# US 2016/0258884 A1 · Systems and methods for inspecting an aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0258884 A1 - Document ID: US20160258884A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/399,566 - Filed: 2014-07-31 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-12 - Assignees: Tsinghua University; Nuctech Company Limited - Applicants: Tsinghua University; Nuctech Company Limited - Inventors: Kejun KANG; Jianmin LI; Jingyu GU; Yuanjing LI; Yulan LI; Yaohong LIU; Zhen TAN; Yucheng WU; Weizhen WANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160258884A1 ## CPC - G01N 23/04: and forming images of the material - B64F 5/60: Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems - G01V 5/22: Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays - G01V 5/232: {having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor (G01V5/226 takes precedence)} - H10F 39/804: {Containers or encapsulations} - G01N 2223/631: large structures, walls - H01J 37/023: {Means for mechanically adjusting components not otherwise provided for} - 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) - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a system and method for inspecting an aircraft. A ray source and a detector locate at above and below of a fuselage of an aircraft, respectively. The ray source emits a beam of rays, which pass through the aircraft to be detected. The detector receives and converts the beam of rays that pass through the aircraft to an output signal, and generates a vertical transmission image in real time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for inspecting an aircraft, comprising: a portal-framed structure; a ray source configured to emit a beam of rays, and being mounted and movable on the portal-framed structure; a detector configured to receive and convert the beam of rays to an output signal, and being arranged in a trench that is co-planar with the beam of rays emitted from the ray source; a controller connected to the detector and the ray source and configured to control the ray source to emit a beam of rays when an aircraft to be detected moves through a scanning region constituted by the ray source and the detector, and to control the detector to receive a beam of rays emitted from the ray source that has passed through the detected aircraft; and an image generation module configured to receive the output signal from the detector and generate a vertical transmission image of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the portal-framed structure has a rail to allow the ray source moving along the rail, and the detector moves along a rail in the trench in synchronization to the ray source, and wherein the controller being further configured to control the ray source to move to a predetermined position at a side along the rail, and control the detector to move to a position corresponding to the predetermined position at the side synchronously, so that a transmission inspection is performed on the side of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the detector has a length less than or equal to a half of a width of the portal-framed structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the ray source is an accelerator or a radioactive source that generates X-rays or Gamma-rays. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a gas or solid detector sensitive to X-rays or Gamma-rays. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the detector is fixed in the trench. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system according to claim 6, wherein the portal-framed structure has a rail to allow the ray source moving along the rail, and wherein the controller controls the ray source moving along the rail to a side, so that a transmission inspection is performed on the side of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system according to claim 6, wherein the detector has a length larger than or equal to two thirds of a width of the portal-framed structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the ray source emits a first beam of rays having a first energy and a second beam of rays having a second energy, and wherein the detector receives the first and second beams of rays, and wherein the image generation module receives the output signal from the detector and generates a dual-energy transmission image of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a first array of detectors that respond to a first portion of a beam of rays and a second array of detectors that respond to a second portion of the beam of rays and are arranged under the first array of detector, and wherein the image generation module receives the output signals of the first and second arrays of detectors and generates a dual-energy transmission image of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the ray source emits a beam of first-angle rays and a beam of second-angle rays, and wherein the detector comprises an array of first-angle detectors and an array of second-angle detectors that receive a beam of first-angle rays and a beam of second-angle rays that pass through the detected aircraft, respectively, the array of first-angle detectors and the array of second-angle detectors each being arranged in respective trenches at a predetermined interval substantially parallel to the portal-framed structure, and wherein the image generation module receives the output signals from the array of first-angle detectors and the array of second-angle detectors and generates a dual-viewing transmission image of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the portal-framed structure has a height that is adjustable. ### Claim 13 A method for inspecting an aircraft, comprising steps of: emitting a beam of rays from a ray source which is mounted and movable on a portal-framed structure; receiving and converting the beam of rays to an output signal by a detector arranged in a trench that is co-planar with the beam of rays emitted from the ray source; controlling the ray source to emit a beam of rays when an aircraft to be detected moves through a scanning region constituted by the ray source and the detector, and controlling the detector to receive a beam of rays emitted from the ray source that has passed through the detector aircraft; and receiving the output signal from the detector to generate a vertical transmission image of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising steps of: controlling the ray source moving to a predetermined position at a side along a rail, and controlling the detector to move to a position corresponding to the predetermined position at the side synchronously, so that a transmission inspection is performed on the side of the detected aircraft. ### Claim 15 A system for inspecting an aircraft, comprising: a portal-framed structure; at least two ray sources configured to emit a beam of rays, the at least two ray sources being mounted on a portal-framed structure and emitting beams of rays that are co-planar with each other; a detector configured to receive and convert the beam of rays to an output signal, which is arranged in a trench that is co-planar with the beam of rays emitted from the ray sources; a controller connected to the detector and the at least two ray sources and configured to control the at least two ray sources to emit a beam of rays when an aircraft to be detected moves through a scanning region constituted by the at least two ray sources and the detector, and to control the detector to receive beams of rays emitted from the at least two ray sources that have passed through the detected aircraft; and an image generation module configured to receive the output signal from the detector and generate a vertical transmission image of the detected aircraft.