Patent ID: 6252980
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: B67C,G01F,G01N,G06T

Abstract:
A method for monitoring an action station on a production line where containers which contain liquid pass through said action station and experience a force which causes said liquid to be in a dynamic state, comprising:(a) causing a plurality of containers which contain liquid to pass through said action station sequentially,(b) operating on each container at said action station so that said liquid in each container is in a dynamic state when each container leaves said action station and so that said dynamic state asymptotically approaches a final level after each container leaves said action station,(c) inspecting optically at several successive times the liquid level in each of said containers to obtain several liquid levels for each of said containers as said dynamic state asymptotically approaches said final level and saving said liquid levels for each of said containers as a plurality of saved liquid levels, and(d) analyzing said saved liquid levels in order to monitor said action station and predict a future final liquid level.