JP2996265B2 - Ultrasonic measuring device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic measuring apparatus, and more particularly, to converting an echo received signal into a digital value, temporarily storing all waveform data, processing the image, and displaying an A-scope image or the like on a display. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic measurement device such as a small ultrasonic inspection device for displaying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ultrasonic flaw detector is an example of an ultrasonic measuring apparatus. Ultrasonic waves are reflected by the presence of an interface between dissimilar materials in a subject or a space formed by cracks, and the intensity of the reflected wave is measured. The state of the interface, the position of cracks, and the like are measured by measuring the time (path) from the point of transmission of the transmitted wave (or the detection of the surface wave) to the detection of the reflected wave. Here, in order to measure the intensity of the reflected wave and the time and intensity from the transmission wave transmission (or surface wave detection) to the reflected wave detection, the echo reception signal obtained from the ultrasonic probe is amplified and detected, Thereafter, all the A / D converted waveform data is temporarily stored in the waveform memory, and the measurement result is generally displayed as an A scope image or the like.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional ultrasonic flaw detector, particularly focusing on an image display portion. here,
1 is a probe, 2 is a flaw detector, 3 is an A / D conversion circuit (A / D
D), 4 is a waveform memory, 5 is a sheet key, 6 is a microprocessor (MPU), 7 is RAM, 8 is ROM, 9 is an LCD display (LCD), 71 is a selected address, 81 is display moving means, 82 Denotes local waveform display means.

In terms of hardware, a probe 1, a flaw detector 2, an A / D conversion circuit 3, a waveform memory 4, a sheet key 5,
The RAM 7, the ROM 8, and the LCD display 9 are under the control of the microprocessor 6 via a bus line which is partially omitted in FIG. In terms of software, a selection address 71 is provided on the RAM 7 and the RO
The display moving means 81 and the local waveform display means 82 are stored as program codes on M and processed by the microprocessor 6 to realize these means.

The operation of the ultrasonic flaw detector is as follows. First, when a pulse for transmitting a transmission wave is sent from the flaw detector 2 to the probe 1, the probe 1 emits an ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic wave propagates inside the subject, but is partially reflected where the density of the surface or internal defects of the subject changes. The reflected ultrasonic wave is measured as an echo reception signal via the probe 1 and the flaw detector 2, and the A / D conversion circuit 3
And is once stored in the waveform memory 4. This measurement is performed at high speed and in large quantities. For example, since 4096 words are converted and collected in a 50 ns cycle, the measurement is performed separately from the display that can only perform partial processing at low speed. Word) is stored.

Next, when the arrow key of the sheet key or the like is pressed, movement of the display portion is instructed, and the display moving means 81 increases or decreases the value of the selected address 71 in response thereto. Then, from the entire waveform data, the selected address 71
For example, the local waveform data of, for example, 200 words centered on the address indicated by is selected, and the local waveform composed of this data is displayed on the LCD display 9 by the local waveform display means 82. In this way, the local waveform data to be observed is searched for by moving the display position in the entire waveform data of the local waveform left and right on the screen (so-called sweep). Then, for example, by observing a local waveform centering on the defective portion, the state of the defect or the like is determined.

[0007]

As described above, the conventional ultrasonic measuring apparatus sweeps the displayed local waveform to search for a defect position or the like. By the way, at the time of flaw detection,
If the defect in the subject is large, the value of the echo reception signal is large. Therefore, it is important to search for a path position, that is, an address, in which a value equal to or more than a predetermined value exists in the waveform data. It is necessary to search and observe the local waveform in detail.

However, if the search is performed by sweeping as described above, it takes a long time for the search, which is inconvenient. In particular, the determination of a non-defective non-defective product requires confirmation over the entire route, which is a problem in the conventional configuration that requires a great deal of trouble because it is difficult to grasp the entire image. The present invention solves the problems of the prior art described above, and has an ultra-compact configuration that can grasp the whole image, facilitate non-defective judgment, and can easily search for a defect position and quickly display details. It is intended to realize a sound wave measuring device.

[0009]

An ultrasonic measuring apparatus according to the present invention for achieving this object stores all waveform data consisting of ultrasonic reception signals, and partially selects all the waveform data from the whole waveform data. In an ultrasonic measurement device that displays local waveform data, a compressed waveform generating unit that generates compressed waveform data by dividing the entire waveform data into a plurality of sections and extracting a maximum value in each section for each section, Display switching means for selecting and switching one of a local waveform display mode for displaying the local waveform data and a compressed waveform display mode for displaying the compressed waveform data, and the display switching means setting the compressed waveform display mode to Compressed waveform display means for displaying the compressed waveform when selected, and one data in the compressed waveform data when the compressed waveform data is displayed. Display area selecting means for selecting the data, and when the mode is switched from the compressed waveform display mode to the local waveform display mode, a local waveform centered on one data selected by the display area selecting means or a section including the data. The data is selected and displayed. Note that the extraction in the generation of compressed waveform data here includes extraction by thinning.

[0010]

In the ultrasonic measuring apparatus of the present invention having such a configuration, after collecting all the waveform data, compressed waveform data is generated from the data by the compressed waveform generating means. Since the compressed waveform data is displayed on one screen at a time by the compressed waveform display means, the entire image can be grasped at a glance. Moreover, since the maximum value in the section is used for the compressed waveform data, even if the data amount is compressed, the significant value indicating the size of the echo, which is an index of the presence or absence of a defect and the size, is not obtained. Has been saved. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine the echo to be measured only by observing the display of the compressed waveform data.

[0011] Further, when the compressed waveform data display indicates a defect, if it is desired to further confirm the defect and determine the defect position, size, or multiple reflection echoes, etc. The user can specify a corresponding position on the screen via the display area selecting means while watching the screen.
Then, simply by switching the display mode to the local waveform display mode, a local display screen centered on the relevant position can be obtained immediately. Therefore, by observing a detailed waveform on the screen of the local display, the position of the defect, the form of the reflected echo, and the like can be easily and precisely confirmed. Therefore, it is possible to easily search for a defect or other echoes and to quickly display details.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram centering on a display portion of the ultrasonic measuring apparatus having the configuration of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of waveform data and display, and FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram. First, the hardware configuration will be described. In FIG.
Is a flaw detector, 3 is an A / D conversion circuit (A / D), 4 is a waveform memory, 5 is a sheet key, and 6 is a microprocessor (M
PU), 7 is a RAM, 8 is a ROM, and 9 is an LCD display (LCD). Then, the probe 1, the flaw detector 2, A
/ D conversion circuit 3, waveform memory 4, sheet key 5, RAM
7. The ROM 8, the LCD display 9 are under the control of the microprocessor 6 via a bus line.

When a pulse is sent from the flaw detector 2 to the probe 1, the probe 1 emits an ultrasonic wave. This ultrasonic wave propagates inside the subject and is reflected on the surface of the subject, internal defects, and the like. The reflected ultrasonic wave is measured as an echo reception signal via the probe 1 and the flaw detector 2, and the A / D
The data is digitized by the conversion circuit 3 and temporarily stored in the waveform memory 4. Since this measurement is performed at high speed and in large quantities, for example, 4096 words are converted and collected at a period of 50 ns, it is performed separately from the display that can only perform partial processing at low speed, and the entire waveform data is temporarily stored in the waveform memory. Is done.
The operation up to this point is the same as the conventional operation.

Next, the software configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 71 denotes a selected address, 81 denotes a display moving means, 82 denotes a local waveform display means, 700 denotes compressed waveform data, 800 denotes a compressed waveform generating means, Reference numeral 801 denotes a compressed waveform display unit, 802 denotes a display area selection unit, and 803 denotes a display switching unit. The area of the compressed waveform data 700 is provided on the RAM 7 together with the selection address 71, and the RO
On M, in addition to display moving means 81 and local waveform display means 82, compressed waveform generation means 800 and compressed waveform display means 801
The display area selecting means 802 and the display switching means 803 are stored as program codes and processed by the microprocessor 6 to realize these means.

The compressed waveform generating means 800 is activated after the above-described conversion of the echo reception signal. Therefore, the entire waveform data stored in the waveform memory 4 is divided into a plurality of sections of the number of sections that can be displayed on one screen, and the maximum value in each section is extracted for each of the sections. And from each of these categories, 1
By sequentially arranging the extracted data in the same order as the arrangement of the sections, the compressed waveform data 700 is generated. The compressed waveform display unit 801 is activated when the display switching unit 803 selects the compressed waveform display mode. And
The compressed waveform data 700 is displayed on the LCD display device 9.

The display area selecting means 802 is also activated when the display switching means 803 selects the compressed waveform display mode. Therefore, when the compressed waveform data 700 is being displayed, one of the displayed compressed waveform data is selected by pressing down, for example, an arrow key of the sheet key 5 by the operator. Then, the corresponding position on the selected screen is specified on the LCD display device 9, and the address on the waveform memory 4 corresponding to the section to which the selected data belongs is set as the selected address 71.

The display switching means 803 is provided immediately after the above-mentioned conversion of the echo reception signal or the compressed waveform generation means 800.
, The compressed waveform display mode, which is a mode for displaying the compressed waveform data 700, is selected and switched to that mode. In this mode, the compressed waveform display means 8
01 and the display area selecting means 802 are activated, but the display moving means 81 and the local waveform display means 82 are not activated. Further, a local waveform display mode, which is a mode for displaying local waveform data similar to the conventional mode, is selected and switched to that mode. When another mode is selected by the operator via the sheet key 5, the mode is alternately switched to one of the local waveform display mode and the compressed waveform display mode. Therefore, since the display area selecting means 802 and the display moving means 81 are time-divided, the address information can be exchanged by using the selected address 71 jointly.

Under such a configuration, when all the waveform data are collected, the compressed waveform data 700 is generated by the compressed waveform generating means 800 (see the left half of FIG. 2; however, the number of data in the section is (Originally 21 places are shown by 4).
Then, the compressed waveform data 700 is displayed on the LCD display screen 9 at one time by the compressed waveform display means 801 (see the right half of FIG. 2). Thereby, the whole image can be grasped at a glance.

The compressed waveform data 700 is composed of only the maximum value in the section. For this reason, although the entire data amount is compressed, significant echoes such as the presence or absence of a defect and the size of the defect are measured as the magnitude of the echo reception signal, particularly the maximum value or the maximum value. , A value indicating the magnitude of the echo is stored in the compressed waveform data 700. Therefore, the presence or absence of the echo of the measurement target can be easily determined only by observing the display of the compressed waveform data 700.

On the other hand, when the display of the compressed waveform data 700 indicates what is likely to be an echo to be measured, such as a defect, not only the maximum value but also a local waveform centered thereat is observed in detail, and its position or waveform is observed. Sometimes you want to get more details. In such a case, the position of the corresponding data on the screen may be designated via the display area selection means 802 while looking at the screen as it is. Then, the display mode is switched to the local waveform display mode.

Then, a screen of local display centered on the corresponding position of the section including the data is immediately obtained. This is because the corresponding address specified via the selected address 71 is transmitted to the display moving means 81 and the local display means 82. Therefore, a detailed waveform can be observed on the screen of the local display. As a result, it can be easily confirmed whether or not a defect exists. Therefore, the defect position can be easily searched and the detailed display can be quickly performed.

If it is desired to search for the vicinity of the local waveform, the operation may be continued in the same manner as in the prior art. That is, movement of the display portion is instructed via the sheet key 5, and in response to this, the local waveform data selected from all the waveform data is displayed. In this way, by sweeping the display position in the entire waveform data of the local waveform left and right on the screen,
It is also possible to search for local waveform data to be observed. Therefore, by moving and observing the local waveform in the vicinity of the defect portion, the state of the defect can be more accurately determined.

[0023]

As can be understood from the above description, in the ultrasonic measuring apparatus having the configuration of the present invention, a compressed waveform is displayed in addition to the local waveform. As a result, the whole image can be grasped at a glance, and the non-defective product can be easily determined. Further, the defect position can be easily searched and the detailed display can be quickly performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram centering on a display portion of an ultrasonic flaw detector as an embodiment of an ultrasonic measurement device having a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the waveform data and display thereof.

FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the ultrasonic flaw detector.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional ultrasonic flaw detector, particularly focusing on an image display part.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe 2 Flaw detector part 3 A / D conversion circuit (A / D) 4 Waveform memory 5 Sheet key 6 Microprocessor (MPU) 7 RAM 8 ROM 9 LCD display (LCD) 71 Selected address 81 Display moving means 82 Local waveform display means 700 compressed waveform data 800 compressed waveform generation means 801 compressed waveform display means 802 display area selection means 803 display switching means

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ultrasonic measuring apparatus for storing all waveform data comprising an ultrasonic reception signal and displaying local waveform data partially selected from said all waveform data, wherein said all waveform data is divided into a plurality of sections. Compressed waveform generating means for generating compressed waveform data by extracting the maximum value in each section separately for each section, a local waveform display mode for displaying the local waveform data, and compression for displaying the compressed waveform data Display switching means for selecting and switching any one of the waveform display modes; compressed waveform display means for displaying the compressed waveform when the compressed waveform display mode is selected by the display switching means; When the waveform data is displayed, one of the compressed waveform data
Display area selection means for selecting data, wherein when the mode is switched from the compressed waveform display mode to the local waveform display mode, one data selected by the display area selection means or a local area centering on a section including the data is selected. An ultrasonic measuring apparatus, wherein waveform data is selected and displayed.