Non-destructive testing and imaging

Abstract

A method of non-destructive testing includes non-destructively testing an object over a range of test levels, directing coherent light onto the object, directly receiving the coherent light substantially as reflected straight from the object, and capturing the reflected coherent light over the range of test levels as a plurality of digital images of the object. The method also includes calculating differences between pixel values of a plurality of pairs of digital images of the plurality of digital images, and adding the pixel value differences of the plurality of pairs of digital images to yield at least one cumulative differential image.

1 . A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for enabling at least one processor to perform method steps of non-destructive testing, the method comprising:
 calculating differences between pixel values of a plurality of pairs of digital images captured as coherent light directly received substantially as reflected straight from an object undergoing non-destructive testing over a range of test levels;   adding the pixel value differences of the plurality of pairs of digital images to yield at least one cumulative differential image.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the calculating step further including calculating differences between pixel values of a first pair of at least two pairs of digital images and of a second pair of at least two pairs of digital images wherein the first and second pairs have a digital image in common. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the calculating step further including calculating differences between pixel values of a first pair of at least two pairs of digital images and of a second pair of at least two pairs of digital images wherein the first pair has first and second digital images and the second pair has third and fourth digital images, such that the first and second pairs have no digital images in common. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the calculating step further including:
 calculating differences between pixel values of a first, second, and third pairs of at least three pairs of digital images;   adding the differences of the first and second pairs of the at least three pairs of digital images to yield a first cumulative differential image; and   adding pixel values of the first cumulative differential image to the differences of the third pair of the at least three pairs of digital images to yield at least one more cumulative differential image.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 the capturing step including capturing the plurality of digital images of the object at predefined test levels of the range of test levels;   calculating differences between pixel values of a first, second, and third pairs of at least three pairs of digital images, wherein the first pair has first and second digital images, the second pair has third and fourth digital images, and the third pair have fifth and sixth digital images, such that the first, second, and third pairs have no digital images in common;
 adding the differences of the first and second pairs of the at least three pairs of digital images to yield a first cumulative differential image; and 
 adding pixel values of the first cumulative differential image to the differences of the third pair of the at least three pairs of digital images to yield at least one more cumulative differential image. 
   
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 brightening the at least one cumulative differential image; and   smoothing the at least one cumulative differential image.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 inverting the at least one cumulative differential image to yield at least one inverted image;   topographically filtering the at least one inverted image to yield at least one topographically filtered image; and   segment filtering the at least one topographically filtered image to yield at least one enhanced image.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 quantifying anomalies in the at least one enhanced image to yield at least one analyzed image.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises the quantifying step including applying at least one of an anomaly counter and an anomaly finder process to the at least one enhanced image to yield at least one analyzed image. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises:
 topographically filtering the at least one cumulative differential image to yield at least one topographically filtered image;   segment filtering the at least one topographically filtered image to yield at least one enhanced image;   quantifying anomalies in the at least one enhanced image to yield at least one analyzed image; and   digitally overlaying at least one of the at least one analyzed image and the at least one enhanced image on a baseline image of the plurality of images.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following steps:
 a) simultaneously displaying a plurality of test sets each including at least one image of the object; and   b) displaying a print preview of at least one test set each including a plurality of images and to accept at least one of a title for the at least one test set and a description for each of the plurality of images.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following steps:
 a) displaying live images captured by imaging equipment and to accept user input for at least one of the following characteristics of the imaging equipment: gain, exposure, brightness, contrast, and gamma;   b) accepting user input for at least one of the following characteristics of the imaging equipment: camera vertical position, camera horizontal position, and camera tilt.   
     
     
         13 . A method of creating a database of information from a non-destructive testing process of a plurality of objects, wherein the method comprises:
 creating at least one database record for each of the plurality of objects, the at least one database record including the following information:
 at least one object identifier; 
 at least one reference to at least one digital image; and 
 at least one anomaly characteristic including at least one of anomaly quantity and anomaly size; and 
   storing the at least one database record for subsequent access.   
     
     
         14 . The database created by the method of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 accessing a stored record of the at least one database record; and   printing the stored record.   
     
     
         16 . A machine readable output of a database record created by the method of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the at least one anomaly characteristic of anomaly size includes at least one of a measurement of anomaly height, anomaly width, and anomaly area, wherein the measurement is in at least one of pixels, millimeters, and inches. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the at least one database record further includes at least one of the following data:
 a) imaging data including at least one of light source type, light source power level, light source position, focus setting, focal length, exposure time, filter setting, and iris setting;   b) test level data including at least one of a minimum test level and a maximum test level;   c) test environment data including at least one of temperature, humidity, and settling time;   d) test object data including at least one of manufacturer, model, size, used vs. new indication, cleanliness rating, stiffness rating;   e) test result data including at least one of test date, test time, quantity of anomalies, size of largest anomaly including at least one of height, weight, and area, size of smallest anomaly including at least one of height, weight, and area; and   f) general data including at least one of an indication of test purpose, customer name, customer number, unique test object identification, operator name, and an indication of the area of the object tested.