Circuit arrangement for obtaining a constant field strength of an HF signal radiated by a transmitting device with exchangeable antenna

• US 5,349,357 A
• Filed: 07/17/1992
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Schurmann, Josef H., D'Hont, Lodewijk J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US07/916,045
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 342/51, 342/44, 342/42
• US Class Current: 342/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/282 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core

Abstract

A circuit arrangement is described with the aid of which a constant field strength of an HF signal radiated by a transmitting device (10) having an exchangeable antenna (12) can be achieved. Associated with the exchangeable antenna (12) is an antenna-specific component R1 from which in the operating state a control signal can be tapped after connection of the antenna (12) to the transmitting device (10). Said control signal is applied in the transmitting device (10) to an assembly (28) for influencing the transmitting power.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for obtaining constant field strength of an HF signal radiated by an antenna of a transmitting device which has exchangeable antennas and an assembly within comprising:

a transmitting device for generating and transmitting a constant field strength HF signal;

at least one exchangeable, disconnectable antenna, capable of being connected to and disconnected from said transmitting device for transmitting said constant field strength signal, comprising,

an antenna-specific component, distinct for each exchangeable antenna, for increasing, decreasing or maintaining the transmitting power of said transmitting device via transmission of a control signal from said antenna-specific component to an assembly disposed within said transmitting device.

2. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting device has a supply voltage and said component is an ohmic resistor which forms, with an ohmic resistor disposed within the transmitting device, a voltage divider connected to the supply voltage of the transmitting device and that said control signal is part of the supply voltage.

3. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component is a voltage sensor which generates the control signal in dependence upon the voltage present at the antenna.

4. A circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said antenna-specific component is a voltage sensor which senses a voltage present at said exchangeable antenna subsequent to said generation of said HF signals and generates a control signal dependent upon said voltage.

5. Circuit arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the voltage sensor comprises a rectifier circuit which rectifies the HF signal present at the antenna and generates the control signal in the form of a rectified voltage.

6. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component is a current sensor which senses a current flowing through said exchangeable antenna upon generation of said HF signals and generates the control signal in dependence upon said current flowing through the antenna.

7. Circuit arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the current sensor includes a coil coupled inductively to the antenna.

8. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the assembly for increasing, decreasing or maintaining the transmitting power is a voltage regulator for changing the amplitude of the HF signal emitted by the transmitting device, said regulator adjusting the supply voltage of the transmitting device in dependence upon the control signal.

9. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting device emits the HF signal in the form of pulses and that the assembly for influencing the transmitting power is a pulse duration modulator which adjusts the duration of the pulses emitted by the transmitting device in dependence upon the control signal.

10. A method for obtaining a constant field strength of an HF signal radiated by an antenna of a transmitting device which has exchangeable antennas comprising the steps of:

generating HF signals to be transmitted;

amplifying said HF signals;

supplying said amplified HF signals to an exchangeable antenna, which has an antenna-specific component, in the form of a voltage;

detecting said supplied voltage and transmitting a control signal to said transmitting device in response to said supplied voltage;

modifying said supplied voltage in response to said control signal transmitted from said antenna-specific component;

transmitting said constant field strength signal.