Patent ID: 7221445

Claim:
A system for quantifying an evolution an characteristic of a surface of an object, the system comprising: an energy source for transmitting a source signal over time to a surface of an object for specular reflection or scattering; a detector section for receiving a received signal from the surface and for providing a detector signal indicative of the received signal, the detector section receives a plurality of received signals and provides a corresponding plurality of detector signals; a processor for receiving the detector signal from the detector section, the processor for applying an algorithm to the detector signal to quantify at least one of a temporal and a spatial change in a characteristic of the surface, the processor applying the algorithm to the plurality of detector signals, the processor includes a peak detector for comparing each of the detector signals to a threshold and providing a thresholded detector signal when a respective one of the detector signals meets the threshold, the processor providing a characteristic signal when a condition of the peak detector is met, the processor applying a summation function to the threshold detector signals and providing the characteristic signal when the result of the summation function meets the threshold; and a computer for receiving the characteristic signal from the processor and for processing the characteristic signal, the computer processing the characteristic signal to at least one of determine a failure precursor, perform a damage prognosis, and perform a remaining-life prognosis.