Antenna device and method for transmitting and/or receiving a signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10594017-B2
Application number	US-201615348643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

There is provided an antenna device including a signal source configured to generate a transmit signal with a basic frequency, a control device, and a first transmit channel. The transmit channel includes a first frequency conversion device and a first transmit device with a first frequency pass band. The control device is connected to the first frequency conversion device, which is configured to perform time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to a first transmit frequency, which lies in the first frequency pass band of the first transmit device, in order to provide via the first transmit channel a first transmit signal with the first transmit frequency.

First claim

We claim:

1. An antenna device for a multiple-input multiple-output fill level radar unit, which operates according to a frequency-modulated continuous-wave principle and a time-division multiplexing method, comprising:
a signal source comprising a single phase-locked loop configured to generate a transmit signal with a basic frequency;
a control device comprising a switching device;
a plurality of transmit channels comprising a first transmit channel, comprising:
a first frequency conversion device, and
a first transmit device with a first frequency pass band,

wherein the signal source is connected to the first frequency conversion device,
wherein the switching device is connected to the first frequency conversion device, and is configured to perform time-controlled switching on and off of the first frequency conversion device and time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to a first transmit frequency, which lies in a first frequency pass band of the first transmit device, in order to provide via the first transmit channel a first transmit signal with the first transmit frequency, and
wherein the conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to the first transmit frequency, which lies in the first frequency pass band, is carried out according to a specifiable first time schedule according to the time-division multiplexing method;
at least one second transmit channel, comprising:
a second frequency conversion device, and
a second transmit device with a second frequency pass band,

wherein the signal source is further connected to the second frequency conversion device of the respective at least one second transmit channel,
wherein the control device is connected to the second frequency conversion device, which is further configured to perform time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to at least a second transmit frequency, which lies in a second frequency pass band of the second transmit device of the respective at least one second transmit channel, in order to provide a second transmit signal with the second transmit frequency via the at least one second transmit channel,
wherein the conversion of the basic frequency to the second transmit frequency is carried out according to at least one specifiable second time schedule,
wherein the control device is further configured to combine the specifiable first time schedule and the at least one specifiable second time schedule to a specifiable overall time schedule, and
wherein the control device is further configured to provide the specifiable overall time schedule.

2. The antenna device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the first transmit channel and the at least one second transmit channel comprises a transmit/receive mixing device connected to the first frequency conversion device of the first transmit channel and/or to one of the second frequency conversion devices of the respective at least one second transmit channel, in order to receive a first receive signal with the first transmit frequency and/or at least one second receive signal with the second transmit frequency, and
wherein the transmit/receive mixing device is configured to provide the first receive signal and/or the at least one second receive signal as a first transmit/receive intermediate frequency signal and/or as at least one second transmit/receive intermediate frequency signal.

3. The antenna device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one receive channel, comprising:
a receive frequency conversion device; and
a receive mixing device with a receive frequency pass band,

wherein the signal source is connected to the receive frequency conversion device,
wherein the receive mixing device is connected to the receive frequency conversion device, which is configured to convert the basic frequency of the transmit signal to a receive frequency in a receive frequency pass band of the receive mixing device, in order to receive via the at least one receive channel a receive signal with the receive frequency, and
wherein the receive mixing device is configured to provide the receive signal via an output of the receive mixing device as a receive intermediate frequency signal.

4. The antenna device according to claim 3 , further comprising at least two transmit channels and at least one receive channel, said channels being arranged in a linear and/or grid form with a uniform spacing from one another, forming an antenna group.

5. The antenna device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first transmit frequency, a second transmit frequency, and/or the receive frequency are identical,
wherein the uniform spacing of said channels is half a wavelength of the first transmit frequency, half a wavelength of the second transmit frequency, and/or half a wavelength of the receive frequency, and
wherein the wavelength results from a propagation speed of a wave, which is produced by a signal with the respective frequency, divided by the respective frequency.

6. The antenna device according to claim 3 , further comprising an isolator arranged between the signal source and at least one of the first frequency conversion device, a second frequency conversion device, and/or the receive frequency conversion device,
wherein the isolator is configured to suppress a signal reflection in a conversion break of the time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to the first transmit frequency, and/or in a conversion break of the time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to at least one second transmit frequency, and/or in a conversion break of the conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to the receive frequency, in order to prevent a first receive signal, a second receive signal, and/or the receive signal from reaching the signal source and/or other transmitters and/or receivers, respectively.

7. The antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first frequency conversion device and the second frequency conversion device is connected to a switchable energy supply for the time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to the first transmit frequency or the time-controlled conversion of the basic frequency of the transmit signal to the second transmit frequency.

8. The antenna device according to claim 1 , further comprising an evaluation device configured to receive the specifiable overall time schedule and/or at least two intermediate frequency receive signals chosen from the group of intermediate frequency receive signals consisting of:
a first transmit/receive intermediate frequency signal,
at least one second transmit/receive intermediate frequency signal, and
a receive intermediate frequency signal,
wherein the evaluation device is further configured to determine a receive echo curve for a spatial direction by digital beamforming from the specifiable overall time schedule and the at least two intermediate frequency receive signals.

9. The antenna device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the digital beamforming comprises formation of a virtual co-array, and
wherein the virtual co-array has an extension that is greater than a physical extension of the antenna device in at least one spatial direction.

10. The antenna device according to claim 1 , further comprising a processing device configured to determine a fill level, a volume of an object, a mass of the object, and/or a surface structure of the object, from at least one of the overall time schedule, a receive intermediate frequency signal, a transmit/receive intermediate frequency signal, and/or a spatial orientation.

Assignees

• Grieshaber Vega Kg

Inventors

• Waelde Steffen
• Welle Roland

Classifications

• H01Q19/175

  arrayed along the focal line of a cylindrical focusing surface · CPC title

• H04B1/40 Primary

  Circuits · CPC title

• H01Q1/225 Primary

  used in level-measurement devices, e.g. for level gauge measurement · CPC title

• G01S7/03

  Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title

• G01S7/35

  Details of non-pulse systems · CPC title