Systems and methods for remotely inspecting aircraft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsGregory James Sweers, Walter Joseph Jarecki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for inspecting an aircraft at a first location, includes an imaging device configured to acquire one or more images of one of or more surfaces of the aircraft at the first location. A control unit is in communication with the imaging device. The control unit is configured to receive the one or more images. A user interface is in communication with the control unit. The user interface is at a second location that differs from the first location. The user interface includes a display. The control unit is configured to show the one or more images on the display. As such, the inspection is performed at the first location, such as by an individual using the display.
Claims20
A system configured for an inspection of an aircraft, the system comprising:
- an imaging device configured to acquire one or more images of one or more surfaces of the aircraft;
- a control unit in communication with the imaging device, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the one or more images;
- and
- a user interface in communication with the control unit, wherein the user interface includes a display,
- wherein the control unit is configured to:
- model human vision performance by applying calculations of human eye resolving power to establish a baseline for replicating capabilities on the display, and
- show the one or more images on the display.
A method for an inspection of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- acquiring, by an imaging device, one or more images of one of or more surfaces of the aircraft;
- receiving, by a control unit in communication with the imaging device, the one or more images;
- modeling, by the control unit, human vision performance by applying calculations of human eye resolving power to establish a baseline for replicating capabilities on a display of a user interface;
- and
- showing, by the control unit, the one or more images on the display of the user interface.
A system configured for an inspection of an aircraft, wherein the inspection comprises one or more of a general visual inspection of the aircraft, a lightning strike inspection of the aircraft, or a hail damage inspection of the aircraft, the system comprising:
- an imaging device configured to acquire one or more images of one of or more surfaces of the aircraft;
- a control unit in communication with the imaging device, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the one or more images;
- and
- a user interface in communication with the control unit, wherein the user interface includes a display,
- wherein the control unit is configured to:
- modify the one or more images based on at least one characteristic of the display,
- calculate optical requirements of the display to preserve an optical resolution that matches human eye inspection performance of the aircraft,
- model human vision performance by applying calculations of human eye resolving power to establish a baseline for replicating capabilities on the display,
- show the one or more images on the display, and
- automatically determine one or more anomalies in the one or more images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.