Patent ID: 11959791
Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A waste level monitoring system for an aircraft waste tank, comprising:
a point level sensor disposed on the aircraft waste tank;
a load cell disposed on the aircraft waste tank;
a flush counter configured to count a number of toilet flushes since a previous service to the aircraft waste tank; and
a controller electronically coupled to the point level sensor, the load cell, and the flush counter, the controller configured to:
receive, via the point level sensor, a first signal indicating a level of waste within the aircraft waste tank;
receive, via the load cell, a second signal indicating a weight of the aircraft waste tank;
receive, via the flush counter, a third signal indicating the number of toilet flushes since the previous service to the aircraft waste tank;
determine whether the point level sensor is faulted;
in response to the point level sensor being faulted, determine whether:
(a) the weight of the aircraft waste tank is between a minimum weight threshold and a maximum weight threshold; and
(b) the number of toilet flushes is greater than a minimum flush threshold; and

in response to both (a) and (b) being true, send a waste system status signal to a display device onboard an aircraft indicating that the aircraft waste tank is full; and
in response to the point level sensor not being faulted, the controller is configured to determine whether:
(a) the weight of the aircraft waste tank is between the minimum weight threshold and the maximum weight threshold;
(b) the number of toilet flushes is greater than the minimum flush threshold; and
(c) the first signal indicates that the aircraft waste tank is full; and
in response to (a), (b), and (c) being true, send the waste system status signal to the display device onboard the aircraft indicating that the aircraft waste tank is full.