Claims
- 1. A method of identifying machine readable matrix symbol
- markings on a component, comprising the steps of:
- applying a machine-readable matrix symbol to a surface of a component, said symbol exhibiting properties which are recognizable by ultrasound imaging apparatus,
- capturing said matrix symbol at a later time using a hand held portable ultrasound apparatus which utilizes a transducer coupled to a raster scanner, and
- decoding said matrix symbol,
- wherein said step of capturing comprises collecting sound signals echoing from the component and transmitting the signals to a memory component, and
- wherein said step of applying a machine-readable matrix symbol to a surface of a component, comprises the further step of covering said machine-readable matrix symbol with a non-transparent surface coating.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of decoding said matrix symbol includes displaying an image on a video medium.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of collecting sound signals echoing from the component and transmitting the signals to a memory component further comprises passing the analog sound signals through an A/D converter to generate a digital signal string.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further including a step of transmitting signals from said memory component through a decoding module to convert said digital signal string to an ASCII data string.
- 5. The method of claim 4, and further including a step of converting the ASCII data string to a video signal so that a symbol image can be displayed on a video monitor.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/320,819 filed on Oct. 11, 1994 now abandoned.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. NAS 8-38550.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
320819 |
Oct 1994 |
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