Method and apparatus for detecting and aligning a signal
AssigneeDieterich Technology Holding Corp.
InventorAlvin E. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of detecting and aligning a signal in an ultrasonic flow meter (18) generates an oscillator signal (50) and a transmit sequence (54) on a first predetermined trigger point (55) of the oscillator signal (50). The transmit sequence (54) is used to drive a transmit transducer (14, 16) to form a transmit waveform (60). The transmit waveform (60) is received by a receive transducer (14, 16) to form a received waveform. The received waveform is processed to form a received sequence (62). The received sequence (62) is then processed to sense an anomaly (80).
Claims19
A method of detecting and aligning a signal in an ultrasonic flow meter, comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating an oscillator signal;
- (b) generating a transmit sequence on a first predetermined trigger point of the oscillator signal;
- (c) driving a transmit transducer with the transmit sequence to form a transmit waveform;
- (d) receiving the transmit waveform at a receive transducer to form a received waveform;
- (e) processing the received waveform to form a received sequence;
- and
- (f) detecting the received sequence by sensing an anomaly.
An apparatus for detecting and aligning a signal in an ultrasonic flow meter, comprising:
- a transmitter receiving an oscillator signal, the transmitter generating a transmit sequence and a comparison sequence;
- a transmit transducer receiving the transmit sequence and transmitting a transmit waveform through a fluid in a conduit;
- a receive transducer receiving the transmit waveform and transmitting a received waveform;
- a receiver electronics processing the received waveform to form a received sequence;
- and
- a detection and comparison electronics detecting an anomaly in the received sequence.
A method of detecting and aligning a signal in an ultrasonic flow meter, comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating a transmit signal having a transmit anomaly;
- (b) transmitting the transmit signal through a fluid;
- (c) receiving the transmit signal to form a received signal;
- (d) detecting a received anomaly in the received signal;
- and
- (e) determining a time delay between the transmit anomaly and the received anomaly;
- (f) adjusting an oscillator signal, used to initiate the transmit sequence, so that the time delay is an integer multiple of a period of the oscillator signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.