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:
Feb. 03, 1987
Filed:
Dec. 05, 1984
Glen E Miller, Redondo, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
A device for determining the position of the boundary between first and second substances having different refractive indices that may be used to determine the level or volume of liquid in a container. The apparatus comprises a plurality of optical sensors (21-26), a pulse source (30) for generating an optical source pulse, an interface (40) responsive to the source pulse for producing an optical response pulse, and a receiver (60) for measuring the duration of the response pulse. The sensors are positioned along a line that intersects the boundary (16) between the first (18) and second (12) substances over a range of boundary positions. Each sensor is adapted to vary one of its optical properties depending upon whether it is in the first or second substance. The interface produces the response pulse such that the response pulse has a time duration proportional to the number of sensors that are in the first substance. The length of the response pulse therefore determines the number of sensors in the first substance and the position of the boundary.