Measuring device and method for detecting the characteristics of an object

• US 10,429,181 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Welle, Roland, Dieterle, Levin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bloss, Stephanie E
• Application Number:
  US15/118,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20170167865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/04 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/20 for measuring contours or curvatures, e.g. determining profile
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 11/003 Details; specially adapted accessories details of weighing apparatus in general G01G21/00; auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus in general G01G23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A measuring apparatus for detecting properties of an object including an object guidance device of a definable width, a first transmitter and at least two receivers and control circuitry. The control circuitry transmits a transmit signal and receives a receive signal. The control circuitry uses the receive signals to analyze the structure of the object along a linear region inside the width of the object guidance device.

Claims

1. A radar apparatus for determining a topology of an object on an object guidance device, a volume of the object, or a mass of the object, comprising:

an array antenna including a transmitter and at least two receivers;

control circuitry;

a measuring instrument interface; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which a program code is stored,

wherein the transmitter and the at least two receivers are positioned on a line in a lateral direction across a width of the object guiding device, which is designed to guide the object in a longitudinal direction of the object guidance device,

wherein the program code, when executed by the control circuitry, causes the control circuitry to be configured to;

transmit a transmit signal from the transmitter,

to receive, from the at least two receivers of the array antenna, receive signals which are produced by the transmit signal,

use the receive signals from the at least two receivers of the array antenna to analyse the structure of the object along a linear region in the lateral direction across the width of the object guidance device using digital beamforming, such that a topology of a surface of the object along the line in the lateral direction of the object guidance device is determined by the at least two receivers,

determine a topology of the object, a volume of the object, or a mass of the object, and

output the topology, the volume, or the mass.

2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the at least two receivers are arranged in the same plane at a definable distance from the object guidance device.

3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and/or the at least two receivers are arranged in a line.

4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the object guidance device is configured to restrict a movement of the objec to a region inside the width of the object guidance device.

5. The measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least two receivers and the transmitter are arranged inside the region of the width of the object guidance device.

6. The measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the object guidance device comprises a marker device configured to define a reference plane.

7. The measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the object guidance device is a mechanism selected from a group of mechanisms that consists of:

a conveyor belt;

a vibrating device; and

a roadway.

8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a main receive direction of the receivers is changeable.

9. The measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a digital beamforming method is used to change the main receive direction of the receivers.

10. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speed measuring apparatus,

wherein the speed measuring apparatus is configured to determine a speed of movement of the object.

11. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is a bulk solid, a vehicle and/or a body.

12. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine a topology of the object and to determine the volume and/or mass of the object from the topology.

13. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring apparatus is a two-wire system.

14. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the at least two receivers are arranged in the same plane at a definable distance from the object guidance device,

wherein the transmitter and/or the at least two receivers are arranged in a line, and

wherein the object guidance device is configured to restrict a movement of the object to a region inside the width of the object guidance device.

15. A method for determining a topology of an object on an object guidance device, a volume of the object, or a mass of the object, comprising:

transmitting a transmit signal from an array antenna including a transmitter and at least two receivers;

receiving, from the at least two receivers of the array antenna arranged on a line in a lateral direction across the width of the object guiding device, which is designed to guide the object in a longitudinal direction of the object guidance device, receive signals which are produced by the transmit signal; and

analyzing the structure of the object using the receive signals from the at least two receivers of the array antenna along a linear region in the lateral direction across the width of the object guidance device using digital beamforming, such that a topology of a surface of the object along the line in the lateral direction of the object guidance device is determined by the at least two receivers;

determining a topology of the object, a volume of the object, or a mass of the object; and

outputting the topology, the volume, or the mass.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program that when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement the method according to claim 15.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining a topology of the object; and

determining the volume and/or mass of the object from the topology.