公开(公告)号：US06397679B1

公开(公告)日：2002-06-04

申请号：US09539153

申请日：2000-03-30

申请人： Mokhtar M. Sadok ,  Scott Robert Durkee

发明人： Mokhtar M. Sadok ,  Scott Robert Durkee

IPC分类号： G01N2924

CPC分类号： G01S7/539

摘要： A method of and apparatus for discriminating among ultrasonic echoes reflected from various objects in a tank containing liquid is disclosed. Ultrasonic signals are generated from an ultrasonic transducer into liquid contained in a tank. Ultrasonic echoes are received by the transducer from various objects in the tank including a surface of the liquid in response to the generated ultrasonic signal and are converted into electrical echo signals representative thereof. Data samples of the electrical echo signals are generated and processed by a signal processor using wavelet function processing to generate wavelet coefficients thereof in a wavelet domain. The wavelet coefficients of the echo data samples are used to discriminate the ultrasonic echoes reflected from the various objects in or part of the tank. In one embodiment, echoes reflected from the liquid surface are discriminated from echoes reflected from other objects based on the wavelet coefficients of the echo data samples of each. In another embodiment, energy of each of the ultrasonic echoes determined from the wavelet coefficients thereof is used to discriminate the ultrasonic echoes from the various reflective surfaces.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种用于区分从容纳罐的液体中的各种物体反射的超声回波的方法和设备。 超声波信号从超声波换能器产生到容纳在容器中的液体中。 响应于所生成的超声波信号，换能器从容器中的各种物体接收包括液体表面的超声波回波并被转换为代表其的电回声信号。 电子回波信号的数据样本由信号处理器使用小波函数处理产生和处理，以在小波域中产生其小波系数。 回波数据样本的小波系数用于区分反映在罐中或部分罐中的各种物体的超声回波。 在一个实施例中，基于每个回波数据样本的小波系数，从液体表面反射的回波与从其他物体反射的回波区分开来。 在另一个实施例中，使用从其小波系数确定的每个超声波回波的能量来区分来自各种反射表面的超声回波。

公开(公告)号：US06782122B1

公开(公告)日：2004-08-24

申请号：US09559620

申请日：2000-04-27

申请人： Bruce R. Kline ,  Mokhtar M. Sadok ,  William B. Spillman, Jr.

发明人： Bruce R. Kline ,  Mokhtar M. Sadok ,  William B. Spillman, Jr.

IPC分类号： G06K900

CPC分类号： G01F23/292 ,  G01F23/2928 ,  G01S17/08

摘要： This disclosure is directed to apparatus for measuring height of a surface of liquid in a container utilizing a light source and camera pair disposed above the liquid surface in a predetermined spatial relationship to each other and the container. The light source illuminates the liquid surface with a light pattern and the camera captures the area image of the light pattern in a form of discrete picture elements (pixels) that are processed in an image processor to determine the height of liquid in the container. In another embodiment, the pixels of the area image are further processed to determine attitude of the liquid surface so that the processor may determine the quantity of liquid in the container based on the determined height and attitude of the liquid surface and container geometry data stored in a memory thereof. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of light source/camera pairs are disposed above the liquid surface, each pair operates by capturing an area image of the light pattern on a portion of the liquid surface illuminated by its light source. The pixels of the area image of each pair are processed in the image processor to determine the heights of the corresponding liquid surface portions. In still another embodiment, a plurality of cameras are disposed above the liquid surface to observe at least one light pattern at different viewing angles. Each camera captures an area image of the at least one light pattern and the pixels of such area images are processed in the image processor to determine at least one height for the liquid surface in the container. In this embodiment, the image processor may include an algorithm for combining together the pixels of the various area images of the plurality of cameras to determine the at least one liquid surface height.

摘要翻译： 本公开涉及一种用于测量容器中液体表面的高度的设备，其利用设置在液面上方的光源和照相机对以预定的空间关系彼此和容器。 光源以光图案照亮液体表面，并且相机以图像处理器中处理的离散像素（像素）的形式捕获光图案的区域图像，以确定容器中液体的高度。 在另一个实施例中，区域图像的像素被进一步处理以确定液体表面的姿态，使得处理器可以基于所确定的液体表面的高度和姿态以及存储在其中的容器几何数据来确定容器中的液体量 其记忆。 在另一个实施例中，多个光源/照相机对设置在液面上方，每对通过在由其光源照射的液面的一部分上捕获光图案的区域图像来进行操作。 每个对的区域图像的像素在图像处理器中被处理以确定相应液面部分的高度。 在另一个实施例中，多个相机设置在液面上方以观察不同视角的至少一个光图案。 每个相机捕获至少一个光图案的区域图像，并且在图像处理器中处理这些区域图像的像素以确定容器中的液体表面的至少一个高度。 在该实施例中，图像处理器可以包括用于将多个相机的各种区域图像的像素组合在一起以确定至少一个液体表面高度的算法。