Material inspection methods and devices

1. A method of alerting a user of a material inspection device of a change in thickness of a material being inspected, the method comprising:

determining a thickness offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample;

setting a calibration thickness alarm, the calibration thickness alarm corresponding to the thickness offset;

detecting a change in thickness of the material being inspected;

engaging the calibration thickness alarm to alert the user of the inspection device of a detected change in thickness of the material being inspected,

determining a damage offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected; and

determining a thickness offset from the damage offset, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting comprises:

receiving a response echo pulse from the material being inspected;

calculating a time of flight for the received response echo pulse;

comparing the calculated time of flight with the damage offset and the thickness offset to produce a result; and

detecting a change in the thickness of the material being inspected when the result indicates that the calculated time of flight is greater than the damage offset and the thickness offset.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein engaging comprises:

providing a graphical user interface that presents the calibration thickness alarm to the user of the inspection device; and

engaging the calibration thickness alarm to alert the user of the inspection device of a change in thickness of the material being inspected.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface that presents a waveform of a received response echo pulse, the calibration information, and the calibration thickness alarm to the user of the inspection device.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to the user, the graphical user interface capable of presenting a received response echo pulse and information concerning the material being inspected.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising:

automatically amplifying an amplitude of the received response echo pulse to optimize the received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 5 comprising:

automatically applying a time-varied gain to a first received response echo pulse and a second received response echo pulse to optimize the first received response echo pulse and the second received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to the user, the graphical user interface capable of presenting to the user of the inspection device at least one depth indicator to indicate a depth corresponding to a location where the detected echo reflection occurs.

9. A material inspection device comprising:

an offset calculator, the offset calculator determining a thickness offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample;

a memory unit, the memory unit storing the calibration information received by the data receiving unit and the thickness offset determined by the offset calculator;

a detector, the detector configured to detect a change in thickness of the material being inspected;

a calibration thickness alarm, the calibration thickness alarm set corresponding to the thickness offset stored in the memory unit, that when engaged, alerts a user of the device of a change in thickness of the material as detected by the detector; and

an offset calculator, the offset calculator determining a damage offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the offset calculator using the damage offset to determine a thickness offset, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the detector comprises:

a pulse receiver to receive a response echo pulse from the material being inspected;

a calculator to calculate a time of flight for the received response echo pulse;

a comparison unit to compare the calculated time of flight with the damage offset and the thickness offset, stored in the memory unit, the comparison unit producing a result; and

the detector that receives the result and detects a change in the thickness of the material being inspected when the result indicates that the calculated time of flight is greater than the damage offset and the thickness offset.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the calibration thickness alarm comprises:

a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface visually presenting a calibration thickness alarm to a user of the device upon a change in thickness of the material as detected by the detector, the calibration thickness alarm set corresponding to the thickness offset stored in the memory unit.

12. The device of claim 11 ,

wherein the graphical user interface visually presenting a calibration thickness alarm to a user of the device upon a change in thickness of the material as detected by the detector, the calibration thickness alarm set corresponding to the thickness offset stored in the memory unit, the graphical user interface also presenting a waveform of a received response echo pulse and the calibration information stored in the memory unit.

13. The device of claim 9 comprising:

a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface visually presenting a received response echo pulse and information concerning the material being inspected.

14. The device of claim 13 comprising:

an automatic gain controller configured to automatically amplify an amplitude of the received response echo pulse to optimize the received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

15. The device of claim 13 comprising:

a time varied gain controller configured to automatically apply a time-varied gain to a first received response echo pulse and a second received response echo pulse to optimize the first received response echo pulse and the second received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

16. The device of claim 9 comprising:

a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface capable of presenting to the user of the inspection device at least one depth indicator to indicate the depth corresponding to the location where a detected echo reflection occurs.

17. A computer program product, stored on computer readable medium, for alerting a user of a material inspection device of a change in thickness of a material being inspected, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for determining a thickness offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample;

computer program code for setting a calibration thickness alarm, the calibration thickness alarm corresponding to the thickness offset;

computer program code for detecting a change in thickness of the material being inspected;

computer program code for engaging the calibration thickness alarm to alert the user of the inspection device of a detected change in thickness of the material being inspected;

computer program code for determining a damage offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected; and

computer program code for determining a thickness offset from the damage offset, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample.

18. A computerized device comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a display;

an input/output interface; and

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor, and the input/output interface, allowing communication there between;

wherein the memory of the computerized device is encoded with a calibration thickness alarm application, that when executed in the processor, provides a calibration thickness alarm process that alerts a user of a material inspection device of a change in thickness of a material being inspected, by causing the computerized [system] device to perform operations of:

determining a thickness offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample;

setting a calibration thickness alarm, the calibration thickness alarm corresponding to the thickness offset;

detecting a change in thickness of the material being inspected;

engaging the calibration thickness alarm to alert the user of the inspection device of a detected change in thickness of the material being inspected;

determining a damage offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected; and

determining a thickness offset from the damage offset, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample.

19. A method of alerting a user of a material inspection device of a change in thickness of a material being inspected, the method comprising:

determining a thickness offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample;

setting a calibration thickness alarm, the calibration thickness alarm corresponding to the thickness offset;

detecting a change in thickness of the material being inspected;

engaging the calibration thickness alarm to alert the user of the inspection device of a detected change in thickness of the material being inspected;

providing a graphical user interface to the user, the graphical user interface capable of presenting a received response echo pulse and information concerning the material being inspected; and

automatically amplifying an amplitude of the received response echo pulse to optimize the received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

automatically applying a time-varied gain to a first received response echo pulse and a second received response echo pulse to optimize the first received response echo pulse and the second received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

21. A material inspection device comprising:

an offset calculator, the offset calculator determining a thickness offset from calibration information, the calibration information identifying a time of flight of a pulse through a reference sample similar in composition to a material to be inspected, the thickness offset indicating when a thickness of a material being inspected differs from a thickness of the reference sample;

a memory unit, the memory unit storing the calibration information received by the data receiving unit and the thickness offset determined by the offset calculator;

a detector, the detector configured to detect a change in thickness of the material being inspected;

a calibration thickness alarm, the calibration thickness alarm set corresponding to the thickness offset stored in the memory unit, that when engaged, alerts a user of the device of a change in thickness of the material as detected by the detector;

a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface visually presenting a received response echo pulse and information concerning the material being inspected; and

an automatic gain controller configured to automatically amplify an amplitude of the received response echo pulse to optimize the received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.

22. The device of claim 21 further comprising:

a time varied gain controller configured to automatically apply a time-varied gain to a first received response echo pulse and a second received response echo pulse to optimize the first received response echo pulse and the second received response echo pulse in regards to a range of the inspection device shown on the graphical user interface.