Method and device for tracking content of a movable fluid tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874469-B2
Application number	US-201013509144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2010
Priority date	Nov 10, 2009
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a device including: at least one fluid-using apparatus; at least one movable tank capable of and intended for providing at least the fluid and connected, via pipes, to the fluid using apparatus, the movable tank containing, at the outset, a given initial amount of the gas; and a means for assessing amounts of the fluid that are used by the fluid using apparatus from the movable tank, the assessment means being rigidly connected to the fluid-using apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
at least one fluid-using apparatus;
at least one movable tank, which is capable of and intended for supplying
a means for evaluating amounts of said fluid that are used by said fluid-using apparatus and being delivered from said movable tank, said evaluation means being integrally connected to said fluid-using apparatus;
a transmitter, which is integrally connected to said fluid-using apparatus and which is capable of and intended for sending, by radio waves, said amounts evaluated by said evaluation means;
a receiver, which is integrally connected to said movable tank and which is capable of and intended for receiving said amounts sent by said transmitter, and
a readable memory, which stores an initial fluid amount and which is integrally connected to said movable tank and is capable of and intended for deducting, from said given initial amount, said amounts received by said radio receiver so as to obtain a residual amount of said fluid contained in said movable tank, said radio receiver and said memory being located in a radio label integrally connected to said movable tank, and
at least one display for showing said residual amount read in said memory, said display being integrally connected to said movable tank, said radio label and said display being powered by electromagnetic coupling.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said radio label and said display are powered by electromagnetic coupling.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
said memory is capable of and intended for storing at least one information item concerning said fluid;
said receiver integrally connected to said movable tank is also a transceiver capable of and intended for transmitting, by radio waves, information contained in said memory; and
said transmitter integrally connected to said fluid-using apparatus is also a transceiver capable of and intended for receiving, by radio waves, said information transmitted by said receiver.

4. A method for tracking the content of a movable tank, employing at least one apparatus that uses a fluid contained in said movable tank, said movable tank containing a given initial amount of said fluid, and said method comprising the following steps:
a) recording said given initial amount of said fluid in a memory integrally connected to said movable tank;
b) establishing at least one connection between said movable tank and said fluid-using apparatus;
c) evaluating amounts of said fluid that are used by said fluid-using apparatus and come from said movable tank solely on the basis of measurements carried out on said fluid-using apparatus or said connection;
d) transmitting said amounts by radio waves to a receiver integrally connected to said movable tank, and, in said memory, said amounts are deducted from said initial amount so as to obtain a residual amount of said fluid contained in said movable tank said residual amount being recorded in said memory;
e) said residual amount is displayed by means of a display integrally connected to said movable tank; said receiver and said memory being situated in a radio label; and said radio label and said display being powered by electromagnetic coupling.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
said radio label and said display are powered by induction.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
a1) recording at least one information item concerning said fluid in said memory integrally connected to said movable tank;
d1) transmitting said nature of said fluid by radio waves to a receiver integrally connected to said fluid-using apparatus; and
d2) transmitting said given initial amount of said fluid by radio waves to said receiver integrally connected to said fluid-using apparatus.

Assignees

• Bacot Patrick
• Durtschi Franck-Stephane
• Vigor Xavier
• L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude

Inventors

• Bacot Patrick
• Durtschi Franck-Stephane
• Vigor Xavier

Classifications

• G01F15/06 Primary

  Indicating or recording devices · CPC title

• G01F15/061

  for remote indication · CPC title

• G01F9/008

  where the other variable is the flight or running time · CPC title

• G01F22/00

  Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• Y02E60/321

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic