Positioning device

• US 9,857,496 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Albrecht, Andrej
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US15/028,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20160252642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 324 66- 67, 324 7611, 324500, 324528, 324326, 32475428, 324600, 324632, 324687, 324126
• 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;

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

a first amplifier circuit having a first input operably connected to receive the first coupling signal from the first receiving apparatus and a second input operably connected to receive a reference signal, the first amplifier circuit being configured to amplify a difference between the first coupling signal and the reference signal in at least one operating state; and

a second amplifier circuit having a first input operably connected to receive the first coupling signal from the first receiving apparatus and a second input operably connected to receive the second coupling signal from the second receiving apparatus, the second amplifier circuit being configured to amplify a difference between 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 amplifier circuit and the second amplifier circuit are each configured to generate an output signal 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 (i) receive an first output signal from the first amplifier circuit and a second output signal from the second amplifier circuit, and (ii) evaluate at least one phase position of at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal.

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

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

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

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

8. The locating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first amplifier circuit and the second amplifier circuit 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 coupling signal and second coupling signal.

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;

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

a first amplifier circuit having a first input operably connected to receive the first coupling signal from the first receiving apparatus and a second input operably connected to receive a reference signal, the first amplifier circuit being configured to amplify a difference between the first coupling signal and the reference signal in at least one operating state; and

a second amplifier circuit having a first input operably connected to receive the first coupling signal from the first receiving apparatus and a second input operably connected to receive the second coupling signal from the second receiving apparatus, the second amplifier circuit being configured to amplify a difference between the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal in at least one operating state.