Foreign object detection
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsTalion Edwards, Gary Georgeson, Morteza Safai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for identifying foreign objection (FOD) in items such as aircraft are disclosed. The item may be imaged using x-ray backscatter before and after work is performed thereon. The image taken before work may be subtracted from the image taken after the work to provide a resultant image. The resultant image may indicate the presence of any FOD. Potential FOD in the resultant image may be checked against a database of known FOD to determine the identity thereof. By finding FOD, the occurrence of catastrophes such as aircraft crashes may be mitigated.
Claims26
A method for detecting foreign object debris (FOD) in an item that has been modified, the method comprising:
- scanning the item using x-rays prior to modifying the item;
- detecting x-rays backscattered from the unmodified item;
- forming a first image of the unmodified item from the backscattered x-rays detected;
- modifying the item;
- scanning the item using x-rays subsequent to modifying the item
- detecting x-rays backscattered from the modified item;
- forming a second image of the modified item from the backscattered x-rays detected;
- comparing the first image and the second image so as to define a resultant image depicting potential FOD in the modified item;
- determining geometrical characteristics of the potential FOD from the resultant image;
- and,
- comparing the geometrical characteristics of the potential FOD with previously stored values of at least one of the group consisting of known FOD geometric characteristics, nominal item geometric characteristics and previously collected item geometric configuration data to ascertain whether the potential FOD comprises actual FOD.
A system for determining the presence of foreign object debris (FOD) in an item, the system comprising:
- an x-ray backscatter scanner;
- an image comparator configured to compare two images from the x-ray backscatter scanner and to provide a resultant image;
- and,
- a database of known FOD geometric characteristics.
A system for determining the presence of foreign object debris (FOD) in an item, the system comprising:
- means for scanning the item with x-rays and for forming images from the x-rays backscattered therefrom during the scanning;
- means for scaling and light balancing the images;
- means for comparing two of the images so as to define a resultant image depicting potential FOD in the modified item;
- means for generating geometric characteristics of the potential FOD depicted;
- means for storing known FOD geometric characteristics;
- and,
- means for comparing the stored known FOD geometric characteristics to the potential FOD geometric characteristics.
A system for determining the presence of foreign object debris (FOD) in an item, the system comprising:
- an x-ray backscatter scanner;
- an image comparator configured to compare two images from the x-ray backscatter scanner and to provide a resultant image;
- and,
- a geometry comparator configured to compare actual FOD geometric characteristics to the geometric characteristics of potential FOD present in the resultant image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.