Compact low power consumption microwave distance sensor obtained by power measurement on a stimulated receiving oscillator

• US 20060220947A1
• Filed: 02/16/2004
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andreas Kornbichler, Martin Nalezinski, Martin Vossiek
• Original Assignee: Andreas Kornbichler, Martin Nalezinski, Martin Vossiek
• Inventors: Nalezinski, Martin, Kornbichler, Andreas, Vossiek, Martin
• Application Number:
  US10/550,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220947A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/12 wherein the pulse-recurrence frequency is varied to provide a desired time relationship between the transmission of a pulse and the receipt of the echo of a preceding pulse
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/341 wherein the rate of change of the transmitted frequency is adjusted to give a beat of predetermined constant frequency, e.g. by adjusting the amplitude or frequency of the frequency-modulating signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a pulse radar that comprises a receiving oscillator whose transient response is influenced by a received return.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A transceiver assembly, comprising:

a transmitter for sending a transmission signal;

a receiver for receiving a reflection signal formed by a reflection of the transmission signal, said receiver having a receiving oscillator with a transient response influenced by the reflection signal.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein at least one of a build-up time and an average delivered power of said receiving oscillator is influenced by the reflection signal.

15. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein a power of said receiving oscillator can be measured.

16. The assembly according to claim 13, which further comprises means for switching said receiving oscillator on and off.

17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein said means is configured to switch said receiving oscillator periodically following a clock rate.

18. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein said receiving oscillator is also a transmitting oscillator for generating the transmission signal.

19. The assembly according to claim 13, which further comprises a transmitting oscillator for generating the transmission signal.

20. The assembly according to claim 13, which further comprises a mixer configured to add together a first measurement sub-signal and a second measurement sub-signal.

21. The assembly according to claim 13, which further comprises a mixer with two diodes connected with a same polarity, and wherein a measurement signal is formed by a sum of two measurement sub-signals.

22. The assembly according to claim 13, which further comprises a mixer with two diodes connected with opposite polarity, and wherein a measurement signal is formed by a difference between two measurement sub-signals.

30. In combination with a building, the assembly according to claim 13.

31. In combination with an industrial plant, the assembly according to claim 13.

23. A distance-measurement assembly, comprising:

a transmitter for sending a transmission signal towards a target;

a receiver for receiving a reflection signal formed by a reflection of the transmission signal at the target, said receiver having a receiving oscillator with a transient response influenced by the reflection signal.

24. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein said transmitter is a radar transmitter.

25. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein said transmitter is a pulsed radar transmitter.

26. The assembly according to claim 23, which further comprises a mixer configured to add together a first measurement sub-signal and a second measurement sub-signal.

27. The assembly according to claim 23, which further comprises a mixer with two diodes connected with a same polarity, and wherein a measurement signal is formed by a sum of two measurement sub-signals.

28. The assembly according to claim 23, which further comprises a mixer with two diodes connected with opposite polarity, and wherein a measurement signal is formed by a difference between two measurement sub-signals.

29. In combination with a motor vehicle, the assembly according to claim 23.

32. A measurement method, which comprises:

generating and transmitting a transmission signal with a transmitter;

receiving a reflection of the transmitted signal with a receiver having a receiving oscillator; and

influencing a transient response of the receiving oscillator with the reflection of the transmitted signal.

33. The measurement method according to claim 32, which comprises measuring a distance to a target.