Patent ID: 7111509
Filing Date: 2006-09-26
Classification: G01F,G01S

Abstract:
1. A method of determining at least one expectancy range for a filling level echo or a false echo generated by an ultrasonic or radar filling level measurement device, comprising the following process steps: identifying at least one filling level echo or false echo from a first filling level envelope curve, the first filling level envelope curve having been generated at a first time; identifying at least one second filling level echo or false echo from a second filling level envelope curve, the second filling level envelope curve having been generated at a second time different from the first time; determining at least one expectancy range for a filling level echo or false echo in consideration of the temporal behavior of the identified at least one first filling level echo or false echo and of the identified at least second filling level echo or false echo; sampling a filling level envelope curve currently received by the filling level measurement device by an analog-to-digital converter; storing the echoes of the sampled filling level envelope curve including their echo data in an array of a predeterminable size; processing the echo data stored in the array with image processing methods; searching individual echoes in the current filling level envelope curve; assigning the detected echoes to expectancy ranges determined in the past for a filling level echo or a false echo; in the case that an echo is assigned to the expectancy range for the filling level, determining the filling level using said echo; and when the array is occupied by echo data, determining a new expectancy range for echoes to be expected in the future.