The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 08, 2020
Filed:
Oct. 10, 2017
Endress+hauser Se+co. KG, Maulburg, DE;
Hartmut Damm, Teningen, DE;
Mingzheng Jiang, Steinen, DE;
Narcisse Michel Nzitchieu Gadeu, Maulburg, DE;
Simon Weidenbruch, Lörrach, DE;
Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG, Maulburg, DE;
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a remaining operating period of a detector unit for a radiometric, density- or fill-level measuring device. The detector unit includes a photomultiplier. In such method, the control voltage of the photomultiplier is registered over at least one predetermined time period, a time rate of change function is ascertained based on control voltage registered during the predetermined time period, and the remaining operating period until reaching a maximum control voltage is calculated by means of the time rate of change function and a current control voltage, which is present at the current operating time. The method of the present disclosure permits approximation of the remaining operating period of the detector unit and, thus, timely learning of when required maintenance measures, especially aging related replacement of the photomultiplier, must be performed.