Patent ID: 7747397

Claim:
A method for at least one of automatically initializing and dynamically updating a parasitic echo storage device of a fill level meter operating according to a runtime method, comprising the steps of: recording a first echo curve, which comprises reflections of a first wave emitted from the fill level meter; determining echo characteristics of at least two echoes of the first echo curve; recording at least a second echo curve, which comprises reflections of at least one second wave emitted from the fill level meter; determining echo characteristics of at least two echoes of the at least one second echo curve; identifying a useful echo by analyzing changes between at least a first echo characteristic of the first echo curve and at least a second echo characteristic of the at least one second echo curve, wherein the first echo characteristic and the second echo characteristic are echo characteristics of echoes caused by an identical reflection origin, wherein the useful echo relates to a reflection from a medium whose fill level is to be determined; identifying at least one parasitic echo as an echo which does not correspond to a reflection from the medium, wherein the identification is on the basis of a static behavior of at least a first echo characteristic of an echo of the first echo curve and a corresponding static behavior of at least a second echo characteristic of an echo of the second echo curve; and at least one of initializing and updating the parasitic echo storage device as a function of the echo characteristics of the identified at least one parasitic echo.