US6157894A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Liquid gauging using sensor fusion and data fusion
Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products Inc
•
Filing: 1997-12-23
•
Granted: 2000-12-05
•
Expires: 2017-12-23
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Alan Hess
- 👤 Mark George Walker
- 👤 Radoslaw Romuald Zakrzewski
- 👤 Luis Carlos Rabelo
- 👤 Robert Curtis North
- 👤 Scott Robert Durkee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:40
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F23/00; G01F23/22; G01F23/28; G01F23/296; B; B64; B64D; B64D37/00; G01F23/14; G01F23/18; G01F23/80; G01F23/802; G01F23/804
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 80
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
Liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; there being at least two sensors that measure different parameters of the liquid; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing at least one sensor fusion algorithm that is based on a set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
102 words
Liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; there being at least two sensors that measure different parameters of the liquid; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing at least one sensor fusion algorithm that is based on a set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensors are non-intrusive with respect to the container.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensors comprise an ultrasonic liquid level sensor for transmitting acoustic energy into the container from a sensor location outside the container.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid comprises aircraft fuel and the container comprises an aircraft fuel tank.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors include at least two sensors that measure a common parameter of the liquid in the container to provide redundancy data for said sensor fusion algorithm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm comprises a state estimation algorithm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm comprises a neural network that has been trained using a training data set of values for said measured parameters and said determined quantity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm comprises a Kalman filter that uses a state vector having state elements that are a function of said measured parameters.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm is based on a system model comprising a number of state equations that define relationships between said state elements and said measured parameters.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said state equations include non-linear relationships and said Kalman filter comprises an extended Kalman filter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measured parameters of the liquid are selected from the following group: temperature, pressure, echo travel time, acceleration, and capacitance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm determines a set of derived parameters including height of a plane of the liquid surface in the container, velocity of sound (VOS), density, dielectric constant, and pitch and roll related characteristics of the container.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm further comprises a height to volume algorithm that converts said liquid surface plane parameter and pitch and roll related characteristics to a volume of the liquid in the container.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said volume is converted to mass of the liquid in the container based on a density value of the liquid, said algorithm being executed based on a height to volume look-up table.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a neural network performs said height to volume algorithm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said neural network is trained based on a geometric model of the container.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein sensors are grouped in a plurality of sensor suites, with each sensor suite measuring parameters of the liquid which are sufficient to determine said quantity of the liquid that is related to mass of the liquid in the container.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one of the sensor suites comprises one or more of the following: an ultrasonic liquid level sensor, a temperature sensor and an accelerometer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least two sensor suites measure similar parametric properties of the liquid at different locations in the container to provide redundant data for said sensor fusion algorithm.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one of said sensor suites comprises one or more of the following: a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and an accelerometer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
104 words
Liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a calculation of a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing a sensor fusion algorithm that is based on a system model that defines a set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity; said sensor fusion algorithm comprising a recursive filter algorithm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
104 words
Liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a calculation of a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing a sensor fusion algorithm that is based on a system model that defines a set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity; said sensor fusion algorithm comprising a recursive filter algorithm.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said recursive filter comprises a Kalman type filter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said processor executes a second sensor fusion algorithm that is based on said sensor outputs and that is different from said first sensor fusion algorithm to determine a second calculation of said quantity of the liquid that is related to mass of the liquid in the container.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said second sensor fusion algorithm comprises a neural network that receives said sensor outputs and determines said quantity based thereon.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said processor executes an algebraic algorithm based on said sensor outputs to determine a third calculation of said quantity of the liquid that is related to mass of the liquid in the container.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said processor executes a data fusion algorithm based on said first, second and third calculations of said quantity.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said data fusion algorithm comprises a state estimation algorithm.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said data fusion algorithm comprises a Kalman filter that receives said first, second and third calculations of said quantity and produces an output that indicates a best determinable value of said quantity.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said sensor fusion algorithm computes a height parameter of the liquid surface, the apparatus further comprising a height to volume algorithm that converts said sensor fusion height information into a volume value.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said height to volume algorithm comprises a neural net.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
100 words
Liquid gauging apparatus for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a first calculation of a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing a first sensor fusion algorithm that is based on a set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity; said sensor fusion algorithm comprising a neural network.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
100 words
Liquid gauging apparatus for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a first calculation of a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing a first sensor fusion algorithm that is based on a set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity; said sensor fusion algorithm comprising a neural network.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said neural network comprises a number of input nodes corresponding to said sensor outputs, and at least one hidden layer of and an output layer with at least one output.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said neural network produces an output that corresponds to volume of liquid in the container, said volume value being used to compute mass of the liquid in the container based on a density value of the liquid in the container.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said sensors comprise ultrasonic liquid level sensors, at least one temperature sensor, at least one pressure sensor, and at least one accelerometer.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus for determining quantity of liquid in a container, comprising a plurality of sensors that detect characteristics of a surface plane of the liquid; a processor that determines height and attitude parameters of the liquid surface plane, and a neural network that produces a quantity output based on said parameters, said neural network being trained by data sets derived from a computer model of the container.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus for determining quantity of liquid in a container, comprising a plurality of sensors that detect characteristics of a surface plane of the liquid; a processor that determines height and attitude parameters of the liquid surface plane, and a neural network that produces a quantity output based on said parameters, said neural network being trained by data sets derived from a computer model of the container.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said neural network is trained with data sets of attitude, height and volume information obtained from a computer based solid model of the container at incremental slices through the container.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
66 words
Liquid gauging apparatus for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines said measured parameters by executing a sensor fusion algorithm; said sensor fusion algorithm comprising a state estimation algorithm.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
66 words
Liquid gauging apparatus for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines said measured parameters by executing a sensor fusion algorithm; said sensor fusion algorithm comprising a state estimation algorithm.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said processor determines a quantity of the liquid in the container that is related to mass of the liquid in the container, based on said determined parameters.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said quantity is volume.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said parameters define surface plane location parameters including height of the liquid in the container, said sensor fusion algorithm further comprising a height to volume algorithm that converts said liquid surface plane parameters to a volume of the liquid in the container.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 40 wherein one of said parameters of the liquid is density, said processor determining mass of the liquid in the container based on said volume and density determinations.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
117 words
Liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a calculation of a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing at least two different sensor-based algorithms with each sensor based algorithm being based on a respective set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity; said algorithms producing respective outputs for said quantity; said processor executing a data fusion algorithm based on said algorithm outputs.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
117 words
Liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to said parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, a calculation of a quantity of the liquid in the container; said processor determining said quantity by executing at least two different sensor-based algorithms with each sensor based algorithm being based on a respective set of relationships between said measured parameters and said quantity; said algorithms producing respective outputs for said quantity; said processor executing a data fusion algorithm based on said algorithm outputs.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 42 wherein said sensor based algorithms are selected from the following group: a Kalman filter type algorithm, a neural net and an algebraic algorithm.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
48 words
Fluid gauging apparatus consisting of at least one ultrasonic fluid level sensor, at least one pressure based fluid level sensor, at least one temperature sensor and at least one acceleration sensor, and a processor that computes mass of liquid in the container based on outputs from said sensors.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
48 words
Fluid gauging apparatus consisting of at least one ultrasonic fluid level sensor, at least one pressure based fluid level sensor, at least one temperature sensor and at least one acceleration sensor, and a processor that computes mass of liquid in the container based on outputs from said sensors.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said processor executes a fusion algorithm to optimize computation of said mass of the liquid in the container.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said processor computes a height parameter of the liquid surface and density of the liquid based on measured velocity of sound in the liquid and measured differential pressure of the liquid in the container.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said processor computes a volume of the liquid in the container based on said height parameter, and computes mass of the liquid in the container based on said volume and said density.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said processor executes a height to volume algorithm based on said computed height parameter.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 48 wherein said height to volume algorithm comprises a neural net.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said sensors are non-intrusive.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said processor determines a respective uncertainty value for each computed mass value.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 51 wherein said processor executes a sensor fusion algorithm that produces an uncertainty value and an estimate of said mass.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said processor executes a data fusion algorithm that fuses a plurality of mass estimates, each said estimate having an associated uncertainty value.
Claim 61
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for determining quantity of a liquid in a container, comprising the steps of: a) deriving data sets that relate liquid surface plane height, container attitude, and volume at different values thereof from a computer model of the container; b) using said data sets to train a neural net; and c) using the neural net to determine liquid quantity based on sensor signals that produce outputs used to derive height and attitude values for the liquid surface and the container respectively.
Claim 62
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for determining quantity of a liquid in a container, comprising the steps of: a) deriving data sets that relate liquid surface plane height, container attitude, and volume at different values thereof from a computer model of the container; b) using said data sets to train a neural net; and c) using the neural net to determine liquid quantity based on sensor signals that produce outputs used to derive height and attitude values for the liquid surface and the container respectively.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 54 comprising the step of executing a genetic algorithm to determine positions of the sensors in the container, and deriving said data sets based on said sensor positions.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
85 words
A liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to the parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, an estimate of a quantity of the liquid in the container by executing a neural network algorithm that is trained by data sets derived from a computer model of said system.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
85 words
A liquid gauging system for liquid in a container, comprising: a plurality of sensors; each of said sensors measuring a respective parameter of the liquid in the container and producing a sensor output related to the parameter measured thereby; and a processor that receives said sensor outputs and determines, based on said sensor outputs, an estimate of a quantity of the liquid in the container by executing a neural network algorithm that is trained by data sets derived from a computer model of said system.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
22 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises a statistically based system model including noises and inaccuracies.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
22 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 57 wherein the neural network algorithm is trained to solve the computer model of the system.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
18 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises sensor measurement noises and inaccuracies.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
15 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises system uncertainties.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
17 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises variations of liquid parameters.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
28 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 61 wherein the variations of liquid parameters are selected from the group consisting of density, velocity of sound, dielectric constant and temperature.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
18 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises manufacture inaccuracies of system components.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
17 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 63 wherein the manufacture inaccuracies include manufacture's tolerances of the container.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
20 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model includes statistical properties of sensor and system characteristics.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
26 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises a computer simulation of system operation over a predetermined range of operating conditions.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
23 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 66 wherein the operating conditions are selected from the group consisting of acceleration, attitude, temperature, and pressure.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
19 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the system computer model comprises a computer model of the container.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
20 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 68 wherein the container model includes a model of sensor placement in the container.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
26 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 68 wherein the container model includes container properties selected from the group consisting of container type, shape, and manufacture's tolerances.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
21 words
The liquid gauging system of claim 56 wherein the container comprises an aircraft fuel tank and the liquid comprises aircraft fuel.
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