Thickness measurement system

Abstract

To provide a thickness measurement system that can distinguish between the measurement results of the upper millimeter-wave radar and the measurement results of the lower millimeter-wave radar. [Solution] A thickness measurement system according to one embodiment comprises a support base on which an object to be measured is placed, a first antenna unit, a second antenna unit positioned opposite the first antenna unit in a first direction with the support base in between, and a signal generating unit shared by the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit. Both the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit transmit a first signal based on a signal from the signal generating unit to the object to be measured and receive the first signal reflected by the object to be measured. The support base, the first antenna unit, and the second antenna unit are installed such that the distance between the support base and the first antenna unit along the first direction is different from the distance between the support base and the second antenna unit along the first direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a thickness measurement system. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, thickness measurement in rolling lines requires an accuracy of several tens to several microns. Conventional thickness measurement systems irradiate the object to be measured with X-rays or gamma rays and measure the amount of light transmitted through them. However, due to challenges in environmental resistance and cost, thickness measurement using inexpensive and environmentally resistant millimeter-wave radar is being researched.

[0003] One thickness measurement system that uses millimeter-wave radar involves setting up two millimeter-wave radars opposite each other, one above the other, on either side of the object to be measured. By operating these two millimeter-wave radars in sync, the thickness of the object can be measured.

[0004] However, in such a thickness measurement system, under certain conditions, it may be impossible to distinguish between the measurement results of the upper millimeter-wave radar and the measurement results of the lower millimeter-wave radar, and thus the thickness of the object to be measured cannot be determined. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] German Patent No. 102019101152 Specification [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-183450 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a thickness measurement system capable of discriminating between the measurement results of the upper millimeter-wave radar and the measurement results of the lower millimeter-wave radar.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] A thickness measurement system according to an embodiment includes a support base on which a measurement object is placed, a first antenna unit, a second antenna unit disposed opposite to the first antenna unit in a first direction with the support base interposed therebetween, and a signal generation unit shared by the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit. The first antenna unit and the second antenna unit both transmit a first signal based on a signal from the signal generation unit to the measurement object and receive the first signal reflected by the measurement object. The support base, the first antenna unit, and the second antenna unit are respectively installed such that the distance along the first direction between the support base and the first antenna unit is different from the distance along the first direction between the support base and the second antenna unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a thickness measurement system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the thickness measurement system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a radar system in the block diagram of the thickness measurement system shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a range bin in the same embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a range bin in the same embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a thickness measurement system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the thickness measurement system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a block diagram showing one example configuration of the thickness measurement system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the function of the range bin analysis unit in the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and the invention is not limited by the contents described in the embodiments below. Modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive are naturally included within the scope of the disclosure. In order to make the explanation clearer, the size, shape, etc. of each part may be schematically represented in the drawings with modifications from the actual embodiments. In some cases, the same reference numerals are used for corresponding elements in multiple drawings, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0010] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows an example configuration of the thickness measurement system 10 according to the first embodiment. The thickness measurement system 10 (thickness measuring machine) is a system that measures the thickness of the object to be measured (thick plate) 1 using millimeter-wave radar.

[0011] The object to be measured (thick plate) 1 is placed on a support base (thick plate line) 2 and is moving along the support base 2 in direction A. The thickness measurement system 10 includes the support base 2, a reference target 3, a signal generating unit 1000, two main antenna units 1200 and a reference antenna unit 1211, which are installed facing each other in the vertical direction (first direction) with the support base 2 (object to be measured 1) in between.

[0012] In the following, of the two main antenna sections 1200, the main antenna section 1200 installed facing the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1 will be referred to as the "upper main antenna section 1201," and the main antenna section 1200 installed facing the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1 will be referred to as the "lower main antenna section 1202." The vertical direction corresponds to the direction of the normals of the upper surface 1A and lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1.

[0013] The support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202 are installed such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are different values. In other words, the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202 are installed such that the space between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the space between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are asymmetrical with respect to the support base 2.

[0014] Here, we will only discuss the positional relationship between the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202. The detailed functions of each part shown in Figure 1 will be described later.

[0015] Furthermore, although the example given here illustrates a configuration in which the thickness measurement system 10 includes one upper main antenna section 1201 and one lower main antenna section 1202, the system is not limited to this configuration. The thickness measurement system 10 may include any number of upper main antenna sections 1201 and lower main antenna sections 1202, as long as it includes at least one upper main antenna section 1201 and at least one lower main antenna section 1202.

[0016] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing one example configuration of the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment. The thickness measurement system 10 includes a main device 100, a reference device 110, an integrated determination unit 120, and a display unit 130. Some or all of the functional parts of the main device 100, the reference device 110, and the integrated determination unit 120 may be referred to as the measurement unit.

[0017] The main device 100 measures the object to be measured 1 using millimeter-wave radar. More specifically, the main device 100 transmits a phase-modulated or frequency-modulated signal to the object to be measured 1, receives a signal from the object to be measured 1, and performs processing to measure the distance to the object to be measured 1.

[0018] The reference device 110 is configured so that the reference signal source of the main device 100 is shared as the reference signal source of its own device. It generates reference data (signals) from the measurement results of the main device 100 to reduce phase distortion and frequency fluctuations due to vibration during signal generation.

[0019] More specifically, the reference device 110 receives the same signal that the main device 100 transmits to the object to be measured 1, and adds a delay to it that is approximately the same as the delay in the signal caused by the measurement (transmission and reception of signals) of the object to be measured 1 in the main device 100. Here, an approximately the same delay means a delay that is roughly the same but not perfectly identical. To add this delay, the reference device 110 has a delay unit 1210, which will be described later.

[0020] The integrated determination unit 120 measures the thickness of the object to be measured 1 based on the outputs of the main device 100 and the reference device 110. More specifically, the integrated determination unit 120 first acquires the difference between each output, thereby reducing the phase distortion and frequency fluctuations due to vibration during signal generation (hereinafter collectively referred to as "noise components") from each output. As a result, noise components can be removed from the output of the main device 100, and the distance from the main device 100 to the object to be measured 1 is calculated based on the output after the noise components have been removed. Subsequently, the integrated determination unit 120 measures the thickness of the object to be measured 1 based on the calculated distance to the object to be measured 1.

[0021] The display unit 130 displays the measurement result of the thickness of the object to be measured 1 output from the integrated determination unit 120. The measurement result displayed on the display unit 130 is not limited to the thickness of the object to be measured 1, but may also be, for example, the amount of displacement of the thickness of the object to be measured 1, or whether or not displacement occurred. Furthermore, the display unit 130 may also display the distance from the main device 100 to the object to be measured 1.

[0022] The main device 100 includes a signal generation unit 1000, a signal division unit 1100, a main antenna unit 1200, and a main data signal processing unit 1300. As described above, the main antenna unit 1200 is composed of an upper main antenna unit 1201 and a lower main antenna unit 1202.

[0023] The signal generation unit 1000 is a reference signal source shared by the main device 100 and the reference device 110, and generates a phase-modulated or frequency-modulated signal (transmission signal). Focusing only on the main device 100, the signal generation unit 1000 can also be considered a reference signal source shared by the upper main antenna unit 1201 and the lower main antenna unit 1202.

[0024] The signal splitting unit 1100 splits the signal generated by the signal generating unit 1000 into a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal. Of these three signals, the first signal is supplied to the upper main antenna unit 1201 and the lower main antenna unit 1202, while the second and third signals are supplied to the reference device 110.

[0025] The upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 each transmit the first signal supplied from the signal splitting section 1100 to the object to be measured 1. The upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 also each receive the first signal from the object to be measured 1 that has been reflected by the object to be measured 1.

[0026] The main data signal processing unit 1300 performs signal processing using a first signal transmitted and received by the upper main antenna unit 1201 and a third signal that is not transmitted or received by the upper main antenna unit 1201 and is supplied by the signal division unit 1100. Specifically, the main data signal processing unit 1300 uses the distance d from the upper main antenna unit 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1. 1’ Signal processing is performed to calculate the result.

[0027] Furthermore, the main data signal processing unit 1300 performs signal processing using the first signal transmitted and received by the lower main antenna unit 1202 and the third signal, which is not transmitted or received by the lower main antenna unit 1202 and is supplied by the signal division unit 1100. Specifically, the main data signal processing unit 1300 uses the distance d from the lower main antenna unit 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ Signal processing is performed to calculate the result.

[0028] On the other hand, the reference device 110 includes a delay unit 1210 and a reference data signal processing unit 1310.

[0029] The delay unit 1210 adds a delay to the second signal supplied from the signal division unit 1100 of the main device 100 that is equivalent to the delay of the signal (the delay of the first signal) caused by the measurement (transmission and reception of the signal) of the object to be measured 1 in the main device 100.

[0030] The reference data signal processing unit 1310 performs signal processing using a second signal to which a delay has been added by the delay unit 1210, and a third signal supplied from the signal division unit 1100, which has not been delayed by the delay unit 1210. Specifically, the reference data signal processing unit 1310 performs signal processing to calculate the distance from the reference antenna unit 1211 to the reference target 3, which will be described later.

[0031] Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of the radar system, which is part of the block diagram of the thickness measurement system 10 shown in Figure 2. As described above, the signal generated by the signal generation unit 1000, which is phase-modulated or frequency-modulated (transmitted signal), is divided into three signals, a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal, by the signal division unit 1100.

[0032] The first signal is supplied to the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202, respectively. The first signal supplied to the upper main antenna section 1201 is transmitted from the upper main antenna section 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1, reflected from the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1, and received by the upper main antenna section 1201. Similarly, the first signal supplied to the lower main antenna unit 1202 is transmitted from the lower main antenna unit 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1, reflected from the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1, and received by the lower main antenna unit 1202. This type of transmission and reception causes a delay in the first signal.

[0033] The second signal is supplied to the delay unit 1210. The second signal supplied to the delay unit 1210 is then subjected to a delay by the delay unit 1210 that is approximately the same as the delay of the first signal.

[0034] The third signal is a signal that is not being transmitted or received by the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202, and is also a signal that has not been delayed by the delay section 1210.

[0035] The first signal transmitted and received by the upper main antenna section 1201 and the third signal, which is a signal that is not transmitted or received by the upper main antenna section 1201, are mixed by the mixer 1401.

[0036] Similarly, the first signal transmitted and received by the lower main antenna section 1202 and the third signal, which is not transmitted or received by the lower main antenna section 1202, are mixed by the mixer 1402.

[0037] Furthermore, the second signal, which has been delayed by the delay unit 1210, and the third signal, which is a signal that has not been delayed by the delay unit 1210, are mixed by the mixer 1410.

[0038] The mixer 1401 extracts the first beat signal IF from the first signal transmitted and received by the upper main antenna unit 1201 and the third signal. 1―1 Also, the mixer 1402 extracts the first beat signal IF from the first signal transmitted and received by the lower main antenna unit 1202 and the third signal. 1-2 The mixer 1410 extracts the second beat signal IF2 from the second signal and the third signal.

[0039] The first beat signal IF 1―1 , IF 1-2 is supplied to the main data signal processing unit 1300, and the second beat signal IF2 is supplied to the reference data signal processing unit 1310.

[0040] The main data signal processing unit 1300 performs signal processing for deriving the distance d from the upper main antenna unit 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the measurement object 1 using the first beat signal IF. 1―1 to the upper surface 1A of the measurement object 1 using the first beat signal IF. 1’ to execute signal processing for deriving.

[0041] Also, the main data signal processing unit 1300 performs signal processing for deriving the distance d from the lower main antenna unit 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the measurement object 1 using the first beat signal IF. 1-2 to the lower surface 1B of the measurement object 1 using the first beat signal IF. 2’ to execute signal processing for deriving.

[0042] Furthermore, the reference data signal processing unit 1310 performs signal processing for deriving the distance from the reference antenna unit 1211 to the reference target 3 using the second beat signal IF2. Each processing result is supplied to the integration determination unit 120.

[0043] The integration determination unit 120 removes the noise component commonly observed in both the output of the main data signal processing unit 1300 and the output of the reference data signal processing unit 1310 from the output of the main data signal processing unit 1300, and based on the output of the main data signal processing unit 1300 in a state where the noise component is removed, calculates the distance d 1’ , d 2’ to the measurement object 1.

[0044] The integrated determination unit 120 uses the known distance from the upper main antenna unit 1201 to the lower main antenna unit 1202 and the calculated distance d to the object to be measured 1. 1’ d 2’ Based on this, the thickness of object 1 is measured and output as the measurement result.

[0045] Next, we will describe the details of the signal processing of the main data signal processing unit 1300 and the reference data signal processing unit 1310.

[0046] The transmission signal (chirp signal) generated by the signal generation unit 1000 can be expressed by the following equation (1).

[0047]

number

[0048] Here, the starting frequency f of the chirp signal. c , a chirp slope S. The signal splitting unit 1100 divides this signal into a main transmission signal (first signal), a reference transmission signal (second signal), and signals used when the first signal is received and when the second signal is received, respectively (third signal).

[0049] The signal that can be received by the main antenna unit 1200 that transmits and receives the first signal can be expressed by the following equation (2), where d is the distance to the object to be measured 1.

[0050]

number

[0051] A is a coefficient that includes the reflection coefficient and distance attenuation. τ is the time taken from the transmission of the first signal to the reception of the first signal reflected by object 1, and can be expressed as τ = 2d / c, where c is the speed of light.

[0052] Furthermore, the signal that can be received by the reference antenna unit 1211, which transmits and receives the second signal, can also be expressed by equation (2), if the distance to the reference target 3 is d.

[0053] Equations (1) and (2) are mixed using a frequency mixer, and the intermediate frequency (IF) signals (first beat signal, second beat signal) obtained by passing them through a low-pass filter are shown in the following equation (3).

[0054]

number

[0055] The initial phase of this signal is 2πf c τ = Φ IF The frequency is Sτ=f IF That is the case.

[0056] The main data signal processing unit 1300 and the reference data signal processing unit 1310 receive the IF signal shown in equation (3), perform frequency analysis on this signal to determine the frequency, and estimate the distance based on that frequency. The signal obtained by AD conversion of this IF signal is represented by the following equations (4) to (6).

[0057]

number

[0058] ω IF =2πf IF Therefore, 0≦n <N s And N s is the number of sampling points, F s This is the sampling frequency.

[0059]

number

[0060]

number

[0061] The power spectrum of X(k) is (2π / N s )k-ω IF The maximum occurs when k = 0, and k satisfies this condition. r So,

[0062]

number

[0063] The range bin k1, which shows the measurement results in the upper main antenna section 1201, is expressed by equation (8), and the range bin k2, which shows the measurement results in the lower main antenna section 1202, is expressed by equation (9).

[0064]

number

[0065]

number

[0066] Note d 1’ d is the distance from the upper main antenna section 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured, and 2’ This is the distance from the lower main antenna section 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object being measured 1.

[0067] Furthermore, τ1 is the time taken from when the upper main antenna section 1201 transmits the first signal until the first signal reflected by the object being measured 1 is received, where τ1 = 2d1’ It can be expressed as / c, where c is the speed of light. Similarly, τ2 is the time it takes from when the lower main antenna section 1202 transmits the first signal until the first signal reflected by the object being measured 1 is received, where τ2 = 2d 2’ It can be expressed as / c, where c is the speed of light.

[0068] Here, the τ1 and τ2 solutions, i.e., d 1’ d 2’ If the values ​​differ significantly, the range bins k1 and k2 will be different, making it possible to distinguish and process the measurement results from the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202.

[0069] The thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment is d 1’ d 2’ In order to make the values ​​significantly different, the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202 are positioned such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are different values.

[0070] The appropriate difference between the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 depends on the distance resolution of the millimeter-wave radar. Since the distance resolution of the millimeter-wave radar is determined by c / 2B, using the bandwidth B and the speed of light c, for example, when using a 3.5 GHz millimeter-wave radar in the 79 GHz band, the distance d between the upper main antenna section 1201 and the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1 depends on the distance d 1’ The distance d between the lower main antenna section 1202 and the upper surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ It is desirable to set the values ​​such that the difference between them is 4 cm or more.

[0071] As explained above, the processing of the main data signal processing unit 1300 and the reference data signal processing unit 1310 can be described as the process of obtaining a range bin by performing an AD conversion on the input IF signal and then performing an FFT, and then acquiring phase information in the obtained range bin.

[0072] The phase information obtained by performing an FFT in the main data signal processing unit 1300 and the phase information obtained by performing an FFT in the reference data signal processing unit 1310 contain roughly the same noise components. The integrated determination unit 120 removes the noise component from the phase information of the main data signal processing unit 1300 by subtracting the phase information of the reference data signal processing unit 1310 from the phase information of the main data signal processing unit 1300, and obtains phase information with the noise component removed. Based on the acquired phase information, the integrated determination unit 120 calculates the distance d from the main device 100 to the object to be measured 1.

[0073] The effects of the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment will be explained below using comparative examples. Note that the comparative examples are intended to illustrate some of the effects that the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment may achieve, and do not exclude any configurations or effects common to this embodiment and the comparative examples from the scope of the present invention.

[0074] As a comparative example, consider a case where the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202 are installed such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are the same value.

[0075] In this case, the time it takes for the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 to transmit and receive the first signal will be the same (that is, the distance the first signal propagates from when it is transmitted by each main antenna section 1201, 1202 until it is reflected by the object being measured 1 and received by each main antenna section 1201, 1202 will also be the same), and as shown in Figure 4(A), the range bin k1 showing the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201 and the range bin k2 showing the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202 will coincide.

[0076] If the range bins k1 and k2 coincide, it becomes impossible to distinguish between the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201 and the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202, which presents a problem in that the thickness of the object to be measured 1 cannot be measured.

[0077] In contrast, in the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment, the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202 are installed such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are different values.

[0078] According to this, the time it takes for the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 to transmit and receive the first signal will also be different (that is, the distance the first signal propagates from when it is transmitted from each main antenna section 1201, 1202, reflected by the object to be measured 1, and received by each main antenna section 1201, 1202 will also be different). As shown in Figure 4(B), this prevents the range bin k1 showing the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201 and the range bin k2 showing the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202 from matching. In other words, it becomes possible to distinguish between the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201 and the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202, thereby resolving the above-mentioned problem.

[0079] In the case of the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment, where two main antenna units 1200 are installed facing each other, it is possible that the first signal transmitted by one main antenna unit 1200 may not be reflected by the object to be measured 1, but instead be received by the other main antenna unit 1200. Hereinafter, the reception of the first signal transmitted by one main antenna unit 1200 by the other main antenna unit 1200 will be referred to as "direct wave leakage," and the first signal that has been received by the other main antenna unit 1200 due to direct wave leakage will be referred to as the "leakage signal."

[0080] The leakage signal (first signal) received by the other main antenna section 1200 due to direct wave leakage is also processed using equations (1) to (7) to obtain the range bin k3 corresponding to the direct wave leakage. As described above, the range bin corresponds to the distance the first signal has propagated, so the range bin k3 corresponding to the direct wave leakage will be "d unless the distance corresponding to the thickness of the object being measured 1 is taken into consideration. 1’ +d 2’ This shows the value corresponding to ".

[0081] On the other hand, the range bin k1 corresponding to the upper main antenna section 1201 is "2*d 1’ The value corresponding to " is shown, and the range bin k2 corresponding to the lower main antenna section 1202 is "2*d 2’ This shows the value corresponding to ".

[0082] In the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment, the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202 are installed such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are different values. 1’ +d 2’ " and "2*d 1’ " and "2*d 2’ These all show different values.

[0083] In other words, according to the thickness measurement system 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, it is possible to prevent the range bin k1 showing the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201, the range bin k2 showing the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202, and the range bin k3 corresponding to the leakage of direct waves from coinciding, and to distinguish between the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201, the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202, and the leakage of direct waves.

[0084] In the embodiment described above, the thickness measurement system 10 has been configured to include a reference device 110. However, from the perspective of the positional relationship between the support base 2, the upper main antenna section 1201, and the lower main antenna section 1202, the reference device 110 may be omitted. In this case, although it is not possible to remove the noise components as described above, it is possible to prevent the range bin k1 showing the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201 from coinciding with the range bin k2 showing the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the range bin k1 showing the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201, the range bin k2 showing the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202 from coinciding with the range bin k3 corresponding to the leakage of direct waves.

[0085] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The thickness measurement system 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it is equipped with an adjustment mechanism that can adjust the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202. Furthermore, the thickness measurement system 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the main data signal processing unit 1300 included in the main device 100 has a range bin analysis unit.

[0086] Figures 6 and 7 show examples of the configuration of the thickness measurement system 10 according to the second embodiment. The thickness measurement system 10 includes a support base 2, a reference target 3, a signal generating unit 1000, an upper main antenna unit 1201 and a lower main antenna unit 1202 positioned opposite each other on either side of the support base 2, and a reference antenna unit 1211. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, it further includes an adjustment mechanism 4 that allows the support base 2 to be moved up and down. By moving the support base 2 up and down using the adjustment mechanism 4, the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna unit 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna unit 1202 can be adjusted (changed).

[0087] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7, the thickness measurement system 10 may include an adjustment mechanism 4 that can move at least one of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 up and down. In this case, the adjustment mechanism 4 can adjust (change) the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 by moving at least one of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 up and down.

[0088] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing one example configuration of the thickness measurement system 10 according to the second embodiment. The main data signal processing unit 1300 included in the main device 100 has a range bin analysis unit 1301, as shown in Figure 8.

[0089] The range bin analysis unit 1301 calculates range bin k1, which represents the measurement results at the upper main antenna unit 1201, range bin k2, which represents the measurement results at the lower main antenna unit 1202, and range bin k3, which corresponds to the leakage of direct waves. Then, as shown in Figure 9, it determines (analyzes) whether range bins k1, k2, and k3 are different from each other.

[0090] In this explanation, we have described the case in which the range bin analysis unit 1301 determines whether range bins k1, k2, and k3 are different from each other. However, if direct wave leakage is not considered, the range bin analysis unit 1301 may determine whether range bins k1 and k2 are different from each other.

[0091] If, as a result of the above determination, it is determined that the range bins k1, k2, and k3 are not different from each other (No. in Figure 9), the thickness measurement system 10 automatically moves the support base 2 up or down using the adjustment mechanism 4, or moves at least one of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 up or down using the adjustment mechanism 4, so that the range bins k1, k2, and k3 have different values ​​from each other.

[0092] The thickness measurement system 10 does not automatically move the support base 2 up and down using the adjustment mechanism 4, or move at least one of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 up and down using the adjustment mechanism 4. Instead, it may output instructions prompting the operator to use the adjustment mechanism 4 to move the support base 2 up and down, or to use the adjustment mechanism 4 to move at least one of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 up and down. In this case, the operator of the thickness measurement system 10 manually operates the adjustment mechanism 4 according to the above instructions to move the support base 2 up and down, or to move at least one of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202 up and down.

[0093] On the other hand, if the above determination determines that the range bins k1, k2, and k3 are different from each other (Yes in Figure 9), the thickness measurement system 10 measures the distance d from the upper main antenna section 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1. 1’ The distance d from the lower main antenna section 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ The process to calculate the value is executed, and the thickness of object 1 is measured.

[0094] Furthermore, it is desirable to adjust the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201, and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202, using the adjustment mechanism 4, during the test measurement before measuring the thickness of the object to be measured 1.

[0095] Even if the support base 2, upper main antenna section 1201, and lower main antenna section 1202 are installed such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna section 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna section 1202 are different values, as in the thickness measurement system 10 according to the first embodiment, depending on the thickness of the object to be measured 1, the distance d from the upper main antenna section 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1 may be different. 1’ The distance d from the lower main antenna section 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ Sometimes these two values ​​coincide. In this case, as described above, the range bin k1 showing the measurement result at the upper main antenna section 1201 and the range bin k2 showing the measurement result at the lower main antenna section 1202 coincide, which may make it impossible to measure the thickness of the object to be measured 1.

[0096] In contrast, in the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment, processing by the range bin analysis unit 1301 is performed once as a test measurement before measuring the thickness of the object to be measured 1, so the distance d from the upper main antenna unit 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1 is measured. 1’ The distance d from the lower main antenna section 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ The position of the support base 2, or the positions of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202, can be adjusted so that they do not coincide.

[0097] In other words, in the thickness measurement system 10 according to the first embodiment, the support base 2, the upper main antenna unit 1201, and the lower main antenna unit 1202 are installed such that the distance d1 between the support base 2 and the upper main antenna unit 1201 and the distance d2 between the support base 2 and the lower main antenna unit 1202 are different values. As a result, the distance d from the upper main antenna unit 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1 is 1’ The distance d from the lower main antenna section 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ Although we have described a case in which the thickness of the object to be measured 1 can be measured without matching the distance d from the upper main antenna section 1201 to the upper surface 1A of the object to be measured 1, in the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment, 1’ The distance d from the lower main antenna section 1202 to the lower surface 1B of the object to be measured 1. 2’ By adjusting the position of the support base 2, or the positions of the upper main antenna section 1201 and the lower main antenna section 1202, so that they do not coincide, the thickness of the object to be measured 1 can be measured more reliably.

[0098] Furthermore, the thickness measurement system 10 according to this embodiment may also include an adjustment mechanism that allows the reference target 3 or the reference antenna unit 1211 to be moved up or down when the range bin analysis unit 1301 determines that the range bins k1, k2, and k3 are not different from each other (No. in Figure 9).

[0099] According to at least one embodiment described above, a thickness measurement system capable of distinguishing between the measurement results of the upper millimeter-wave radar and the measurement results of the lower millimeter-wave radar can be provided.

[0100] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 1...Object to be measured, 1A...Top surface, 1B...Bottom surface, 2...Support base, 3...Reference target, 4...Adjustment mechanism, 10...Thickness measurement system, 100...Main device, 110...Reference device, 120...Integrated judgment unit, 130...Display unit, 1000...Signal generation unit, 1100...Signal splitting unit, 1200...Main antenna unit, 1201...Upper main antenna unit, 1202...Lower main antenna unit, 1210...Delay unit, 1211...Reference antenna unit, 1300...Main data signal processing unit, 1310...Reference data signal processing unit.

Claims

1. A support stand on which the object to be measured is placed, The first antenna section and The support base is sandwiched between the first antenna section and the second antenna section which is positioned opposite to the first antenna section in the first direction, It comprises a signal generating unit shared by the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit, Both the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit transmit a first signal based on the signal from the signal generation unit to the object to be measured, and receive the first signal reflected by the object to be measured. The support base, the first antenna section, and the second antenna section are installed such that the distance between the support base and the first antenna section along the first direction is different from the distance between the support base and the second antenna section along the first direction. Thickness measurement system.

2. The device further comprises a first adjustment mechanism capable of moving the support base, or at least one of the first antenna section and the second antenna section, along the first direction. The thickness measurement system according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a determination unit that determines whether a first measurement result, which is the result of signal processing using the first signal transmitted and received by the first antenna unit and corresponds to the distance from the first antenna unit to the object to be measured, and a second measurement result, which is the result of signal processing using the first signal transmitted and received by the second antenna unit and corresponds to the distance from the second antenna unit to the object to be measured, are different from each other. The first adjustment mechanism moves the support base along the first direction, or moves at least one of the first antenna section and the second antenna section along the first direction, if the first measurement result and the second measurement result are not different from each other. The thickness measurement system according to claim 2.

4. The determination unit further determines whether the first measurement result, the second measurement result, and the third measurement result corresponding to the result of signal processing using the first signal transmitted from one of the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit and received by the other of the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit are different from each other. The first adjustment mechanism moves the support base along the first direction, or moves at least one of the first antenna section and the second antenna section along the first direction, if the first measurement result, the second measurement result, and the third measurement result are not different from each other. The thickness measurement system according to claim 3.

5. A reference target different from the object to be measured, A reference antenna unit transmits a second signal based on the signal from the signal generating unit to the reference target and receives the second signal reflected by the reference target. The system further comprises a second adjustment mechanism capable of moving the reference target or the reference antenna along the first direction, The second adjustment mechanism moves the reference target or the reference antenna along the first direction if the first measurement result, the second measurement result, and the third measurement result are not different from each other. The thickness measurement system according to claim 4.

6. Signal processing is performed using the first signal transmitted and received by the first antenna unit, and the first distance from the first antenna unit to the object to be measured is measured. Signal processing is performed using the first signal transmitted and received by the second antenna unit, and the second distance from the second antenna unit to the object to be measured is measured. The device further includes a measuring unit that measures the thickness of the object to be measured based on the first distance and the second distance. The thickness measurement system according to claim 1.

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