# US 10,309,821 B2 · Sensor for inventory management applications with remote mounting and asymmetric reflection modeling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,821 B2 - Document ID: US10309821B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/452,508 - Filed: 2017-03-07 - Published: 2018-06-07 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-07 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Michael Williams; Michael Conroy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309821B2 ## CPC - G01F 23/284: Electromagnetic waves - G01S 7/038: {Feedthrough nulling circuits} - G01S 7/2921: {based on data belonging to one radar period} - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract An apparatus includes a transmitter configured to transmit a signal having an electromagnetic pulse towards material in a tank. The apparatus also includes a receiver configured to receive a signal having multiple reflections of the pulse, including a process connector reflection. The apparatus further includes at least one processing device configured to determine a measurement associated with the material in the tank based on the received signal. To determine the measurement, the at least one processing device is configured to identify the process connector reflection in the received signal using an asymmetrical model. The transmitter, the receiver, and the at least one processing device could form at least part of an electronics assembly, and a connecting cable could couple the electronics assembly and a process connector. The asymmetrical model could have different lobes of different shapes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a signal comprising an electromagnetic pulse towards material in a tank; a receiver configured to receive a signal comprising multiple reflections of the pulse including a process connector reflection; and at least one processing device configured to determine a measurement associated with the material in the tank based on the received signal; wherein, to determine the measurement, the at least one processing device is configured to identify the process connector reflection in the received signal using an asymmetrical model that assists in accurately identifying a portion of the process connector reflection that is unmarred by a nearby large reflection, and wherein the measurement comprises at least one of: a location or a height of an interface between different layers of material in the tank, and at least one thickness of at least one of the different layers of material in the tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the transmitter, the receiver, the at least one processing device, and a pulse generator for generating the electromagnetic pulse form at least a part of an electronics assembly; and a connecting cable couples the electronics assembly and a process connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a waveguide coupled to the connecting cable through the process connector, the waveguide configured to transport the signal comprising the electromagnetic pulse toward the material in the tank and to transport the signal comprising the multiple reflections toward the receiver. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to use an estimated length of the connecting cable to identify a window in the received signal where the process connector reflection is located. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to identify a first peak following a reference peak in the received signal and to use the first peak to identify the process connector reflection. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to use the asymmetrical model to identify a portion of the process connector reflection unmarred by at least one other reflection that interferes with the process connector reflection in the received signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asymmetrical model has different lobes of different shapes. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: transmitting a signal comprising an electromagnetic pulse towards material in a tank; receiving a signal comprising multiple reflections of the electromagnetic pulse including a process connector reflection; and determining a measurement associated with the material in the tank using the received signal, wherein determining the measurement comprises identifying the process connector reflection in the received signal using an asymmetrical model that assists in accurately identifying a portion of the process connector reflection that is unmarred by a nearby large reflection, and wherein the measurement comprises at least one of: a location or a height of an interface between different layers of material in the tank, and at least one thickness of at least one of the different layers of material in the tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein: a transmitter that transmits the signal comprising the electromagnetic pulse, a receiver that receives the signal comprising the multiple reflections, a pulse generator that generates the electromagnetic pulse, and at least one processing device that determines the measurement form at least a part of an electronics assembly; and a connecting cable couples the electronics assembly and a process connector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: transporting the signal comprising the electromagnetic pulse toward the material in the tank and transporting the signal comprising the multiple reflections toward the receiver using a waveguide coupled to the connecting cable through the process connector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: using an estimated length of the connecting cable to identify a window in the received signal where the process connector reflection is located. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: identifying a first peak following a reference peak in the received signal; and using the first peak to identify the process connector reflection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein: at least one other reflection in the received signal interferes with the process connector reflection; and the asymmetrical model is used to identify a portion of the process connector reflection unmarred by the at least one other reflection in the received signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising generating, receiving and processing the electromagnetic pulse utilizing an electronics assembly of a sensor, the electronics assembly including a pulse generator and at least one transmitter. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: obtain information associated with a received signal comprising multiple reflections of an electromagnetic pulse that is transmitted towards material in a tank, the multiple reflections including a process connector reflection; and determine a measurement associated with the material in the tank using the information associated with the received signal; wherein the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processing device to determine the measurement comprise: instructions that when executed cause the at least one processing device to identify the process connector reflection in the received signal using an asymmetrical model that assists in accurately identifying a portion of the process connector reflection that is unmarred by a nearby large reflection, and wherein the measurement comprises at least one of: a location or a height of an interface between different layers of material in the tank, and at least one thickness of at least one of the different layers of material in the tank. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: use an estimated length of a connecting cable, which couples an electronics assembly and a process connector, to identify a window in the received signal where the process connector reflection is located, the electronics assembly further comprising a pulse generator that generates the electromagnetic pulse. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: identify a first peak following a reference peak in the received signal; and use the first peak to identify the process connector reflection. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: use the asymmetrical model to identify a portion of the process connector reflection unmarred by at least one other reflection that interferes with the process connector reflection in the received signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: locate the process connector reflection without using a known or estimated length of a connecting cable that couples an electronics assembly and a process connector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processing device to determine the measurement comprise: instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: use time-of-flight calculations based on a location of the process connector reflection in the received signal to determine the measurement.