Positioning Device

• US 20160252642A1
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Albrecht, Andrej
• Granted Patent: US 9,857,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/165 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by the object or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/17

Abstract

A locating device includes an AC voltage locating apparatus. The AC voltage locating apparatus has a first receiving apparatus configured to receive a first coupling signal from a locatable object. The AC voltage locating apparatus also has at least a second receiving apparatus configured to receive at least a second coupling signal from the locatable object. The AC voltage locating apparatus also has at least a first amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference of the first coupling signal relative to a reference signal in at least one operating. The AC voltage locating apparatus also has at least a second amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference of the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal in at least one operating state.

Claims

1. A locating device, comprising:

an AC voltage locating apparatus, including;

a first receiving apparatus configured to receive a first coupling signal from a locatable object;

at least a second receiving apparatus configured to receive at least a second coupling signal from the locatable object;

at least a first amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference of the first coupling signal relative to a reference signal in at least one operating state; and

at least a second amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference of the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal in at least one operating state.

2. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein during AC voltage locating, the first and second amplifier circuits are configured to generate one output signal each formed as a square-wave signal.

3. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AC voltage locating apparatus further includes:

an evaluation device configured to evaluate at least one phase position.

4. The locating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the evaluation device is further configured to determine at least one locating direction from the phase position.

5. The locating device at least as claimed in claim 2, wherein an evaluation device is configured to evaluate the output signals in a binary manner.

6. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference signal is designed as a device ground of the AC voltage locating apparatus.

7. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second amplifier circuits have an amplification factor of at least 50 dB.

8. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuits each include at least one operational amplifier.

9. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AC voltage locating apparatus further includes:

at least one filter apparatus configured to filter at least one of the first and second coupling signals.

10. An AC voltage locating apparatus of a locating device comprising:

a first receiving apparatus configured to receive a first coupling signal from a locatable object;

at least a second receiving apparatus configured to receive at least a second coupling signal from the locatable object;

at least a first amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference of the first coupling signal relative to a reference signal in at least one operating state; and

at least a second amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference of the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal in at least one operating state.