# US 9,752,917 B2 · Microwave barrier and method of recognizing an object in a microwave path > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,917 B2 - Document ID: US9752917B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/163,164 - Filed: 2014-01-24 - Published: 2014-07-31 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-28 - Assignees: Sick AG - Applicants: Sick AG - Inventors: Thomas Weber - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752917B2 ## CPC - G01F 23/284: Electromagnetic waves - G01F 23/2845: {for discrete levels (G01F23/288, G01F23/292 take precedence)} - G01S 7/40: Means for monitoring or calibrating - G01V 3/12: operating with electromagnetic waves {(operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005)} - G01V 8/005: {operating with millimetre waves, e.g. measuring the black losey radiation} - G01S 7/003: {Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations} - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - 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 - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract A microwave barrier (10) is provided which has a first microwave unit (14a) having a microwave transmitter and a first antenna (16a) for transmitting a microwave signal and which has a second microwave unit (14b) having a microwave receiver and a second antenna (16b) for receiving the microwave signal and which also has an evaluation unit which is configured to recognize from the received microwave signal whether an object (17) is located on the microwave path (12) between the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b). In this respect, the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b) each have a radio frequency transceiver to transmit and to receive microwave signals and the radio frequency transceiver is part of an integrated digital module for wireless communication. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transceivers (18) are configured for the 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, 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 and at least one switching threshold is derived therefrom. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the module (20) is integrated on an electronic card (26) with the evaluation unit (22). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the first antenna (16a) and the second antenna (16b) has a non-directional transmission. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coexistence strategy is one of a frequency change and a frequency spread implemented in frequency spreading. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one further microwave unit (14c-e) is provided which spans at least one further microwave path (12b-d) with at least one of the first microwave unit (14a) and the second microwave unit (14b) for the recognition of objects (17, 32) in the microwave path (12b-d). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the microwave units (14a-e) has an interface (28) for transmitting data from the microwave barrier device (10) and/or into the microwave barrier device (10). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The microwave barrier device (10) in accordance with claim 9, wherein at least one microwave unit (14a-e) does not have its own interface (28), but rather exchanges data via the microwave path (12a-d) and the interface (28) of another microwave unit (14a-e). ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 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. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 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.