Patent ID: 7448272

Claim:
A system for inspecting a spot weld on a workpiece, the system comprising: an actuator; an inspection assembly coupled to the actuator and comprising an ultrasound device and one or more adjustment motors coupled to the ultrasound device, wherein the ultrasound device is configured to generate one or more ultrasound waves and receive one or more echo waves; and a controller electronically coupled to the inspection assembly and configured to identify a spot weld echo state based at least in part on the one or more echo waves, and determine whether the spot weld echo state corresponds to a member of a set of predetermined echo states; wherein the actuator is configured to position the inspection assembly at an initial inspection position, and the one or more adjustment motors are configured to manipulate the ultrasound device when the spot weld echo state does not correspond to a member of the set of predetermined echo states such that a first end of the ultrasound device disposed adjacent to the workpiece is held substantially stationary and a second end of the ultrasound device disposed opposite the first end is moved along a curved path.