IP Library Granted Patent US 10,262,404
Granted Patent B2
US 10,262,404 · App. 15/182,207 · Granted Apr 16, 2019

Method and system for articulation of a visual inspection device

Inventors: Nicholas Anthony Stancato (Skaneateles, NY); Melissa Rose Stancato (Skaneateles, NY); Kevin Andrew Coombs (Skaneateles, NY); Joseph John Waclawski (Skaneateles, NY); James J. Delmonico (Skaneateles, NY); Bryan David Maule (Skaneateles, NY); Dennis Lavin (Syracuse, NY); Matthew William Pankow (Skaneateles, NY)
Assignee: General Electric Company
G06T7/0004G02B23/2476H04N5/23296G06T2207/30164
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,262,404
App. No.
15/182,207
Granted
Apr 16, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for articulating visual inspection devices are provided. For example, a method can include receiving an inspection template by a control system associated with the visual inspection device. The inspection template can include data associated with at least one point of interest in a scene viewable to the visual inspection device. The method can further include generating, by the control system, an articulation path based on the data. The method can also include actuating an electro-mechanical system of the visual inspection device according to the articulation path.

Claims (53)

1. A method of articulating an inspection device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a control system,

an image captured by a visual inspection device that is related to a scene including an asset under inspection, and

configuration and position data representing conditions under which the image is captured by the visual inspection device, the conditions including a predetermined position of the visual inspection device with respect to the asset, a predetermined light intensity of a light source associated with the visual inspection device, and a predetermined degree of zoom of the visual inspection device;

receiving, by the control system, a selection of at least two points of interest within the image;

generating by the control system, a set of instructions containing commands operative to actuate an actuator of the visual inspection device for positioning the visual inspection device during articulation along an articulation path extending from one to the other of the at least two selected points in the image;

automatically generating, by the control system, an inspection template including the set of instructions, the predetermined light intensity; and the predetermined degree of zoom; and

executing, by the control system, the inspection template, the executed inspection template causing,

the actuator to position the visual inspection device at the predetermined position,

the visual inspection device to adopt the predetermined degree of zoom,

the light source to emit light at the predetermined light intensity, and

the actuator to move the visual inspection device along the articulation path in a first direction, with the predetermined degree of zoom and predetermined light intensity, after being positioned at the predetermined position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acquiring one of a still image and a video after the actuating and positioning the visual inspection device according to the articulation path.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the inspection template in a menu-directed inspection (MDI) application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the asset is a turbine and the executed inspection template further causes a turning tool to rotate a core of the turbine concurrently with actuation of the visual inspection device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inspection template further includes instructions associated with navigating the visual inspection device to a point of a reference prior to actuation of the visual inspection device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual inspection device is one of a pan-tilt-zoom camera and a videoscope.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an undo command by the control system and further comprising articulating the visual inspection device along the articulation path in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

8. A system for articulating a visual inspection device, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image captured by a visual inspection device that is related to a scene including an asset under inspection;

receiving configuration and position data representing conditions under which the image is captured by the visual inspection device, the conditions including a predetermined position of the visual inspection device with respect to the asset, a predetermined light intensity of a light source associated with the visual inspection device, and a predetermined degree of zoom of the visual inspection device;

receiving a selection of at least two points of interest within the image;

generating instructions containing commands operative to actuate an actuator of the visual inspection device for positioning the visual inspection device during articulation along an articulation path extending from one to the other of the at least two selected points in the image;

generating an inspection template including the set of instructions, the predetermined light intensity; and the predetermined degree of zoom; and;

executing the inspection template, the executed inspection template causing,

the actuator to position the visual inspection device at the predetermined position;

the visual inspection device to adopt the predetermined degree of zoom;

the light source to emit light at the predetermined light intensity, and

the actuator to actuate the visual inspection device to move along the articulation path in a first direction, with the predetermined degree of zoom and predetermined light intensity, after being positioned at the predetermined position.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include acquiring one of a still image and a video after the actuating.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the visual inspection device is one of a pan-tilt-zoom camera and a videoscope.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the inspection template further includes instructions associated with manually navigating the visual inspection device to the predetermined position.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image captured by a visual inspection device that is related to a scene including an asset under inspection;

receiving configuration and position data representing conditions under which the image is captured by the visual inspection device, the conditions including a predetermined position of the visual inspection device with respect to the asset, a predetermined light intensity of a light source associated with the visual inspection device, and a predetermined degree of zoom of the visual inspection device;

receiving a selection of at least two points of interest within the image;

generating instructions containing commands operative to actuate an actuator of the visual inspection device for positioning the visual inspection device during articulation along an articulation path extending from one to the other of the at least two selected points in the image;

generating an inspection template including the set of instructions, the predetermined light intensity; and the predetermined degree of zoom; and;

executing the inspection template, the executed inspection template causing,

the actuator to position the visual inspection device at the predetermined position;

the visual inspection device to adopt the predetermined degree of zoom;

the light source to emit light at the predetermined light intensity, and

the actuator to actuate the visual inspection device to move along the articulation path in a first direction, with the predetermined degree of zoom and predetermined light intensity, after being positioned at the predetermined position.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further include acquiring one of a still image and a video after the actuating.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further include incorporating the inspection template in a menu-directed inspection (MDI) application.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the inspection template further includes instructions associated with navigating the visual inspection device to the predetermined position.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of at least two points of interest within the image is a user selection received by a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a human machine interface (HMI) of the visual inspection device.

17. The system of claim 8 , wherein the selection of at least two points of interest within the image is a user selection received by a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a human machine interface (HMI) of the visual inspection device.

18. The system of claim 8 , wherein the asset is a turbine and the executed inspection template further causes a turning tool to rotate a core of the turbine concurrently with actuation of the visual inspection device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the asset is a turbine and the executed inspection template further causes a turning tool to rotate a core of the turbine concurrently with actuation of the visual inspection device.

20. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the visual inspection device.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 19, 2023
From: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
To: BAKER HUGHES HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 063705/0437 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
To: MANTHEY, DIANE, MANT
Reel/Frame 063102/0879 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2020
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 051699/0158 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2017
From: STANCATO, NICHOLAS ANTHONY; STANCATO, MELISSA ROSE; COOMBS, KEVIN ANDREW; WACLAWSKI, JOSEPH JOHN; DELMONICO, JAMES J.; MAULE, BRYAN DAVID; LAVIN, DENNIS; PANKOW, MATTHEW WILLIAM
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 042761/0145 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170358072A1 · Dec 14, 2017