Ultrasonic method for material monitoring
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
- (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer;
(b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time which is determined in accordance with a measurement of the duration of a time interval, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
(c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal is caused to vary in accordance with said pulse travel time by applying variable amplification to said first electrical signal in accordance with said pulse travel time; and
(d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic measurement method in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer includes emitting an ultrasonic pulse from the ultrasonic transducer. An ultrasonic pulse is received in accordance with a pulse travel time wherein the amplitude of the received ultrasonic pulse varies according to the pulse travel time. A first electrical signal is provided representative of the received ultrasonic pulse wherein the amplitude of the first electrical signal varies in accordance with the pulse travel time. A second electrical signal is provided in accordance with the first electrical signal wherein the amplitude of the second electrical signal is substantially independent of the pulse travel time. In order to determine the second electrical signal variable amplification is applied to the first electrical signal in accordance with the travel time. A distance is determined according to the pulse travel time wherein the distance is representative of the distance between the transducer and a material surface.
38 Citations
80 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time which is determined in accordance with a measurement of the duration of a time interval, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal is caused to vary in accordance with said pulse travel time by applying variable amplification to said first electrical signal in accordance with said pulse travel time; and (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal varies in accordance with said pulse travel time due to applying relatively lower amplification to said first electrical signal for a relatively shorter pulse travel time and applying relatively higher amplification to said first electrical signal for a relatively longer pulse travel time, (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal varies in accordance with said pulse travel time; (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time; (e) providing a gain control signal in accordance with said pulse travel time; (f) applying said gain control signal to variable amplifiers. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal varies in accordance with said pulse travel time; (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time; and (e) providing a gain control signal by performing first and second integrations during said pulse travel time to provide first and second integration signals. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal varies in accordance with said pulse travel time; (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time; and (e) controlling the level of a material in accordance with said second electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the ultrasonic pulse is attenuated and the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal varies in accordance with said pulse travel time; and (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal to compensate for said attenuating, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time and compensated for humidity. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time; (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse, wherein the amplitude of said first electrical signal varies in accordance with said pulse travel time; (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time; and (e) applying said second electrical signal to a two-wire measurement system. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. An ultrasonic measurement method for use in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting a plurality of ultrasonic pulses from said ultrasonic transducer; (b) receiving the ultrasonic pulses of said plurality of ultrasonic pulses in accordance with respective pulse travel times, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulses varies according to said pulse travel times; (c) providing a plurality of first electrical signals representative of said received ultrasonic pulses, wherein the amplitudes of said first electrical signals vary in accordance with their respective pulse travel times; (d) approximating the relationship between said pulse travel times and said amplitudes of said first electrical signals to provide a plurality of correction factors; and (e) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said correction factors, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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Specification