Granted Patent B2

US 12,469,120 · App. 17/986,454 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Inventor: Robert W. Grube (Edmonds, WA)

Assignee: The Boeing Company

G06T7/0004G06T15/08G06T2207/10028G06T2207/10081

Abstract

Claims (99)

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a metrology data set that represents an article in a metrology coordinate system;

obtaining a build data set that represents the article in a build coordinate system;

determining a surface geometry of the article that is present in the metrology data set and the build data set;

selecting a metrology data subset from the metrology data set that represents the surface geometry of the article;

selecting a build data subset from the build data set that represents the surface geometry of the article;

generating a metrology point cloud from the metrology data subset in the metrology coordinate system;

generating a build point cloud from the build data subset in the build coordinate system;

pre-aligning the metrology point cloud and the build point cloud;

registering the metrology point cloud and the build point cloud;

calculating a transform between the metrology coordinate system and the build coordinate system;

applying the transform to the metrology data set to convert the metrology data set to the build coordinate system;

detecting a defect in the article represented by the metrology data set in the metrology coordinate system; and

determining a location of the defect in the build coordinate system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metrology data set comprises a voxel data set from a computed tomography file.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the build data set comprises mesh data set from a build file.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of pre-aligning comprises confirming that the metrology point cloud is a subset of the build point cloud.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of pre-aligning comprises aligning an asymmetric physical feature represented in the surface geometry.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of registering comprises executing an iterative closest point algorithm.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining a second metrology data set that represents the article in a second metrology coordinate system;

determining a second surface geometry of the article that is present in the second metrology data set and the build data set;

selecting a second metrology data subset from the second metrology data set that represents the second surface geometry of the article;

selecting a second build data subset from the build data set that represents the second surface geometry of the article;

generating a second metrology point cloud from the second metrology data subset in the second metrology coordinate system;

generating a second build point cloud from the second build data subset in the build coordinate system;

pre-aligning the second metrology point cloud and the second build point cloud;

registering the second metrology point cloud and the second build point cloud;

calculating a second transform between the second metrology coordinate system and the build coordinate system; and

applying the second transform to the second metrology data set to convert the second metrology data set to the build coordinate system.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the metrology data set, the build data set, and the second metrology data set comprise different types of data.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:

the metrology data set comprises a voxel data set from a computed tomography file;

the build data set comprises mesh data set from a build file; and

the second metrology data set comprises a second voxel data set from an optical thermography file.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

detecting a second defect in the article represented by the second metrology data set in the second metrology coordinate system; and

determining a second location of the second defect in the build coordinate system.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising matching the defect and the second defect.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising applying the transform and the second transform to the metrology data set to convert the metrology data set to the second metrology coordinate system.

13 . A system comprising:

a computer comprising a processor programmed with instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to:

obtain a metrology data set that represents an article in a metrology coordinate system;

obtain a build data set that represents the article in a build coordinate system;

determine a surface geometry of the article that is present in the metrology data set and the build data set;

select a metrology data subset from the metrology data set that represents the surface geometry of the article;

select a build data subset from the build data set that represents the surface geometry of the article;

generate a metrology point cloud from the metrology data subset in the metrology coordinate system;

generate a build point cloud from the build data subset in the build coordinate system;

pre-align the metrology point cloud and the build point cloud;

register the metrology point cloud and the build point cloud;

calculate a transform between the metrology coordinate system and the build coordinate system; and

apply the transform to the metrology data set to convert the metrology data set to the build coordinate system

detect a defect in the article represented by the metrology data set in the metrology coordinate system; and

determine a location of the defect in the build coordinate system.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a metrology instrument that acquires the metrology data set.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer to:

obtain a second metrology data set that represents the article in a second metrology coordinate system;

determine a second surface geometry of the article that is present in the second metrology data set and the build data set;

select a second metrology data subset from the second metrology data set that represents the second surface geometry of the article;

select a second build data subset from the build data set that represents the second surface geometry of the article;

generate a second metrology point cloud from the second metrology data subset in the second metrology coordinate system;

generate a second build point cloud from the second build data subset in the build coordinate system;

pre-align the second metrology point cloud and the second build point cloud;

register the second metrology point cloud and the second build point cloud;

calculate a second transform between the second metrology coordinate system and the build coordinate system; and

apply the second transform to the second metrology data set to convert the second metrology data set to the build coordinate system.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer to:

detect a second defect in the article represented by the second metrology data set in the second metrology coordinate system; and

determine a second location of the second defect in the build coordinate system.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer to match the defect and the second defect.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer to apply the transform and the second transform to the metrology data set to convert the metrology data set to the second metrology coordinate system.

19 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a metrology data set that represents an article in a metrology coordinate system;

obtaining a build data set that represents the article in a build coordinate system;

determining a surface geometry of the article that is present in the metrology data set and the build data set;

selecting a metrology data subset from the metrology data set that represents the surface geometry of the article;

selecting a build data subset from the build data set that represents the surface geometry of the article;

generating a metrology point cloud from the metrology data subset in the metrology coordinate system;

generating a build point cloud from the build data subset in the build coordinate system;

pre-aligning the metrology point cloud and the build point cloud;

registering the metrology point cloud and the build point cloud;

calculating a transform between the metrology coordinate system and the build coordinate system;

applying the transform to the metrology data set to convert the metrology data set to the build coordinate system;

detecting a defect in the article represented by the metrology data set in the metrology coordinate system; and

determining a location of the defect in the build coordinate system.

20 . The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a second metrology data set that represents the article in a second metrology coordinate system;

determining a second surface geometry of the article that is present in the second metrology data set and the build data set;

selecting a second metrology data subset from the second metrology data set that represents the second surface geometry of the article;

selecting a second build data subset from the build data set that represents the second surface geometry of the article;

generating a second metrology point cloud from the second metrology data subset in the second metrology coordinate system;

generating a second build point cloud from the second build data subset in the build coordinate system;

pre-aligning the second metrology point cloud and the second build point cloud;

registering the second metrology point cloud and the second build point cloud;

calculating a second transform between the second metrology coordinate system and the build coordinate system;

applying the second transform to the second metrology data set to convert the second metrology data set to the build coordinate system;

detecting a second defect in the article represented by the second metrology data set in the second metrology coordinate system; and

determining a second location of the second defect in at least one of the build coordinate system and the first metrology coordinate system.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)