Patents by Inventor Christer Frovik

Christer Frovik has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11920970
    Abstract: A method of determining a filling level of a product in a tank having a tank wall, the method comprising: generating and transmitting an electromagnetic first transmit signal; propagating the first transmit signal through a tank atmosphere towards a corner reflector formed by the surface of the product and the tank wall where the surface of the product meets the tank wall, the corner reflector being at a known horizontal distance from the radar level gauge system; receiving an electromagnetic first reflection signal resulting from reflection of the first transmit signal at the corner reflector; determining a measure indicative of a propagation direction of the first reflection signal; and determining the filling level based on the measure indicative of the propagation direction of the first reflection signal and the known horizontal distance between the radar level gauge system and the corner reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT TANK RADAR AB
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Olov Edvardsson
  • Publication number: 20230314202
    Abstract: A method of determining a filling level of a product in a tank having a tank wall, the method comprising: generating and transmitting an electromagnetic first transmit signal; propagating the first transmit signal through a tank atmosphere towards a corner reflector formed by the surface of the product and the tank wall where the surface of the product meets the tank wall, the corner reflector being at a known horizontal distance from the radar level gauge system; receiving an electromagnetic first reflection signal resulting from reflection of the first transmit signal at the corner reflector; determining a measure indicative of a propagation direction of the first reflection signal; and determining the filling level based on the measure indicative of the propagation direction of the first reflection signal and the known horizontal distance between the radar level gauge system and the corner reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Olov Edvardsson
  • Patent number: 11698283
    Abstract: A method carried out using a radar level gauge system, the tank having a tank roof supporting the radar level gauge system, a tank wall, and a tank atmosphere in a space defined by a surface of a product in the tank, the tank roof, and the tank wall, wherein the method comprises generating and transmitting an electromagnetic first transmit signal; propagating the first transmit signal through the tank atmosphere towards a corner reflector formed by the surface of the product and the tank wall where the surface of the product meets the tank wall, the corner reflector being at a known horizontal distance from the radar level gauge system; receiving an electromagnetic first reflection signal resulting from reflection of the first transmit signal at the corner reflector; and performing a filling level determination and/or a verification operation for the radar level gauge system based on a timing relation between the first transmit signal and the first reflection signal, and the known horizontal distance between
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT TANK RADAR AB
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Olov Edvardsson
  • Publication number: 20210080310
    Abstract: A method of determining a status of a floating roof of a storage tank using a radar level gauge system arranged above the floating roof, the radar level gauge system being controllable to selectively evaluate reflected energy traveling towards the radar level gauge system in each propagation direction of a plurality of different propagation directions, the method comprising the steps of: radiating, by the radar level gauge system, an electromagnetic transmit signal towards the floating roof; receiving, by the radar level gauge system, an electromagnetic reflection signal resulting from reflection of the transmit signal at the floating roof; selectively evaluating, by the radar level gauge system based on the reflection signal, reflected energy traveling from the floating roof towards the radar level gauge system in each propagation direction of the plurality of different propagation directions; and determining the status of the floating roof based on the selective evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Urban Blomberg
  • Publication number: 20200386602
    Abstract: A method carried out using a radar level gauge system, the tank having a tank roof supporting the radar level gauge system, a tank wall, and a tank atmosphere in a space defined by a surface of a product in the tank, the tank roof, and the tank wall, wherein the method comprises generating and transmitting an electromagnetic first transmit signal; propagating the first transmit signal through the tank atmosphere towards a corner reflector formed by the surface of the product and the tank wall where the surface of the product meets the tank wall, the corner reflector being at a known horizontal distance from the radar level gauge system; receiving an electromagnetic first reflection signal resulting from reflection of the first transmit signal at the corner reflector; and performing a filling level determination and/or a verification operation for the radar level gauge system based on a timing relation between the first transmit signal and the first reflection signal, and the known horizontal distance between
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Olov Edvardsson
  • Patent number: 10816384
    Abstract: A method of determining at least a first interface level of a first interface in a tank containing a stratified substance composition, comprising the steps of generating and transmitting an electromagnetic transmit signal; guiding the transmit signal at least partly through the stratified substance composition; returning an electromagnetic reflection signal resulting from reflection of the transmit signal; receiving, the reflection signal; determining, based on the reflection signal and a timing relation between the reflection signal and the transmit signal, an echo signal exhibiting an echo signal strength as a function of a propagation parameter indicative of position along the probe; and determining, the first interface level based on a first propagation parameter value indicative of a first threshold position for which the echo signal has reached a predetermined first threshold signal strength, and a first offset indicative of a first offset distance from the first threshold position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT TANK RADAR AB
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Anders Friedmann
  • Publication number: 20190128727
    Abstract: A method of determining at least a first interface level of a first interface in a tank containing a stratified substance composition, comprising the steps of generating and transmitting an electromagnetic transmit signal; guiding the transmit signal at least partly through the stratified substance composition; returning an electromagnetic reflection signal resulting from reflection of the transmit signal; receiving, the reflection signal; determining, based on the reflection signal and a timing relation between the reflection signal and the transmit signal, an echo signal exhibiting an echo signal strength as a function of a propagation parameter indicative of position along the probe; and determining, the first interface level based on a first propagation parameter value indicative of a first threshold position for which the echo signal has reached a predetermined first threshold signal strength, and a first offset indicative of a first offset distance from the first threshold position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Christer Frövik, Anders Friedmann
  • Patent number: 9612147
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar level gauge system comprising a first receiver branch for converting a reflection signal to a first digital measurement signal, and a second receiver branch configured to convert the reflection signal to a second digital measurement signal. The first receiver branch modulates an amplitude of the first measurement signal according to a first gain function, and the second receiver branch modulates an amplitude of the second measurement signal according to a second gain function different from the first gain function. The radar level gauge system further comprises processing circuitry configured to determine the filling level based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar AB
    Inventor: Christer Frovik
  • Publication number: 20150226594
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar level gauge system comprising a first receiver branch for converting a reflection signal to a first digital measurement signal, and a second receiver branch configured to convert the reflection signal to a second digital measurement signal. The first receiver branch modulates an amplitude of the first measurement signal according to a first gain function, and the second receiver branch modulates an amplitude of the second measurement signal according to a second gain function different from the first gain function. The radar level gauge system further comprises processing circuitry configured to determine the filling level based on the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: Rosemount Tank Radar AB
    Inventor: Christer Frovik
  • Publication number: 20080060431
    Abstract: A method for determining at least one process variable of a product contained in a tank, comprising acquiring a set of distance pairs, each pair including a first distance measure of the distance to a surface of the product and a second distance measure of the distance to a fixed location in the tank beneath the product surface, each distance pair being acquired by emitting microwaves into the tank, and allowing them to propagate towards the product, receiving reflected waves from the tank, including an echo from the product surface and an echo from the fixed location, and determining said first and second distance measure based on the emitted and received microwaves. The distance pairs are used to calculate at least one of the actual distance to the fixed location and a delay factor of the product, based on a relationship between the distance to the product surface, the actual distance to the fixed location, the distance measure of the distance to the fixed location, and the delay factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventor: Christer Frovik