Microwave barrier and method of recognizing an object in a microwave path

A microwave barrier device (10) comprising:

• a first microwave unit (14a) having a microwave transmitter and a first antenna (16a) for transmitting a microwave signal;
• a second microwave unit (14b) having a microwave receiver and a second antenna (16b) for receiving the microwave signal;
• a microwave path present between the first microwave unit and the second microwave unit;
• and
• an evaluation unit (22) configured to recognize from the received microwave signal whether an object (17, 32) is located on the microwave path (12),
• wherein the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b) each comprise an integrated module (20) with a radio frequency transceiver (18) to transmit and to receive the microwave signals, the radio frequency transceivers (18) each provided as part of its respective integrated module (20) designed for wireless communication unrelated to use as a microwave barrier,
• wherein the evaluation unit (22) is configured to recognize an object (17, 32) located on the microwave path (12) by an intensity evaluation of the microwave signal,
• and wherein the intensity evaluation of the microwave signal comprises an evaluation of one of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and a quality factor for a connection quality.

A microwave barrier device (10) comprising:

• a first microwave unit (14a) having a microwave transmitter and a first antenna (16a) for transmitting a microwave signal;
• a second microwave unit (14b) having a microwave receiver and a second antenna (16b) for receiving the microwave signal;
• a microwave path present between the first microwave unit and the second microwave unit;
• and
• an evaluation unit (22) configured to recognize from the received microwave signal whether an object (17, 32) is located on the microwave path (12),
• wherein the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b) each comprise an integrated module (20) with a radio frequency transceiver (18) to transmit and to receive the microwave signals, the radio frequency transceivers (18) each provided as part of its respective integrated module (20) designed for wireless communication unrelated to use as a microwave barrier,
• and wherein the evaluation unit (22) is configured for a teaching mode in which intensity values for a free microwave path (12) and/or for a microwave path (12) having a known object (17, 13) are determined and stored.

A microwave barrier device (10) comprising:

• a first microwave unit (14a) having a microwave transmitter and a first antenna (16a) for transmitting a microwave signal;
• a second microwave unit (14b) having a microwave receiver and a second antenna (16b) for receiving the microwave signal;
• a microwave path present between the first microwave unit and the second microwave unit;
• and
• an evaluation unit (22) configured to recognize from the received microwave signal whether an object (17, 32) is located on the microwave path (12),
• wherein the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b) each comprise an integrated module (20) with a radio frequency transceiver (18) to transmit and to receive the microwave signals, the radio frequency transceivers (18) each provided as part of its respective integrated module (20) designed for wireless communication unrelated to use as a microwave barrier,
• and wherein the evaluation unit (22) is configured for a test mode in which no microwaves are transmitted.

A filling level sensor or point level monitor for determining the filling level of a medium (32) in a container (30) with at least one microwave barrier (10) comprising:

• a first microwave unit (14a) having a microwave transmitter and a first antenna (16a) for transmitting a microwave signal;
• a second microwave unit (14b) having a microwave receiver and a second antenna (16b) for receiving the microwave signal;
• a microwave path present between the first microwave unit and the second microwave unit;
• and
• an evaluation unit (22) configured to recognize from the received microwave signal whether an object (17, 32) is located on the microwave path (12),
• wherein the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b) each comprise a radio frequency transceiver (18) to transmit and to receive microwave signals, the radio frequency transceiver (18) provided as part of an integrated module (20) designed for wireless communication unrelated to use as a microwave barrier,
• and wherein the integrated module (20) provides an evaluation which assesses quality and stability of a communication connection and the evaluation unit (22) uses the evaluation from the integrated module (20) to extract information about the intensity of the received microwave signals for drawing a conclusion about an object on the microwave path (12), and in that a coexistence strategy is implemented on the module by means of which a microwave signal and a microwave unit can unambiguously be assigned with one another, the coexistence strategy comprising associating the received microwave signal with the microwave unit.

A method of recognizing an object in a microwave path (12) by transmitting a microwave signal between a first microwave unit (14a) and a second microwave unit (14b),

• the method comprising the steps of:
• using an integrated module (20) in each of the first and second microwave units (14a, 14b), the integrated modules (20) each transmitting and receiving the microwave signal bidirectionally by means of a radio frequency transceiver (18) from the first microwave unit (14a) to the second microwave unit (14b) and vice versa by means of a high frequency transceiver (18) and wherein it is detected by an intensity evaluation of the microwave signal whether an object is located on the microwave path between the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b);
• and
• using the radio frequency transceiver (18) to process the microwave signals, wherein the step of processing the microwave signals takes place in an integrated module (20) for wireless communication and on the basis of processes implemented in the module (20) designed for wireless communication unrelated to use as a microwave barrier,
• and wherein the integrated module (20) provides an evaluation which assesses quality and stability of a communication connection and the evaluation unit (22) uses the evaluation from the integrated module (20) to extract information about the intensity of the received microwave signals for drawing a conclusion about an object on the microwave path (12), and in that a coexistence strategy is implemented on the module by means of which a microwave signal and a microwave unit can unambiguously be assigned with one another, the coexistence strategy comprising associating the received microwave signal with the microwave unit.