Patent ID: 7596470

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for prognosticating a structural condition by use of a network having a plurality of diagnostic network patches (DNP), each of the patches being able to operate as at least one of an actuator patch and a receiver patch, at least one of the patches being able to operate as both an actuator patch and a receiver patch, the method comprising: (a) causing, by use of a computer processor, the at least one of the patches to emit a transmitter signal and a portion of the other patches to receive a set of sensor signals at a point in time, each said sensor signal being a portion of the transmitter signal emitted by the at least one of the patches and propagated through the structure; (b) repeating the step (a) to receive multiple sets of sensor signals at multiple points in time, respectively; and (c) prognosticating, based on the multiple sets of signals, a structural condition of a host structure of the network at a target point in time.