US 12,332,201 B2
System and method for pit detection and sizing
Neil J. Goldfine, Cocoa Beach, FL (US); Andrew P. Washabaugh, Chula Vista, CA (US); and Mark Windoloski, Chelmsford, MA (US)
Assigned to JENTEK Sensors, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed by JENTEK Sensors, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed on May 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/662,634.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/185,421, filed on May 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0358630 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G01H 13/00 (2006.01); G01B 11/12 (2006.01); G01B 11/22 (2006.01); G01N 27/02 (2006.01); G01N 29/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/028 (2013.01) [G06T 2207/30136 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting and sizing a pit in a test object, the method comprising acts of:
(i) storing a signature library including signatures for multiple pit depths and multiple pit diameters in a non-transient computer-readable storage medium;
(ii) placing a sensor having a drive conductor and a plurality of sense elements proximate to the test object;
(iii) scanning the sensor across the test object;
(iv) during the scanning operating an immittance instrument to excite the drive conductor at a high frequency and a low frequency, and obtain sensor data by measuring the plurality of sense elements; and
(v) operating a processor to
(1) detect a pit by determining a calculated value exceeds a threshold,
the calculated value being a correlation between a first signature from the signature library and a high frequency response from the sensor data;
(2) estimate a pit diameter using the high frequency response; and
(3) estimate a pit depth from a low frequency response from the sensor data and a second signature from the signature library associated with the estimated pit diameter.