# US 10,871,556 B2 · Angular sensor for detecting position of rotation using radar technology > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,556 B2 - Document ID: US10871556B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/763,481 - Filed: 2018-10-18 - Published: 2020-09-24 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-13 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Martin Meyer; Jürgen Zettner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871556B2 ## CPC - G01S 13/06: Systems determining position data of a target - G01D 5/48: using wave or particle radiation means (G01D5/26 takes precedence) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An angular sensor includes a base body in which a rotating element is mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation. At least one transmitting antennae is arranged on the base body and each emits a transmission signal. A reflector element extends over part of the periphery, observed tangentially in relation to the axis of rotation, reflects each transmission signal, and is arranged on the rotating element, at a radial reflector distance from the axis of rotation. A plurality of receiving antennae are arranged on the base body, the receiving antennae receiving the reflected signals as a receiving signal and supplying the receiving signal to an evaluation device. The evaluation device determines the position of rotation of the rotating element by evaluating only the receiving signals or by evaluating the receiving signals and base signals determined on the basis of the transmission signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An angular sensor comprising: a base body; a rotating element mounted in the base body for rotation about an axis of rotation; a plurality of antennae, at least one of the plurality of antennae being a transmitting antenna arranged on the base body for emitting a first transmission signal, and at least two of the plurality of antennae being each a receiving antenna arranged on the base body; a reflector element arranged on the rotating element at a radial reflector distance from the axis of rotation, said reflector element configured to extend over part of a periphery, as observed tangentially in relation to the axis of rotation, for reflecting the first transmission signal onto the receiving antennae as a first receiving signal; and an evaluation device receiving the first receiving signal from each of the receiving antennae and determining a position of rotation of the rotating element by evaluating only the first receiving signals or by evaluating the first receiving signals and first base signals determined on the basis of the first transmission signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The angular sensor of claim 1, wherein the receiving antennae are arranged on the base body in a two-dimensionally distributed manner when viewed orthogonally to the axis of rotation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The angular sensor of claim 2, wherein the receiving antennae are arranged on the base body in the form of a two-dimensional array with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The angular sensor of claim 1, wherein the evaluation device forms pairs of first signals, each of the pairs of first signals comprising two first receiving signals or one of the first receiving signals and one of the first base signals, said evaluation device configured to determine a phase difference between phases of each of the pairs of first signals and determining the position of rotation of the rotating element by evaluating the phase differences. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The angular sensor of claim 4, wherein the evaluation device is configured as a circuit operating according to a 6-port method, when evaluating the pairs of first signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The angular sensor of claim 4, wherein the plurality of antennae includes a plurality of said transmitting antennae, with the first transmission signal of each of the transmission antennae having a first signal frequency, wherein the transmitting antennae, the receiving antennae, and the first signal frequencies are coordinated in such a way that the phase difference between the phases of the first signals of each of the pairs of first signals varies by less than 360° for at least two of the pairs of first signals during a complete revolution of the reflector element around the axis of rotation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The angular sensor of claim 4, wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine an axial reflector distance and/or the radial reflector distance of the reflector element from the transmitting antenna and the receiving antennae on the basis of the phase differences of the first signals and to determine the position of rotation of the rotating element taking into account the determined axial and/or radial reflector distances. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The angular sensor as of claim 1, further comprising an annular element extending annularly around the axis of rotation and arranged on the rotating element at a radial annular distance from the axis of rotation for reflecting a second transmission signal emitted by the transmitting antenna at a different signal frequency from the first transmission signal, said receiving antennae receiving the second transmission signal as a second receiving signal and supplying the second receiving signal to the evaluation device, said evaluating device by evaluating only the second receiving signals or by evaluating the second receiving signals and second base signals determined on the basis of second transmission signals correcting the radial reflector distance and/or determining an axial reflector distance of the reflector element from the transmitting antenna and the receiving antennae and determining the position of rotation of the rotating element using the determined radial reflector distance and/or the determined axial reflector distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The angular sensor of claim 1, further comprising absorber structures arranged on the base body and/or on the rotating element and configured to absorb the transmission signal emitted by the transmitting antenna. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The angular sensor of claim 1, wherein the reflector element is arranged raised or recessed on the rotating element or is integrated into a printed circuit board structure arranged on the rotating element.