Container fill level measurement and management

• US 10,072,964 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nectar Limited
• Original Assignee: Nectar Limited
• Inventors: Gurumohan, Prabhanjan C., Phumbhra, Aayush
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Manish S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morello, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/627,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20160178426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/00 Table service
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features

Abstract

A content fill level sensor is disclosed. The sensor includes a transmitter located proximal to a portion of a container cover that is configured to engage an opening of a container. The sensor also includes a waveguide extending from the transmitter such that the waveguide includes a distal end that is configured to be located within an interior of the container when the container cover engages the container.

Claims

1. A content fill level sensor, including:

a transmitter located in a container cover that is configured to engage an opening of a container, wherein the transmitter is included in a first enclosed space that is at least in part enclosed by a first acoustically transmissive material portion;

a waveguide extending from the transmitter such that the waveguide includes a distal end that is configured to be located within an interior of the container when the container cover engages the container, wherein the waveguide includes a chamber that extends from the transmitter to the distal end and the waveguide is configured to guide an ultrasonic sound signal emitted by the transmitter down the chamber and exit out of the chamber towards a surface of a fill content included in the container;

a receiver located in the container cover that is configured to engage the opening of the container and the receiver is configured to receive the signal emitted by the transmitter and reflected within the container, wherein the receiver is separate from the transmitter, the receiver is included in a second enclosed space different from the first enclosed space, and the second enclosed space is at least in part enclosed by a second acoustically transmissive material portion;

an accelerometer included in the content fill level sensor;

a data storage included in the content fill level sensor; and

a processor included in the content fill level sensor, wherein the processor is configured to analyze a filtered version of the signal received by the receiver.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the filtered version of the signal was obtained using a band-pass filter.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is an acoustic signal transmitter and the receiver is an acoustic signal receiver.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the filtered version of the signal to determine an amount of time between the emission of the signal by the transmitter and the receipt of the signal by the receiver.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the signal via a receiver extension tube.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the content fill level sensor is configured to measure a liquid fill level of the container.

7. The sensor of claim 1, analyzing the filtered version of the signal received by the receiver includes ignoring a predetermined beginning portion of the signal.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a transceiver.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the chamber is hollow.

10. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a spout.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first acoustically transmissive material portion blocks the fill content from entering the first enclosed space but allows the signal emitted by the transmitter to at least in part pass through the first acoustically transmissive material portion, and the first acoustically transmissive material portion and the transmitter are separated by an air gap.

12. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first acoustically transmissive material portion is at least in part made of a mylar material.

13. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is configured to accommodate coupling with a waveguide extension tube.

14. The sensor of claim 1, wherein an interior chamber wall of the waveguide is substantially smooth.

15. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the chamber of the waveguide is filled with an acoustically permeable material.

16. The sensor of claim 1, wherein an interior chamber wall of the waveguide is coated with an acoustic signal dampening material.

17. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a horizontal cross-sectional area of the chamber of the waveguide is generally increasing from a proximal end of the waveguide closest to the transmitter to the distal end.

18. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a shape of a first opening of a proximal end of the waveguide closest to the transmitter is different than a shape of a second opening at the distal end.

19. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a wireless data communication signal transmitter configured to transmit an identifier of a container fill level.

20. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the content fill level sensor is included in a bottle stopper.