radar measuring device with integrated safety zone monitoring

Description

[0001] The present application claims priority from German patent application No. 10 2019 204 881.1, filed on April 5, 2019, which is incorporated in full by reference into this document. Field of invention

[0002] The invention relates to radar measurement technology. In particular, the invention relates to a radar measuring device set up for process automation in an industrial environment and with integrated safety area monitoring, the use of such a radar measuring device for object monitoring on, for example, a conveyor belt, a method for process automation, such as building and factory automation, a program element, and a computer-readable medium. background

[0003] Radar measuring devices can be used in process automation in industrial environments. Typical applications include level measurement, limit level detection, height and volume measurements of bulk materials, and surface topology measurements.

[0004] Particularly in bulk material monitoring, it can be advantageous to monitor a safety zone around the material being filled / handled. This is done using safety zone monitoring sensors.

[0005] DE 10 2014 109402 A1 describes a sensor for a roller conveyor with a transmitter, a receiver and a sensor element with an antenna element that is integrated into a roller of the roller conveyor and arranged between rollers of the roller conveyor or on the roller conveyor, and with an evaluation unit for detecting objects located on the roller conveyor based on a sensor signal from the sensor element.

[0006] EP 3 309 523 A1 describes a level measuring device for determining a topology of a fill material surface, which has an antenna arrangement with at least three antenna devices for transmitting and receiving a radar signal and a control unit.

[0007] WO 2015 / 124201 A1 describes a level measuring device for detecting the topology of a material surface, which includes a rotating antenna device. The antenna device comprises an antenna unit with an array of radiating elements for transmitting and receiving a measurement signal, a drive shaft for rotating the antenna unit, and a first energy storage device for supplying the antenna device with the electrical energy required for its operation. Summary

[0008] One of the aims of the invention is to provide efficient process automation in an industrial environment.

[0009] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims and the following description of embodiments.

[0010] A first aspect of the invention relates to a radar measuring device with the technical features of claim 1, configured for process automation in an industrial environment with integrated safety zone monitoring. The radar measuring device has a radar signal source configured to generate and transmit a radar signal in the direction of an object to be monitored, so that the object and also a safety zone extending around the object are irradiated. An area outside the safety zone should, if possible, not be irradiated.

[0011] An evaluation unit is provided, which is designed to evaluate the radar signal reflected by the object and the safety zone and received by the radar measuring device. Furthermore, the radar measuring device has a control system, for example in the form of an electronic control circuit, possibly in combination with mechanical components, which is designed to adjust the direction of the emitted radar signal so that the safety zone around the object is completely illuminated, even if the object is moving, thus enabling comprehensive monitoring.

[0012] The safety zone can be, in particular, an area that should not be entered by people or other objects, or, more generally, an area where additional object detection or object movement detection is required. The evaluation unit can be configured to perform object detection or object movement detection within the safety zone. One application example is the monitoring of a conveyor belt or a manufacturing robot. If the radar measuring device detects an object in the safety zone, the conveyor belt can be stopped, or the robot can be stopped or otherwise controlled to prevent a collision.

[0013] The term "process automation in industrial environments" can be understood as a subfield of engineering that encompasses all measures for operating machines and systems without human intervention. One goal of process automation is to automate the interaction of individual components within a factory plant in sectors such as chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, paper, cement, shipping, or mining, among others. This field also includes building and factory automation.

[0014] A wide variety of sensors can be used for this purpose, specifically adapted to the requirements of the process industry, such as mechanical stability, insensitivity to contamination, extreme temperatures, and extreme pressures. Measurement data from these sensors is typically transmitted to a control room where process parameters such as fill level, limit level, flow rate, pressure, and density are monitored, and settings for the entire plant can be changed manually or automatically.

[0015] Logistics automation is a subfield of process automation in industrial environments. Using distance and angle sensors, logistics automation automates processes within a building or individual logistics facility. Typical applications include baggage and freight handling at airports, traffic monitoring (toll systems), retail, parcel distribution, and building security (access control). What these examples have in common is the requirement for presence detection combined with precise measurement of an object's size and position. Sensors based on optical measurement methods, such as lasers, LEDs, 2D cameras, or 3D cameras that capture distances using the time-of-flight (ToF) principle, can be used for this purpose.

[0016] Another subfield of process automation in industrial environments concerns factory / production automation. Applications for this can be found in a wide variety of industries, such as automotive manufacturing, food production, pharmaceuticals, and packaging in general. The goal of factory automation is to automate the production of goods using machines, production lines, and / or robots, i.e., to allow it to proceed without human intervention. The sensors used here and the specific requirements regarding measurement accuracy for detecting the position and size of an object are comparable to those in the previous example of logistics automation. Therefore, sensors based on optical measurement methods are also typically used extensively in factory automation.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the control system is designed to adjust the direction and also the opening angle of the emitted radar transmission signal so that the safety area around the object is completely illuminated even when the object is moving.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the control system is designed to prevent irradiation of an area outside the safety zone by adjusting the direction and / or the opening angle of the emitted radar signal. This saves energy.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the movement of the object includes not only translation, i.e., displacement of the object, but also an enlargement or reduction of the object. If the object is, for example, a bulk material, then filling or emptying the bulk material heap results in a movement of the bulk material within the meaning of the invention.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the object is an object on a conveyor belt, for example a consumer good such as a bottle, or a component on a production line.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the radar measuring device has a planar antenna with electronic and / or mechanical beam control for transmitting and receiving the radar transmission signal.

[0022] In particular, the radar measuring device can be configured as a level measuring device or limit level sensor.

[0023] According to another embodiment, the control system is configured to adjust the direction and / or the opening angle of the emitted radar signal depending on the speed of the object being monitored. For example, the safety area can be set to increase as the object moves faster.

[0024] According to another embodiment, the control system is set up to control a conveyor belt or a robot when an object is detected in the safety area.

[0025] Another aspect is the use of a radar measuring device, as described above and below, for object monitoring on a conveyor belt. Further uses include: collision monitoring around moving equipment such as cranes, robots, conveyor pipes, chutes, or autonomously moving or guided units, as well as in and around stationary equipment such as silos, tanks, discharge hoppers, etc.

[0026] Another aspect concerns a process automation method in an industrial environment with safety zone monitoring. First, a radar signal is generated and emitted towards the object to be monitored in such a way that both the object and a safety zone extending around it are illuminated. Then, the signal reflected by the object and the safety zone is analyzed. demThe radar measuring device evaluates the received radar transmission signal, whereupon the direction of the emitted radar transmission signal is adjusted so that the safety area around the object is completely irradiated even if the object moves, wherein the radar measuring device has a swiveling planar antenna for mechanical beam control for transmitting and receiving the radar transmission signal; wherein the control is arranged to automatically adjust the safety area via the tilt of the radar measuring device when the position of the object changes.

[0027] Another aspect concerns a program element which, when executed on a radar measuring device's controller, instructs the radar measuring device to perform the procedure described above.

[0028] Another aspect concerns a computer-readable medium on which the program element described above is stored.

[0029] The following describes embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures. Where the same reference numerals are used in the following figure descriptions, they denote identical or similar elements. The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale. Brief description of the characters

[0030] Fig. 1A shows a radar measuring device in a bulk material application. Fig. 1B The radar measuring device shows Fig. 1A in a bulk material application with a larger bulk material stockpile. Fig. 2A shows a radar measuring device in a conveyor belt application. Fig. 2B The radar measuring device shows Fig. 2A after a movement of the object. Fig. 3 shows a radar measuring device in another bulk material application. Fig. 4 shows components of a radar measuring device. Fig. 5 shows a flowchart of a process. Detailed description of embodiments

[0031] Fig. 1AFigure 1 shows a radar measuring device 100 according to one embodiment. The radar measuring device 100 has a radar signal source 101, 102. The radar signal source has electronics 101 that generates the radar transmission signal, and an antenna 102 that emits the radar transmission signal in the direction of the object 105 to be monitored, which is a bulk material.

[0032] Antenna 102 transmits the radar signal in the direction of the bulk material 105, so that it illuminates not only the cone of material but also the safety zone 106 surrounding it. The area 107, located outside the safety zone 106, is not illuminated, as this is deemed unnecessary. Area 107 is therefore a "blocked area," which could, however, be illuminated with a different radar signal source setting, as indicated by the outer dashed lines and in case 108.

[0033] The radar measuring device 100 shown, for example, is a radar sensor with a planar antenna. If the dimensions of the medium (bulk material) change, the safety zone is automatically adjusted to the new dimensions of the bulk material 105 by software control.

[0034] This is, for example, in Fig. 1B shown, in which it can be seen that the cone of material 105 has increased in size due to filling and the safety area 106 around the cone of material has accordingly moved outwards, so that now the entire monitoring area 108 is irradiated.

[0035] Fig. 2AFigure 1 shows a radar measuring device 100 with a swiveling planar antenna that can be rotated about the mechanical axis 109. In this embodiment, the radar measuring device 100 is configured, for example, to monitor objects on a conveyor belt 110. The objects are, for example, bottles, other consumer goods, or manufactured goods in a factory, an open field, or a warehouse.

[0036] If the position of object 105 changes, the safety zone is automatically adjusted via the tilt of the radar measuring device 100, as described in Fig. 2B can be seen.

[0037] A combination of electronic beam control and mechanical beam control may also be provided.

[0038] Fig. 3This shows another application in the field of bulk material measurement. If the extent of the bulk material 105 changes up to the edge 111 of the monitoring area, the monitoring area can be automatically enlarged, for example, by adjusting the tilt of the radar measuring device 100, so that the irradiated monitoring area does not extend beyond the edge 111 (which is, for example, a wall).

[0039] Fig. 4 Figure 1 shows a radar measuring device 100 according to one embodiment. The radar measuring device 100 has a control unit 104, for example in the form of a control circuit (CPU), to which an evaluation unit 103 and a radar signal source 101 are connected. The radar transmission signal generated by the radar signal source 101 can be emitted via the antenna 102 in the direction of the object 105 to be monitored.

[0040] Fig. 5Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a method according to one embodiment. In step 501, a radar transmission signal is generated and, in step 502, emitted in the direction of the object to be monitored. The reflected signal is received by the measuring device in step 503 and evaluated in step 504. Based on this evaluation, the direction and / or beamwidth of the emitted radar transmission signal are adjusted (step 505) such that the safety zone around the object to be monitored is completely illuminated, but an area beyond it is not.

[0041] This makes it possible to monitor an object or measure its fill level while simultaneously monitoring the safety zone around the object. The size of the safety zone can be automatically adjusted depending on the condition (fill level, position, speed) of the medium being measured, ensuring that a sufficient safety area (preferably no area exceeding this) is always irradiated around the medium, even if the medium rapidly expands, contracts, and / or moves.

[0042] No additional safety zone monitoring sensors are required. The safety zone automatically adjusts to changes in the expansion of the medium being measured. The required space for the safety zone is reduced to a minimum. The number of potential sources of error or process disruptions is reduced, thus enabling a smoother and more stable process. Using radar (e.g., 240 GHz transmission frequency) or ultrasound technology, the medium can be detected three-dimensionally and thus clearly delineated from the safety zone.

[0043] It should be further noted that "comprehensive" and "comprising" do not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. It should also be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference numerals in the claims are not to be considered limitations.

Claims

1. Radar measuring device (100) configured for process automation in an industrial environment with integrated safety area monitoring, comprising: a radar signal source (101, 102) configured to generate and emit a radar transmission signal in the direction of an object (105) to be monitored, so that the object and also a safety area (106) extending around the object are irradiated; an evaluation unit (103) configured to evaluate the radar transmission signal reflected by the object and the safety area and received by the radar measuring device; a controller (104) configured to adjust the direction of the emitted radar transmission signal such that the safety area around the object is completely irradiated even when the object moves; wherein the controller (104) is configured to prevent irradiation of an area outside the safety area by adjusting the direction and / or the beam angle of the emitted radar transmission signal; wherein the radar measuring device (100) comprises a swiveling planar antenna (102) for mechanical beam control for transmitting and receiving the radar transmission signal; wherein the control (104) is configured to automatically track the safety area via the inclination of the radar measuring device (100) when the position of the object (105) changes.

2. Radar measuring device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control (104) is configured to adjust the direction and the opening angle of the emitted radar transmission signal such that the safety area around the object is completely irradiated even when the object moves.

3. Radar measuring device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement of the object (105) comprises a translation, an enlargement, or a reduction of the object.

4. Radar measuring device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the object (105) is a bulk material or a loose material.

5. Radar measuring device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the radar measuring device (100) has a planar antenna (102) with electronic beam control for transmitting and receiving the radar transmission signal.

6. Radar measuring device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, configured as a level measuring device or limit level sensor.

7. Radar measuring device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control (104) is configured to adjust the direction and / or the beam angle of the emitted radar transmission signal as a function of a speed of the object to be monitored.

8. Radar measuring device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control (104) is configured to control a conveyor belt or a robot when an object is detected in the safety area.

9. Use of a radar measuring device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 8 for object monitoring on a conveyor belt, for collision monitoring around moving equipment such as cranes, robots, conveyor pipes, conveyor chutes or autonomous free-moving or guided units, and in and around stationary equipment such as silos, tanks or discharge hoppers.

10. Method for process automation in an industrial environment with safety area monitoring, comprising the steps: Generating and emitting a radar transmission signal in the direction of an object (105) to be monitored, so that the object and also a safety area (106) extending around the object are irradiated; Evaluating the radar transmission signal reflected by the object and the safety area and received by the radar measuring device; Adjusting the direction and / or the opening angle of the emitted radar transmission signal in such a way that the safety area around the object is completely irradiated even when the object moves, in order to prevent an area outside the safety area from being irradiated; Automatically tracking the safety area via the inclination of the radar measuring device (100) when the position of the object (105) changes; wherein the radar measuring device (100) has a swiveling planar antenna (102) for mechanical beam control for transmitting and receiving the radar transmission signal.

11. Program element which, when executed on a controller (104) of a radar measuring device (100) according to claim 1, instructs the radar measuring device to perform the method according to claim 10.

12. Computer-readable medium on which a program element according to claim 11 is stored.