Data communication between instruments and networks

Abstract

A non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT / NDI) system has a communication gateway that is removably fixed to an existing NDT / NDI instrument by a snap-on clasp. The gateway includes: a processor; a network interface; a housing configured to be removably fixed to the NDT / NDI instrument; an interconnection device configured to be communicatively coupled to the NDT / NDI instrument and transmit data to or from the NDT / NDI instrument; and a memory storing computer-readable code that, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to transmit data to an external network through the network interface. The data includes inspection data, which can be any of the following: an ultrasonic A-scan, an ultrasonic B-scan, an ultrasonic C-scan or an ultrasonic S-scan, an eddy current strip chart.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application serial number 16 / 371,108, filed on March 31, 2019, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION OF DATABETWEEN NDT / NDI INSTRUMENT AND AN EXTERNAL NETWORK,” which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. provisional patent application serial number 62 / 823,081, filed on March 25, 2019, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION OF DATABETWEEN NDT / NDI INSTRUMENT AND AN EXTERNAL NETWORK,” the entire disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to nondestructive testing and inspection (NDT / NDI), and more particularly, to a communication gateway for use with NDT / NDI instruments to communicate with an external network. Background Art

[0004] Nondestructive testing and inspection (NDT / NDI) instruments can be used to detect internal structural defects in objects or materials by sending inspection energy pulses to the target object and analyzing the echo signals responded from the target object. A typical NDT / NDI instrument may be an ultrasonic instrument that uses an ultrasonic transducer that is placed against the object to be inspected and enables ultrasonic energy pulses to be sent to the object. Typical inspection results of ultrasonic instruments involve A-scans, which are graphs representing the amplitude of the response to the ultrasonic pulses versus time. Another typical NDT / NDT instrument may be an eddy current instrument that induces eddy currents on the surface of the inspection object. Typical inspection results of eddy current instruments involve strip graphs indicating voltage changes on an impedance plane. Summary of the invention

[0005] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT / NDI) system is provided, including: an NDT / NDI instrument, the NDT / NDI instrument being configured for performing NDT / NDI measurements; a communication gateway, the communication gateway being configured to be fixed to the NDT / NDI instrument and to transmit data with an external network; and a data connector, the data connector being configured to transmit data between the communication gateway and the NDT / NDI instrument. In an example embodiment, the communication gateway includes: a processor; a network interface; a memory, the memory storing computer-readable code, the computer-readable code when executed on the processor causing the processor to transmit data with an external network through the network interface; and an interconnection device, the interconnection device being configured to be communicatively coupled to the NDT / NDI instrument and to transmit data to or from the NDT / NDI instrument. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Those skilled in the art will appreciate other objects, features and advantages from the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram depicting an NDT / NDI system having a communication gateway for communicating with an external network according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 is a block diagram depicting the structure of a communication gateway according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 3 is a block diagram depicting a more detailed structure of a communication gateway according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 4A is an isometric view of an exemplary communication gateway removably secured to an NDT / NDI instrument according to the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 4B is another isometric view of an exemplary communication gateway removably secured to an NDT / NDI instrument according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5A is a flow chart depicting an exemplary flow of steps for a communication gateway to receive information from a cloud (external network) and forward the information to an NDT / NDI instrument.

[0013] Figure 5B is a flow chart depicting an exemplary flow of steps for a communication gateway to receive information from an NDT / NDI instrument and forward the information to the cloud (external network).

[0014] Figure 6is an isometric view of an exemplary communication gateway when detached from an NDT / NDI instrument according to the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 7 is an isometric view of an instrument with a gateway attachment component (adapter) attached, ready for a communications gateway to be snapped onto, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 8 is a flow diagram depicting an example implementation method for authenticating or configuring a communication gateway with an external network (cloud). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In addition to one or more preferred embodiments disclosed below, the present invention can have other embodiments and can be practiced or executed in various ways. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the details of the construction and the arrangement of parts and steps set forth in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings in its application. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims herein are not limited to that embodiment. In addition, unless there is clear and convincing evidence indicating some exclusion, restriction or abandonment, the claims herein should not be interpreted restrictively.

[0018] Typical NDT / NDI instruments do not have built-in remote communication capabilities that enable the instrument to be remotely connected to the Internet or the cloud. They lack the ability to take advantage of new technological advances because they are designed as standalone instruments. Typically, these existing instruments are equipped with a serial data port to a USB converter that also connects to the dongle, which is then connected to the cloud. This is very inconvenient. Since it is often critical today to be able to transfer inspection data from the field to the cloud or to download calibration files, specification files or control files to existing instruments, there is an unmet need for this long-sought solution.

[0019] One of the novel aspects of the present disclosure is to provide a communication gateway that can be removably secured to any existing NDT / NDI instrument and enables communication via connection modes - i.e., wireless LAN, The choice of wireless or cellular wireless communications enables network connectivity and enables the transmission of NDT / NDI data (e.g., A-scan or strip chart) to external networks or the cloud.

[0020] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example implementation of an NDT / NDI system 500 having a communication gateway 2 for providing communications with a cloud 100. Figure 1, the NDT / NDI system 500 includes an NDT / NDI instrument 1 configured to perform NDT / NDI measurements and a communication gateway 2 configured to communicate data with a cloud or external network 100. An external communication device 42 - e.g. Communicator or wireless LAN access point - may also be connected to the cloud 100. The communication gateway 2 may also alternatively be connected directly to the cloud 100 via a cellular wireless device (connection shown in dashed lines).

[0021] Reference Figure 2 The communication gateway 2 includes a processor 200, a network interface 240, and a memory 300 storing a computer-readable code, which, when executed on the processor 200, enables the processor 200 to communicate data with the cloud 100 through the network interface 240. It can be understood that the processor 200 can have any type of logic circuit.

[0022] The gateway 2 also includes an interconnection device 400. The data connector 4 is used to transmit data between the communication gateway 2 and the NDT / NDI instrument 1 via the interconnection device 400. The data connector 4 in an exemplary embodiment is a serial data cable, because this type of cable is generally compatible with existing NDT / NDI instruments. It should be understood that any type of data cable can be configured to transmit data between the communication gateway 2 and the NDT / NDI instrument 1. In addition, the data connector 4 also preferably provides power from the instrument 1 to the communication gateway 2.

[0023] Figure 3 is a block diagram providing a more detailed description of the processor 200 , the memory 300 , and the interconnection device 400 .

[0024] Reference Figure 3 And continue to refer to Figure 2 , the data connector 4 in this exemplary embodiment is a serial data cable connecting the communication gateway 2 and the instrument 1 via a pair of (first and second) UART interfaces 400 and 400'. The data connector 4 is communicatively coupled via the first UART interface 400 and the second UART interface 400' on the instrument 1, respectively. The UART interface is only an exemplary embodiment of the interconnection device 400. Other types of data connection interconnection devices are also within the scope of the present disclosure. In existing practice, the UART interface (second UART interface) 400' on the instrument 1 can also perform other existing functions of the instrument 1, such as connecting to a PC or another similar type of instrument.

[0025] Still refer to Figure 3The processor 200 is preferably coupled to or includes a user interface console 250, which includes a general purpose input and output (GPIO) connector 214, which facilitates user interface functions, such as buttons 16, 18 ( Figure 6 The user interface console 250 may also include a serial peripheral interface (SPI) 26, which facilitates communication via Figure 6 The user interface functionality of the display 12 of the communication gateway 2 is shown.

[0026] Reference Figure 3 The network interface 240 in this exemplary embodiment includes any of the following: a universal serial bus (USB) connector 218, Connector 232 and wireless local area network (LAN) transceiver 216. Alternatively, a cellular wireless transceiver (not shown) or any other type of connector or transceiver may be included in network interface 240.

[0027] Still refer to Figure 3 The memory 300 in this exemplary embodiment includes executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor 200, cause the processor 200 to perform the method of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, for example, establishing a data connection with the NDT / NDI instrument 1, receiving data from the NDT / NDI instrument 1, establishing a communication channel with the external network 100, and sending data to the external network 100.

[0028] exist Figure 3 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the executable instructions in the memory 300 include a module of computer readable code, such as a cloud SDK 208 configured to enable communication between the communication gateway 2 and the cloud 100. The "socat" (a name for "multipurpose relay" in Linux) module 210 preferably facilitates communication between the communication gateway 2 and the cloud 100. The "hostapd" module 212 is used to configure the communication gateway 2 to function as a wireless LAN or The memory 300 also includes a module 222 of NDT / NDI specific application computer code that facilitates operations related to the NDT / NDI instrument 1. And the operating system 204 such as the Linux operating system in the memory 300 supports all modules in the above computer readable code modules to be executed by the processor 200.

[0029] Reference Figure 4A and Figure 4B , depicts a snap-on communication gateway 2 attached to an exemplary ultrasonic NDT / NDI instrument 1. The instrument 1 may be any type of instrument used in the non-destructive testing / inspection industry (NDT / NDI), such as an ultrasonic flaw detector, an ultrasonic thickness gauge, or a corrosion measurement instrument. These instruments, especially those that have been designed or manufactured, may not be easily equipped with, for example, wireless LAN, etc. ability to communicate with the external network 100. It is generally an existing practice to transmit data with the external network 100 by using an independent external communication medium (eg, a wireless LAN dongle or a PC) supporting a USB or serial port connector.

[0030] like Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, according to the present disclosure, the instrument 1 is equipped with a removably fixed communication gateway 2. In a preferred embodiment, the communication gateway 2 includes a housing 28 and a clasp 30. The communication gateway 2 utilizes a snap-on clasp 30 (such as Figure 4A As shown, and Figure 6 and Figure 7 4 (more details in ). In this exemplary embodiment, the instrument 1 and the communication gateway 2 are preferably connected by using a serial port connector cable 4, because this type of connector is traditionally used in the NDT / NDI industry. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that any type of data connector can be used to connect the instrument 1 and the communication gateway 2, and its implementation is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] Reference Figure 4A The communication gateway 2 is preferably configured to include a Figure 4B The gateway user interface of the instrument display 6 is shown, such as the gateway display 12 and buttons 16, 18. The instrument display 6 displays messages and waveforms used by the existing NDT / NDI instrument 1 in its normal NDI / NDI measurement operation. The gateway display 12 is configured to display the operation of the communication gateway 2 - for example, with an external network 100 or a cloud (such as Figure 1 shown) - related messages.

[0032] The gateway user interface also includes two buttons 16 and 18, for example, nested on the housing 28. Button 16 is preferably configured so that, for example, when pressed and held for a predetermined amount of time, it turns on or off the communication gateway 2. Button 18 is preferably configured to select what message to display related to what type of communication channel is selected.

[0033] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the implementation of the gateway user interface may take alternative types or forms. For example, it may be a touch screen, a virtual button operated via a button. The operation of the gateway 2 may also be facilitated by an instrument user interface. For example, as described above in conjunction with Figure 2 and Figure 3 The described operation of selecting the type of communication channel or network interface can be performed by an operator via Figure 4B The instrument display 6 or instrument button 8 - a or instrument button 8 - c shown inputs commands for execution.

[0034] Figure 5A and Figure 5B 1 is a flow chart showing a method of transmitting data between an NDT / NDI instrument 1 and an external network 100 by using a communication gateway 2. In the field of NDT / NDI, operation documents such as inspection plans related to locations, inspection points, and the nature of inspections can be prepared at the external network 100. Figure 5A As shown, in the downlink operation, the implementation method designed by the communication gateway 2 includes: step 501, for establishing a communication channel between the communication gateway 2 and the external network 100; step 502, for receiving the inspection plan from the external network; step 504, for establishing a data connection with the instrument 1; and step 503, for transmitting the inspection plan to the instrument 1. It should be noted that if the data connection with the instrument 1 has been established, step 504 can be omitted.

[0035] like Figure 5B As shown, in the uplink operation, the implementation method designed by the communication gateway also includes: step 504, for establishing a data connection between the instrument and the communication gateway; step 505, for receiving data from the instrument 2; step 506, for establishing a communication channel between the communication gateway 2 and the external network 100; and step 507, for transmitting data from the gateway to the external network 100. It should be noted that if a data connection with the instrument 1 has been established in the downlink operation, step 504 can be omitted here. It should be noted that the order of these steps can be alternated to suit the operation, which is within the scope of the present disclosure. The data in steps 505 and 507 include measurement data, for example, as combined Figure 1 and Figure 2 Ultrasound A-scan or eddy current strip diagram illustrated.

[0036] As is known to the NDT / NDI industry, an instrument 1 (e.g., an ultrasonic instrument) receives a response signal in response to an ultrasonic pulse transmitted to a test object (not shown) when in operation. The response signal is converted to a digital signal that forms a test result including an A-scan plot of the amplitude of the digital response signal over time. For eddy current applications of the instrument 1, the response signal will include a strip plot on an impedance plane. It should be noted that the generation of an A-scan or strip plot is well known. One of the new aspects of the present disclosure relates to how to conveniently transmit an A-scan or strip plot from an existing instrument to the cloud 100, enabling the use of various remote communication protocol means without incurring substantial redesign costs.

[0037] It should be understood that other ultrasound data representations such as B-scans, C-scans, and S-scans may also be sent to the communication gateway 2, and implementations thereof are within the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be understood that A-scan information may be provided to the communication gateway 2 by the instrument 1 in the form of a data sequence or waveform, and implementations thereof are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] Now refer to Figure 6 , depicts the communication gateway 2 when separated from the instrument 1. Figure 6 As shown, a retaining clasp 30 similar to those seen on a school bag can be used to facilitate easy removal and the purpose of stably attaching the communication gateway 2 to the instrument 1. The example embodiment clasp 30 includes a first portion 10 and a second portion 10'. The second portion 10' can be interpreted as an adapter that facilitates attaching the communication gateway 2 to the instrument 1. The first portion 10 includes a pair of anchor tongues 10-1. Accordingly, the second portion 10' includes a pair of receiving grooves 10-2 that match the corresponding anchor tongues 10-1. The stabilizing rod 14 optionally configured near the anchor tongue 10-1 matches the corresponding stabilizing groove 14' near the receiving groove 10-2 on the second portion 10'. The size and position of the receiving groove 10-2 and the corresponding anchor tongue 10-1 are configured so that when the operator squeezes the two anchor tongues closer together, it is possible to conveniently release the male portion 10 from the female portion 10' without using any tools.

[0039] Figure 7 An embodiment is shown in which the second portion 10' of the clasp 30 is attached to the instrument 1. Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the existing instrument 1 in this exemplary embodiment has an existing bracket 32, and the existing bracket 32 ​​has a pair of retaining bracket arms 34 and 34'. The second portion 10' of the hook 30 is preferably configured with a pair of bolt holes 22 for receiving and retaining the ends of the retaining arms 34 and 34' of the existing instrument bracket 32. This embodiment provides the advantage of retrofitting the existing instrument 1 with the newly designed communication gateway without changing the design of the instrument 1.

[0040] Alternative designs that allow the communication gateway 2 to be removably secured or attached to the instrument may be designed and are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a compression over-center latch, a buckle with a similar structure to a seat belt buckle, Alternatively, the communication gateway 2 may be permanently fixed to the instrument 1. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that all such alternative embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 8 8 is a flow chart showing an example embodiment where a communication gateway is authenticated as cloud-recognized hardware. Without such authentication, the communication gateway 100 is not cloud-recognized. The authentication process includes the following steps. In step 800, the communication gateway 2 connects to the host computer via the USB connector (host) 218 ​​( Figure 3 In step 806, gateway 2 performs the following operations: shakes hands with the authentication service at the cloud, downloads the authentication key, and the production service at the cloud 100 confirms the authentication of gateway 2. In step 808, cloud 100 uses the authentication key to confirm the authentication of gateway 2 as communication hardware with an established identity.

[0042] It should be noted that the above authentication process is different from registering a user or user profile for a specific session of communication with the cloud 100. The authentication process establishes an identity for the gateway 2 to be recognized by the cloud 100, regardless of what application, task or user the communication gateway 2 is associated with.

[0043] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the aforementioned drawings only as exemplary embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is limited only by the claims. These exemplary embodiments are provided only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and then further implement the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0044] In addition, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented according to the claims without some or all of the specific details of the described embodiments. Therefore, the present invention includes many alternative, modified and equivalent embodiments that can be conceived to have structures and methods as disclosed herein, and these alternative embodiments can be used without departing from the principles of the appended claims and within the scope of the appended claims.

[0045] For the sake of clarity, technical materials known in the technical field related to the present invention are not described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. Therefore, the above embodiments of the present invention are considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and the present invention is not limited to the details of the example embodiments given herein, but can be modified within the scope and equivalent scheme of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A communication gateway for use with a non-destructive testing and inspection instrument, comprising: processor; Network interface; a housing configured to be secured to the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument; an interconnect device configured to communicatively couple with the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument and to transmit data to or from the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument; as well as a memory storing computer readable code that, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to: providing a configuration code to a local service PC connected to the communication gateway; Shake hands with the product and service of the cloud department; Determining that the local service PC has been authenticated from the product service request to the use of the configuration code; downloading an authentication key based on the determination; as well as transmitting the data to an external network through the network interface; Wherein, the communication gateway is configured to be removably fixed to the non-destructive testing and inspection instrument.

2. The communication gateway according to claim 1, wherein: The data includes at least one of: ultrasound A-scan data and eddy current strip diagrams.

3. The communication gateway according to claim 1, wherein: The network interface is selected from a wireless LAN interface, A group consisting of an interface and a wireless cellular network interface.

4. The communication gateway of claim 1, further comprising a gateway user interface configured to operate the communication gateway.

5. The communication gateway according to claim 1, wherein: The computer readable code, when executed on the processor, further causes the processor to: Establishing a data connection with said non-destructive testing and inspection instrument; receiving data from said nondestructive testing and inspection instrument; Establishing a communication channel with an external network; as well as The data is sent to the external network.

6. A method for transmitting data between a nondestructive testing and inspection instrument and an external network via a communication gateway, comprising: establishing a data connection between the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument and the communication gateway, the communication gateway being removably secured to the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument; establishing a communication channel between the communication gateway and the external network; receiving, at the communication gateway, the data from the instrument; as well as transmitting the data from the communication gateway to the external network; The communication gateway includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer-readable code, and when the computer-readable code is executed on the processor, the processor: providing a configuration code to a local service PC connected to the communication gateway; Shake hands with the product and service of the cloud department; Determining that authentication using the local service PC has been completed from the product service request to using the configuration code; and An authentication key is downloaded based on the determination.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Receiving the data includes receiving an ultrasound A-scan or an eddy current strip chart.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: receiving, at the communication gateway, an inspection plan from the external network; as well as The inspection plan is transmitted from the communication gateway to the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Establishing a communication channel includes: A communication channel is selected from the group consisting of a channel and a wireless cellular channel. 10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method according to claim 6 .

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein: The data includes at least one of ultrasound A-scan data and eddy current strip diagrams.

12. A non-destructive testing and inspection system comprising: Nondestructive testing and inspection instruments configured to perform nondestructive testing and inspection measurements; as well as The communication gateway according to claim 1.

13. The non-destructive testing and inspection system according to claim 12, wherein: The network interface is selected from a wireless LAN interface, A group consisting of an interface and a wireless cellular network interface.

14. The nondestructive testing and inspection system according to claim 12, wherein: The housing includes a clasp for removably securing the communication gateway to the instrument.

15. The non-destructive testing and inspection system according to claim 14, wherein: The clasp comprises a first part and a second part respectively fixed to the housing and the instrument, And the first part and the second part are configured to be attached to each other and detached from each other without using tools.

16. The nondestructive testing and inspection system according to claim 12, wherein: The communication gateway includes a gateway user interface that facilitates operations including establishing a communication channel with an external network.

17. The nondestructive testing and inspection system according to claim 12, wherein: The communication gateway is configured to be configured and operated by an instrument user interface of the nondestructive testing and inspection instrument, the instrument user interface facilitating operations including establishing a communication channel between the communication gateway and the external network.

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