Method for identifying a system state of a technical system with a sensor device having a passive component, as well as a sensor device and use of a sensor device

• US 20020142729A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Pohl, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US10/109,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20020142729A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/46 Active lenses or reflecting arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna

Abstract

A method, as well as an associated sensor device and use of such method, for identifying a system state of a technical system (7) by a sensor device with an antenna element (1; 10) for receiving and transmitting radio signals (13; 14) to detect and communicate the system state. The transmission behavior of the antenna element is determined by controlling at least one load impedance (8) of the antenna element. The load impedance of the antenna element is controlled by a physical signal (6).

Claims

1. Method for identifying a system state of a technical system by a sensor device, comprising:

detecting and communicating the system state with antenna elements for receiving and transmitting radio signals;

regulating the transmission behavior of the antenna elements by controlling at least one load impedance of the antenna elements, and

controlling the load impedance of the antenna elements by a physical signal.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said detecting and communicating comprises receiving a high-frequency radio signal via the antenna elements.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said detecting and communicating comprises receiving a mono-frequency radio signal via the antenna elements.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said detecting and communicating comprises receiving a mono-frequency radio signal and transmitting a radio signal with a main band region and several sideband regions by the antenna elements.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein signal properties of the physical signal change on a transmission path of the physical signal.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a light signal is transmitted as the physical signal.

7. Method as claimed in claim 6,

wherein at least one of an amplitude, a frequency and a phase of the light signal changes on a transmission path of the light signal.

8. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a magnetic signal is transmitted as the physical signal.

9. Method as claimed in claim 8,

wherein at least one of an amplitude, a frequency and a phase of the magnetic signal changes on a transmission path of the magnetic signal.

10. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a force signal is transmitted as the physical signal.

11. Method as claimed in claim 10,

wherein at least one of an amplitude, a frequency and a phase of the force signal changes on a transmission path of the force signal.

12. Method as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising supplying an output signal of the load impedance to the antenna elements via a converter device.

14. Sensor device as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the load impedance is a light-sensitive element.

15. Sensor device as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the light-sensitive element is an LDR element or a phototransistor.

16. Sensor device as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the load impedance is a magneto-sensitive element.

17. Sensor device as claimed in claim 16,

wherein the magneto-sensitive element is a GMI element or a GMR element.

18. Sensor device as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the load impedance is a force-sensitive element.

19. Sensor device as claimed in claim 18,

wherein the force-sensitive element is a piezo element.

20. Sensor device as claimed in claim 13,

further comprising a converter device transmitting output signals of the load impedance to the one antenna element.

21. Sensor device as claimed in claim 20,

wherein the converter device is a field effect transistor.

22. Sensor device as claimed in claim 20,

wherein the converter device is a variable capacitance diode.

24. The method according to claim 23,

wherein the further signal is transmitted in a time interval that is during and that is less than a time duration in which the radio signal is transmitted.

25. The method according to claim 23,

wherein the further signal has an uncorrelated signal sequence or a signal code.

27. The device according to claim 26, further comprising a converter device that converts the output of the passive load impedance into a converted output supplied to the second antenna element.

13. Sensor device, comprising:

antenna elements receiving and transmitting radio signals; and

a load impedance of one of the antenna elements,

wherein the transmission behavior of the one antenna element is regulated by controlling at least the load impedance, and

wherein the load impedance is a passive component controlled by a physical signal.

23. A method, comprising:

transmitting a radio signal from a first element;

transmitting a further signal, at least one signal property of which is altered upon interaction of the signal with a test subject;

receiving the altered signal with a load impedance that operates without active components;

outputting a reaction of the load impedance to the altered signal to a second element;

reflecting the radio signal from the second element as a reflected radio signal modulated by the reaction output to the second element; and

evaluating the reflected radio signal.

26. A device, comprising:

a first antenna element transmitting a radio signal;

a source that outputs a physical signal having a signal property that is altered by interaction with an evaluation subject;

a passive load impedance that produces an output in response to the altered physical signal;

a second antenna element that reflects the radio signal modulated in accordance with the output of the passive load impedance; and

an evaluation unit that processes the reflected radio signal.