Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to proximity devices capable of detecting a object, especially an obstacle, which are arranged inside a space to be monitored. Proximity devices for detecting near range objects of the generic art are known, especially for use in vehicles in order to allow a driver of the vehicle to route the vehicle without contacting such objects, for instance, when routing the vehicle into or out of a parking space, or the like. However, such proximity devices may also be applied to vessels routed in a harbor to an embarkation point or the like. Background Art

It is known from the art that near range obstacles can be detected by using an optical sensor which is adapted to detect light emitted from a light source in the space to be monitored and which may be reflected by the obstacle or the like. The optical sensor receives the light reflected and, in turn, generates a respective electrical signal which is further processed by a processing unit in order to identify the obstacle in a moving path of the vehicle.

However, such systems suffer from being influenced by environmental illumination and possible optical differing characteristics in view of light reflecting properties. Misdetection may be the consequence. Hence, it is an object of the invention to improve such devices.

Summary of the Invention

Technical problem to be solved

The invention proposes a first proximity-device-related aspect according to independent claim 1. Moreover, the invention proposes a second vehicle-related aspect according to independent claim 12. Various further aspects of at least some exemplary embodiments of the aspects of the invention are set out in respective dependent claims.

Technical solution

Especially, there is provided a proximity device capable of detecting a near range object in a space to be monitored, the device comprising: an antenna unit adapted to generate a near range electromagnetic field for the three dimensions in the space to be monitored which near range electromagnetic field is capable to be reflected by the near range object; a radio frequency generating unit connected with the antenna unit, the radio frequency generating unit supplying at least one radio frequency signal to the antenna unit; a sensor unit capable of detecting the near range electromagnetic field, the sensor unit including: a plurality of sensor elements, each adapted to sense an electromagnetic field in a respective predefined space portion and create an individual sensor signal in response to the electromagnetic field sensed, wherein the plurality of sensor elements is arranged such that the respective predefined space portions of the sensor elements cover the space to be monitored; and a processing unit connected with the sensor elements, in order to receive the sensor signals of each of the sensor elements, and adapted to determine energy levels of the near range electromagnetic field for each of the respective predefined space portions of the sensor elements, wherein the processing unit is further configured to analyze the energy levels of the volume elements and, in response thereto, determine a position of the near range object inside the space to be monitored.

Especially, there is further provided a vehicle comprising a proximity device according to the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings

The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood and at least some additional specific details will appear by considering the following de-tailed description of at least some exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which show:

Fig. 1 schematically a stone throw through a space to be monitored in a perspective view;

Fig. 2 a schematic view of an antenna unit and a sensor unit according to the invention;

Fig. 3 a schematic perspective view of a sensor unit comprising a plurality of sensor elements which are arranged in compound arrangement; Fig. 4 schematically a spherical display displaying the stone throw of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 schematically different volume sequences of the space to be monitored as displayed by the display according to Fig. 4, wherein the volume elements are colored according to their energy content calculated based on energy levels determined by a processing unit according to the invention; and

Fig. 6 a schematic plan view of another sensor unit according to the invention, wherein the sensor unit comprises sensor elements being spherically arranged.

Detailed Description of Embodiments Fig. 1 shows in a schematic perspective view a proximity device 10 for detecting near range objects 12 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The object 12 is in this case a stone 12 inside a space 14 to be monitored. The space 14 to be monitored is divided into volume elements which are only schematically indicated in the space 14 to be monitored and only three of them are referenced by reference characters Al, A2, A3. The whole sphere forming the space 14 is composed of such volume elements.

Moreover, Fig. 1 shows a stone throw which path runs through the space 14 and affects the volume elements Al, A2, A3 as indicated by a curve 12.

The proximity device 10 according to the invention comprises an antenna unit 20 adapted to generate a near range electromagnetic field for the three dimensions in the space 14 to be monitored; a radio frequency generating unit 30 connected with the antenna unit 20, the radio frequency generating unit 30 supplying at least one radio frequency signal to the antenna unit 20.

The proximity device 10 further comprises a sensor unit 40 capable of detecting the near range electromagnetic field, wherein the sensor unit 40 includes in this embodiment five sensor elements 42, each adapted to sense an electromagnetic field in a respective predefined space portion and create an individual sensor signal in response to the electromagnetic field sensed, wherein the sensor elements 42 are arranged such that the respective predefined space portions of the sensor elements 42 cover the space 14 to be monitored.

The proximity device 10 also comprises a processing unit 50 connected with the sensor elements 42, in order to receive the sensor signals of each of the sensor elements 42, and adapted to determine energy levels of the near range electromagnetic field for the volume elements such as Al, A2, A3 of the space 14 to be monitored. The processing unit 50 is further configured to analyze the energy levels of the volume elements Al, A2, A3 and, in response thereto, determine a position of the near range object 12 inside the space 14 to be monitored. The proximity device 10 with its components is schematically shown in Fig. 2.

As can be additionally derived from Fig. 2, the antenna unit 20 includes a plurality of antenna elements 22, 24, 26, each adapted to generate an electromagnetic field in a respective predefined space portion, wherein the antenna elements 22, 24, 26 are arranged such that the respective predefined space portions of the antenna elements 22, 24, 26 cover the space 14 to be monitored.

Moreover, the radio frequency generating unit 30 is configured to generate a plurality of radio frequency signals, each supplied to a single one of the plurality of antenna elements 22, 24, 26, wherein each radio frequency signal is unique with respect to the others. In this regard, it is possible for each sensor element 42 to allocate a sensed portion of the electromagnetic field to one of the antenna elements 22, 24, 26 by detecting its identifier in the electromagnetic field sensed. Additionally or alternatively, the processing unit 50 can be enhanced, to identify the identifier in the sensor signals as supplied from the sensor elements 42. Based hereon, the processing unit 50 is configured to calculate the energy levels for the volume elements Al, A2, A3 of the space 14 to be monitored.

Preferably, the processing unit 50 comprises a computer unit in order to pro-vide respective calculations so that the energy levels of the different volume elements Al, A2, A3 and the like can be calculated. A single volume element is further shown in Fig. 1, namely the volume element Al. As can be seen from Fig. 1 the volume element has the dimensions x, y, z. Since the space 14 to be monitored is a portion of a sphere, the volume elements Al, A2, A3 have some differing dimensions. Moreover, the following equation can be applied:

As can be further derived from Fig. 2, the radio frequency generating unit 30 supplies radio frequency signals to each of the antenna elements 22, 24, 26. So, the three antenna elements 22, 24, 26 generate the near range electro-magnetic field by superimposing each of the electromagnetic fields generated by the respective antenna element 22, 24, 26 so that the whole space 14 is covered by the electromagnetic field.

As can be further seen in Fig. 2, there are provided five sensor elements 42 at different positions with respect to the antenna unit 20. Each of the sensor elements 42 is composed of a plurality of sensor parts (Fig. 3) which are capable to detect the electromagnetic field selectively in a certain space portion. All sensor elements 42 are connected with the processing unit 50 in order to supply there sensor signals to the processing unit 50. The antenna unit 20 may be mounted on a roof of a vehicle (not shown). In an alternate embodiment, it is mounted at a bottom side of a chassis of the vehicle.

As further indicated in Fig. 2, the respective radio frequency signals comprise an identifier 32, which is capable to identify the respective antenna element 22, 24, 26 as a sender. So, the identifiers 32 of the radio frequency signals as supplied to the antenna element 22, 24, 26 differ from each other in this regard. The frequency range of the radio frequency signals may be in the range of microwaves, radar or the like, preferably in the range of one to more GHz up to decades of GHz.

Fig. 4 shows a display unit 60 that is configured to display the energy levels of the near range electromagnetic field for each of the respective predefined space portions of the sensor elements 42 and/or the volume elements Al, A2, A3 of the space 14 to be monitored determined by the processing unit 50 in 3-dimensions. Fig. 4 shows a spherical display which is at least partial trans-parent. The display 60 is held by a support 62. Moreover, on a ground plane 64 of the support 62 are located a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) based viewers which emit light that interacts in a predefined way with the transparent sphere so that the stone throw according to Fig. 1 is displayed. The respective display portion is indicated by the reference character 68. In this embodiment, the display unit 60 is arranged inside the vehicle and forms part of a cockpit. Fig. 5 shows another embodiment for displaying, wherein the display unit 60 shows amendments of the energy level of the volume elements Al, A2, A3 and the like. As far as an obstacle interacts with the near range electromagnetic field, the energy levels of the respective volume elements vary which is determined by the processing unit 50. According to the variation, the respective volume elements displayed by the display unit 60 are provided with different colors depending on the amendment of the energy level. So, a user can easily recognize the occurrence of obstacles in the near range by noting the colors. So, the display unit 60 completes the proximity device 10. Fig. 6 shows another embodiment for a sensor element 42 which is com-posed of a plurality of sensor parts 44. The sensor parts 44 are arranged on a sphere, namely on its outer surface. Inside the sphere, there is provided a hardware circuitry, which is connected to all of the sensor parts 44 and which provides preprocessing of the signals as supplied from the sensor parts 44. In response thereto, the hardware circuitry delivers the sensor signal which is determined to be supplied to the processing unit 50.

The sensor parts 44 are adapted to ascertain a deviation of the energy density with respect to the different portions of the near range electromagnetic field as generated by the antenna elements 22, 24, 26. The deviation of the energy level is, in this embodiment, based on a sum formed by 100 % of each of the energy portions as generated by the antenna elements 22, 24, 26. If more than three antenna elements are provided, the sum also comprises the additional energy receipt of the additional antenna elements. In this regard, the hardware circuitry determines, for example, 90 % energy level of antenna element 22 plus 50 % energy level of antenna element 24 plus 5 % energy level of antenna element 26. The different energy levels can be separated by using the identifier as included in the electromagnetic field generated by the different antenna elements 22, 24, 26. Successive reference measures result in a geometric allocation of energy deviations measures with respect to a predefined spatial separation of the space 14 to be monitored.

According to yet a further embodiment, which is based on the before mentioned embodiments, the identifier 32 includes an individual code and/or modulation indicative for said antenna elements 22, 24, 26. The individual code is unique and may be a digital, especially a binary, code, wherein, for instance, the radio frequency signal for the respective antenna element 22, 26, 28 is be triggered with this code or modulated with this code. Moreover, for the different antenna element 22, 26, 28, different modulation schemes can be provided in order to provide the identifier 32.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, each antenna element 22, 24, 26 is allocated to one single sensor element 42, wherein the sensor element 42 is configured to sense the electromagnetic field generated by the respective antenna element 22, 24, 26 allocated. In this embodiment, each single sensor element 42 is precisely allocated to exactly one antenna element 22, 24, 26 so that this allocation - at the same time - operates as individual identifier, as this arrangement allows the sensor element 42 to detect preferably only the electromagnetic field generated by the respective allocated antenna element 22, 24, 26.

According to a further embodiment, the invention proposes, that the processing unit 50 is configured to determine initial energy levels for each of the pre-defined space portions of the sensor elements 42. For this purpose, the antenna elements 22, 24, 26 are supplied with respective initial radio frequency signals causing generation of also respective electromagnetic fields. This initial measurement allows to detect receiving characteristics of the sensor elements 42, in order to adapt measurement and to improve the operation of the proximity device 10 overall.

In this regard, the before mentioned embodiment can be further improved by configuring the radio frequency generating unit 30 such that the radio frequency signal supplied to the antenna unit 20, especially the radio frequency signals supplied to the plurality of antenna elements 22, 24, 26, is provided at a predetermined, preferably individual, signal level. This forms yet another embodiment. If necessary, the signal level can be adjusted in order to precisely measure the characteristics of the sensor elements 42.

According to another embodiment, it is proposed that the space to be monitored is circular or spherical and the antenna elements 22, 24, 26 have directive efficiencies and are arranged such that their directive efficiencies are directed in deviating space directions with respect to each other. Preferably, the directive efficiencies are directed in orthogonal directions. This allows to provide a 3 -dimensional electromagnetic field for near range detection. Only one antenna unit 20 is necessary in order to monitor the whole space 14.

The present invention can advantageously be implemented in vehicles such as cars, trucks, or the like.

If desired, the different functions and embodiments discussed herein may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other in various ways. Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the above-described functions and/or embodiments may be optional or may be combined.

Although, various aspects of the invention are set out in the dependent claims, other aspects comprise other combinations of features from the de-scribed embodiments and/or the dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and not solely the combinations explicitly set out in the claims.

It is also observed herein that, while the above-described exemplary embodiments of the invention, these descriptions should not be regarded as limiting the scope. Rather, there are several variations and modifications which may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the dependent claims.