Composite inspection and structural check of multiple layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9595096-B2
Application number	US-201414202376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

Provided are methods, systems, and computer program products for inspecting composite items. Specifically, a method involves analyzing an image of or, more generally, data characterizing condition of a top layer, which is disposed over a bottom layer. The method also involves performing a structural integrity check based on any anomalies detected in the top layer during this analysis as well as based on any anomalies previously detected in the bottom layer. As such, this structural integrity check accounts for characteristics of multiple layers, in some embodiments, all layers applied up to point of this inspection. In addition to the detected anomalies, the structural integrity check may account for previously performed repairs. The structural integrity check may be performed on individual portions of a composite item while, for example, other portions continue receiving a new composite layer, which may be referred to as an inline inspection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of inspecting a composite item, the method comprising:
receiving, at a receiving module, an image of a portion of a top composite layer of a composite fabrication system, wherein the top composite layer is disposed over at least one bottom composite layer;
analyzing the image at a detection module to detect anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer based on stored anomalies in an anomaly database; and
generating a 3D anomaly map by integrating any detected anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer and previously detected anomalies on an underlying portion of the at least one bottom composite layer;
performing a structural integrity check at a processor based on the 3D anomaly map; and
generating a course of action for repairing the top composite layer, wherein the course of action is adjusted in real-time based on the results of the structural integrity check.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the structural integrity check is further based on any repairs performed on the underlying portion of at least one bottom composite layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the structural integrity check is further based on any detected anomalies on the underlying portion of at least one bottom composite layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the course of action is generated based on any detected anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the image further comprises classifying any detected anomalies into two or more classes.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the two or more classes comprise height variations within the portion of the top composite layer.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the structural integrity check is performed based on any detected anomalies in each of the two or more classes.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the anomaly database for the composite item based on any detected anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer.

9. The method of claim 1 , further repeating receiving the image, analyzing the image, generating the 3D anomaly map, performing the structural integrity check, and generating the course of action for an additional composite layer disposed over the top composite layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying the additional composite layer over the top composite layer while analyzing the image to detect anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying the additional composite layer over the top composite layer after analyzing images of all portions of the top composite layer.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an additional image of an additional portion of the top composite layer,
analyzing the additional image to detect anomalies on the additional portion of the top composite layer; and
performing a structural integrity check based on any detected anomalies on the additional portion of the top composite layer, based on any anomalies previously detected on an underlying portion of the at least one bottom composite layer, and based on any detected anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the additional portion is adjacent to the portion.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the structural integrity check comprises identifying severity of the detected anomaly.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the image of the portion of the top composite layer further comprises receiving coordinates identifying location of the portion on the top composite layer.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting results of the structural integrity check to another computer system.

17. A computer system for inspecting a composite item, the computer system comprising:
a receiving module for receiving an image of a portion of a top composite layer of a composite fabrication system, wherein the top composite layer is disposed over at least one bottom composite layer;
a detection module for analyzing the image to detect anomalies in the portion of the top composite layer based on stored anomalies in an anomaly database; and
a processor for:
generating a 3D anomaly map by integrating any detected anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer and previously detected anomalies on an underlying portion of the at least one bottom corn site layer,
performing a structural integrity check based on the 3D anomaly map; and
generating a course of action for repairing the top composite layer, wherein the course of action is adjusted in real-time based on the results of the structural integrity check.

18. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for inspecting a composite item, the method comprising:
receiving, at a receiving module, an image of a portion of a top composite layer of a composite fabrication system, wherein the top composite layer is disposed over at least one bottom composite layer;
analyzing the image at a detection module to detect anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer based on stored anomalies in an anomaly database; and
generating a 3D anomaly map by integrating any detected anomalies on the portion of the top composite layer and previously detected anomalies on an underlying portion of the at least one bottom composite layer;
performing a structural integrity check at a processor based on the 3D anomaly map; and
generating a course of action for repairing the top composite layer, wherein the course of action is adjusted in real-time based on the results of the structural integrity check.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dorris Steven A
• Ayyagari Arun
• Vance Jonathan Blake
• Corman David E
• Fonda James W
• Engelbart Roger W
• Freeman Philip L

Classifications

• G01N21/95

  characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined (G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2021/8472

  Investigation of composite materials · CPC title

• G06T7/0006 Primary

  using a design-rule based approach · CPC title

• G01N21/8422

  Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method · CPC title

• G01N2021/8438

  Mutilayers · CPC title