1. A non-destructive testing device comprising:
an excitation coil having a plurality of conductor ribbons attached to a flexible membrane;
a frame supporting the membrane and incorporating
means for translation across a curved surface to be inspected,
resilient means for maintaining the membrane with the excitation coil and the translation means in intimate contact with the surface to be inspected; and,
a magnetoresistive (MR) array supported within the frame proximate the membrane and surface wherein elements of the MR array are arranged in a line parallel to the excitation coil conductor ribbons.
2. A non-destructive testing device comprising:
an excitation coil having a plurality of conductor ribbons attached to a flexible membrane;
a frame supporting the membrane and incorporating
means for translation across a curved surface to be inspected
resilient means for maintaining the membrane with the excitation coil and the translation means in intimate contact with the surface to be inspected; and,
a magnetoresistive (MR) array supported within the frame proximate the membrane and surface wherein the MR array is inserted into a slot in the membrane.
3. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for measurement of translation of the MR array across the surface under inspection.
4. Cancelled
5. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the conductor ribbons are arranged perpendicular to the direction of translation and provide a unidirectional current sheet.
6. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the translation means comprises a plurality of wheels mounted to the frame.
7. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the MR array comprises a plurality of GMR sensors.
8. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 further comprising an ergonomic handle mounted to the frame for operative translation of the frame and having at least one control means for scanning of the surface under inspection.
9. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 7 wherein each sensor has its axis of sensitivity normal to the surface being scanned.
10. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 wherein translation across the surface is accomplished in a direction substantially parallel to a circumference of the curved surface being inspected.
11. A non-destructive testing device as defined in claim 1 wherein translation across the surface is accomplished in a direction substantially perpendicular to a circumference of the curved surface being inspected.
12. A method for non-destructive testing comprising the steps of:
providing a frame supporting an excitation coil having a plurality of conductor ribbons attached to a flexible membrane and a magnetoresistive (MR) array supported within the frame proximate the membrane and surface and arranged in a line parallel to the excitation coil conductor ribbons;
translating the frame across a curved surface to be inspected; and
resiliently maintaining the membrane with the excitation coil and the translation means in intimate contact with the surface to be inspected.
13. A method for non-destructive testing comprising the steps of:
providing a frame supporting an excitation coil having a plurality of conductor ribbons attached to a flexible membrane and a magnetoresistive (MR) array supported within the frame proximate the membrane and surface, the MR array inserted into a slot in the membrane;
translating the frame across a curved surface to be inspected; and
resiliently maintaining the membrane with the excitation coil and the translation means in intimate contact with the surface to be inspected.
14. Cancelled
15. A non-destructive testing method as defined in claim 12 further comprising the step of measuring the translation of the MR array across the surface under inspection.
16. A non-destructive testing method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of providing includes arranging the conductor ribbons perpendicular to the direction of translation.
17. A non-destructive testing method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of arranging the MR array elements includes mounting each sensor with its axis of sensitivity normal to the surface being scanned.
18. A non-destructive testing method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of translating across the surface is accomplished in a direction substantially parallel to a circumference of the curved surface being inspected.
19. A non-destructive testing method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of translating across the surface is accomplished in a direction substantially perpendicular to a circumference of the curved surface being inspected.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
during presentation of a selection of digital media content at a first media player device, responsive to detecting a first request to establish a first waypoint and a second request to establish a second waypoint, generating the first and second waypoints, the first and second waypoints forming a waypoint pair that together define the beginning and ending points of a media clip; and
responsive to detecting a request to transmit the waypoint pair to a second media player device, transmitting the waypoint pair to the second media player device along with a digital content identifier that identifies the selection of digital media content to which the waypoint pair relates.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second waypoints define the beginning and ending points of a media clip relative to a time point of the selection of digital media content.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting a content source identifier to the second media player along with the waypoint pair and the content identifier, the content source identifier identifying a content source from which the selection of digital media content can be requested.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media player device is a set top box, and detecting a first request to establish a first waypoint and a second request to establish a second waypoint includes detecting signals generated via a remote control device for use in controlling the set top box.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
subsequent to detecting the first and second requests to establish waypoints, detecting additional requests to establish additional waypoint pairs defining additional media clips from the selection of digital media content; and
transmitting the additional waypoint pairs to the second media player device with the content identifier.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
subsequent to detecting the first and second requests to establish waypoints, detecting additional requests to establish additional waypoint pairs defining additional media clips from one or more different selections of digital media content;
transmitting the additional waypoint pairs to the second media player device with one or more additional content identifiers that identify one or more different selections of digital media content to which the additional waypoint pairs relate.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a request to transmit the waypoint pair to a second media player device includes detecting a selection of a graphical user interface element representing the media clip defined by the waypoint pair, and detecting selection of a graphical user interface element representing a person associated with the second media player to which the waypoint pair is to be transmitted.
8. A method comprising:
at a first media player device, receiving from a second media player device a waypoint pair and a content identifier, the waypoint pair consisting of a first waypoint defining a beginning point of a media clip and a second waypoint defining the ending point of the media clip, the content identifier identifying a selection of digital media content to which the waypoint pair relates;
communicating the waypoint pair and the content identifier to a content source along with a content request;
receiving from the content source data representing a media clip extracted from the selection of digital media content identified by the content identifier in accordance with the waypoint pair; and
presenting the media clip at the first media player device.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
receiving from the second media player device a content source identifier identifying a content source from which the content identified by the content identifier can be requested, wherein the content source to which the content request is communicated is the content source identified by the content source identifier.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
receiving from the second media player device a content source identifier identifying a content source from which the content identified by the content identifier can be requested;
displaying a plurality of content sources from which the content identified by the content identifier can be requested, the plurality of content sources presented so as to indicate the content source identified by the content identifier; and
receiving a selection of one content source from the plurality of displayed content sources, wherein the communicating the waypoint pair and the content identifier to the content source along with the content request includes communicating the content request to the selected content source.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein communicating the waypoint pair and the content identifier to a content source along with a content request occurs subsequent to determining that the selection of digital media content identified by the content identifier is not locally accessible.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein subsequent to receiving the waypoint pair and the content identifier, displaying a notification indicating that a media clip has been shared, the notification including information identifying a person who has shared media clip.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
in addition to the waypoint pair and the content identifier, receiving from the second media player device a media clip generated with an audio or video capturing device of the second media player.
14. A method comprising:
at a content source, receiving a content request from a media player device along with a waypoint pair and a content identifier, the waypoint pair consisting of a first waypoint defining a beginning point of a media clip and a second waypoint defining the ending point of the media clip, the content identifier identifying a selection of digital media content to which the waypoint pair relates;
accessing the selection of digital media content identified by the content identifier;
generating a media clip by extracting a portion of the selection of digital media content defined by the waypoint pair; and
transmitting the media clip defined by the waypoint pair to the media player device from which the content request was received.
15. A media player device comprising:
a streaming media receiving module to receive and present data representing a selection of digital video content;
a command processing module to receive a first request to establish a first waypoint and a second request to establish a second waypoint, the first and second waypoints forming a waypoint pair that together define the beginning and ending points of a media clip associated with a selection of digital media content presented at the media player device;
a graphical user interface module to facilitate receiving a selection of a second media player device to which the waypoint pair is to be communicated;
a communications module to communicate to a selected second media player device the waypoint pair and a content identifier identifying the selection of digital media content to which the waypoint pair relates.