# US 10,503,157 B2 · Remote non-destructive testing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,157 B2 - Document ID: US10503157B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/855,931 - Filed: 2015-09-16 - Published: 2016-03-17 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-17 - Assignees: DolphiTech AS - Applicants: DolphiTech AS - Inventors: Jan Olav Endrerud; Eskil Skoglund - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503157B2 ## CPC - G05B 23/00: Testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof (monitoring of program-control systems G05B19/048, G05B19/406) - G01N 29/043: {in the interior, e.g. by shear waves} - G01N 29/0645: {Display representation or displayed parameters, e.g. A-, B- or C-Scan} - G01N 29/449: {Statistical methods not provided for in G01N29/4409, e.g. averaging, smoothing and interpolation} - G06F 11/00: Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring (error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00) - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - G01N 2291/0258: Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils - G01N 2291/044: Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a condition of a test object, and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first and second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inspection apparatus for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the apparatus comprising: an inspection device capable of being operated by the non-expert, which is configured to generate inspection data indicative of a sub-surface material structure of a test object; and a communication unit configured to: divide the inspection data into first data for transfer in substantially real time and second data comprising data indicative of a more detailed representation of the sub-surface material structure of the test object than the first data, whereby the second data enables a more in-depth analysis of the inspection than the first data, such that the first data is different than the second data; transfer the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transfer the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the inspection device being capable of generating data indicative of an interior structure of the object, without damaging said object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the communication unit being configured to divide the inspection data such that the first data comprises fewer bytes that the second data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the communication unit being configured to divide the inspection data such that the first data has been subject to more processing than the second data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the communication unit being configured to divide the inspection data such that the second data is raw data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the communication unit being configured to transfer the first data before the second data and/or at a higher data rate than the second data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the communication unit being configured to transfer the first data over a higher capacity communication link than the second data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the communication unit being configured to: receive a request from the remotely-located expert for the second data; retrieve the requested data from the buffer; and transfer the requested data to the remotely-located expert. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the inspection device being further configured to use a non-destructive testing technique from one or more of magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, eddy current testing, low coherence interferometry and ultrasound. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the communication unit is further configured to transfer the second data after the inspection device ceases generating new data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the second data representing a more complex type of image than the first data. ### Claim 12 A method for enabling a remotely-located expert to monitor an inspection by a non-expert, the method comprising: generating inspection data indicative of a sub-surface material structure of a test object; dividing the inspection data into first data for transfer in substantially real time and second data comprising data indicative of a more detailed representation of the sub-surface material structure of the test object than the first data, whereby the second data enables a more in-depth analysis of the inspection than the first data such that the first data is different than the second data; transferring the first data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a first time, to facilitate substantially real-time monitoring of the inspection by the expert; and transferring the second data for being presented to the remotely-located expert at a second time, which is later than the first time, to facilitate non-real time monitoring of the inspection by the expert. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprising generating the inspection data using a non-destructive testing technique from one or more of magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, eddy current testing, low coherence interferometry and ultrasound. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, in which dividing the inspection data into first and second data further comprises dividing the inspection data such that the first data comprises fewer bytes than the second data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, in which dividing the inspection data into first and second data further comprises dividing the inspection data such that the first data has been subject to more processing than the second data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, in which dividing the inspection data into first and second data further comprises dividing the inspection data such that the second data is raw data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprising one or more of: transferring the first data at a higher data rate than the second data, transferring the first data over a higher capacity communication link than the second data, and transferring the second data after the inspection device ceases generating new data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprising: receiving a request from the remotely-located expert for the second data; retrieving the requested data from a buffer; and transferring the requested data to the remotely-located expert.