Patent ID: 7286964

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for interrogating health conditions of a structure using a plurality of diagnostic network patches (DNP) implemented thereto, each of the patches being able to operate as at least one of a transmitter patch and a sensor patch, the method comprising: forming a diagnostic network including the patches and a plurality of signal transmission paths, each said signal transmission path being a signal link between a transmitter patch and a sensor patch; representing the diagnostic network by a graph, wherein the patches and signal transmission paths are respectively abstracted as nodes and edges in the graph; partitioning the diagnostic network into one or more subgroups, each of the subgroups including a designated transmitter patch and one or more sensor patches; causing, by use of a computer processor, the designated transmitter patch to transmit a signal and the sensor patches to receive the signal; comparing the received signal with a baseline signal to determine a deviation therebetween, the baseline signal being measured by use of the diagnostic network in absence of structural anomaly; and analyzing the deviation to determine the health conditions of the structure.