Method and system for encoding fluid level

A system for providing a signal corresponding to a fluid level of a vessel comprising:

• a disk, operative to rotate in response to a change in the fluid level, comprising a plurality of tracks patterned with reflective and absorptive marks;
• a source emitting light onto one of the tracks;
• and
• a detector, adjacent the source, receiving light emanating from the reflective marks of the one of the tracks and responding to the received light by issuing an output that has a relationship with the signal and an operability to provide a measurement of the fluid level;
• and
• a second and a third detector, each receiving light from the one of the tracks, operative to provide a measurement of the change in the fluid level.

A system for providing an indication of a fluid level comprising:

• a surface comprising a patterned region proximate to a first sensor and a uniform region proximate to a second sensor;
• a linkage operative to provide relative motion between the surface and the first sensor in response to a change in the fluid level;
• and
• a circuit operative to:
• receive a first signal from the first sensor according to the patterned region and a second signal from the second sensor according to the uniform region;
• and
• generate the indication of the fluid level in response to comparing the first signal to the second signal.

A fluid level transmitter comprising:

• an optical encoder, comprising a sensor circuit, that provides a digital output according to a position of a disk;
• a drive unit, operative to rotate the disk in response to fluid level change, whereby rotation of the disk results in an alteration of the digital output;
• a communications interface, operative to transmit a fluid level measurement that is based on the digital output;
• and
• a user interface, comprising an optical source that outputs visible light in a pattern corresponding to the digital output.

A method for determining a fluid level comprising the steps of:

• translating linear motion associated with a change in the fluid level into rotation of an object;
• emitting light toward the object;
• receiving the emitted light emanating from the object;
• determining whether the object has a speed of rotation that is less than a threshold;
• if the speed of rotation is less than the threshold, analyzing the received light to determine the fluid level based on a rotational position of the object;
• and
• if the speed of rotation is greater than the threshold, analyzing the received light to determine the fluid level based on a change in the rotational position of the object.

A computer-based method for determining a fluid level comprising the steps of:

• rotating a disk according to the fluid level;
• encoding the disk rotation using a first encoding mode;
• determining if the first encoding mode provides acceptable encoding performance;
• if the first encoding mode does not provide acceptable encoding performance, encoding the disk rotation using a second encoding mode;
• and
• computing a measurement of the fluid level based on the encoded disk rotation.