Open Container Liquid Level Detection via Digital Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for accurately determining the remaining fluid level in open containers are inaccurate, laborious, and costly, often due to human error, complexity, and the need for custom equipment, which leads to inefficiencies in inventory management and increased shrinkage rates in commercial settings.
Innovation Solution
A contactless method that creates a digital profile of a container by obtaining elevation view images, replacing background pixels with high-contrast ones, and calculating the volume of liquid based on equal-volume divisions, allowing for precise measurement of liquid levels without modifying the container or relying on complex hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automated inventory systems using bar code scanning and silhouette selection are used, then inventory taking is automated, but human error and inaccuracies persist due to manual selection and label inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual estimation and touchscreen selection with an automated optical imaging system using a camera to capture the liquid level. The system uses image processing algorithms to automatically detect the liquid level position and calculate volume, eliminating manual intervention and associated errors while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital profile copy of the container's internal geometry through image analysis. This digital model is then used to calculate liquid volume based on the detected liquid level, providing an accurate representation without requiring physical measurement tools inside the container.
2Ease of operation
If image analysis methods are used to estimate fluid level, then contactless measurement is achieved, but accuracy is hampered by lighting, tone, bottle shape, and visual noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions to optimize image quality before analysis: using flash illumination to eliminate lighting variations, applying image processing to correct tone and contrast, and using container identification to select the appropriate geometric model. These preparatory steps ensure accurate measurement regardless of environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of illumination by using a controlled flash system that provides consistent lighting conditions. It also transforms the image data through processing algorithms that adjust tone and contrast, converting variable environmental conditions into standardized measurement parameters for accurate analysis.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual inventory estimation is performed, then no equipment is needed, but the process is laborious, imprecise, and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service inventory measurement by allowing the container itself to provide measurement information through its visual appearance. The camera captures an image of the liquid level, and the system automatically processes this information to determine volume, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual estimation with an automated optical measurement system. A camera captures the liquid level, and image processing algorithms automatically determine the volume, substituting human judgment with precise computational analysis while keeping the system simple and equipment-minimal.
4Measurement precision
If custom pour spouts with liquid sensing sticks are installed in bottles, then real-time liquid level detection is possible, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal measurement system that works with any standard container without requiring custom modifications. The external camera and image processing approach can measure liquid levels in any container type, eliminating the need for container-specific sensors or modified pour spouts while maintaining real-time measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical measurement system that bridges the gap between the liquid and the measurement device. Instead of placing sensors directly in the liquid or on the container, the system uses light reflection and image processing as an intermediary to detect the liquid level from outside the container, avoiding direct contact and complex installation.
5Measurement precision
If weighing containers at different times is used to estimate liquid volume, then volume change can be determined, but empty container weight consistency cannot be assumed for high-end products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the weighing method with an optical measurement system. Instead of measuring weight changes that require consistent container properties, the system directly measures the liquid level and calculates volume based on the container's digital profile, eliminating the reliability issue of variable container weights while maintaining accurate volume determination.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatus for determining a volume of remaining liquid in a container are disclosed. A container profile can first be developed using image analysis to determine a maximum liquid level in the container. The profile can then be broken into divisions, each corresponding to an equal volume. When real-world measurements of a liquid level in a real-world container are made, these can be translated to one of the divisions, which can be summed with all underlying divisions to estimate a volume of remaining liquid in the real-world container.