Michael Chris Duncan

7415882, Aug 26, 2008

Dec 19, 2005

11/311797

Barry A. Fetzer - Renton WA, US
Fred D. Young - Bellevue WA, US
Hien T. Bui - Auburn WA, US
Michael J. Duncan - Sumner WA, US
Mark A. Lee - Kent WA, US

The Boeing Company - Irvine CA

G01N 9/24

73634

An apparatus for the ultrasonic testing of internal areas of prefabricated composite assemblies as described. The composite assemblies have one or more internal areas formed therein. The apparatus includes at least one receive transducer, at least one transmit transducer, a vertical member, a support member slidably attached to the vertical member, a pair of substantially parallel hollow rods, and an ultrasonic testing system. Each rod comprises a transducer attachment end with receive transducers attached to the transducer attachment end of a first rod, and transmit transducers attached to the transducer attachment end of a second rod. The rods are slidably attached to the support member and manually movable with respect to a composite assembly to be tested. The ultrasonic testing system is coupled to the receive transducers through the first rod, and coupled to the transmit transducers through the second rod.

7448271, Nov 11, 2008

Aug 17, 2005

11/205964

Michael J. Duncan - Sumner WA, US
Mark A. Lee - Kent WA, US
Fred D. Young - Bellevue WA, US

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

G01N 29/265
G01N 29/06

73634

A system and method for inspecting a structure are provided. The system includes at least one non-destructive inspection (“NDI”) sensor capable of acquiring data indicative of at least a portion of the structure, and at least one positional sensor for acquiring positional data of the NDI sensor. The system also includes a mechanism operable to trigger the NDI sensor and/or the positional sensor to acquire data such that data indicative of the structure and the positional data are acquired at approximately the same time. The system further includes a movable arm carrying the sensors and movably attached to a base. The system includes a data acquisition system capable of communicating with the sensors such that the data acquisition system generates information indicative of at least a portion of the structure based on the data acquired by the sensors.

7561753, Jul 14, 2009

Dec 21, 2004

11/018840

Michael C. Hutchinson - Kent WA, US
Michael D. Horky - Kent WA, US
Mark A. Lee - Kent WA, US
William D. Meade - Tacoma WA, US
James C. Kennedy - Renton WA, US
Thomas E. Riechers - Sumner WA, US
Michael J. Duncan - Sumner WA, US

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

G06K 9/00
G06K 9/40
G06K 9/54
G06K 9/60
G09G 5/00
G09G 5/02
H04N 5/202

382274, 382128, 382169, 382305, 345591, 348254

Methodologies and systems to compare images with different levels of contrast are provided. Contrast is normalized between the images with different contrast levels and brightness is set. When normalizing contrast a derivative of gray level is determined for a first digital image having a first contrast level, and a derivative of gray level is determined for a second digital image having a second contrast level that is greater than the first contrast level. A ratio of the derivative of gray level for the first digital image to the derivative of gray level for the second digital image is determined, and the derivative of gray level for the first digital image is equalized with the derivative of gray level for the second digital image. Brightness of at least one image may be set automatically, such as by calculating an average pixel value excluding background and text, or manually.

7747099, Jun 29, 2010

May 26, 2009

12/472293

Michael C. Hutchinson - Kent WA, US
Michael D. Horky - Kent WA, US
Mark A. Lee - Kent WA, US
William D. Meade - Tacoma WA, US
James C. Kennedy - Renton WA, US
Thomas E. Riechers - Sumner WA, US
Michael J. Duncan - Sumner WA, US

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

G06K 9/00
G06K 9/34
G06K 9/46
G06K 9/66
G06K 9/40
H04N 1/40

382274, 382128, 382168, 382176, 382190, 358462

Systems and methods of automatically adjusting brightness of a digital image are provided. A particular method includes accessing data including a first digital image and identifying text and background in the first digital image. The method also includes calculating an average pixel value exclusive of the text and the background for the first digital image. The method further includes adjusting a brightness setting associated with the first digital image based on the calculated average pixel value.

20130340531, Dec 26, 2013

Jun 26, 2012

13/532815

Michael C. Hutchinson - Kent WA, US
James C. Kennedy - Renton WA, US
Barry A. Fetzer - Renton WA, US
Michael Joseph Duncan - Lake Tapps WA, US
Navpreet S. Grewal - Redmond WA, US
Steven Ray Walton - Wilkeson WA, US
Hien T. Bui - Kent WA, US

THE BOEING COMPANY - Seal Beach CA

G01N 29/04

73633, 73632

System and method for enabling ultrasonic inspection of a variable and irregular shape. The system comprises one or more ultrasonic pulser/receivers, one or more ultrasonic transducer arrays, a shoe or jig to hold and position the array(s), data acquisition software to drive the array(s), and data analysis software to select a respective best return signal for each pixel to be displayed. This system starts with information about the general orientation of the array relative to the part and a general predicted part shape. More specific orientation of the transmitted ultrasound beams relative to the part surface is done electronically by phasing the elements in the array(s) to cover the expected (i.e., predicted) surface as well as the full range of part surface variability.

20140005840, Jan 2, 2014

Jun 27, 2012

13/534014

William P. Motzer - Seattle WA, US
James C. Kennedy - Renton WA, US
Michael C. Hutchinson - Kent WA, US
Martin L. Freet - Federal Way WA, US
Ronald E. VonWahlde - Puyallup WA, US
Steven Ray Walton - Wilkeson WA, US
Jeffry J. Garvey - Burien WA, US
Scott W. Lea - Renton WA, US
James J. Troy - Issaquah WA, US
Daniel James Wright - Mercer Island WA, US
Hien T. Bui - Kent WA, US
Michael Joseph Duncan - Lake Tapps WA, US
Mark L. Little - Auburn WA, US
William Joseph Tapia - Kapowsin WA, US
Barry A. Fetzer - Renton WA, US

THE BOEING COMPANY - Seal Beach CA

G05D 7/00
G06F 1/26
G01N 29/04

700282, 73618, 700286

A system and method that allow inspection of hollow structures made of composite material, such as an integrally stiffened wing box of an aircraft. A wing box comprises top and bottom skins connected by a plurality of spaced spars. The system employs a plurality of scanners for inspecting different portions of each spar. The system uses dynamically controlled magnetic coupling to connect an external drive tractor to computer-controlled scanners that carry respective sensors, e.g., linear ultrasonic transducer arrays. A system operator can control the various components by means of a graphical user interface comprising multiple interaction regions that represent the individual scanner motion paths and are associated with respective motion script files.

60734779, Jun 13, 2000

Aug 21, 1998

9/138051

Wayne E. Woodmansee - Seattle WA
Michael J. Duncan - Federal Way WA
Mark A. Lee - Kent WA

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

G01N 2902

73 182

A digital bond tester operating at frequencies in the kHz range and relying upon vibrational modes which can excite all or substantial portions of the test object.

60189991, Feb 1, 2000

Aug 21, 1998

9/138196

Wayne E. Woodmansee - Seattle WA
Michael J. Duncan - Federal Way WA
Mark A. Lee - Kent WA

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

G01B 1702

73609

A digital bond tester operating at frequencies in the kHz range and relying upon vibrational modes which can excite all or substantial portions of the test object.