Method and system for monitoring a state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684158-B2
Application number	US-201715498876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A system for monitoring a state, for example a filling state of a container, with a first sensor which in operation produces a measured value, and a second sensor which in operation produces a second, discrete measured value. The first measured value and the second measured value are forwarded to an evaluation unit via a common line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring a state, including:
a first sensor which in operation produces a first measured value, wherein the first measured value comprises a range of measured values;
a second sensor which in operation produces a second measured value, wherein the second measured value comprises a limited number of discrete measured values and wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are electrically connected in parallel and have a common two-wire line;
an evaluation unit, wherein the common two-wire line is adapted to transmit the first measured value and the second measured value to the evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit includes:
a computing unit with a first input and a second input for comparing the signals at the first input and the second input; and
a first resistor and a second resistor, wherein the first input is connected to the common two-wire line and the second input is connected across the first resistor to the common two-wire line, wherein the common two-wire line is connected to the second input via the first resistor, and wherein the second resistor at a first connector is connected to the second input and to the first resistor, and is connected to a ground line at its other connector.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a magnetic field sensor.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor has a first output for transmitting the first measured values to the evaluation unit with a pulse-width modulation protocol.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is threshold-value sensor.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is a Hall switch for detecting the overshooting of a threshold value of a magnetic field.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the state is the filling level of a container.

Assignees

• Tdk Micronas Gmbh

Inventors

• Herbst Philip
• Fink Hans-Joerg

Classifications

• G01F23/74 Primary

  for sensing changes in level only at discrete points · CPC title

• G08C15/04

  the signals being modulated on carrier frequencies · CPC title

• G01F23/80

  Arrangements for signal processing · CPC title

• G01F23/0007

  for discrete indicating and measuring (G01F23/02 - G01F23/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01F23/62 Primary

  using magnetically actuated indicating means · CPC title