Multi-bounce acoustic signal material detection

A system for multi-bounce acoustic signal material detection, the system comprising:

• a container containing a quantity of material within an interior space thereof, wherein the quantity of material has at least two segmented layers;
• first and second acoustic sensors positioned on a sidewall of the container, wherein the first acoustic sensor is positioned at a different height along the sidewall than the second acoustic sensor, wherein an acoustic signal is transmitted into the sidewall of the container from the first acoustic sensor, wherein the acoustic signal reflects between an interior surface of the sidewall and an exterior surface of the sidewall until it is received at the second acoustic sensor;
• and
• at least one computing device in communication with the first and second acoustic sensors, wherein a border between the at least two segmented layers of the quantity of material is detectable based on the acoustic signal, wherein the border between the at least two segmented layers of the quantity of material is detectable based on a counted number of reflections of the acoustic signal between the interior surface of the sidewall and an exterior surface of the sidewall above and below the border between the at least two segmented layers of the quantity of material;
• wherein at least one of the first and second acoustic sensors determines a thickness of the sidewall of the container.

A method for multi-bounce acoustic signal material detection, the method comprising:

• providing a container containing a quantity of material within an interior space thereof, wherein the quantity of material has at least two segmented layers;
• positioning first and second acoustic sensors on a sidewall of the container, wherein the first acoustic sensor is positioned at a different height along the sidewall than the second acoustic sensor;
• transmitting an acoustic signal into the sidewall of the container from the first acoustic sensor, whereby the acoustic signal reflects between an interior surface of the sidewall and an exterior surface of the sidewall;
• receiving the acoustic signal reflected through the sidewall at the second acoustic sensor;
• and
• determining a border between the at least two segmented layers of the quantity of material based on a counted number of reflections of the acoustic signal between the interior surface of the sidewall and an exterior surface of the sidewall above and below an impedance barrier formed at the border between the at least two segmented layers of the quantity of material.