetermined number or more of the inspection signals do not indicate a leak, determining that there is no leak, by;

determining, via a partial determination process, whether the inspection signal corresponding to one partial inspection frequency band indicates a leak or not; and

performing an overall determination process of sequentially selecting one of the plurality of partial inspection frequency bands and sequentially making the partial determination process operate in correspondence with the selected partial inspection frequency band until the partial determination process determines that the predetermined number or more of the inspection signals do not indicate a leak.

2. The leak inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the partial inspection frequency bands are supplied to the partial determination process in ascending order of frequencies included in the partial inspection frequency bands.

3. The leak inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the overall determination process is repetitively performed a predetermined number of times at predetermined cycles and, when all of inspection results of the overall determination process indicate presence of a leak, determines presence of a leak as an inspection result of the overall determination process.

4. The leak inspection device according to claim 3, wherein the overall determination process is repeated while shortening the predetermined cycle.

5. The leak inspection device according to claim 1, wherein a signal of time is acquired which is shorter the higher a frequency included in the partial inspection frequency band as an extraction target is.

6. The leak inspection device according to claim 1, wherein an analog signal is acquired and converted to a digital signal via a digital conversion process, and

the digital conversion process converts the analog signal to the digital signal at a sampling frequency which is higher the higher a frequency included in the partial inspection frequency band acquired is.

7. The leak inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the code to transmit an inspection result by a radio.

8. The leak inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the processor further stops power when the presence/absence of a leak is determined as an inspection result.

9. The leak inspection device according to claim 8, wherein power is stopped to the acquisition hardware device after acquiring the signal.

10. The leak inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the processor further executes the code to transmit the inspection result by a radio, wherein

the power is stopped to the radio after transmission of an inspection result.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program causing a computer to have a function of operating as a leak inspection device, and causing the computer to have:

a signal acquisition function of acquiring a signal;

an inspection signal extraction function of extracting, as an inspection signal, a signal in any of a plurality of partial inspection frequency bands obtained by dividing a frequency band as an inspection target from the signal acquired by the signal acquisition function; and

a determination function of sequentially determining whether the inspection signals corresponding to the partial inspection frequency bands which are different from one another indicate a leak or not and, when predetermined number or more of the inspection signals do not indicate a leak, determining that there is no leak,

wherein the determination function includes;

a partial determination function determining whether the inspection signal corresponding to one partial inspection frequency band indicates a leak or not; and

an overall determination function performing an overall determination process of sequentially selecting one of the plurality of partial inspection frequency bands and sequentially making the partial determination function operate in correspondence with the selected partial inspection frequency band until the partial determination function determines that the predetermined number or more of the inspection signals do not indicate a leak.

12. A control method executed by a computer operating as a leak inspection device, comprising:

acquiring a signal;

extracting, as an inspection signal, a signal in any of a plurality of partial inspection frequency bands obtained by dividing a frequency band as an inspection target, from the signal acquired in the signal acquisition; and

determining sequentially whether the inspection signals corresponding to the partial inspection frequency bands which are different from one another indicate a leak or not and, when predetermined number or more of the inspection signals do not indicate a leak, determining that there is no leak,

wherein the determining includes;

determining, via a partial determination process, whether the inspection signal corresponding to one partial inspection frequency band indicates a leak or not; and

performing an overall determination process of sequentially selecting one of the plurality of partial inspection frequency bands and sequentially making the partial determination process operate in correspondence with the selected partial inspection frequency band until the partial determination process determines that the predetermined number or more of the inspection signals do not indicate a leak.