Method and apparatus for monitoring operational performance of fluid storage systems

• US 20040117135A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warren Rogers Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Warren Rogers Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Rogers, Warren F., Collins, John R., Jones, Jillanne B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/55
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters

Abstract

A method of determining a volume of fluid associated with a fluid storage and dispensing system, the volume of fluid having a height in the system, wherein the system include measurement apparatus for measuring the height. The method includes collecting a plurality of height measurement data from the measurement apparatus in a form readable by a computer; storing the plurality of height measurement data in a compressed matrix format in a computer memory; and performing regression analysis using the compressed matrix format to calculate the volume of fluid associated with the system.

Claims

1. A method of determining a volume of fluid associated with a fluid storage and dispensing system, the volume of fluid having a height in the system, the system comprising measurement apparatus for measuring the height, the method comprising:

collecting a plurality of height measurement data from the measurement apparatus in a form readable by a computer;

storing the plurality of height measurement data in a compressed matrix format in a computer memory; and

performing regression analysis using the compressed matrix format to calculate the volume of fluid associated with the system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting step is performed each time a portion of the volume of fluid is dispensed from the system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting step includes transmitting the plurality of height measurement data to a host processor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting the measurement data includes wireless transmission.

5. An apparatus for determining a volume of fluid associated with a fluid storage and dispensing system, the volume of fluid having a height in the system, the apparatus comprising:

measurement apparatus for measuring the height of the volume of fluid; and

a computer comprising a processing means for collecting a plurality of height measurement data from the measurement apparatus and a memory for storing the plurality of height measurement data in a compressed matrix format;

wherein the processing means performs regression analysis on the compressed matrix format to determine the volume of fluid associated with the system.

6. A method of determining a plurality of volumes of fluid, each of the volumes associated with one of a plurality of fluid storage and dispensing systems, each of the volumes having a height in its associated system, each of the systems including measurement apparatus for measuring the height of each of the volumes of fluid, the method comprising:

collecting a plurality of height measurement data from the measurement apparatus of each of the plurality of systems in a form readable by a computer;

storing the plurality of height measurement data in a compressed matrix format in a computer memory; and

performing regression analysis using the compressed matrix format to calculate the volumes of fluid associated with the systems.