False echo storage in case of container noise

• US 8,670,950 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Griessbaum, Karl, Welle, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US12/939,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 702/55, 702/82, 702/90, 702/100, 702/104, 702/191, 702/195, 324/612, 324/613, 324/620, 333/194
• US Class Current: 702/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves

Abstract

The invention relates to false echo storage in the area of level measurement. The decision as to whether or not to initialize and/or update the false echo memory is made using at least one value for the sensor-inherent noise, container noise and/or EMC noise for this purpose. This may make it possible to avoid identifying a false echo as the level echo.

Claims

1. A level meter for measuring a level and storing a false echo, comprising:

a processor for at least one of initializing and updating false echo data, the processor being designed to decide whether or not the false echo data are to be at least one of initialized and updated as a function of at least one first value, the first value corresponding to at least one property of a first noise,

wherein the processor is further designed to decide whether or not the false echo data are to be at least one of initialized and updated as a function of at least one second value, the second value corresponding to at least one property of a second noise,

wherein the second noise is at least one of a sensor-inherent noise, a container noise and an EMC noise,

wherein the processor is designed to determine whether the first value is greater than the second value, and

wherein the processor is designed to activate a fault memory updating mode if the first value is greater than the second value.

2. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the first noise involves at least one of a sensor-inherent noise, a container noise and an EMC noise.

3. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the at least first value characterizes an average noise power.

4. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the processor is designed to determine one of (a) the at least one first value and (b) the at least one second value using an acquired echo curve.

5. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the processor is designed for determining one of the at least one first value and the at least one second value based on a regression calculation or histogram analysis.

6. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the processor is designed for at least one of initializing and updating false echo data depending on at least one of (a) the at least one first value and (b) the at least one second value.

7. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the processor is designed for determining whether an amplitude of a sampled value for an acquired echo curve is greater than the first value and wherein the processor is designed for one of deleting and resetting the false echo data corresponding to the sampled value if the amplitude of the sampled value is not greater than the first value.

8. The level meter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory arrangement storing at least one of the at least one first value and the at least one second value.

9. The level meter according to claim 8, wherein the fault memory updating mode leads to a reduction of values relating to a false echo curve stored in the memory arrangement if the first value drops.

10. The level meter according to claim 1, wherein the level meter is a filling level radar.

11. A method for measuring a level and storing false echoes, comprising the steps of:

deciding, by a processor, whether or not false echo data are to be at least one of initialized and updated depending on at least one first value and at least one second value, the first value corresponding to a property of a first noise, the second value corresponding to at least one property of a second noise, and wherein the second noise is at least one of a sensor-inherent noise, a container noise and an EMC noise;

determining, by the processor, whether the first value is greater than the second value;

activating, by the processor, a fault memory updating mode if the first value is greater than the second value; and

; and

performing, by the processor, when the decision is affirmative, at least one of initializing and updating the false echo data.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program element which, when implemented on a processor of a level meter, instructs the processor to execute the following steps:

deciding whether or not false echo data are to be at least one of initialized and updated depending on at least one first value and at least one second value, the first value corresponding to a property of a first noise;

the second value corresponding to at least one property of a second noise, and wherein the second noise is at least one of a sensor-inherent noise, a container noise and an EMC noise;

determining, by the processor, whether the first value is greater than the second value;

activating, by the processor, a fault memory updating mode if the first value is greater than the second value; and

performing, when the decision is affirmative, at least one of initializing and updating the false echo data.