General Electric Company

Donald Wagner Hamilton

Peter Henry Tu

Glen William Brooksby

Joseph Benjamin Ross

Victor Nzomigni

Kevin George Harding

James Vradenburg Miller

Van-Duc Nguyen

Dashan Gao

Steven Jeffrey Gordon

Ting Yu

Joseph Leagrand Mundy

John L Schneiter

Yi Yao

Charles Vernon Stewart

Qingying Hu

Faycal Benayad-Cherif

Roderic Greene Collins

Oingyang Hu

Thomas Watkins Lloyd, Jr

A method for identifying assets is provided. The method includes illuminating an identification pattern associated with the asset with non-visible light. The identification pattern includes retroreflective material that represents identity information of the asset. The method further includes adjusting either a shutter speed of an image sensor, or a power of the non-visible light, or both, based on motion state of the asset. The image sensor is configured to receive response of the retroreflective material to the non-visible light. Furthermore, the method includes the step of identifying the asset based on decoded identity information. The decoded identity information is obtained by processing the response of the retroreflective material.

Method and system for identification of assets

A method for inspecting an object includes emitting light from at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device, phase-shifting light emitted from at least one of the LCD device and the LCOS device, projecting the phase-shifted light onto a surface of an object, receiving light reflected from the object surface with an imaging sensor, and analyzing the light received by the imaging sensor to facilitate inspecting at least a portion of the object.

Methods and apparatus for inspecting an object

A method for generating a mask for use with a light measurement system that includes a light source for projecting light onto an object, and an imaging sensor for receiving light reflected from the object. The method includes determining a profile of the object to be inspected, and generating an electronic mask based on the determined object profile. The electronic mask has an electronic opening having a profile defined to substantially match the determined object profile as viewed from one of the light source and the imaging sensor.

A non-contact imaging apparatus for examining an object having complex surfaces or shape deformations. The imaging apparatus includes at least one imaging device for obtaining a scanned image of the exterior surfaces of the object being examined. A predetermined reference image) of an ideal model for the object is stored in a memory. An image register is coupled to the imaging device and to the memory containing the reference image of the ideal model for the object. A transformation estimator compares the scanned image to the reference image and provides a transform which maps the scanned image to the reference image and provides a set of registered object data points. One or more filter modules process the registered object data points with a priori information to reduce noise and to further enhance the accuracy and precision of the registration. A gauge estimator is coupled to the filter module. The gauge estimator utilizes the processed and registered object data to determine deformation parameters of the object, which are then displayed to an operator as gauging information.

Non-contact measurement method and apparatus

Apparatus () for determining the leading edge (E) of an airfoil (A) includes a first light source (S) illuminating a portion of the airfoil including its leading edge and a first camera (M) acquiring an image of the illuminated portion of the airfoil. A second light source (S), spaced apart from the first light source, also illuminates a portion of the airfoil including its leading edge. A second camera (M) acquires an image of the portion of the airfoil illuminated by the second light source. The location (N) of the second light source and the first camera are coincident in space as are the location (N) of the first light source and the second camera. An image processor (P) processes the respective images obtained from the two cameras to locate the leading edge of the object. In doing so, the processor utilizes similarities in illumination of the airfoil by the respective light sources and occlusion boundaries of the respective illuminated portions of the airfoil.

Method and apparatus for optical measurement of the leading edge position of an airfoil

The present invention is directed to an imaging apparatus for examining an object having smooth surfaces to determine shape deformations in the surface of object. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging device for obtaining a scanned image of the object to be examined. A reference image of the object is stored in a memory. An image register is coupled to the imaging device and to the memory containing the reference image of the object. The image register stores patch information corresponding to both the reference image and the scanned image. A transformation estimator is coupled to the image register, and provides a transform for registering the scanned image to the reference image. A deformation estimator is coupled to the transformation estimator and to the image register. The deformation estimator is configured to utilize the transform and the patch information to determine shape deformations of the object.

Method and apparatus for finding shape deformations in objects having smooth surfaces

A method for determining the axis of rotation (AR) of an object ( ) mounted to a rotary stage or platform ( ) in a gauge measurement system by estimating a transformation (&dgr;) between multiple views or measurements of the object ( ) obtained at different poses.

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Burnt Hills, NY, United States of America

Donald Wagner Hamilton