# US 10,481,108 B2 · System for defect indication detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,108 B2 - Document ID: US10481108B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/233,161 - Filed: 2018-12-27 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-12 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Andrew Frank Ferro; Xingwei Yang; Paulo Ricardo dos Santos Mendonca; Christopher Allen Nafis; Patrick Joseph Howard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481108B2 ## CPC - G01N 23/18: Investigating the presence of flaws defects or foreign matter - A61B 6/5282: {due to scatter} - A61B 6/586: {Detection of faults or malfunction of the device} - G01N 21/00: Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light (G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence) - G01N 23/046: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] - G06T 7/00: Image analysis - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G06T 2207/30108: Industrial image inspection - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for detecting potential defects in a part are disclosed. A potential defect may be automatically detected in a part, and may be reported to an operator in various ways so that the operator may review the defect and take appropriate action. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for notifying a user of a potential defect in a composite part, comprising: one or more processors; memory operably coupled to the one or more processors, the memory containing instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: import data from a VCT acquisition apparatus over one or more computer networks, the data representing a plurality of associated parts; segment a subset of data from the imported data, the subset representing an individual part of the plurality of associated parts; perform assisted defect recognition to identify and classify indications of potential defects in the subset of data; and report the indications of identified and classified potential defects to an operator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein assisted defect recognition includes normalization of the subset of data against a generated background volume of the individual part that includes scattering or beam hardening artifacts. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein assisted defect recognition includes denoising the subset of data using an adaptive bilateral or non-local means filter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting comprises rendering, on a display, a 3D image of the composite part that includes the indication. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein assisted defect recognition includes determining a boundary of the detected indication based at least in part on a computer-aided design (CAD) model, wherein the information about the indication includes information about the boundary. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein assisted defect recognition further comprises: identifying a seed voxel of the indication; and performing region growing around the seed voxel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the CAD model is a ply model of the composite part, and growth of the region around the seed voxel is constrained by the ply model. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein assisted defect recognition further comprises: identifying a signal area of the indication; and identifying a background of the indication based on a computer-aided design (CAD) model. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein assisted defect recognition further comprises calculating a signal strength of the indication based on the signal area and the background of the indication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the normalization includes generating a part mask of the composite part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the normalization includes generating a part make of the composite part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein recognition comprises calculating global and local porosities of the 3D volume. ### Claim 13 A system for notifying a user of a potential defect in a composite part, comprising: one or more processors; memory operably coupled to the one or more processors, the memory containing instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: import data from a VCT acquisition apparatus over one or more computer networks, the data representing a plurality of associated parts; segment a subset of data from the imported data, the subset representing an individual part of the plurality of associated parts; perform assisted defect recognition to identify and classify indications of potential defects in the subset of data, wherein assisted defect recognition includes normalization of the subset of data against a generated background volume of the individual part that includes scattering or beam hardening artifacts; and report the indications of identified and classified potential defects to an operator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein assisted defect recognition includes denoising the subset of data using an adaptive bilateral or non-local means filter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the reporting comprises rendering, on a display, a 3D image of the composite part that includes the indication. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein assisted defect recognition includes determining a boundary of the detected indication based at least in part on a computer-aided design (CAD) model, wherein the information about the indication includes information about the boundary. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein assisted defect recognition further comprises: identifying a seed voxel of the indication; and performing region growing around the seed voxel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the CAD model is a ply model of the composite part, and growth of the region around the seed voxel is constrained by the ply model. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein assisted defect recognition further comprises: identifying a signal area of the indication; and identifying a background of the indication based on a computer-aided design (CAD) model. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein assisted defect recognition further comprises calculating a signal strength of the indication based on the signal area and the background of the indication.