EP0219128A2 — Ultrasonic inspection method and apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 154 words

An ultrasonic inspection method for inspecting the presence or absence of a defect in an object (D) to be inspected by receiving as an RF signal a reflection beam of an ultrasonic beam emitted from a probe (2) to the object and displaying data of the RF signal on display means (6 or 13), said method comprising the steps of: detecting a maximum value (P) indicative of a positive peak of said RF signal; detecting a maximum absolute value (N) indicative of a negative peak of said RF signal; performing a computation for comparing in magnitude said maximum value indicative of the positive peak with said maximum absolute value indicative of the negative peak; and displaying a computed value (V or R) on said display means (6 or 13) so that the presence or absence of a phase inversion of said RF signal determines the presence or absence of a defect in said object.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 154 words

An ultrasonic inspection method for inspecting the presence or absence of a defect in an object (D) to be inspected by receiving as an RF signal a reflection beam of an ultrasonic beam emitted from a probe (2) to the object and displaying data of the RF signal on display means (6 or 13), said method comprising the steps of: detecting a maximum value (P) indicative of a positive peak of said RF signal; detecting a maximum absolute value (N) indicative of a negative peak of said RF signal; performing a computation for comparing in magnitude said maximum value indicative of the positive peak with said maximum absolute value indicative of the negative peak; and displaying a computed value (V or R) on said display means (6 or 13) so that the presence or absence of a phase inversion of said RF signal determines the presence or absence of a defect in said object.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 27 words

An ultrasonic inspection method according to Claim 1 wherein a predetermined threshold (α) experimentally determined for every kind of the object (D) is introduced into said computation.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

An ultrasonic inspection method according to Claim 1 wherein said computation is a subtraction of said maximum absolute value (N) indicative of the negative peak from said maximum value (P) indicative of the positive peak.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 75 words

An ultrasonic inspection method according to Claim 1 wherein said computation is a subtraction of a sum of said maximum absolute value (N) and a threshold (α) experimentally determined for every kind of the object (D) from said maximum value (P), whereby when the computed value (V) is positive, the phase of said RF signal is judged not to be inverted and when negative, the phase of said RF signal is judged to be inverted.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 36 words

An ultrasonic inspection method according to Claim 1 wherein said computation is a ratio computation of said maximum value (P) indicative of the positive peak to said maximum absolute value (N) indication of the negative peak.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 87 words

An ultrasonic inspection method according to Claim 1 wherein said computation has in combination a ratio computation of said maximum value (P) to said maximum absolute value (N) and a subtraction of a threshold (α) experimentally determined for every kind of the object (D) from the computed ratio whereby when the computed value (R) is greater than 1 (one), the phase of said RF signal is judged not to be inverted and when less than one, the phase of said RF signal is judged to be inverted.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

An ultrasonic inspection method according to Claim 1 wherein said computed value (V or R) is converted into a binary signal or multi-coded signal depending on the level thereof and displayed as a C-scope display on a monitor television (13).

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 202 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus having a probe (2) for emitting an ultrasonic beam to an object (D) to be inspected, a pulser (4) for transmitting to said probe a pulse signal necessary for generation of the ultrasonic beam, a receiver (5) for receiving a reflection beam of said ultrasonic beam from said object and generating an RF signal corresponding to said reflection beam and display means (6 or 13) for displaying data of said RF signal to allow the presence or absence of a defect in said object to be judged on the basis of contents displayed on said display means, said apparatus (1) comprising: a peak detector (7), connected to said receiver (5), for detecting a maximum value (P) indicative of a positive peak and a maximum absolute value (N) indicative of a negative peak of said RF signal; and control means (10), connected to said peak detector (7), for performing a computation for comparing in magnitude said maximum value (P) indicative of the positive peak with said maximum absolute value (N) indicative of the negative peak and transmitting a computed value (V or R) to said display means (6 or 13) to cause the computed value to be displayed thereon.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 202 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus having a probe (2) for emitting an ultrasonic beam to an object (D) to be inspected, a pulser (4) for transmitting to said probe a pulse signal necessary for generation of the ultrasonic beam, a receiver (5) for receiving a reflection beam of said ultrasonic beam from said object and generating an RF signal corresponding to said reflection beam and display means (6 or 13) for displaying data of said RF signal to allow the presence or absence of a defect in said object to be judged on the basis of contents displayed on said display means, said apparatus (1) comprising: a peak detector (7), connected to said receiver (5), for detecting a maximum value (P) indicative of a positive peak and a maximum absolute value (N) indicative of a negative peak of said RF signal; and control means (10), connected to said peak detector (7), for performing a computation for comparing in magnitude said maximum value (P) indicative of the positive peak with said maximum absolute value (N) indicative of the negative peak and transmitting a computed value (V or R) to said display means (6 or 13) to cause the computed value to be displayed thereon.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 121 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein said peak detector (7) comprises a first polarity circuit (17p) for passing only a positive-going waveform of said RF signal and a second polarity circuit (17n) for passing only a negative-going waveform, first and second detection circuits (18p, 18n) for respectively detecting the positive-going waveform passed through said first polarity circuit and the negative-going waveform passed through said second polarity circuit, and first and second hold circuits (19p, 19n) for respectively holding maximum values (P, N) of said waveforms respectively detected by said first and second detection circuits to thereby allow detect said positive peak maximum value (P) and negative peak maximum absolute value (N) of said RF signal to be detected.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 65 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein said display means is a monitor television (13) connected to said control means (10), and said control means is operated to convert said computed value (V or R) into a binary signal or multi-coded signal depending on the level thereof to allow said computed value to be displayed as a C-scope display on said monitor television.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 41 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Claim 8 said control means (10) is operated to perform said computation as a subtraction of said maximum absolute value(N) indicative of the negative peak from said maximum value (P) indicative of the positive peak.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 43 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein said control means (10) is operated to perform said computation as a ratio of said maximum value (P) indicative of the positive peak to said maximum absolute value (N) indicative of the negative peak.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 64 words

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Claim 11 wherein said control means (10) is operated to produce a binary signal in accordance with a positive or negative polarity of said computed value (V) or a multicoded signal depending on the level of said computed value to cause a C-scope display on said monitor television (13) on the basis of said binary or multi-coded signal.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 68 words

As ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to Claim 12 wherein said control means (10) is operated to produce a binary signal in dependence of the fact whether said computed value (R) is greater than 1 (one) or not or a multi-coded signal depending on the level of the computed value to cause a C-scope display on said monitor television (13) on the basis of said binary or multi-coded signal.

Ultrasonic inspection method and apparatus

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