Antenna device and method for operating an antenna device

• US 9,876,267 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Welle, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US15/354,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20170141454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/04 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves
• 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 13/422 sequential lobing, e.g. conical scan
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/225 used in level-measurement devices, e.g. for level gauge measurement
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/175 arrayed along the focal line of a cylindrical focusing surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/103 Reflected power, e.g. return loss

Abstract

An antenna device is disclosed including a control means and at least two transmission means in predeterminable positions and at least two receiving means in predeterminable positions. The control means is set up in such a way that it alternately individually excites the at least two transmission means in transmission, in such a way that each of the at least two receiving means receives a transmitted signal generated by each of the at least two transmission means. The control means is further set up to excite the at least two transmission means jointly in transmission at a predeterminable moment in such a way that each of the at least two receiving means receives a transmission signal generated by a single virtual transmission means.

Claims

1. An antenna device, comprising:

a controller; and

an antenna array comprising;

at least two transmission devices in first predeterminable positions,

at least two receiving devices in second predeterminable positions,

wherein the controller is configured to alternately individually excite the at least two transmission devices for transmission in such a way that each of the at least two receiving devices receives a transmitted signal generated by each of the at least two transmission devices,

wherein the controller is further configured to excite the at least two transmission devices jointly for transmission at a predeterminable moment, in such a way that each of the at least two receiving devices receives a transmitted signal generated by a single virtual transmission device, and

wherein the virtual transmission device is arranged in a predeterminable position which differs from the first predeterminable positions of the at least two transmission devices.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an evaluation device,

wherein the controller is further configured to determine the predeterminable moment by applying at least two different time schemes,

wherein the controller is further configured to excite the at least two transmission devices alternately in transmission in accordance with a predeterminable first time scheme in such a way that the transmitted signals generated by the at least two transmission devices are assignable to one of the at least two transmission devices when received by the at least two receiving devices,

wherein the controller is further configured to excite the at least two transmission devices jointly in transmission in accordance with a predeterminable second time scheme in such a way that the transmitted signals generated by the at least two transmission devices appear to originate from a single virtual transmission device when received by the at least two receiving devices at a predeterminable distance from the transmission devices,

wherein the evaluation device is configured to receive received signals via the at least two receiving devices while the predeterminable first time scheme is active and while the predeterminable second time scheme is active, and

wherein the evaluation device is configured to form an echo curve for a predeterminable spatial direction from the first predeterminable positions of the transmission devices and/or from the second predeterminable positions of the receiving devices using the received signals received during the predeterminable first time scheme and during the predeterminable second time scheme.

3. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation device is configured to form a virtual array from the antenna array.

4. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the total of durations from the predeterminable first time scheme and the predeterminable second time scheme determines the duration of a measurement cycle.

5. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation device is configured to weight the received signals;

and/or

wherein the controller is configured to weight the transmitted signals.

6. The antenna device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine a level, a volume of an object, a mass of an object and/or a surface structure of an object.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second predeterminable positions of adjacent transmission devices and/or receiving devices are arranged at a distance which is less than or equal to half the wavelength of the used signals.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least two transmission devices are arranged with respect to a reference point, and

wherein the virtual transmission device appears to be positioned at the reference point.

9. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted signals generated by the at least two transmission devices are each assignable to one of the at least two transmission devices by applying a time-multiplexing method and/or a coding method.

10. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is set up to excite the at least two transmission devices using a frequency-modulated continuous wave signal.

11. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two transmission devices and one of the at least two receiving devices are formed as joint transceiver device which is configured to both transmit a signal and receive a signal.

12. The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna device is configured as a two-conductor instrument having a power supply line also used for transferring data.

13. A level measuring instrument for determining a level and/or for determining a surface structure of an object, the level measuring instrument comprising an antenna device according to claim 1.