Steven R Walton, 83158 Shawmut Ave, Marlboro, MA 01752

6664499, Dec 16, 2003

Jul 11, 2002

10/194800

Steve A. Brink - Seattle WA
Noel A. Spishak - Bellevue WA
Daniel L. Nydegger - Auburn WA
Stephen L. Sembritzky - Wenatchee WA
William R. Schell - Federal Way WA
David M. Kozy - Kent WA
Steven R. Walton - Wilkeson WA
Ray Henderson - Federal Way WA

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

B23K 2636

21912167

An apparatus and method is provided for cutting curved tube and duct assemblies using a high-powered laser, which locates, measures and follows a scribe line. The invention generally is comprised of a multi-axis laser-based machine tool to cut formed (i. e. , curved) welded tube and duct detailed parts to a planar scribe line. It is further comprised of a laser focusing head positioned on a rotating and tilting platform; fixturing aids to position and hold the tubes or ducts to be cut; a machine vision system to locate and measure a scribe line in a plane on the tube or duct, thus determining its orientation; and a controller that tilts the turntable to a co-planar position, and then operates a high-powered laser to cut the duct at the scribe line.

7495758, Feb 24, 2009

Sep 6, 2006

11/470403

Steven R. Walton - Buckley WA, US

Theo Boeing Company - Chicago IL

G01N 21/00

3562371, 3562373

Apparatus and methods for inspecting a workpiece are provided. According to one embodiment, a method for inspecting a workpiece comprises illuminating at least a portion of the workpiece with at least one illumination beam and capturing at least one image including at least on line signature formed by illuminating the workpiece with the illumination beam. The method further includes performing two-dimensional and three-dimensional processes on the captured image and classifying at least one feature associated with the workpiece based at least in part on data generated by the two-dimensional and three-dimensional processes.

7679746, Mar 16, 2010

Jan 25, 2009

12/359328

Steven R. Walton - Buckley WA, US

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

G01N 21/00

356432

A system for measurement of pressure drop through a perforated panel having panel holes includes a sensor comprising an illumination source adapted to illuminate the perforated panel, a lens spaced-apart with respect to the illumination source and a camera interfacing with the lens. A controller is connected to the camera and adapted to receive image frames of the panel openings from the camera, measure an optical porosity of the perforated panel, identify a number and locations of missing and blocked panel holes in the perforated panel, determine a shape of a small region associated with each panel hole and calculate a pressure drop through the perforated panel based on the optical porosity of the perforated panel, the number and locations of the missing and blocked panel holes and the shape of the small region associated with each panel hole.

8050486, Nov 1, 2011

May 22, 2007

11/805156

Steven R. Walton - Buckley WA, US

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

G06K 9/00
G01N 21/00
G01B 11/30

382141, 382154, 356606, 3562373

A feature of a workpiece can be identified. Two-dimensional data of at least a region of a workpiece and three-dimensional data of a portion of the region of the workpiece are acquired, such as by illuminating at least the region with at least a first light source disposed at a first angle of incidence relative to a plane of the region and illuminating the portion with a second light source, such as at least one laser, disposed at a second angle of incidence greater than the first angle of incidence. An estimated location of an attribute of a feature of the workpiece is determined from the three-dimensional data, and the feature is identified by analyzing the two-dimensional data in an area surrounding the estimated location of the attribute. Attributes of features can include without limitation a point along a line of an edge.

8615738, Dec 24, 2013

Dec 30, 2004

11/026145

Robert Bruce Levy - Watertown MA, US
Frank Joseph McGrath - Wellesley MA, US
Mark Frederick Victory - Westford MA, US
Steven Wesley Walton - Acton MA, US

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G06F 9/44

717124, 717100, 717115, 717126

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for modularizing testing of a software product. The method comprises receiving user input indicating a source and a destination of test content; and linking modification of the test content at the destination to modification of the test content at the source. In further related embodiments, receiving the user input may comprise receiving input of a copy/paste gesture for the test content, or a drag/drop gesture for the test content. The linking may comprise using a globally unique identifier to identify each test step of a test document; and using the globally unique identifier as a pointer from the destination to the source of the test content. The method may also comprise rendering the test content to the user as if the test content was in-line at the destination.

2007027, Dec 6, 2007

May 16, 2006

11/383681

Andrej M. Savol - Sumner WA, US
Steven R. Walton - Buckley WA, US

THE BOEING COMPANY - Chicago IL

B32B 37/00
G05G 15/00
B44C 7/00

156 64, 156352, 156577

Systems and methods for monitoring automated composite fabrication processes are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes performing a manufacturing operation on a portion of a workpiece using a tool moveable relative to the workpiece. Simultaneously with performing the manufacturing operation, the tool is translated relative to the workpiece, and a portion of the workpiece upon which the tool has performed the manufacturing operation is monitored. The monitoring includes illuminating an illuminated strip of the workpiece using a laser, and receiving a reflected beam reflected from the illuminated strip into a camera. Output signals from the camera may be analyzed to detect and characterize a feature of interest, wherein the feature of interest may include an edge, an overlap, a gap, a wrinkle, and foreign object debris (FOD).

2007028, Dec 6, 2007

May 31, 2006

11/421273

Steven R Walton - Buckley WA, US

G06K 9/00

382100

A system and method for inspecting a workpiece are provided. According to one embodiment, the system includes a plurality of illumination sources positioned proximate to the workpiece and each operable to generate at least one respective illumination beam to illuminate at least a portion of the workpiece, wherein each beam has a different respective color. The system also includes at least one camera positioned proximate to the workpiece and operable to capture at least one image of at least a portion of the workpiece including the illumination beams incident thereon. In addition, the system includes a data system capable of providing simultaneous two-dimensional and three-dimensional information indicative of the workpiece based on the image acquired by the camera.

2013029, Nov 14, 2013

May 8, 2012

13/466285

William P. Motzer - Seattle WA, US
James C. Kennedy - Renton WA, US
Steven Ray Walton - Wilkeson WA, US
James J. Troy - Issaquah WA, US

THE BOEING COMPANY - Seal Beach CA

G01N 29/04

73618

Method and apparatus for enabling ultrasonic inspection of a changing, insufficiently defined or unknown shape (e.g., a variable radius or a noncircular radius caused by the use of soft tooling) at a rate that meets production requirements. The apparatus comprises a linear ultrasonic array (i.e., sensor) incorporated in a toppler, which in turn is slidably supported by an oscillating sensor mechanism carried by a traveling trailer vehicle. As a result of this arrangement, the sensor can undergo a back-and-forth sweeping motion coupled with motion along the spar radius. The sensor is further able to displace radially relative to a sweep pivot axis and rotate (hereinafter “topple”) about a topple pivot axis. In this manner, the orientation of the sensor can adjust to the contour of the inspected surface as the sensor scans.