Methods and systems for non-invasively determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for non-invasively determining a property of a container, such as a degree of contamination and / or a fill level of the compound in a container, and / or a property of a compound being present within a container, such as the viscosity and / or the density of the compound. The method may use sound pressure level analysis to determine characteristic key figures of an acoustic behaviour being indicative of the property of the container and / or the compound. Said key figures may be compared to key figures contained in reference measurement data to determine the property of the container and / or the compound.

Description

[0001] METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR NON-INVASIVELY DETERMINING A PROPERTY OF A CONTAINER

[0002] AND / OR A COMPOUND BEING PRESENT WITHIN THE CONTAINER

[0003] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention relates to a method and a system for non-invasively determining a property of a container, such as a degree of contamination and / or a fill level of the compound in a container, and / or a property of a compound being present within a container, such as the viscosity and / or the density of the compound.

[0005] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Liquid and solid compounds, such as food, ingredients, beverages, chemistry, pharmacy, cosmetics, etc. are commonly stored and transported using industrial-grade reusable intermediate bulk containers (called IBCs hereinafter). Depending on the design and construction, the IBCs have a volume of 500 up to 3000 liters. IBCs can be moved with forklifts or pallet trucks and are stackable due to their design, thus rendering them especially suitable for storing liquid and solid compounds intended to be transported for further use. Most IBCs have the advantage that they can be cleaned after use and thus reused several times.

[0007] Hence, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved method of determining the fill level of a compound being present within the container.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to an aspect, a method for determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container is provided. At least one acoustical impulse is generated at an outside of a wall of the container by means of a device attached at the outside wall of the container. An acoustical behavior generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse is measured. The acoustical response is indicative of the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container. The measured acoustical behavior is optionally processed. Acoustical behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour is generated by determining at least one root mean square (RMS) value for at least one time interval and the generated acoustical behaviour data is compared to reference measurement data. The reference measurement data contains reference acoustical behaviour data associated with the container containing one or more defined amounts of a defined compound. The property of the container, such as data on the degree of contamination of the inside of the container with one or more compound(s) and / or fill level data, and / or the property of the compound being present within the container, such as the physical property data, for example viscosity data and density data, are determined based on the comparison. According to a further aspect, a system for determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container is disclosed. The system comprises a device attached to an outside wall of the container, wherein the device is configured to generate at least one acoustical impulse at an outside wall of the container, to measure an acoustical behaviour generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse, wherein the acoustical response is indicative of the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container, and to optionally process the measured acoustical behaviour, a computer processor configured to generate acoustical behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour by determining at least one root mean square (RMS) value for at least one time interval, to compare the generated acoustical behaviour data to reference measurement data containing reference acoustical behaviour data associated with the container containing one or more defined amounts of a defined compound, and to determine the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container based on the comparison.

[0010] According to yet a further aspect, a computer program for determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container is disclosed, the program comprising code means for causing the system as disclosed herein to execute a method as disclosed herein, when the program is run on a computer controlling the system as disclosed herein.

[0011] According to yet a further aspect, a use of the method disclosed herein to manage reusable containers is disclosed.

[0012] Embodiments:

[0013] The methods, systems, computer programs and uses disclosed herein provide non-intrusive means for determining the degree of pollution of the inside of a container and / or fill level data and / or for determining the compound type and / or physical properties of the compound. The property of the container and / or the compound can be accurately and quickly determined without the use of large amounts of reference measurement data. Hence the lifecycle of reusable containers may be remotely managed, transports of empty containers may be consolidated and cleaning procedures for polluted containers may be determined. Moreover, this allows to use the method with existing IBCs, without having to recertify the IBCs due to the use of intrusive measurement methods and devices. This results in a decrease of the total number of IBCs necessary to transport the goods to the customers as well as faster product cycles and therefore ultimately in reduced costs This method may be performed quickly, reliable and does not require excessive computational power. Moreover, the method can be performed without the use of extensive reference measurement data, such as is required when using data-driven models to determine the fill level of a compound being present with a container. Instead, the calculation of root mean square (RMS) values for one or more time intervals allows to determine characteristic key figures from the measured acoustical behaviour, hence reducing the complexity of the measured acoustic behaviour. Moreover, the reduced complexity of generated acoustical behaviour data also allows to use a reduced amount of reference measurement data. In addition, the method can not only be used to determine the degree of contamination and fill level data, but also to determine physical property data of the compound within the container. This allows to monitor and track the physical properties of the compound as well as to initiate actions if the physical property data is above predefined threshold value(s).

[0014] It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient method to determine the properties of a container and / or a compound with high accuracy. The method should allow to determine the fill level of compound(s) being present within the container as well as to determine physical properties of a compound being present within the container to allow identification of the compound or further physical properties.

[0015] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be outlined by ways of examples. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to said embodiments and / or examples.

[0016] In an embodiment, the compound is a solid or liquid compound. A liquid compound has a liquid aggregate state under the conditions being present inside the container while a solid compound has a solid aggregate state under the conditions being present inside the container. The inside of the container may be heated or cooled to guarantee a liquid or solid aggregate state of the compound(s) present inside the container. A solid compound can be a granular material, such as a powder, pellets or the like.

[0017] In an embodiment, the compound is a chemical composition. In one example, the chemical composition is a liquid coating composition or a component of a liquid coating composition. In another example, the chemical composition is a solid coating composition or a component of a solid coating composition According to DIN EN 971-1 :1996-09 a coating composition is a liquid, paste or solid product which, when applied to a substrate, produces a coating with protective decorative and / or other specific properties. Coating compositions can be further classified according to different criteria, such as the main binder present in the coating composition (i.e. epoxy coating composition, polyurethane coating composition etc.), the principal solvent present in the coating composition (i.e. solvent-borne coating composition, aqueous coating composition) their type (i.e. powder coating composition, high solid coating composition etc.) the application procedure used to apply the coating compositions (i.e. spray coating composition, dip coating composition etc.) the type of film formation (i.e. 1 K coating composition, 2K coating composition, baking coating composition etc.) the type of effect (i.e. effect coating composition) the function within a multilayer coating (i.e. electrocoating composition, primer coating composition, primer surfacer coating composition, basecoat composition, clearcoat composition) the type of object to be coated (i.e. automotive coating composition etc.). “Components of a coating composition” may refer to materials necessary to obtain the coating composition, for example by mixing the materials. In case of multiple components coating compositions, i.e. coating compositions prepared by mixing at least 2 components, such components may be, for example, the base varnish and the hardener component. Examples of liquid coating compositions and liquid components of coating compositions include liquid electrocoating compositions, liquid primer coating compositions, liquid primer surfacer coating compositions, liquid basecoat compositions, liquid clearcoat compositions, base varnishes, or hardener components. In yet another example, the chemical composition includes a cosmetic composition. In an embodiment, the container is a plastic, glass, or metal container. In one example, the container is an intermediate bulk container (IBC). The term "intermediate bulk container" or "IBC" as used herein, includes IBCs, transport tanks, bulk container, solid material container, EcoBulk® SchCitz brand containers, RecoBulk® SchCitz brand containers, or any suitable variation or combination of the foregoing. In some embodiments, the containers may be internally lined with one or more liners having one or more layers. In such embodiments, the container may be physically coupled to the one or more liners, for example, using ultrasonic welding, and the device may be configured to factor the one or more liners when determining fill levels and other properties of the container. In another example, the container is an oil drum or a plastic or glass container not being an IBC. In yet another example, the container is a fiberglass container. With particular preference, the container is a metal IBC, in particular a single walled stainless-steel or aluminum IBC.

[0018] In embodiment, the property of the container includes data on the degree of contamination of the inside of the container and / or fill level data associated with the fill level of the compound being present inside of the container. For instance, at least one compound or a mixture of compounds may be present within the container and may correspond to the contamination. The amount of said compound / mixture of compounds and hence the fill level of said compound(s) may correspond to the degree of contamination. Said contamination may occur, for example, if emptied containers are used to store waste or if the compound contained within the container cannot be fully removed upon emptying the container. Determining the degree of contamination allows to determine the necessary degree of cleaning prior to refilling the container, hence providing a more efficient manner of managing reusable containers, such as IBC containers. The fill level data of the compound may represent a classifier corresponding to the container being empty or the container not being empty. Use of this classifier allows to trigger collecting of the container for cleaning and refilling. For instance, containers with the classifier “empty” may be collected for cleaning and refilling. Moreover, use of this classifier may result in reduced number of measurements of the acoustical behaviour, thus significantly increasing the lifetime of the batteries of the device attached to the outside of a wall of the container. The fill level data may include a fill level value at least approximately corresponding to the actual fill level of the compound being present inside the container and may be given in % based on the original fill level, such as in liters. Such a fill level may be determined by regression methods known in the state of the art.

[0019] In one embodiment, the property of the compound being present inside the container includes physical property data of the compound. Examples of physical property data include compound type data, compound density data, compound temperature data, data on the sedimentation behaviour and / or compound viscosity data. Hence, the method disclosed herein allows - apart from determining the data on the degree of contamination and / or fill level data - also physical property data of the compound contained in the container. For instance, compound type data, e.g. data associated with the type of coating material such as a material name, may be determined using the method disclosed herein. In another instance, density and / or the viscosity data of the compound contained in the container may be determined using the method disclosed herein. This allows to verify whether the container indeed contains the compound that it should contain or whether another compound was filled into the container. Hence, the compound being present within the container may be verified along with the determination of relevant physical properties. Moreover, the method disclosed herein allows to monitor relevant physical properties, like temperature, hence allowing to monitor and track said property. In addition, alarms or countermeasures may be triggered when a physical property has reached a predefined threshold value to avoid destruction or reduced shelf life of the compound contained in the container.

[0020] The acoustical impulse may be generated by means of a device. This device may be an loT device and may be in communication with a computing system determining the property of the container and / or the compound. In an embodiment, the device is permanently or detachably physically coupled to the outside of the wall of the container, in particular detachably physically coupled to the outside of the wall of the container. Detachable coupling of the device to the outside of the container allows to prevent recertification of the container which would be necessary in case the container is permanently modified, for example by attaching the device or an attachment means for the device permanently to the container. Easy detachment of the device allows to facilitate the cleaning process of empty containers prior to refilling because the device can be removed easily prior to the cleaning process, thus avoiding damage of the device during the cleaning operation.

[0021] The device may comprise an actuator (an impulse generator), at least one sound sensor (microphone), a computer processor to process the detected acoustical behavior resulting in response to the acoustical impulse(s), and a data storage medium. The actuator may be a solenoid or a vibration generator.

[0022] The device may comprise one microphone. The device may comprise at least 2 microphones. Use of at least 2 microphones may reduce the amount of interfering noises detected by the microphones. The at least one microphone may be a capacitive microphone or a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) microphone, in particular a micro electro machinal system (MEMS) microphone. MEMS microphones are comparatively small and need relatively low amounts of energy, thus allowing a compact design the device and increased battery life of the batteries present inside the device. The microphone(s) may be directed and soundproofed in order to reduce unwanted interferences.

[0023] To prevent damage of the device after physical coupling to the container, the components of the device may be present inside a housing which may be designed to be physically robust for outdoor use. The housing may be made of plastic, should be free of silicones and should be easily cleanable. The device should be ATEX compliant such that it can be used in combination with containers located in areas requiring special measures concerning explosion protection. At least part of the components of the device may be integrated together, for example, on a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0024] The acoustical impulse may be generated by beating on the outer wall of the container by means of the device. The device may comprise an actuator to induce the acoustical impulse. The device may be configured to generate the at least one acoustical impulse at a predefined rate (e.g., a beating frequency), e.g., once every x hour(s), once every x minute(s), once every x second(s), less than a second, etc., and the beating frequency may be different for different times of day, or days of a week, month or year. The device may be configured to generate the at least one acoustical impulse upon detecting changes in the environment of the container, such as movement of the container, temperature change etc.

[0025] In an embodiment, the acoustical behaviour generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse corresponds to at least one audio signal generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse. An audio signal may refer a pulsating direct voltage in the frequency range of 6Hz to 60,000 Hz, such as 6 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The audio signal may comprise the acoustical behavior generated in response to the acoustical impulse and may end after a predetermined time interval. The device may be able to detect audible and non-audible audio signals, for example using at least one microphone. The device may detect audio signals prior to the actual impulse generation. The device may detect the actual impulse generation. The device may detect audio signals resulting from the container and / or from the presence of at least one compound within the container in response to the acoustical impulse. The audio signal may be detected for a duration of up to 2 seconds, in particular of up to 1 .6 seconds, after generating the at least one acoustical impulse. Since the damping of the audio signal is rather strong, it may be beneficial to detect the audio signal(s) for a limited time period to save energy and prolong the battery lifetime of the batteries present in the device.

[0026] In an embodiment, processing the measured acoustical behaviour includes determining a frequency spectrum. Determining a frequency spectrum may include calculating a Fourier spectrum from the measured acoustical behaviour (e.g. from the obtained audio sample).

[0027] In an embodiment, the acoustical behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour is generated based on time interval data present within the reference measurement data. For instance, time interval data present within the reference measurement data may be retrieved and said retrieved data may be used to generate the acoustical behaviour data by determining at least one root mean square (RMS) value using the retrieved time interval data. The time interval data may contain time interval(s) used to generate the reference measurement data, in particular the acoustical behaviour data. The time interval data may indicate time intervals which are to be used to generate acoustical behaviour data from the measured acoustical behaviour. This ensures that the generated acoustical behaviour data data can be compared to the acoustical behaviour data contained within the reference measurement data, hence allowing to accurately determine the property of the container and / or the compound.

[0028] In an embodiment, the acoustical behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour is generated by determining root mean square (RMS) value(s) for time interval data contained in the reference measurement data. One root mean square (RMS) value may be determined per time interval contained within the time interval data. For instance, two RMS values may be determined if two time intervals are contained in the reference measurement data while four RMS values may be determined if for time intervals are contained in the reference measurement data, etc.. The root mean square (RMS) value of the audio signal for a defined time interval may be defined as the square root of the mean square (e.g. the arithmetic mean of the squares) of the absolute values of the amplitudes contained within the time interval. For instance, the root mean square (RMS) value for a given time interval x containing a given set of samples n may be calculated using formula (1) with A being the absolute value of the amplitude.

[0029] The set of samples may be determined from the sampling rate used to measure the acoustical behaviour, such as the audio signal. Calculation of RMS values for specific time intervals allows to condense the information contained in the acoustical behaviour data into a low number of values, hence allowing a quick and reliable comparison of the generated acoustical behaviour data with the acoustical behaviour data contained in the reference measurement data.

[0030] In an embodiment, the reference measurement data contains reference root mean square (RMS) values associated with time interval data for one or more defined amounts of a defined compound contained within the container. The defined compound may be a defined liquid or solid compound, such as a liquid or solid coating composition, for example a liquid clearcoat composition or a liquid basecoat composition. For instance, the reference measurement data may contain reference root mean square (RMS) values associated with a plurality of time intervals for one or more defined amounts (e.g. fill levels) of a defined compound. Hence, each reference RMS value may be associated with a defined time interval and a defined amount of compound. A defined amount may correspond to a volume of the compound being present within the container, such as 10L, 100L, 200L, etc. A defined amount may include the container being empty, e.g. comprising a volume of OL of a compound. The time intervals as well as the defined amounts may be selected such that comparison with root mean square (RMS) values generated from the measured acoustical behaviour of a container comprising an unknown amount and / or an unknown compound may result in a reliable determination of property of the container and / or the compound. The number of reference root mean square (RMS) values per defined amount of compound within the container allows to adjust the accuracy of the method disclosed herein. Hence, the accuracy of the method can be tuned by adjusting the number of time intervals used to determine the root mean square (RMS) values. For instance, the accuracy of the method disclosed herein can be increased by increasing the number of time intervals for which root mean square (RMS) values are determined. Hence, selection of appropriate reference measurement data allows to tune the accuracy of the method disclosed herein.

[0031] At least part of the reference root mean square (RMS) values contained in the reference measurement data may be associated with error data. For instance, each reference root mean square (RMS) value contained in the reference measurement data may be associated with error data. The reference measurement data may contain error data associated with reference root mean square (RMS) value(s) for all time intervals associated with a defined amount of a defined compound contained in the container. For instance, an error associated with all reference root mean square (RMS) values associated with a defined amount, such as OL, 20L, 50L, 100L, etc, of a defined compound, such as a liquid clearcoat or a liquid basecoat, may be contained within the reference measurement data. Such error level data may be used to estimate the accuracy of the method disclosed herein. For instance, a higher error indicates a higher inaccuracy of the determined property of the container and / or the compound. Moreover, such error data may be used to determine whether the property of the container and / or the compound determined from a measured acoustical behaviour is to be used or whether the measurement has to be repeated, for example because the error is above one or more predefined threshold value(s) as described later on. This allows to tune the accuracy of the method disclosed therein and also avoids providing inaccurate results, for example to a user, hence improving the accuracy of the method disclosed therein.

[0032] The reference measurement data may contain reference acoustical behaviour data associated with the container for several compounds at several defined amounts, such as several predefined filing levels. For instance, the reference measurement data may contain reference acoustical behaviour data associated with the container for several compounds at several defined amounts if each compound has characteristic reference acoustical behaviour data. Hence, one reference measurement data file may be used to analyze several different compounds. This avoids the use several different files, each file containing reference measurement data associated with a particular compound.

[0033] The reference measurement data may contain further data, such as compound identifier(s), container identifier(s), reference measurement data identifier(s), error level threshold values, frequency spectra data, weighting factor associated with at least part of the reference acoustical behaviour data, or a combination thereof. Compound identifier(s) may allow to determine the appropriate reference measurement data based on data related to the compound contained within the container. For instance, data related to the compound, such as a compound identifier, within the container may be provided and said provided data may be used to retrieve appropriate reference measurement data. In another instance, data related to the compound, such as the compound name, viscosity and / or density, may be determined by the method disclosed therein and may be used to determine a compound identifier. Said compound identifier may then in turn be used to determine the appropriate reference measurement data for determining data on the degree of contamination and / or fill level data of the compound within the container.

[0034] In an embodiment, comparing the generated acoustical behaviour data with the reference measurement data includes determining error data of the generated acoustical behaviour data to the reference measurement data. For instance, the acoustical behaviour data generated for the measured acoustical behaviour may be compared with the reference acoustical behaviour data contained in the reference measurement data. This may include determining error data of each root mean square (RMS) value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to the reference measurement data, e.g. each reference root mean square (RMS) value associated with the corresponding time interval. For instance, error data of each root mean square (RMS) value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to each respective reference root mean square (RMS) value (e.g. each reference root mean square (RMS) value associated with the same time interval as the RMS value contained within the generated acoustical behaviour data said reference RMS value is compared with) contained in the reference measurement data for each time interval may be determined. Hence, error data of a root mean square (RMS) value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data and associated with a given time interval to the respective reference root mean square (RMS) value for said given time interval may be determined. In addition or alternatively thereto, error data of at least part of the root mean square (RMS) values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to at least part of the respective reference root mean square (RMS) values contained in the reference measurement data may be determined. For instance, error data of all root mean square (RMS) values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to all root mean square (RMS) values contained in the reference measurement data for all time intervals for a given defined amount of defined compound may be determined. Hence, the error data may be determined from all root mean square (RMS) values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data and all reference root mean square (RMS) values for all time intervals for a given fill level, such as a fill level of OL or 20 L or 50L or 100L, etc..

[0035] Error data may be determined by determining the arithmetic mean error and / or by determining the mean square error of the generated acoustical behaviour data to the reference measurement data. For instance, the root mean square (RMS) values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data and the root mean square (RMS) values contained in the reference measurement data may be used to determine the arithmetic mean error and / or the mean square error. The arithmetic mean error and / or the mean square error may be determined for each defined amount (e.g. fill level) contained in the reference measurement data. For instance, if the reference measurement data contains root mean square (RMS) value(s) for fill levels of OL, 20L, 50L, 100L, 300L, 500L, 700L and 900L, arithmetic mean errors and / or mean square errors may be determined for RMS value(s) associated with each of said fill levels.

[0036] Interpolation of the root mean square (RMS) values contained in the reference measurement data for defined amounts not contained in the reference measurement data may be performed prior to determining error data. Interpolated root mean square (RMS) values may be contained within the reference measurement data. For instance, root mean square (RMS) values may be determined for an acoustical behaviour of reference containers comprising a defined amount of a defined compound and interpolation may be used to generate the reference measurement data. Interpolation may include linear interpolation. Use of interpolation allows a more granular determination of the data on the degree of contamination and / or the fill level data without having to generate extensive reference measurement data for a large amount of fill levels because interpolation avoids that the determined fill level always corresponds to a defined amount of defined compound (e.g. fill level) contained in the reference measurement data even if the determined fill level data or data on the degree of contamination is lying between two of such defined amounts.

[0037] The arithmetic mean error in the absence interpolation as described above may be determined according to the following formula ( wherein

[0038] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) RMSn(y) with v e V is the reference root mean square (RMS) value for a time interval n for a defined amount (fill level) v, with V= {0,20,50,100, ... } being the quantity of all fill levels contained within the reference measurement data,

[0039] MRMSnis the root mean square (RMS) value for a time interval n contained within the generated acoustical behaviour data, and (v) is the overall error of all root mean square (RMS) values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to root mean square (RMS) values associated with a defined amount (e.g. fill level) v contained in the reference measurement data.

[0040] The mean square error in the absence of interpolation as described above may be determined according to the following formula (

[0041] The respective errors may be weighted. This allows to define which errors associated with RMS values of a given time interval are more important than others. Weighting factors may be included in the reference measurement data. Weighting factors may be received from a user performing the inventive method, for example via an I / O device. A suitable weighting function for an error in a time interval n may include

[0042] Hence the arithmetic mean error may be formulated according to the following formula (2b):

[0043] And the mean square error may be formulated according to the following formula (3b):

[0044] The arithmetic mean error for interpolated reference root mean square (RMS) values (denoted as rms hereinafter) may be determined according to the following formula (4):

[0045] The mean square error for interpolated reference root mean square (RMS) values (denoted as rms hereinafter) may be determined according to the following formula (5):

[0046] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The property of the container may be determined by determining the defined amount (e.g. fill level) associated with the lowest error data, e.g. by determining the defined amount associated with the error minimum. For instance, the arithmetic mean error(s) and / or the mean square error(s) determined for each defined amount contained in the reference measurement data may be compared and the defined amount (e.g. fill level) associated with the lowest arithmetic mean error and / or the lowest mean square error may be provided as data associated with the degree of contamination and / or fill level data.

[0047] The property of the compound may be determined by determining the compound being associated with lowest error, e.g. by determining the compound associated with the error minimum. For instance, the compound associated with the RMS values resulting in the lowest error, such as lowest arithmetic mean error and / or mean square error, may be provided as physical property data of the compound, such as compound name, compound ID, compound viscosity data and / or compound density data.

[0048] The error data previously described may be used to determine whether the accuracy of the determined property of the container and / or the compound is sufficient or not. The error data determined upon determining the property of the container and / or the compound may be compared to one or more predefined threshold value(s). For instance, the error data for each RMS value or the error data for a defined amount (e.g. the arithmetic mean error and / or the mean square error) may be compared to one or more predefined threshold value(s). The predefined threshold value(s) may be contained in the reference measurement data. If at least some of the error data is above one or more predefined threshold value(s), the accuracy associated with the determination of the property of the container and / or the compound is not sufficient and the determination of the property of the container and / orthe compound may be repeated. The one or more threshold value(s) may be determined by comparing generated acoustical behaviour data to acoustical behaviour data associated with known amounts of a known compound being present within the container. Comparison of error data to one or more predefined threshold value(s) may allow to determine whether the accuracy of the determined property of the container and / or the compound is sufficient or whether the accuracy is too low, and hence the determination needs to be re-initiated. Use of appropriate threshold values hence allows to define the required accuracy of the determination of the property of the container and / or the compound.

[0049] In an embodiment, the method further includes a step of determining an action to be taken based on the determined property of the container and / or the compound and optionally controlling taking the determined action. Actions may be predefined and may differ for different states / locations of the containers, the time of day, day or week, month or year, parameter values received from a container management network, user input, determined physical conditions of the compound, or a suitable combination thereof. Actions may include, for example: scheduling transport, cleaning, emptying, filling, movement, discarding or maintenance of the container, ordering of new container(s), changing the location of the container, powering down, powering up or adjusting behavior of the device, activating an alarm (e.g., a visual, sound or noise), other actions, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0050] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) In an embodiment, the method further includes determining an optimized maintenance interval based on the provided property of the container, in particular the fill level data of the compound. Fill level data may be used to predict the time point when the container will be empty and can be transported back for maintenance. This prediction thus allows to schedule maintenance intervals for containers still being in use without having to wait until the container has been transported back, thus allowing to optimize the maintenance intervals based on the predictions.

[0051] In an embodiment, the method further includes a step of determining consolidated transports of empty containers based on the determined property of the container, in particular the determined fill level data. Calculation of consolidated transports based on determined fill level data to reduce emissions and transportation costs is well known in the state of the art (see for example: J. Ferrer et al.; “BIN-CT: Urban waste collection based on predicting the container fill level”; BioSystems; Vol. 186; 2019; 103962).

[0052] It shall be understood that the aspects described above and specifically the method for determining a fill level of a container of claim 1 , the system of claim 13 and the computer program of claim 14 have similar and / or identical preferred embodiments in particular as defined in the dependent claims.

[0053] It shall be understood that a preferred embodiment or aspect of the present invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims or above embodiments or aspects with a respective independent claim.

[0054] These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereafter.

[0055] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] In the following, the present disclosure is further described with reference to the enclosed figures. The same reference numbers in the drawings and this disclosure are intended to refer to the same or like elements, components, and / or parts.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a first schematic representation of a container and a device for determining the property of a container and / or a compound according to embodiments described herein

[0058] FIG. 2A illustrates an example of a container comprising an attachment means for physical coupling of a device to a container according to embodiments of the method and system described herein

[0059] FIG. 2B illustrates an example of a physical coupling of a device to a container according to embodiments of the method and system described herein

[0060] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) FIG. 3 shows an example of a system for remotely determining the property of a container and / or a compound according to embodiments of the system described herein

[0061] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a system for remotely monitoring and managing containers according to embodiments of the method or system described herein

[0062] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining the property of a container and / or a compound according to embodiments described herein

[0063] FIG. 6 shows a graph depicting an acoustical behaviour generated in response to an acoustical impulse,

[0064] FIG. 7 shows a graph depicting determination of fill level data of a compound inside a container using generated sound pressure level data and reference measurement data according to embodiments of the method described herein, and

[0065] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a container 102 and a device 108. The container 102 may be an industrial-grade reusable intermediate bulk container IBC or any other container which may be used for storing or transporting liquids and solid compounds such as food, ingredients, beverages, chemistry products, pharmacy products, cosmetic products, etc. The device 108 may be an loT device and may be connected to a further computing system (not shown, see for example FIG. 3) or a cloud computing environment (not shown, see for example FIG. 4). Cloud computing environment may refer to the on- demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user and may include at least one of the following service modules: infrastructure as a service (laaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS), mobile "backend" as a service (MBaaS) and function as a service (FaaS).

[0067] The container 102 may be filled with a compound 104. The container 102 may be empty. The compound 104 may be a liquid or a solid component. The compound 104 may be a contamination. The compound 104 may be a liquid or solid chemical composition. The compound 104 may be a liquid or solid coating composition. The liquid or solid component may have a fill level 106. The device may be configured to perform the method for determining a property of the container and / or the compound as disclosed herein, for example as described in the context of FIG. 5. The device may be configured to perform only parts of the method disclosed therein, such as generation of the acoustical impulse(s) and measurement of acoustical behaviour, while other parts of the method, such generation of acoustical behaviour data, comparison of the generated acoustical behaviour data to reference measurement data and determination of the property of the container and / or the compound may be performed by a further computing system (not shown, see for example FIGs. 3 and 4). Processing of the measured acoustical behaviour may be

[0068] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) performed by device 108. Processing of the measured acoustical behaviour may be performed by a further computing system (not shown, see for example FIGs. 3 and 4). Allocating tasks requiring higher computing power to a further computing system allows to reduce the computing power and hence the energy consumption of the device. This allows to prolong the battery life of batteries contained in the device and hence the maintenance intervals required for said device. Moreover, this allows to quickly determine the property of the container and / or the compound.

[0069] The device 108 may be attached to the outside of a wall of the container 102. Attachment may be performed permanently. The device may be attached detachably, for example as described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B. The device 108 may comprise an audio signal generator 1 10 configured to generate an acoustical pulse or impulse at the wall of the container 102. The acoustical pulse may travel inside the container and may interact with the contents of the container, such as the compound 104 and / or air. Part of the acoustical signal may be reflected and may be detected by the device 108. The reflected signal may be analyzed to determine the property of the container, such as data on the degree of contamination or fill level data, and / or the property of the compound, such as physical property data of the compound. Physical property data of the compound may include compound type data, density data of the compound, temperature data of the compound, and / or viscosity data of the compound as mentioned previously.

[0070] The device 108 may comprise a housing, an audio signal generator 1 10 and a sound signal sensor 112. The housing may conform to ATEX specifications as previously described to allow usage of the device 108 in environments requiring ATEX certification. The audio signal generator 110 may be implemented as an impulse generator to generate an acoustical impulse at the outside of the wall of the container 102. For instance, the audio signal generator may be an actuator, such as a vibration motor. The actuator may be configured to “bang” against the outside of the wall of the container to generate the acoustical impulse. Upon physical coupling of the device to the outside of the container (see for example FIG. 2B), the actuator of the device is able to acoustically stimulate the container 102 (e.g. to generate an acoustical impulse at the outside of the wall of the container). The actuator may be controlled by a microprocessor on a main board 114 of the device 108.

[0071] The sound sensor 112 may be configured to measure the acoustical behaviour, such as the audio signal, generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse. The sound sensor 112 may include one or more microphone(s), such as MEMS microphones described previously. The actuator may be controlled by the microprocessor on the main board 114 of device 108.

[0072] The device 108 may further comprise a main board 114, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). The main board 114 may comprise a computer processor, such as a microprocessor, communication module(s), sensors, such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and / or a climate sensor, and a memory, such as random-access memory and / or a nonvolatile memory (e.g. FLASH). The main board 1 14 may further comprise a timer component and / or a trusted platform module (TPM). The processor may be configured to provide the required processing capabilities and interfaces for the other components present within the

[0073] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) device 108. The processor may be configured to control the audio signal generator 110. The processor may be configured to control the sound sensor 112. The processor may be configured to process the acoustical behaviour measured by sound sensor 112. The processor may be configured to determine the property of the container and / or the compound from the measured acoustical behaviour, for example as described in the context of FIG. 5. The processor may comprise an ability to be interrupted by a timer component and / or by the IMU. The processor may be connected to the components of device 108 via digital and / or analog interfaces.

[0074] The communication module(s) present on the main board 114 may include at least one cellular communication interface enabling communications with cellular networks, and may be configured with technologies such as, for example, Long-term Evolution (LTE) and derivatives thereof like LTE narrowband (5G) and LTE FDD / TDD (4G), HSPA (UMTS, 3G), EDGE / GSM (2G), CDMA or LPWAN technologies. Cellular communications allow device 108 to communicate with one or more other devices of a container management network, such as the system described in the context of FIGs. 3 and 4. The communication with cellular networks may be used to detect the of geographic location of a container 102 having coupled thereto device 108, including detecting a change in location from one cell of a cellular network to another cell, and a relative location of the container 102 within a cell, for example, a radial distance from the cell phone base station. The communication with cellular networks may be used to transmit data acquired and / or processed by the device, such as measured acoustical behaviour or processed acoustical behaviour, to a further computing device, such as a server (see for example FIGs. 3 and 4). The communication with cellular networks may be used to detect a change in the location and to initiate measurement or a sleep mode of the device 108. The at least one cellular communication interface may be, include, or be part of a cellular modem. The communication interfaces may be configured to implement Wi-Fi technology, e.g., in accordance with one or more 802.11 standards, to allow determination of the location of the container 102 or change in the location of a container 102 having device 108 attached thereto indoors. The Wi-Fi technology may be used to connect with hotspots at various locations and during various states of a container lifecycle and may serve as an option for establishing a communication path with further devices 108.1 to 1 O8.n or a container management network (see for example FIG. 4), for example, as an alternative, or in addition to a cellular communication path. The device 108 may include one or more antennas corresponding to the one or more of the previously described communication technologies. Each antenna may be integrated, if suitable, within the main board 114 or may be physically connected to the main board 114 and / or the housing of device 108. The communication interfaces may be configured to implement GNSS technology to allow determination of the container 102 having attached thereto device 108 outdoors.

[0075] Sensors present on the main board 114, within the device 108 and / or on the outside of the device may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and / or climate sensor(s). The inertial measurement unit (IMU) may be used to determine the movement of the container 102 having attached thereto device 108 by determining the specific force, angular rate, and orientation of device 108 using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and optionally magnetometers. The climate sensor may be configured to measure the climate conditions of the device 108, e.g., inside a housing of device 108. Such climate

[0076] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) conditions may include any of: temperature, air humidity, air pressure, other climate conditions or any suitable combination thereof, in particular the temperature. Climate sensors located external to the main board 114 may be linked through digital and / or analog interfaces, such as one or more M12.8 connectors, and may measure any of a variety of climate conditions, including but not limited to: temperature, humidity and pressure or other climate conditions of a container, the contents thereof (e.g., liquid, air) and / or ambient air external to the container.

[0077] The timer component may provide a clock at any of a variety of frequencies, for example, at 32KHz or lower, for the processor of the main board 1 14. The frequency of the clock may be selected to balance a variety of factors, including, for example, fiscal cost, resource consumption (including power consumption) and highest desired frequency of operation. The timer component may be used for transition of device 108 from the sleep mode (e.g. a mode of operation of device 108 during which it does not generate acoustical impulse(s), measure acoustical behaviour, transmits any data or calculates any data) to the active mode (e.g. a mode of operation of device 108 during with it generates acoustical impulse(s), measures acoustical behaviour, transmits any data and / or calculates any data). Transition of device 108 from the active mode to the sleep mode may occur in response to a variety of predefined conditions, such as: instructions or data received via a communication interface from a further device, network (for example a container management network) or database; determining a passage of a predetermined amount of time without any activity (e.g., no change in data acquired by device 108) or without a change to one or more predefined properties (for example location, movement / vibration, fill level data); determining a predefined time of day (for example: after x hours of operation) and / or day of the week (for example weekend), month or year (for example holiday). Transition to the sleep mode may be performed by switching off all components of device 108 which are not necessary for waking up said device 108. Components being necessary for wake up may include the processor, selected further sensor(s) (for example movement sensor) and the timer component. The amount of power and / or money conserved / saved needs to be balanced against the desire or need to obtain the most current property of the container and / or the compound. Transition of device 108 from the sleep mode to the active mode may occur in response to a variety of predefined routines, such as setting a wake-up timer or a movement interrupt. The wake-up timer may be set by configuring the timer component to interrupt the processor after a predefined amount of time has elapsed. The timer component may have a predefined configuration or may be configured via a communication interface based on data received from a network, such as a container management network, or a database. The movement interrupt may be set on a movement sensor to interrupt the processor in response to detecting a movement, for example during transport of the container within a company or to another company.

[0078] The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) may be used to encrypt data and to protect the integrity of the processor of the main board 114. The TPM may be used for any of a variety of functions such as, for example, creation of data for, and storage of credentials and secrets to secure, communication with one or more networks (e.g., any of the networks described herein); creation of TPM objects, which are special encrypted data stored in the nonvolatile memory outside the TPM, that can only be decrypted through the TPM; creation of data to be communicated and stored as part of transaction records (e.g., blockchain records) or registers, signing of files to secure the integrity and authenticity of services, e.g., services

[0079] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) described herein; enablement of functions like Over-the-Air (OtA) update of firmware, software and parameters of device 108; other functions; and any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0080] Device 108 may further comprise an energy source, such as batteries commonly used in industry. The energy source may be charged or may be exchanged if empty. The processor may be connected with the energy source via digital and / or analog interfaces such that the energy source level may be monitored by the processor. The processor may be configured to provide a notice / alarm in case the energy source level reaches a predefined value to avoid malfunction of device 108 due to lack of power. The processor may be configured to predict the lifetime of the energy source based on historic and / or actual power consumption and may provide the prediction to a further device via the communication interface.

[0081] Device 108 may further comprise an NFC reader board. The NFC reader board may be used to retrieve information, such as the container ID, stored on an identification tag, such as an NFC tag, present on a bar attached to the frame of the container, for example as described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B.

[0082] FIG. 2A illustrates an example of a container 102 comprising an attachment means 206 for physical coupling of a device, such as device 108 described in the context of FIG. 1 , to the container 102. The container 102 may be a metal intermediate bulk container (IBC) comprising a metal container 102 having an opening 202 for filling and emptying processes. The container 102 may be a plastic IBC, a composite IBC or any other container previously described. The metal container 102 may be fixed inside a metal framework 204 to allow for easy transportation and stacking of the metal IBC. The container 102 may comprise an attachment means 206 for physically coupling a device 108 (not shown, see for example FIG. 2B) to the outside wall of the container 102. The attachment means 206 may represent a metal bar which may be detachably clamped to the metal framework 204 of the container 102. Use of a detachable attachment means 204 avoids recertification of the container which must be performed in case the container is permanently modified. The attachment means may comprise an identification tag for storing container related information (not shown). The identification tag may be a passive NFC tag comprising the container ID. The identification tag may be attached to the attachment means 206 permanently or may be detachable, such that it can be removed prior to cleaning to prevent destruction of the identification tag 206 during the cleaning process. The container ID may be retrieved from the identification tag by device 108 and may be interrelated with data, such as measured acoustical behaviour, processed acoustical behaviour, property of the container and / or the compound, provided by device 108. This allows to associate the data provided by device 108 with the corresponding container 102, hence allowing to generate a digital twin of the container by accumulating all data related to the container ID of a container.

[0083] FIG. 2B illustrates an example of a physical coupling of a device, such as device 108 described in the context of FIG. 1 , to a container 102. The container 102 may be a metal intermediate bulk container (IBC) comprising a metal container 102 having an opening 202 for filling and emptying processes. The container 102 may be a plastic IBC, a composite IBC or any other container previously described. The metal container 102 may be fixed inside a metal framework 204 to allow for easy transportation and stacking of the metal IBC. The container 102 may comprise an attachment means 206, such as a bar, for physically coupling

[0084] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) device 108 to the outside wall of the container 102. The attachment means 206 may be detachably clamped to the metal framework 204 to avoid recertification as described in the context of FIG. 2A. Device 108 may be attached to the attachment means by means of a screw which may also be used to guarantee that the device 108 is in contact with the outside wall of the container 102. The screw may hence serve to adjust the location of device 108 such that it is in contact with the outside wall of the container. Device 108 may be removed from attachment means 206 by unscrewing the screw, hence allowing easy attachment and removal of device 108, for example during cleaning processes to avoid destruction of said device 108 or during maintenance of device 108. Attachment means 206 may comprise an identification tag as described in the context of FIG. 2A. Device 108 may be configured to retrieve information stored on said tag as described in the context of FIG. 2A.

[0085] FIG. 3 is an example of a system 300 for remotely determining a property of a container and / or a compound according to embodiments of the system described herein. The system 300 may determine the property of the container and / orthe compound as described in the context of FIG. 5. The property of the container may include data on the degree of contamination and / or fill level data. The property ofthe compound may include the property data described in the context of FIG. 1 .

[0086] System 300 may comprise at least one container 102, such as container 102 being present within a metal framework 204 described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B. The container 102 may be empty. The container 102 may be filled with compound (see for example FIG. 1). The compound may be a liquid or solid chemical composition. The liquid or solid chemical composition may be a coting composition, such as a liquid basecoat composition or a liquid base varnish. The liquid or solid chemical composition may a liquid or solid cosmetic or food composition. The container 102 may comprise an attachment means 206, such as a bar described in the context of FIGs 2A and 2B, which may be used to physically couple a device to the outside wall of container 102. The device may be device 108 described in the context of FIG. 1. The attachment means may comprise an identification tag having stored thereon container data, such as the container ID, as described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B (not shown).

[0087] To determine the location of the container 102, sensor device 108 may communicate with a WiFi hotspot 302 via communication interface 312 and / orwith a global navigation satellite system 304 via communication interface 314, for example as described in the context of FIG. 1. Data on the determined location may - along with data determined by sensors of the senser device, such as the temperature - be transmitted via communication interfaces 316, 318 to a computing device 308, for example as described in the context of FIG. 1.

[0088] System 300 may further comprise at least one computing device 308, for example a geographically remote server, such as a cloud-based server. Computing device 308 may be configured to determine the property of the container and / or the compound from data, such as measured acoustical behaviour or processed acoustical behaviour, received from device 108 (see for example FIG. 5). Computing device may be configured to initiate action(s), for example as described in the context of FIGs. 4 and 5, based on data transmitted from device 108. Computing device 308 may be connected with device 108 via cellular

[0089] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) communication interfaces 316, 318 making use of a mobile radio tower 306. The cellular communication interface 316 may be a LPWAN technology as described in the context of FIG. 1. The cellular-based communication interface 316 and / or 318 may exceed the coverage capability of 900 MHz communication systems, hence eliminating the need to integrate with a WiFi network or other LAN and any associated issues, e.g. firewalls, changing passwords, or different SSIDs. Computing device 308 may be connected with clients 310a to 310c, such as mobile or stationary computing devices including laptops, smartphones, tablets, or personal computers, via communication interface 320. Access to the computing device 308 via clients 310a to 310c may be restricted using commonly known authorization procedures, such as single sign on. Computing device 308 may perform further analysis of the data received from device 108 and / or the determined property of the container and / or the compound, such as initiating and controlling an action as described in the context of FIG. 5. The data, associated analysis and initiated actions may be accessed and viewed, for example via a web browser, using clients 310a to 310c, thus eliminating the need for a specialized computing device. Computing device 308 may also interface with Enterprise Resource Planning or vendor managed inventory systems such that information is sent directly to the user's computing devices (such as clients 310a to 310c) or that information present in a database used in the vendor managed inventory system is automatically updated by computing device 308 which can then, in turn, be accessed by user's computing devices.

[0090] In this embodiment, the system 300 comprises a single container 102 having attached thereto device 108. In another embodiment (not shown), the system 300 may comprise a plurality of containers 102a to 102n, each having attached thereto a device 108. Each device 108 may transmit data via communication interface 316, 318 to computing device 308 and computing device 308 may then processes all data received from said sensor devices 108. Data from different devices 108 may be transmitted to different computing devices 308a to 308n and may be further processed by these computing devices. Computing devices 308a to 308n may then transmit the processed data to another computing device, which may be accessed by clients 310a to 310c. Alternatively, client devices 310a to 310c n may access the respective computing device 308a to 308n which processes relevant data from the respective device 108.

[0091] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a system 400 for remotely monitoring and managing containers according to embodiments of the method and system described herein. System 400 may include a cloud 402 having coupled thereto a plurality of containers 102 comprising a device (e.g. reference signs 200b) and clients 412, 414. Cloud 402 may include one or more servers, for example computing device 308 described in the context of FIG. 3. The devices may be physically attached to the containers 102, for example as described in the context of FIG. 2B. Each of the devices may be implemented as device 108 described in the context of FIG. 1. Each device may be configured to determine the property of the container and / or the compound, for example as described in the context of FIG. 5. The cloud 402 may be configured to determine - based on data received from devices 108, such as measured or processed acoustical behaviour - the property of the container and / or the compound, for example as described in the context of FIG. 5.

[0092] Each of the devices 108 and clients 412, 414 may be coupled via communication interfaces (depicted by errors) to cloud 402. At least part of the communication interfaces may represent gateways. A least two

[0093] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) devices 108 may be coupled via one gateway to cloud 402 (not shown). Devices 108 may be coupled directly to cloud 402. In this case, devices 108 may be configured with any of the gateway functionality and components described herein and may be treated like a gateway by cloud 402, at least in some respects. Each gateway may be configured to implement any of the network communication technologies described herein in relation to device 108 so the gateway may remotely communicate with, monitor, and manage devices 108. Each gateway may be configured with one or more capabilities of a gateway and / or controller as known in the state of the art and may be any of a plurality of types of devices configured to perform the gateway functions defined herein. To ensure security of the transmitted data, each gateway may include a TPM (for example in a hardware layer of a controller) as described in the context of FIG. 1 . The TPM may be used, for example, to encrypt portions of communications from / to sensor devices to / from gateways, to encrypt portions of such information received at a gateway unencrypted, or to provide secure communications between cloud 402, gateways, sensor devices 108 and client devices 412, 414. For example, TPMs or other components of system 400 may be configured to implement Transport Layer Security (TLS) for HTTPS communications and / or Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) for datagram-based applications. Furthermore, one or more security credentials associated with any of the foregoing data security operations may be stored on a TPM. A TPM may be implemented within any of the gateways, sensor devices 108 or servers in cloud 402, for example, during production, and may be used to personalize the gateway or the sensor device. Such gateways, sensor devices and / or servers may be configured (e.g., during manufacture or later) to implement cryptographic technologies known in the state of the art, such as a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for the management of keys and credentials.

[0094] Each gateway connecting a device 108 to cloud 402 or each gateway present within a device 108 may be configured to process data received from the device 108, including analyzing data that may have been generated or received by the device 108, and providing instructions to the device. In addition, each gateway may be configured to provide one or more functions pertaining to commissioning, filling, cleaning, incoming good inspections, and certification (e.g., after 2 years), consumption and other processing of containers. For this purpose, each gateway may be configured with software encapsulating such capability. Devices 108 may be connected via a communication interface directly to cloud 402 may be configured to process data and perform further functions described above. For this purpose, the respective device(s) 108 may be configured with software encapsulating such capability. By performing such processing at one or more gateways, and / or at the devices 108 themselves, as opposed to in a more centralized fashion on one or more servers in cloud 402, system 400 may implement and enjoy the benefits of more distributed edgecomputing techniques.

[0095] Cloud 402 comprises one or more layers. In this embodiment, cloud 402 comprises two layers, namely an application layer 404 containing one or more applications 406 and a service layer 408 containing one or more databases 410. The applications layer 404 as well as the services layer 408 may each be implemented using one or more servers in cloud 402. In another embodiment, cloud 402 may comprise more or less layers.

[0096] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The service layer 410 may include, for example, the following databases 410: a transaction database, a container database, a container contents database, and lifecycle management database. The transaction database may include one or more transaction records involving containers managed by system 400. For example, transaction records may involve blockchain technology and the blockchain may serve as a secure transaction register for system 400. Transactions may include any commercial transaction involving one of the managed containers or other status information not associated with a commercial transaction. Further, the data stored within each of the other databases 410 within the services layer 408 may be stored as one or more transaction records and may be part of the transaction register for the container management system 400. The container database may include information about containers managed by system 400 such as, for example, mechanical specifications, geometries, date of creation, maintenance intervals, last inspection, material composition and other information. The container contents database may include information about the contents (e.g., liquids, bulk solids, powders) of the container being managed such as, for example, ingredients, chemical composition, classification (e.g., pharmaceutical, beverage, food), an ATEX classification of a container's contents or intended contents, regulatory-related information, properties of the container and other information collected over time, and other information about the contents. Properties of a container may include physical properties associated with a container, such as, for example, climate conditions, location, weight, and fill level, a maximum fill level of a container, as well as other properties. For a given container, the information stored in the container database and / or the container contents database may include the same information as is stored in the container itself, which in combination with the information about the container itself may be considered a digital representation of the container, e.g., a digital twin. The lifecycle management database may store information about the states, rules, algorithms, procedures, etc. that may be used to manage the container throughout the stages of its lifecycle, as described in more detail elsewhere herein. Information stored in the container database and / or container contents database may be retrieved by device(s) 108 via communication interfaces upon physical coupling of the device(s) 108 to the container 102 (see for example FIGs. 2A and 2B). After physical coupling, the container ID stored on the NFC tag present on the attachment means may be retrieved by means of the device(s) 108 and used to obtain information stored in the container database and / or container contents database which is associated with the container ID.

[0097] The application layer 404 may include any of a variety of applications that utilize information and services related to container management, including any of the information and services made available from the services layer 408. The application layer 404 may include: an inventory application, an order management application, further applications, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The inventory application may provide an inventory of containers managed within the system (e.g., system 400), including properties (e.g., characteristics) about each container in the system, and the contents thereof, including the current state of the container within its lifecycle, a fill level of the container, current location (e.g., one or more network identifiers for a mobile telephony network, Wi-Fi network, ISM network or other) and any other properties corresponding to a container described herein. The inventory of containers may be a group (e.g., "fleet") of containers owned, leased, controlled, managed, and / or used by an entity, such as an OEM. The order management application may manage container orders of customers, for example, all customers of an entity, e.g., an OEM and / or orders of the OEM, for example for ordering new containers. The order

[0098] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) management application may maintain information about all past and current container orders for customers of an entity or an OEM and process such orders. The order management application may be configured to automatically order containers for an entity (e.g., a customer or OEM) based on container status information received from sensor devices physically coupled to containers (e.g., via one or more gateways or directly from the sensor device itself). For example, the application may have one or more predefined thresholds, e.g., of empty containers, damaged containers, fill levels of containers, etc., after which being reached or surpassed (e.g., going below a fill level and / or number of non-empty and nondamaged containers) additional containers should be ordered. The applications may be configured via interfaces to interact with other applications within the application layer 404, including each other. These applications or portions thereof may be programmed into gateways and / or sensor devices of the container management network as well.

[0099] Container information and / or the determined property of the container and / or the compound may be communicated between components of system 400, including devices 108, gateways, and components of cloud 402, in any of a variety of ways. Such techniques may involve the transmission of container information in transaction records, for example using blockchain technology. Such transaction records may include public information and private information, where public information can be made more generally available to parties, and more sensitive information can be treated as private information made available more selectively, for example, only to certain container producers, OEMs and / or customers. For example, the information in the transaction record may include private data that may be encrypted using a private key specific to a container and / or sensor device and may include public data that is not encrypted. The public data may also be encrypted to protect the value of this data and to enable the trading of the data, for example, as part of a smart contract. The distinction between public data and private data may be made depending on the data and the use of the data.

[0100] The number of communications between components of system 400 may be minimized, which in some embodiments may include communicating transactions (e.g., container status information) to servers within cloud 402 according to a predefined schedule, in which gateways are allotted slots within a temporal cycle during which to transmit transactions (e.g., transmit data from device 108 to cloud 402 or instructions from cloud 402 to device(s) 108) to / from one or more servers. Data may be collected over a predetermined period of time and grouped into a single transaction record prior to transmittal.

[0101] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of an example of a method for determining the property of a container and / or a compound. The container may be container 102 described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B. The method may be implemented by device 108 described in the context of FIG. 1 or by system 300 or 400 described in the context of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. The device 108 may perform at least part of the blocks illustrated in FIG. 5. The device 108 may perform part of the blocks illustrated in FIG. 5 while the remaining blocks may be performed by a computing device, for example as described in the context of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The property of a container may include data on the degree of contamination and / or fill level data. The property of a compound may include physical property data, such as described in the context of FIG. 1 . The container may be empty. The container may contain residues of a compound or a mixture of compounds which may

[0102] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) be referred to as contamination. The container may contain a defined amount of a compound. The compound may be a chemical composition. The compound may be a liquid or solid compound. The compound may be a liquid or solid coating material or a component thereof, such as a liquid basecoat material or a liquid base varnish.

[0103] In block 502, an acoustical impulse may be generated at an outside wall of the container, such as container 102 described in the context of FIGs. 1 to 2B, by means of a device, such as device 108 described in the context of FIGs. 1 to 4. The device may be physically attached to the container as described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B. The acoustical impulse may be generated by beating on the outer wall of the container by means of the device. The acoustical impulse may be generated by audio signal generator 110, such as an actuator, contained within device 108 (see for example FIG. 1). The audio signal generator 110 may be controlled by a processor residing on main board 114 of device 108 as described in the context of FIG. 1. The acoustical impulse may be generated at a predefined rate or may be generated upon detecting changes in the environmental of the container by device 108, such as described in the context of FIG. 1.

[0104] In block 504, the acoustical behaviour generated in response to the acoustical impulse may be measured. The acoustical behaviour may be measured with audio signal sensor 112 (see for example FIG. 1) contained within device 108. The audio signal sensor 112 may comprise at least one microphone as described in the context of FIG. 1. The acoustical behaviour may be detected for a duration of up to 2 seconds, in particular of up to 1.6 seconds, after generating the at least one acoustical impulse. The measured acoustical behaviour may correspond to an audio signal generated in response to the acoustical impulse. The audio signal may comprise the acoustical behavior generated in response to the acoustical impulse and may end after a predetermined time interval.

[0105] In block 506, the routine implementing the method of FIG. 5 may determine whether to process the acoustical behaviour measured in block 504. The routine may be programmed to initiate processing of the acoustical behaviour if the property of the compound is to be determined. If the acoustical behaviour measured in block 504 is to be processed, the method proceeds to block 508. Otherwise, the method proceeds to block 510.

[0106] In block 508, the acoustical behavior measured in block 504 may be processed. Processing may include determining a frequency spectrum. Determining a frequency spectrum may include calculating a Fourier spectrum from the measured acoustical behaviour (e.g. from the obtained audio sample). Blocks 502 to 508 may be performed by device 108 described in the context of FIGs. 1 to 4. Device 108 may be configured to provide the measured or processed acoustical behaviour to a computing device and said computing device may be configured to determine the property of the container and / or the compound, for example as described in the context of FIGs. 3 and 4.

[0107] In block 510, reference measurement data or time interval data may be retrieved. The reference measurement data associated with the container may contain reference acoustical behaviour data

[0108] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) associated with time interval data for one or more defined amounts of a defined compound contained within the container. The reference acoustical behaviour data may include at least one reference RMS value associated with at least two different defined amounts of a defined compound. The defined amount may include OL, e.g. representing an empty container. The defined compound may be a defined liquid or solid coating composition The number of root mean square (RMS) values per defined amount allows to adjust the accuracy of the method disclosed herein. For instance, the accuracy of the method disclosed herein can be increased by increasing the number of time intervals for which the RMS values are determined. At least part of the reference RMS values contained in the reference measurement data may be associated with error data as previously described. The reference measurement data may contain further data, such as frequency spectra data, compound identifier(s), container identifier(s), reference measurement data identifier(s), error level threshold values, weighting factor(s), or a combination thereof.

[0109] Reference measurement data may be retrieved using a container ID associated with the container the device is physically coupled to. For instance, the container ID may be determined based on an identification tag as described in the context of FIGs. 2A and 2B. The container ID may be used to retrieve the reference measurement data associated with said container ID. The container ID may be used to retrieve compound data associated with the container ID. The compound data may include compound type data, a compound identifier, a compound name or a combination thereof. The compound data, such as the compound identifier, may be used to retrieve reference measurement data associated with said compound data. Determining the time interval and / or time point data ensures that the acoustical behaviour data is generated in block 512 for the time intervals used to generate the reference measurement data, hence allowing a comparison of the generated acoustical behaviour data and the reference measurement data.

[0110] Determining time interval data may include retrieving appropriate time interval data from a data storage medium, such as a database or internal memory of the device performing block 510.

[0111] In block 512, acoustical behaviour data may be generated based on reference measurement data or time interval data retrieved in block 510 and the acoustical behaviour measured in block 504. The acoustical behaviour data may be generated by calculating root mean square (RMS) values of the measured acoustical behaviour for the determined time interval data. The RMS value for each time interval may be calculated using formula (1) described above. Calculation of RMS values for specific time intervals allows to condense the information contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data into a low number of values, hence allowing a quick and reliable comparison of the generated acoustical behaviour data with the reference acoustical behaviour data contained in the reference measurement data.

[0112] In block 514, it may be determined whether to interpolate the reference acoustical behaviour data included in the reference measurement data. The determination may be based on the data contained within the reference measurement data. If no measurement reference data has been retrieved until this block, reference measurement data may be retrieved, for example as described in the context of block 510. Use of interpolation allows a more granular determination of the data on the degree of contamination and / or the

[0113] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) fill level data without having to generate extensive reference measurement data for a large amount of fill levels because interpolation avoids that the determined fill level always corresponds to a defined amount of defined compound (e.g. fill level) contained in the reference measurement data even if the determined fill level data or data on the degree of contamination is lying between two of such defined amounts. If it is determined in block 514 that interpolation is to be performed, the method may proceed to block 516. Otherwise, it may proceed to block 518.

[0114] In block 516, the reference measurement data may be interpolated. Interpolation may be performed by calculation RMS values for defined amounts (e.g. fill levels) not included in the reference measurement data. Linear interpolation may be used. If the reference measurement data has not yet been retrieved, it may be retrieved in this block prior to performing interpolation, for example as described in the context of block 510. In block 518, error data between the generated acoustical behaviour data and the reference measurement data may be determined. The reference measurement data may correspond to reference measurement data retrieved in block 510 or 514. The reference measurement data may correspond to interpolated reference measurement data obtained after block 516. For instance, the acoustical behaviour data generated in block 512 may be compared with reference acoustical behaviour data contained in the reference measurement data. This may include determining error data for each RMS value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data and the respective reference RMS value contained in the reference measurement data of the container, e.g. each reference RMS value associated with the corresponding time interval. For instance, error data of each RMS value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour to each respective reference RMS value (e.g. each reference RMS value associated with the same time interval as the RMS value contained within the generated acoustical behaviour data said reference RMS value is compared with) contained in the reference measurement data for each time interval may be determined. Hence, error data of a RMS value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data and associated with a given time interval to the respective reference RMS value for said given time interval may be determined. In addition or alternatively thereto, the error data of at least part of the RMS values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to at least part of the respective reference RMS values contained in the reference measurement data may be determined. For instance, error data of all RMS values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to all reference RMS values contained in the reference measurement data for all time intervals for a given defined amount of defined compound may be determined. Hence, the error data may be determined from all RMS values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data and all reference RMS values for all time intervals for a given fill level, such as a fill level of 0L or 20 L or 50L or 100L, etc.. Error data may be determined by determining the arithmetic mean error and / or by determining the mean square error of the generated acoustical behaviour data to the reference measurement data. The arithmetic mean error may be determined according to formula (2a) or (3a) or (4). The mean square error may be determined according to formula (2b) or (3b) or (5). Use of the arithmetic mean error and / or the mean square error allows to reliably determine the property of the container and / or the compound as described in the following block.

[0115] In block 520, the property of the container and / or the compound may be determined based on the error data determined in block 514. For instance, the property of the container, such as fill level data and / or data

[0116] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) associated with the degree of contamination, may be determined by determining the defined amount (e.g. fill level) associated with the lowest arithmetic mean error and / or the lowest mean square error (e.g. by determining the defined amount associated with the error minimum) and providing the determined defined amount as fill level data or data associated with the degree of contamination. Hence, the arithmetic mean error(s) and / or the mean square error(s) determined for each fill level contained in the reference measurement data are compared and the lowest arithmetic mean error or the lowest mean square error is selected as property of the container, e.g. as fill level data or data associated with the degree of contamination. The property of the compound may be determined by determining the compound being associated with lowest error, e.g. by determining the compound associated with the error minimum. For instance, the compound associated with the RMS values resulting in the lowest error, such as lowest arithmetic mean error and / or mean square error, may be provided as physical property data of the compound, such as compound name, compound ID, compound viscosity data and / or compound density data. The determined property may be provided. Providing the determined property may include providing the determined property, optionally in combination with further data contained in the reference measurement data and / or the measured or processed acoustical behaviour, to a display device for display on the screen and / or to a data storage medium.

[0117] In block 522, the error data determined in block 520 may be compared to predefined threshold value(s), this block being generally optional. The predefined threshold value(s) may be contained in the reference measurement data. The predefined threshold value(s) may be retrieved from a data storage medium. The error data for each RMS value or the error data for all RMS values associated with a defined amount (e.g. the arithmetic mean error and / orthe mean square error) may be compared to predefined threshold value(s). Comparison of error data to predefined threshold value(s) may allow to determine whether the accuracy of the determined property of the container and / or the compound is sufficient or whether the accuracy is too low, and the determination needs to be re-initiated. Use of appropriate threshold values hence allows to define the required accuracy of the determination of the property of the container and / or the compound. For instance, a higher inaccuracy is associated with the determined property if a lower error is determined.

[0118] In block 524, it may be determined whether the error data is above the predefined threshold value(s) or not, this block being generally optional. The determination may be performed based on the result of block 522. If the error level data is above the predefined threshold value(s), the method may be re-initiated and may return to block 502. This allows to repeat the method in case the determined property is associated with an insufficient accuracy. If the error level data is below the predefined threshold value(s), the method may end or further steps outlined in the following may be performed.

[0119] The method may further include, for example after block 520 or block 524, a step of determining an action to be taken based on the determined property of the container and / or the compound and optionally controlling taking the determined action. Actions may be predefined and may differ for different states / locations of the containers, the time of day, day or week, month or year, parameter values received from a container management network, user input, determined physical conditions of the compound, or a suitable combination thereof. Actions may include, for example: scheduling transport, cleaning, emptying,

[0120] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) filling, movement, discarding or maintenance of the container, ordering of new container(s), changing the location of the container, powering down, powering up or adjusting behavior of the device, activating an alarm (e.g., a visual, sound or noise), other actions, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0121] The method may further include, for example after block 520 or block 524, a step of determining an optimized maintenance interval based on the provided property of the container, in particular the fill level data of the compound. Fill level data may be used to predict the time point when the container will be empty and can be transported back for maintenance. This prediction thus allows to schedule maintenance intervals for containers still being in use without having to wait until the container has been transported back, thus allowing to optimize the maintenance intervals based on the predictions.

[0122] The method may further include, for example after block 520 or block 524, a step of determining consolidated transports of empty containers based on the determined property of the container, in particular the determined fill level data as previously described.

[0123] FIG. 6 shows a graph depicting audio signal data measured in response to an acoustical impulse generated at the outside wall of a container. The acoustical impulse may be generated, and the resulting acoustical behavior (such as the resulting audio signal) may be measured by a device physically attached to the container, such as described in the context of FIGs. 1 to 4. The audio signal data may be acquired by sound sensor 112 of device 108 described in the context of FIG. 1. The audio signal data may contain an initial time interval AO 602. The initial time interval A1 602 may include audio signal data acquired prior to generating the acoustical impulse. The audio signal data may further contain the generated acoustic impulse 604. The audio signal data may further contain a second time interval A2 606 following the acoustical impulse 604. The second time interval A2 may correspond to the acoustic behaviour generated in response to the acoustic impulse. The audio signal data may further contain a third time interval A3 608 following the second time interval A2 606. The third time interval A3 608 may contain data associated with the reflections of the wall of the container generated in response to the generated acoustical impulse. The audio signal data may further contain a fourth time interval A4 610 following the third time interval A3 608. The fourth time interval A4 610 may contain noise. In an embodiment, the third interval A3 608 and the fourth time interval A4610 may not be used to determine the property of the container and / orthe compound. In an embodiment, only the second time interval A2 606 may be used to determine the property of the container and / orthe compound. The second time interval A2 606 may be below 100 ms from the generation of the acoustical impulse. The second time interval A2 606 may be below 80 ms and in particular up to 65 ms.

[0124] FIG. 7 shows a graph depicting reference acoustical behaviour data contained within exemplary reference measurement data as well the result of a comparison of generated acoustical behaviour data with said exemplary reference measurement data. On the x-axis, the defined amount (or fill level) of a defined compound, such as a liquid coating material, within the container is given in liter. On the y-axis, the RMS values are given. The exemplary reference measurement data may be associated with one or more

[0125] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) compounds. The compound(s) may be solid or liquid compounds. The compound(s) may be chemical compound(s). The compound(s) may be a liquid or solid coating material, such as a liquid basecoat material or a liquid base varnish.

[0126] The exemplary reference measurement data may contain root mean square (RMS) values for 4 different time intervals (e.g. RMS1 , RMS2, RMS3 and RMS4). The time intervals may range from 0 to 15 ms (time interval associated with RMS1), from 30 to 60 ms (time interval associated with RMS2), from 40 to 60 ms (time interval associated with RMS3) and from 50 to 70ms (time interval associated with RMS4). The RMS values may be determined for each defined amount of compound from a measured acoustic behaviour using the method described in the context of FIG. 5. Hence, for each amount of the defined compound (e.g. for each fill level), the acoustic behaviour may be measured and used to generate RMS values for the 4 different time intervals. The reference measurement data may hence contain 4 RMS values per amount (or fill level) of defined compound.

[0127] The RMS values contained in the exemplary reference measurement data may be compared to RMS values determined for a measured acoustic behaviour of a compound being present in an unknown amount within the container. The RMS values may be determined form the measured acoustic behaviour for the 4 time intervals defined within the exemplary reference measurement data as described previously, for example as described in the context of FIG. 5. Comparison may include determining error level data, such as the arithmetic mean error and / or the mean square error. The arithmetic mean error is denoted as AME in FIG. 7 and may be determined using formula (2a) or (3a) or (4) described previously. The mean square error is denoted as MSE in FIG. 7 and may be determined using formula (2b) or (3b) or (5) described previously. The arithmetic mean error and / or the square mean error may be determined for all RMS values associated with a defined amount (e.g. fill level) contained in the exemplary reference measurement data. Hence, all RMS values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data are compared to all respective RMS values associated with a specific fill level contained in the exemplary reference measurement data. The obtained error data may be plotted against the fill level data contained in the exemplary reference measurement data.

[0128] As outlined in the context of FIG. 5, the unknown amount of compound within the container may correspond to the defined amount (e.g. fill level) associated with the lowest arithmetic mean error and / or mean square error. Hence, all determined errors and associated fill levels may be compared, and the fill level associated with the lowest arithmetic mean error and / or the lowest mean square error may be provided as property of the container and / or the compound. In the example of FIG. 7, the lowest arithmetic mean error and the lowest mean square error is at about a fill level of 20 I. Therefore, fill level data of approx. 20 I may be determined and provided based on the comparison of the generated acoustical behaviour data and the exemplary reference measurement data.

[0129] The present method allows to determine the property of the container, such as data associated with the degree of contamination or fill level data, as well as the property of the compound present within the

[0130] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) container, such as physical property data, using acoustical behaviour s data generated from the acoustic behaviour obtained in response to an acoustic impulse. Hence, a single measurement allows to determine a variety of data associated with the container as well as the compound using the same method. Use of error data associated with specific acoustical behaviour data, such as RMS values, allows to tune the accuracy of the method as well as to determine whether the accuracy of the obtained property is sufficient or not. The property of the container and the property of the compound may be determined simultaneously or one after another. For instance, the property of the container, such as fill level data, may be determined first and said fill level data may be used to determine the property of the compound. This will simplify the material analysis. In another instance, the property of the compound may be determined before the property of the container is determined. In this case, the physical property data is used for determination of the property of the container. This will enable a more accurate fill level analysis as the material is already known.

[0131] A single unit device or system may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Procedures like the analysis of data and the adding of metadata to the data etc. performed by one or several units or devices can be performed by any other number of units, devices or systems. These procedures can be implemented as a program code means of a computer program and / or as dedicated hardware. A computer program product may be stored / distributed on a suitable medium such as an optical storage medium or a solid state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware but may also be distributed in other form such as via the internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

[0132] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims

CLAIMS1. Method for determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container, the method comprising:(a) generating at least one acoustical impulse at an outside of a wall of the container by means of a device arranged at the outside of the wall of the container,(b) measuring an acoustical behaviour generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse and optionally processing the measured acoustical behaviour, wherein the acoustical response is indicative of the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container,(c) generating acoustic behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour by determining at least one root mean square (RMS) value for at least one time interval,(d) comparing the generated acoustical behaviour data to reference measurement data containing reference acoustical behaviour data associated with the container containing one or more defined amounts of a defined compound, and(e) determining the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container based on the comparison.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the property of the container includes data on the degree of contamination of the inside of the container and / or fill level data associated with the fill level of the compound being present inside of the container.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the property of the compound being present inside the container includes physical property data of the compound, in particular compound type data, density data of the compound, temperature data of the compound, and / or viscosity data of the compound.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the acoustical behaviour generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse corresponds to at least one audio signal generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein processing the measured acoustical behaviour includes determining a frequency spectrum.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the acoustical behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour is generated based on time interval data present within the reference measurement data.

7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the acoustical behaviour data is generated by determining root mean square (RMS) value(s) for time interval data contained in the reference measurement data.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reference measurement data contains reference root mean square (RMS) values associated with time interval data for one or more defined amounts of a defined compound contained within the container.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein at least part of the reference root mean square (SPL) values contained in the reference measurement data are associated with error data.

10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the reference measurement data contains mean error data associated with reference root mean square (RMS) value(s) for all time intervals associated with a defined amount of a defined compound contained in the container.

11. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein comparing the generated acoustical behaviour data with the reference measurement data includes determining error data of the generated acoustical behaviour data to the reference measurement data, in particular determining error data of each root mean square (RMS) value contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to the respective reference root mean square (RMS) value contained in the reference measurement data and / or determining the error data of at least part of the root mean square (RMS) values contained in the generated acoustical behaviour data to the at least part of the respective reference root mean square (RMS) values contained in the reference measurement data.

12. Method according to claim 11 , further including a step of comparing the error data to one or more predefined threshold value(s) and optionally repeating steps (a) to (e) if the error data is above one or more predefined threshold values.

13. System for determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container, comprising a device attached to an outside wall of a container, wherein the device is configured to generate at least one acoustical impulse at an outside wall of the container, to measure an acoustical behaviour generated in response to the at least one acoustical impulse, wherein the acoustical response is indicative of the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container, and to optionally process the measured acoustical behaviour and a computer processor configured to generate acoustical behaviour data of the measured acoustical behaviour by determining at least one root mean square (RMS) value for at least one time interval, to compare the generated acoustical behaviour data to reference measurement data containing reference acoustical behaviour data associated with the container containing one or more defined amounts of a defined compound, and to determine the property of the container and / or the compound being present within the container based on the comparison.

14. Computer program for determining a property of a container and / or a compound being present within the container, the program comprising code means for causing the system of claim 13 to execute amethod according to any one of the claims 1 to 12, when the program is run on a computer controlling the system of claim 13.

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