Voice inspection guidance

• US 9,620,107 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lambdin, Thomas Eldred, Domke, Michael Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Desir, Pierre-Louis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharma, Neeraj
• Application Number:
  US13/732,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 704 9, 704257, 704235, 704246, 704251, 704209, 704260, 704 3, 704201, 704243, 704275, 701 291, 715782, 715780, 340692, 4555501, 713185, 345473, 376249, 600437, 73622, 434236, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A system is provided that includes an inspection instrument. The inspection instrument includes communications circuitry, configured to communicatively couple the inspection instrument with information services; an audio input device, configured to receive inspection audio; and a processor, configured to query the information services via sending a request to the information services based upon an analysis of keywords, phrases, or both interpreted from the inspection audio. A voice recognition system configured to analyze the inspection audio for the keywords, phrases, or both is also provided.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing, using a computer processor, an inspection audio recording for keywords associated with an inspection, by;

recording, during the inspection, using at least one of an inspection tool and an inspection instrument communicatively coupled to the inspection tool, the inspection audio recording, wherein the inspection audio recording comprises audible annotations comprising comments of the inspection from an inspector performing the inspection, the comments comprising data minable keywords related to the inspection;

sending, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the inspection audio recording to a cloud-based voice recognition service to data mine the inspection audio recording for the keywords; and

obtaining, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the keywords from the voice recognition service;

querying, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, a data source for relevant inspection information relating to the;

receiving, as a result of the querying, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, relevant inspection information from the data source, the relevant inspection information comprising one or more configuration settings of the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument; and

applying, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the one or more configuration settings of the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument;

wherein the inspection tool comprises at least one of;

a borescope, an ultrasound device, radiography equipment, a camera, an x-ray inspection device, and an eddy current device; and

wherein the inspection instrument comprises;

a computing device communicatively coupled to the inspection tool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the inspection audio recordings comprises using voice recognition logic to interpret the keywords from the inspection audio recording.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising using a jargon dictionary to analyze the inspection audio recording.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the relevant inspection information comprises automatically installing one or more applications on the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument using a reference to the one or more applications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the inspection audio recording comprises:

interpreting the inspection audio recording using voice recognition logic of an inspection instrument; and

obtaining the keywords from the interpreted inspection audio recording.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising using a dictionary specific to an object or a manufacturer or the object that is being inspected, to analyze the inspection audio recording.

7. A method, comprising:

analyzing, using a computer processor, an inspection audio recording for keywords associated with an inspection, by;

recording, during the inspection, using the at least one of an inspection tool and an inspection instrument communicatively coupled to the inspection tool, the inspection audio recording, wherein the inspection audio recording comprises audible annotations comprising comments of the inspection from an inspector performing the inspection, the comments comprising data minable keywords related to the inspection;

sending, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the inspection audio recording to a cloud-based voice recognition service to data mine the inspection audio recording for the keywords; and

obtaining, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the keywords from the voice recognition service;

associating, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the keywords as metadata for inspection data acquired in time proximity to the audio recording, by the inspection tool; and

storing the inspection data with the associated keywords such that subsequent queries on the keywords may retrieve the inspection data;

wherein the inspection tool comprises;

a borescope, ultrasound device, radiography equipment, camera, x-ray inspection device, eddy current device, or any combination thereof; and

wherein the inspection instrument comprises;

a computing device communicatively coupled to the inspection tool.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

indexing the keywords; and

associating the indexed keywords as metadata for the inspection data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the inspection audio recording is analyzed using a jargon dictionary specific to a manufacturer, an object being inspected, an inspection type, a maintenance facility, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising using a subscription dictionary to analyze the inspection audio recording, the subscription dictionary comprising a dictionary that bought with a fee.

11. A system, comprising:

an inspection instrument, communicatively coupled to the inspection tool, comprising;

communications circuitry, configured to communicatively couple the inspection instrument with information services;

an audio input device, configured to record, during an inspection, an inspection audio recording comprising audible annotations comprising comments of the inspection from an inspector performing the inspection, the comments comprising data minable keywords related to the inspection;

a processor, configured to query the information services by;

requesting voice recognition service using a cloud-based service, by sending, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the inspection audio recording, wherein the voice recognition service comprises data mining the inspection audio recording for the keywords;

obtaining, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the keywords from the voice recognition service; and

sending a request to the information services based upon the received keywords interpreted from the inspection audio;

receiving, as a result of the request, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, relevant inspection information from the information services, the relevant inspection information comprising configuration settings for the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, or both; and

applying, using the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument, the one or more configuration settings of the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument;

wherein the inspection tool comprises;

a borescope, ultrasound device, radiography equipment, camera, x-ray inspection device, eddy current device, or any combination thereof; and

wherein the inspection instrument comprises;

a computing device communicatively coupled to the inspection tool.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the inspection instrument further comprises a voice recognition system configured to analyze the inspection audio for the keywords.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the voice recognition system is configured to discern inspection-specific keywords using a special jargon dictionary.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the special jargon dictionary comprises a dictionary related to a manufacturer of an object being inspected.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the special jargon dictionary comprises a dictionary related to non-destructive testing keywords.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the special jargon dictionary comprises a dictionary related to keywords that were used in previous inspections.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

the information services, wherein the information services are configured to provide;

the configuration settings for the at least one of the inspection tool and the inspection instrument.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the inspection instrument comprises a mobile device, configured to assist a non-destructive testing inspection, a computer, or a non-destructive testing tool.