Patent EP0296392A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0296392A1
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Method and apparatus for determining length of pipe utilizing sound waves
Assignee: JFE Engineering Corp
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Filing: 1988-06-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A method and an apparatus for determining a length of a pipe (1) utilizing sound waves, which comprise: transmitting sound waves having a prescribed frequency and a prescribed transmission intensity toward the interior of a pipe (1) at one end thereof by an oscillator (2); receiving the thus transmitted sound waves at the other end of the pipe (1) by a receiver (3); measuring a propagation time required for the sound waves to pass through the air in the pipe (1) from the one end to the other end thereof by a clock (4); and determining a length of the pipe by a length calculator (5) on the basis of a predetermined propagation velocity of the sound waves in the air in the pipe (1) and the thus measured propagation time of the sound waves.
Inventors
- 👤 Isamu Komine
- 👤 Masataka Kobayashi
- 👤 Shiro Ariga
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 12:36
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B17/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S367/00; Y10S367/903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for determining a length of a pipe utilizing sound waves, which comprises the steps of: transmitting sound waves having a prescribed frequency and a prescribed transmission intensity toward the interior of a pipe at one end thereof; receiving said transmitted sound waves at the other end of said pipe; measuring a propagation time required for said sound waves to pass through the air in said pipe from said one end to said other end thereof; and determining a length of said pipe on the basis of a predetermined propagation velocity of said sound waves in the air in said pipe and said measured propagation time of said sound waves.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for determining a length of a pipe utilizing sound waves, which comprises the steps of: transmitting sound waves having a prescribed frequency and a prescribed transmission intensity toward the interior of a pipe at one end thereof; receiving said transmitted sound waves at the other end of said pipe; measuring a propagation time required for said sound waves to pass through the air in said pipe from said one end to said other end thereof; and determining a length of said pipe on the basis of a predetermined propagation velocity of said sound waves in the air in said pipe and said measured propagation time of said sound waves.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by: measuring a temperature of the air in said pipe; and determining said propagation velocity of said sound waves on the basis of said measured temperature of the air. 3. The method as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by: digitally and intermittently reducing said frequency of said sound waves to be transmitted toward the interior of said pipe while keeping constant said transmission intensity of said sound waves; and selecting said frequency of said sound waves to be transmitted toward the interior of said pipe so that a receiving intensity of said sound waves at said other end of said pipe falls within the range of a prescribed receiving intensity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by: digitally and intermittently increasing said transmission intensity of said sound waves to be transmitted toward the interior of said pipe while keeping constant said frequency of said sound waves; and selecting said transmission intensity of said sound waves to be transmitted toward the interior of said pipe so that a receiving intensity of said sound waves at said other end of said pipe falls within the range of a prescribed receiving intensity.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
211 words
An apparatus for determining a length of a pipe utilizing sound waves, which comprises: an oscillator (2) for transmitting sound waves having a prescribed frequency and a prescribed transmission intensity toward the interior of a pipe at one end thereof; a transmission intensity amplifier (9), connected to said oscillator (2), for setting said transmission intensity of said sound waves; a frequency setter (8) connected to said transmission intensity amplifier (9), for setting said frequency of said sound waves; a receiver (3) for receiving said sound waves from said oscillator (2) at the other end of said pipe, which sound waves have passed through the air in said pipe from said one end to said other end thereof, and for converting said received sound waves into an electric signal to put out same; a clock (4), connected to said receiver (3), for measuring a propagation time required for said sound waves to pass through the air in said pipe from said one end to said other end thereof; and a length calculator (5), connected to said clock (4), for determining a length of said pipe on the basis of a predetermined propagation velocity of said sound waves in the air in said pipe and said measured propagation time of said sound waves.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
211 words
An apparatus for determining a length of a pipe utilizing sound waves, which comprises: an oscillator (2) for transmitting sound waves having a prescribed frequency and a prescribed transmission intensity toward the interior of a pipe at one end thereof; a transmission intensity amplifier (9), connected to said oscillator (2), for setting said transmission intensity of said sound waves; a frequency setter (8) connected to said transmission intensity amplifier (9), for setting said frequency of said sound waves; a receiver (3) for receiving said sound waves from said oscillator (2) at the other end of said pipe, which sound waves have passed through the air in said pipe from said one end to said other end thereof, and for converting said received sound waves into an electric signal to put out same; a clock (4), connected to said receiver (3), for measuring a propagation time required for said sound waves to pass through the air in said pipe from said one end to said other end thereof; and a length calculator (5), connected to said clock (4), for determining a length of said pipe on the basis of a predetermined propagation velocity of said sound waves in the air in said pipe and said measured propagation time of said sound waves.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein: said apparatus additionally includes a sound velocity setter for setting said propagation velocity of said sound waves, which comprises: a thermometer (12), arranged closely adjacent to said pipe, for measuring a temperature of the air in said pipe; and a sound velocity calculator (11) for determining said propagation velocity of said sound waves on the basis of said measured temperature of the air.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
118 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein: said apparatus additionally includes a frequency selector for selecting said frequency of said sound waves, which frequency gives a prescribed receiving intensity of said sound waves while keeping constant said transmission intensity of said sound waves, which comprises: a frequency controller (16), connected to said frequency setter (8), for digitally and intermittently reducing said frequency of said sound waves from said frequency setter (8) to be transmitted toward the interior of said pipe; and a receiving intensity determiner (18), connected to said frequency controller (16), for determining whether or not a receiving intensity of said sound waves at said other end of said pipe has reached said prescribed receiving intensity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
125 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein: said apparatus additionally includes a transmission intensity selector for selecting said transmission intensity of said sound waves, which transmission intensity gives a prescribed receiving intensity of said sound waves while keeping constant said frequency of said sound waves, which comprises: a transmission intensity controller (17), connected to said transmission intensity amplifier (9), for digitally and intermittently increasing said transmission intensity of said sound waves from said transmission intensity amplifier (9) to be transmitted toward the interior of said pipe; and a receiving intensity determiner (18), connected to said transmission intensity controller (17), for determining whether or not a receiving intensity of said sound waves at said other end of said pipe has reached said prescribed receiving intensity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 or 8, wherein: said apparatus additionally includes a band-pass filter (19), the frequency passing through which is variable, for allowing only a frequency of said electric signal from said receiver (3), which frequency corresponds to said frequency of said sound waves, to pass through and shutting off a frequency of a noise signal caused by an environmental noise, and said band-pass filter (19) being arranged between said receiver (3) and said clock (4).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
127 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein: said apparatus additionally includes a band-pass filter (19), the frequency passing through which is variable, for allowing only a frequency of said electric signal from said receiver (3), which frequency corresponds to said frequency of said sound waves, to pass through and shutting off a frequency of a noise signal caused by an environmental noise, and said band-pass filter (19) being arranged between said receiver (3) and said receiving intensity determiner (18); and said frequency permitted to pass through said band-pass filter (19) is changed in synchronization with said frequency of said sound waves from said frequency setter (8), which frequency has been selected by said frequency selector comprising said frequency controller (16) and said receiving intensity determiner (18).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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