Process for the recognition and separation of useful and interfering echoes in the received signals of distance sensors which operate in accordance with the pulse-echo principle

US5587969A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Nils Kroemer · Hohenstein-Ernstthal, DE
• Martin Vossiek · Ergolding, DE
• Peter-Christian Eccardt · Ottobrunn, DE
• Valentin Magori · Gernsheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 5, 1995
• Grant date: Dec 24, 1996
• Expiry date: Sep 5, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S367/908
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In a first step, an individual echo is associated with each local maxima in the received ultrasonic signal. Subsequently, characteristic features such as time position, amplitude and form factor of each respective individual echo are detected numerically for the individual echo. In a second step, the mentioned features are subjected to a fuzzy evaluation. The features form the input variables of the evaluation. A multiple echo probability for each individual echo is available as the result. With this awareness, with the aid of the a priori knowledge and with the aid of the awareness of the history, it is possible, for example, to draw conclusions concerning the filling level of the bulk material in containers in which the surface of the bulk material is at times masked for the ultrasonic beam by the stirring apparatus.