Patent ID: 7171859

Claim:
A method for compensating errors thermally induced in a measurement signal due to unsteady temperature distribution within a transducer of a process meter for measuring at least one physical process variable of a medium stored in a process container or flowing in a process line, the transducer including at least a first sensor for providing at least a first measurement signal in response to the physical process variable to be measured, and at least a first temperature sensor mounted in the transducer for locally sensing a first temperature in the transducer, the method comprising the steps of: generating, by means of at least the first sensor, the first measurement signal, and generating, by means of at least the first temperature sensor, at least a first temperature measurement signal representing the first temperature in the transducer; and using the first measurement signal and at least the first temperature measurement signal for deriving at least one measured value currently representing the physical variable, wherein: the step of deriving the at least one measured value includes a step of estimating, based on a temporal variation of at least the first temperature measurement signal, an instantaneous temperature distribution within the transducer.