Patents by Inventor Jens Merle

Jens Merle 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: 11946789
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for a radar-based fill level measurement according to the pulse transit time method. Also disclosed a fill level measuring device for carrying out said method. On the basis of an evaluation signal, the relation between the clock rate and the sampling rate, and a predefined target relation, an evaluation curve is generated. The fill level is thereby determined on the basis of said evaluation curve. The evaluation curve is generated by means of temporal expansion or compression of the evaluation signal, wherein the compression or the expansion is carried out as a function of a ratio between the measured relation and the target relation. Any deviation of the sampling rate from the setpoint value of the sampling rate, for example due to faulty control, is compensated. Thus, the potentially attainable accuracy of the fill level measurement is increased due to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG
    Inventors: Ghislain Daufeld, Stefan Gorenflo, Alexey Malinovskiy, Jens Merle, Markus Vogel
  • Publication number: 20220034701
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for a radar-based fill level measurement according to the pulse transit time method. Also disclosed a fill level measuring device for carrying out said method. On the basis of an evaluation signal, the relation between the clock rate and the sampling rate, and a predefined target relation, an evaluation curve is generated. The fill level is thereby determined on the basis of said evaluation curve. The evaluation curve is generated by means of temporal expansion or compression of the evaluation signal, wherein the compression or the expansion is carried out as a function of a ratio between the measured relation and the target relation. Any deviation of the sampling rate from the setpoint value of the sampling rate, for example due to faulty control, is compensated. Thus, the potentially attainable accuracy of the fill level measurement is increased due to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Ghislain Daufeld, Stefan Gorenflo, Alexey Malinovskiy, Jens Merle, Markus Vogel
  • Publication number: 20220034700
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting an event-based state, such as foam formation or a working stirring mechanism in a container during a radar-based measurement of a fill level of a filler located in a container. The method includes: generating an analysis curve and detecting a specified characteristic value of the analysis curve within at least one specified sub-region of the measurement region. The characteristic value can be the amplitude of a local maximum or the area under the analysis curve for example. A change or a dispersion of the characteristic value is ascertained over proceeding measurement cycles. The fill level measuring device detects the event-based state if the change or the dispersion exceeds a corresponding threshold. Thus, the occurrence of different events in the container can be imparted to a system controller automatically and without additional measurement instruments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Jens Merle, Alexey Malinovskiy, Stefan Gorenflo, Markus Vogel
  • Patent number: 11022480
    Abstract: A method for checking the functional ability of an FMCW-based fill-level measuring device, which serves for measuring the fill level of a fill substance located in a container, as well as to a fill-level measuring device suitable for performing this method. For checking the functional ability, a microwave signal is produced, whose frequency change differs from the frequency change of the measurement signal used during regular measurement operation. By comparing the frequency of the difference signal resulting from the microwave signal with a predetermined reference frequency, it is ascertained, whether the fill-level measuring device is functionally able. Thus, the fill-level measuring device detects, independently, whether it is functionally able, or whether an error is present, caused principally by device-internal disturbance signals. This offers, especially, a clear advantage as regards meeting safety standards for the field device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Ghislain Daufeld, Jens Merle, Markus Vogel, Alexey Malinovskiy, Stefan Gorenflo
  • Patent number: 10753783
    Abstract: A method for determining an inner diameter of a sounding tube, which, for measuring the fill level of a fill substance located in a process space of a container, extends in the process space, or is placed alongside the container and connected with the process space. The method can be implemented in the case of a fill-level measuring device working according to the FMCW-principle. Besides the intermediate frequency of the difference signal, also its phase shift is ascertained, wherein the exact tube inner diameter can be determined based on the phase shift. An advantage of the method is that the fill-level measuring device with the help of the then exactly known tube diameter can be recalibrated and accordingly the fill level determined more exactly. The exact tube inner diameter does not have to have been previously known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO. KG
    Inventors: Alexey Malinovskiy, Stefan Gorenflo, Jens Merle, Markus Vogel
  • Publication number: 20180164145
    Abstract: A method for checking the functional ability of an FMCW-based fill-level measuring device, which serves for measuring the fill level of a fill substance located in a container, as well as to a fill-level measuring device suitable for performing this method. For checking the functional ability, a microwave signal is produced, whose frequency change differs from the frequency change of the measurement signal used during regular measurement operation. By comparing the frequency of the difference signal resulting from the microwave signal with a predetermined reference frequency, it is ascertained, whether the fill-level measuring device is functionally able. Thus, the fill-level measuring device detects, independently, whether it is functionally able, or whether an error is present, caused principally by device-internal disturbance signals. This offers, especially, a clear advantage as regards meeting safety standards for the field device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Ghislain Daufeld, Jens Merle, Markus Vogel, Alexey Malinovskiy, Stefan Gorenflo
  • Publication number: 20170276536
    Abstract: A method for determining an inner diameter of a sounding tube, which, for measuring the fill level of a fill substance located in a process space of a container, extends in the process space, or is placed alongside the container and connected with the process space. The method can be implemented in the case of a fill-level measuring device working according to the FMCW-principle. Besides the intermediate frequency of the difference signal, also its phase shift is ascertained, wherein the exact tube inner diameter can be determined based on the phase shift. An advantage of the method is that the fill-level measuring device with the help of the then exactly known tube diameter can be recalibrated and accordingly the fill level determined more exactly. The exact tube inner diameter does not have to have been previously known.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Alexey Malinovskiy, Stefan Gorenflo, Jens Merle, Markus Vogel