US-20260123919-A1 - SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND USER INTERFACES FOR DISPLAYING ULTRASOUND TESTING DATA

US20260123919A1US 20260123919 A1US20260123919 A1US 20260123919A1US-20260123919-A1

Abstract

Ultrasonic testing (UT) data acquired during an inspection of an object is received and a first image of a portion of the object is displayed. The first image is generated in a first scan type based on the UT data. A first user input characterizing a first modification of the first image to focus on a region of interest within the portion of the object can be received, and the first image can be updated based on the first modification. A second user input characterizing a switch from the first scan type to a second scan type can be received. A second image of the portion of the object that is generated in the second scan type can then be displayed. A second modification to the second image based on the first modification to display the region of interest within the portion of the object can be automatically applied.

Inventors

Siva Sankar Yadavalli

Assignees

BAKER HUGHES HOLDINGS LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241106

Claims (20)

1 . A method comprising: receiving, by a computing device including a user interface display, at least one data processor, and a memory storing instructions, ultrasonic testing (UT) data acquired during an inspection of an object; displaying, on the user interface display, a first image of a portion of the object, wherein the first image is generated in a first scan type of a plurality of scan types based on the UT data; receiving, by the user interface display, a first user input characterizing a first modification of the first image to focus on a region of interest within the portion of the object; updating the first image based on the first modification; receiving, by the user interface display, a second user input characterizing a switch from the first scan type to a second scan type of the plurality of scan types; displaying, on the user interface display, a second image of the portion of the object, wherein the second image is generated in the second scan type; and automatically applying a second modification to the second image based on the first modification to display the region of interest within the portion of the object.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first scan type is an S-scan, and the first modification is a widening or narrowing of a beam angle of the S-scan corresponding to an increase or a decrease in a number of ultrasound beams of the S-scan that are shown in the first image.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first scan type is a B-scan, and the first modification is a widening or narrowing of a cross-section of the B-scan corresponding to an increase or a decrease in a number of ultrasound beams of the B-scan that are shown in the first image.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first modification is a navigation from a first portion of the portion of the object to a second portion of the portion of the object.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first modification is a magnifying or de-magnifying of the first image.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface display is a touchscreen display, and receiving the first user input comprises receiving a first gestural input within the first image of the portion of the object including at least one of a pinching gesture, a swiping gesture, a tapping gesture, or a scrolling gesture to focus on the region of interest within the portion of the object.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the receiving the second user input comprises a receiving the second user input comprises receiving a second gestural input within the first image of the portion of the object including at least one of a pinching gesture, a swiping gesture, a tapping gesture, or a scrolling gesture to switch from the first scan type to the second scan type.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the region of interest comprises a structural defect.
10 . A system comprising: a user interface display; at least one data processor; and a memory storing instructions configured to cause the at least one data processor to: receive ultrasonic testing (UT) data acquired during an inspection of an object, display, on the user interface display, a first image of a portion of the object, wherein the first image is generated in a first scan type of a plurality of scan types based on the UT data, receive, by the user interface display, a first user input characterizing a first modification of the first image to focus on a region of interest within the portion of the object, update the first image based on the first modification, receive, by the user interface display, a second user input characterizing a switch from the first scan type to a second scan type of the plurality of scan types, display, on the user interface display, a second image of the portion of the object, wherein the second image is generated in the second scan type, and automatically apply a second modification to the second image based on the first modification to display the region of interest within the portion of the object.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first scan type is an S-scan, and the first modification is a widening or narrowing of a beam angle of the S-scan corresponding to an increase or a decrease in a number of ultrasound beams of the S-scan that are shown in the first image.
12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first scan type is a B-scan, and the first modification is a widening or narrowing of a cross-section of the B-scan corresponding to an increase or a decrease in a number of ultrasound beams of the B-scan that are shown in the first image.
13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first modification is a navigation from a first portion of the portion of the object to a second portion of the portion of the object.
14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first modification is a magnifying or de-magnifying of the first image.
15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface display is a touchscreen display, and the first user input comprises a first gestural input within the first image of the portion of the object including at least one of a pinching gesture, a swiping gesture, a tapping gesture, or a scrolling gesture to focus on the region of interest within the portion of the object.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the second user input comprises a second gestural input within the first image of the portion of the object including at least one of a pinching gesture, a swiping gesture, a tapping gesture, or a scrolling gesture to switch from the first scan type to the second scan type.
17 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising one or more UT probes for acquiring UT data.
18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface display, the at least one data processor, and the memory are components of a mobile device.
19 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the region of interest comprises a structural defect.
20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a data processor of a computing device comprising a user interface display, cause the data processor to: receive ultrasonic testing (UT) data acquired during an inspection of an object; display, on the user interface display, a first image of a portion of the object, wherein the first image is generated in a first scan type of a plurality of scan types based on the UT data; receive, by the user interface display, a first user input characterizing a first modification of the first image to focus on a region of interest within the portion of the object; update the first image based on the first modification; receive, by the user interface display, a second user input characterizing a switch from the first scan type to a second scan type of the plurality of scan types; display, on the user interface display, a second image of the portion of the object, wherein the second image is generated in the second scan type; and automatically apply a second modification to the second image based on the first modification to display the region of interest within the portion of the object.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to non-destructive testing, in particular to ultrasonic testing. BACKGROUND Ultrasonic testing (UT) is form of non-destructive testing that uses ultrasonic probes to transmit ultrasonic waves into an object being inspected and receive echoes that can be used to generate images of the object that can be inspected to detect flaws within the object. Data collected during UT can be acquired using a variety of scanning techniques that can be used to generate a series of images of the object. Several common scan types include Amplitude scans (A-Scans), Sectorial scans (S-Scans), Brightness or Cross-sectional scans (B-Scans) and Plan-View or Top-View scans (C-Scans). A-Scans can be acquired using an UT probe that sends an ultrasonic pulse into the object being inspected and receives echoes that can be displayed as a representation of the object in terms of amplitude of the echo at a time/depth within the object at a specific location. S-Scans can be acquired using an UT phased-array probe that sends an ultrasonic beam into the object being inspected and receives echoes that can be displayed as a representation of the object in terms of amplitude of the echo at a time/depth within the object at a location defined by the width of the beam. The ultrasonic beams can be transmitted into the object from a phased-array probe at a variety of beam angles/widths that can be chosen by the inspector based on the type of inspection being performed. B-Scans can be acquired by collecting a series of A-Scans or S-Scans at a plurality of locations along a linear path and compiling said scans to create a cross-sectional view of the object across the linear path that can be displayed as a two-dimensional representation of the object, showing amplitudes at a plurality of times/depths within the object at a plurality of locations along the path. C-Scans can be acquired by collecting an array of A-Scans or S-Scans over an area of the object in a grid-like pattern and compiling them to create a top-down view of the object that can be displayed as a more intuitive two-dimensional representation of the object, showing the internal geometry of the object. Inspectors can analyze these images to identify regions of interest in the object, for example regions containing a defect. SUMMARY In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method including: receiving, by a computing device including a user interface display, at least one data processor, and a memory storing instructions, ultrasonic testing (UT) data acquired during an inspection of an object; displaying, on the user interface display, a first image of a portion of the object, wherein the first image is generated in a first scan type of a plurality of scan types based on the UT data; receiving, by the user interface display, a first user input characterizing a first modification of the first image to focus on a region of interest within the portion of the object; updating the first image based on the first modification; receiving, by the user interface display, a second user input characterizing a switch from the first scan type to a second scan type of the plurality of scan types; displaying, on the user interface display, a second image of the portion of the object, wherein the second image is generated in the second scan type; and automatically applying a second modification to the second image based on the first modification to display the region of interest within the portion of the object. The region of interest can be (for example) a structural defect in the object. In one or more examples, the first scan type is an S-scan, and the first modification is a widening or narrowing of a beam angle of the S-scan corresponding to an increase or a decrease in a number of ultrasound beams of the S-scan that are shown in the first image. In other examples, the first scan type is a B-scan, and the first modification is a widening or narrowing of a cross-section of the B-scan corresponding to an increase or a decrease in a number of ultrasound beams of the B-scan that are shown in the first image. In other examples, the first modification is a navigation from a first portion of the portion of the object to a second portion of the portion of the object. In other examples, the first modification is a magnifying or de-magnifying of the first image. The computing device can be a mobile device or any other suitable computing device. The user interface display can be a touchscreen display. Receiving at least one of the first user input or the second user input can include receiving a gestural input using the touchscreen display. The first user input can include a first gestural input and the second user input can include a second gestural input that is different from the first gestural input. In other aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system including: a user interface display; at least one data processor; and a me