# US 11,762,378 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 11,762,378 B2 - Document ID: US11762378B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/869,609 - Filed: 2022-07-20 - Published: 2022-11-10 - Granted: 2023-09-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-17 - Assignees: DolphiTech AS - Applicants: DolphiTech AS - Inventors: Jan Olav Endrerud; Eskil Skoglund - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11762378B2 ## 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 comprising: an inspection device configured to generate inspection data representative of a structure below a surface of a test object; an image generator configured to receive the inspection data and to generate an image comprising a representation of the structure below the surface of the test object from the inspection data; and a projection device configured to project, onto the surface of the test object or visual representation of the test object, the image comprising the representation of the structure below the surface of the test object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image further comprises a representation of one or more of a material structure of the test object, and previous damage and/or repair to the test object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the projection device is configured to project the image comprising the representation of the material structure of the test object onto a part of the surface of the test object that corresponds to the part below which the image represents the material structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection device is configured to project the image comprising the representation of the structure below the surface of the test object onto a part of the surface of the test object from which the inspection data was generated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection apparatus comprises a positioning system capable of locating the inspection device relative to the test object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inspection device comprises the positioning system, the positioning system comprising one or more of: a position sensor, an orientation sensor, a depth sensor, and a motion tracking camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inspection device is capable of being operated by a non-expert, and the inspection apparatus further comprises a visual guide configured to provide, to the non-expert, a visual indication of a location on the test object to be inspected in dependence on a control input from a remotely-located expert. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the test object comprises a 3D CAD model. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection device comprises a camera, and the visual representation of the test object comprises a video image of the test object captured by the camera. ### Claim 10 A method for inspecting a test object, the method comprising: generating inspection data representative of a structure below a surface of the test object; generating an image comprising a representation of the structure below the surface of the test object from the inspection data; and projecting, onto the surface of the test object or a visual representation of the test object, the image comprising the representation of the structure below the surface of the test object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the image further comprises a representation of one or more of a material structure of the test object, and previous damage and/or repair to the test object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein projecting the image comprising the representation of the material structure of the test object comprises projecting the image onto a part of the surface of the test object that corresponds to the part below which the image represents the material structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, the method further comprising projecting the image comprising the representation of the structure below the surface of the test object onto a part of the surface of the test object from which the inspection data was generated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein inspection data is generated by an inspection device, and the method further comprises locating, by a positioning system, the inspection device relative to the test object. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the positioning system comprises one or more of: a position sensor, an orientation sensor, a depth sensor, and a motion tracking camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising providing a visual indication of a location on the test object to be inspected in dependence on a control input from a remotely-located expert. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the visual representation of the test object comprises a 3D CAD model. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising capturing a video image of the test object and projecting the image representative of information relevant to the integrity of the test object onto the video image of the test object. ### Claim 19 An inspection apparatus comprising: an inspection device configured to generate inspection data representative of a structure below a surface of a test object; an image generator configured to receive the inspection data and to generate an image comprising a representation of one or more of: the structure below the surface of the test object using the inspection data, a material structure of the test object, and previous damage and/or repair to the test object; and a projection device configured to project the image onto the surface of the test object.