System and method for ultrasonic measurement of material level
US5150334A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 16, 1991 |
| Grant date | Sep 22, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 16, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S367/908
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for monitoring level of material in a vessel that includes a transducer for transmitting an ultrasonic signal toward and receiving an echo signal from a surface of the material, and a power switch coupled to the transducer for energizing the transducer to transmit the ultrasonic signal. A microprocessor-based controller has an output coupled to the power switch for controlling operation thereof. The output of the microprocessor provides a pulsed periodic signal to the power switch at controllably variable frequency, duty cycle and/or total burst duration to operate the transducer at an ultrasonic frequency that corresponds to the periodic signal frequency, duty cycle and burst duration. The echo signals are compared to successive thresholds between the transmission bursts, and echo signal data is sampled and stored in the microprocessor over a measurement cycle that includes multiple transmission bursts. The true echo signal from the material surface is distinguished from pulse echo signals as a combined function of amplitude and time duration data so stored.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.