Fill level measurement arrangement for determining a level or volume of a filling material in a mobile container

Abstract

A fill level measurement arrangement for determining a level or volume of a filling material in a mobile container, including a first sensor, for distance measurement, a second sensor, for position measurement, and evaluation circuitry, that determines by analysis of the position measurement or the position measurement whether the mobile container has been moved since a previous measurement of the level, and that applies a first calculation rule in the subsequent calculation of the level or the volume if the mobile container has been moved since a previous measurement, whether the mobile container has been moved since a previous measurement, and in the subsequent calculation of the filling level or the volume from the distance measurement that applies a first calculation rule if the mobile container has been moved since the previous measurement and a second calculation rule if the mobile container has not been moved since the previous measurement.

1 . A cloud-based system for controlling filling or emptying operations of a product in a mobile container, comprising:
 a fill-level measurement circuitry configured to determine a level or volume of the product in the mobile container,   wherein the fill-level measurement circuitry includes:   a first sensor configured to measure a distance,   a second sensor configured to measure an orientation of the mobile container or to measure a position of the mobile container, and   a first evaluation circuit; and   a second evaluation circuit integrated into the cloud-based system,   wherein the fill-level measurement circuitry is configured to:
 send measurement data to the second evaluation circuit, 
 determine, by analysis of the measured orientation or the measured position by the second evaluation circuit, whether the mobile container has been moved since a previous level measurement, and 
 apply, in a subsequent calculation of the level or volume from the distance measurement by the second evaluation circuit, a first calculation rule when the mobile container has been moved since the previous level measurement and apply a second calculation rule when the mobile container has not been moved since the previous level measurement. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the product is a bulk material.   
     
     
         3 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to apply the first calculation rule when calculating a filling level or volume from the distance measurement only when the mobile container has been moved since the previous level measurement and the filling level or distance has not changed by a predetermined first minimum value.   
     
     
         4 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to apply the second calculation rule when calculating a filling level or volume from the distance measurement when the mobile container has been moved since the previous level measurement but the filling level or distance has increased or decreased by a first predetermined minimum value since the previous level measurement.   
     
     
         5 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the evaluation second circuit is further configured to take into account, when selecting the calculation rule, whether the level or the distance has increased or decreased since the previous level measurement.   
     
     
         6 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are integrated in a level measuring device.   
     
     
         7 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first sensor is a radar sensor, a sensor using a guided radar signal, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor, or a sensor using a time-of-flight measurement.   
     
     
         8 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second sensor is part of a wireless network.   
     
     
         9 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to calculate a density from the distance measurement.   
     
     
         10 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to adjust calculation rules according to a density of the bulk material.   
     
     
         11 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to apply the first calculation rule when calculating a filling level or volume from the distance measurement only when the mobile container has been moved since the previous level measurement and the filling level or distance has not changed by a predetermined first minimum value.   
     
     
         12 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to adjust calculation rules according to a density of the product.   
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling filling or emptying operations of a product in a mobile container, comprising:
 perform a distance measurement;   perform an orientation measurement or a position measurement;   send the distance measurement to a second evaluation circuit integrated into a cloud-based system;   send the orientation or a position measurement to the second evaluation circuit integrated into the cloud-based system;   analyze the orientation measurement or the position measurement by the second evaluation circuit to determine whether the mobile container has been moved since a previous measurement of a fill level;   apply a first calculation rule in a subsequent calculation of a level or volume from the distance measurement by the second evaluation circuit when the mobile container has been moved since the previous measurement; and   apply a second calculation rule when calculating the fill level or volume from a distance measurement by the second evaluation circuit when the mobile container has not been moved since the previous measurement.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the second calculation rule is applied when the mobile container has been moved since the previous measurement and a specific event has occurred.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the second calculation rule is applied when the mobile container has been moved since the previous measurement and the filling level of material has increased compared to the last measurement.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program element which, when executed on a second evaluation circuit integrated into a cloud-based system of a fill level measurement arrangement device, instructs the second evaluation circuit to be configured to:
 apply a first calculation rule when calculating the level or volume from a distance measurement when the mobile container has been moved since a previous measurement; and   apply a second calculation rule when calculating the level or volume from a distance measurement when the mobile container has not been moved since the previous measurement.   
     
     
         17 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to apply the second calculation rule when calculating a filling level or volume from the distance measurement when the mobile container has been moved since the previous level measurement but the filling level or distance has increased or decreased by a first predetermined minimum value since the previous level measurement.   
     
     
         18 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the second evaluation circuit is further configured to apply the second calculation rule when calculating a filling level or volume from the distance measurement when the mobile container has been moved since the previous level measurement but the filling level or distance has increased or decreased by a first predetermined minimum value since the previous level measurement.   
     
     
         19 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the evaluation second circuit is further configured to take into account, when selecting the calculation rule, whether the level or the distance has increased or decreased since the previous level measurement.   
     
     
         20 . The cloud-based system according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the evaluation second circuit is further configured to take into account, when selecting the calculation rule, whether the level or the distance has increased or decreased since the previous level measurement.