Patent ID: 8140273

Claim:
A computer readable non-transitory medium that is readable by a computer, the computer readable non-transitory medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the following operations: (a) receiving by a computer magnetic flux leakage data related to one or more anomaly air gaps within a longitudinal pipeline weld of a pipeline; (b) generating a display of the magnetic flux leakage data as one or more selected patterns of data representing one or more selected signal characteristics of the pipeline weld; (c) determining whether the display of the magnetic flux leakage data is consistent with a plurality of predetermined anomaly levels each being different from each other and having one or more signal characteristics different from each other and consistent with a presence of potential longitudinal-seam anomalies in the pipeline weld, the determining being responsive to the one or more selected signal characteristic and one or more selected critical flaw dimensions of the pipeline weld, the selected critical flaw dimensions being at least a maximum length of the potential longitudinal-seam anomalies along the pattern of the magnetic flux leakage data; and (d) generating, by the computer, an output of one or more potential pipeline welding defects responsive to the magnetic flux leakage data being determined to be consistent with the plurality of predetermined anomaly levels.