Method for locating objects enclosed in a medium, and measuring device for carrying out the method

• US 7,671,577 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Skultety-Betz, Uwe, Krapf, Reiner, Renz, Kai, Haase, Bjoern
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US11/814,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 324/326, 324/67
• US Class Current: 324/67
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12

Abstract

A method for locating objects enclosed in a medium, comprising the steps of generating a measurement signal correlated with an enclosed object; using the generated measurement signal to produce a signal which represents a difference between at least a first state which is “object detected” and at least a second state which is “no object detected”; switching from the first state “object detected” to the second state “no object detected” if a magnitude of the measurement signal being measured currently falls below a previously measured local maximum value of the measurement signal by a predefined first percentage.

Claims

1. A method for locating objects enclosed in a medium, comprising the steps of generating a measurement signal correlated with an enclosed object;

using the generated measurement signal to produce a signal which represents a difference between at least a first state which is “

object detected” and

at least a second state which is “

no object detected”

;

switching from the first state “

object detected”

to the second state “

no object detected”

if a magnitude of the measurement signal being measured currently falls below a previously measured local maximum value of the measurement signal by a predefined first percentage.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising as an alternative, switching from the first state “

object detected”

to the second state “

no object detected”

if the magnitude of the measurement signal being measured currently falls below a predefined first threshold value, but without having fallen below the local maximum value of the measurement signal by the predefined first percentage.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising as an alternative, switching from the second state “

no object detected”

to the first state “

object detected”

if the magnitude of the measurement signal being measured currently exceeds a predefined second threshold value, but without having exceeded the local minimal value of the measurement signal by a predefined second percentage.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising providing the first threshold value equal to the second threshold value.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising switching from the second state “

no object detected”

to the first state “

object detected”

if the magnitude of the measurement signal being measured currently exceeds a previously measured local minimum value of the measurement signal by a predefined second percentage.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising choosing the predefined first percentage to be greater than the predefined second percentage.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising measuring the measurement signal as a function of a lateral displacement of a sensor.

8. A measuring device for carrying out the method as defined in claim 1, the measuring device comprising output means for depicting a state that is measured.

9. A measuring device as defined in claim 8, wherein said output means is configured so that they depict the state optically.

10. A measuring device as defined in claim 8, further including at least one sensor with at least one receiving conductor loop system.

11. A measuring device as defined in claim 8, wherein the measuring device is configured as a hand-held locating device.