METHOD FOR DISTANCE MEASUREMENT AND DATA TRANSMISSION IN A CONTINUOUS WAVE RADAR SYSTEM

• US 20090309780A1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hladik, Reinhard, Spandl, Manfred, Albert, Olaf, Schiefer, Martin, Gila, Janos
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/47
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for distance measurement and data transmission in a continuous wave radar system is described. A continuous wave radar system has a transmit and receive module and at least one transponder device, a mobile control and monitoring device and an HMI system. Transponder devices are searched for with the aid of an unmodulated continuous wave signal as an interrogation signal, such that the transponder device can send a radio response signal to the transmit and receive module in response to the interrogation signal, as a result of which a data transmission takes place from the transponder device to the transmit and receive module. Upon completion of the data transmission a frequency-modulated continuous wave signal is generated in order to measure, on the basis thereof, a distance between the transponder device and the transmit and receive module.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method for distance measurement and data transmission in a continuous wave radar system in which a transmit and receive module and a transponder device are disposed, comprising:

generating an unmodulated continuous wave signal at a predetermined frequency in the transmit and receive module;

searching for the transponder device with the aid of the unmodulated continuous wave signal as an interrogation signal;

sending a radio response signal in response to the interrogation signal from a transponder device to the transmit and receive module;

generating a frequency-modulated continuous wave signal in the transmit and receive module in response to the radio response signal; and

measuring a distance between the transmit and receive module and the transponder device with the aid of the frequency-modulated continuous wave signal.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein a radiation frequency of the unmodulated continuous wave signal is keyed in the transmit and receive module at a predetermined frequency during the searching for a transponder device.

31. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the transmit and receive module generates a real signal from the received radio response signal.

32. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the transmit and receive module generates a real signal from the received radio response signal.

33. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the transmit and receive module performs a decoding of the data transmitted by the radio response signal and performs a distance measurement based on the real signal.

34. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the transmit and receive module performs a decoding of the data transmitted by the radio response signal and performs a distance measurement based on the received radio response signal.

35. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein, before an unmodulated continuous wave signal is generated, a predetermined frequency range is sampled in order to determine free frequency bands, and wherein the predetermined frequency of the unmodulated continuous wave signal lies in a free frequency band.

36. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the unmodulated continuous wave signal is generated once again for a predetermined time following completion of data decoding and/or distance measurement.

37. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the phase of the unmodulated continuous wave signal is shifted at a predetermined frequency, the shift preferably amounting to ±

90°

.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the phase shift is performed in the transmit and receive module or in the transponder device.

39. A continuous wave radar system, comprising:

a transmit and receive module configured to generate an unmodulated continuous wave signal at a predetermined frequency and a frequency-modulated continuous wave signal; and

a transponder device configured to send a radio response signal in response to an interrogation signal, wherein

the transmit and receive module is also configured to generate the unmodulated continuous wave signal as an interrogation signal for searching for the transponder device and to generate the frequency-modulated continuous wave signal in response to a radio response signal from the transponder device.

40. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the transmit and receive module includes frequency shift keying means for keying the frequency of the unmodulated continuous wave signal during the search for the transponder device.

41. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 39, further comprising:

a mixer for generating a real signal from the received radio response signal.

42. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 41, further comprising:

a demodulation unit for decoding the data transmitted by the radio response signal; and

an evaluation unit for distance measurement, wherein the decoding and the distance measurement are performed based on the real signal.

43. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the transmit and receive module includes a complex receiver.

44. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 39, further comprising:

sampling means for sampling a predetermined frequency range prior to the generation of an unmodulated continuous wave signal in order to determine free frequency bands, wherein the predetermined frequency of the unmodulated continuous wave signal lies in a free frequency band.

45. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the transmit and receive module is configured to generate the unmodulated continuous wave signal once again for a predetermined time following completion of data decoding and/or distance measurement.

46. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 39, further comprising:

phase shifting means for shifting the phase of the umnodulated continuous wave signal at a predetermined frequency, the shift preferably amounting to ±

90°

.

47. The continuous wave radar system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the phase shifting means are disposed in the transmit and receive module or in the transponder device.

48. A mobile control and monitoring device for automation components of a technical system, comprising:

a transmit and receive module configured to generate an unmodulated continuous wave signal at a predetermined frequency and a frequency-modulated continuous wave signal, wherein the transmit and receive module is also configured to generate the unmodulated continuous wave signal for searching for a transponder device and to generate the frequency-modulated continuous wave signal in response to a radio response signal from the transponder device.