Antenna device for receiving electromagnetic waves and method for operating an antenna device for receiving electromagnetic waves

Abstract

An antenna device for receiving electromagnetic waves and a method for operating an antenna device. The antenna device is fashioned having: a bearer; at least one receive antenna device situated at an external side of the bearer, for receiving electromagnetic waves having a first polarization; at least one repolarization device situated at the external side of the bearer and fashioned to re-emit electromagnetic waves impinging on the repolarization device having the first polarization as electromagnetic waves having a second polarization; and a filter device situated at the external side of the bearer and fashioned to absorb electromagnetic waves having the second polarization.

Claims

1. An antenna device for receiving electromagnetic waves, comprising: a bearer; at least one receive antenna device situated at an external side of the bearer for receiving electromagnetic waves having a first polarization; at least one repolarization device situated at the external side of the bearer and configured to re-emit electromagnetic waves impinging on the repolarization device having the first polarization as electromagnetic waves having a second polarization; and a filter device situated at the external side of the bearer and configured to absorb electromagnetic waves having the second polarization.

2. The antenna device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one receive antenna device is situated on the external side of the bearer.

3. The antenna device as recited in claim 2, wherein a first multiplicity of receive antenna devices and a second multiplicity of repolarization devices are situated on the external side of the bearer, and wherein the first multiplicity of receive antenna devices and the second multiplicity of repolarization devices cover at least 50% of the external side of the bearer.

4. The antenna device as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a radome for the at least one receive antenna device, wherein the filter device is configured in the radome.

5. The antenna device as recited in claim 4, wherein the filter device is configured by conductive threads placed in the radome.

6. The antenna device as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a covering device situated at the external side of the bearer, wherein the filter device is situated between the external side of the bearer and the covering device.

7. The antenna device as recited in claim 6, wherein the covering device is configured as a bumper for a motor vehicle.

8. The antenna device as recited in claim 1, further comprising: at least one transmit antenna device by which electromagnetic waves having the first polarization can be emitted.

9. The antenna device as recited in claim 8, wherein a first multiplicity of receive antenna devices and a second multiplicity of repolarization devices are situated on the external side of the bearer, the at least one transmit antenna device is situated on the external side of the bearer, and wherein the first multiplicity of receive antenna devices and the second multiplicity of repolarization devices and the at least one transmit antenna device together cover at least 50% of the external side of the bearer.

10. The antenna device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one repolarization device is situated on the external side of the bearer.

11. The antenna device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one receive antenna device and the at least one repolarization device are situated on the external side of the bearer.

12. A method for operating an antenna device for receiving electromagnetic waves, comprising: receiving electromagnetic waves having a first polarization by at least one receive antenna device at an external side of a bearer; re-emitting electromagnetic waves impinging on a repolarization device at the external side of the bearer having the first polarization as electromagnetic waves having a second polarization; and absorbing electromagnetic waves having the second polarization by a filter device at the external side of the bearer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the present invention is explained in more detail on the basis of the exemplary embodiments presented in the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of an antenna device 10 according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an antenna device 100 according to a further specific embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a possible realization of a repolarization device 40.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic flow diagram for the explanation of a method for operating an antenna device according to a further specific embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

(6) In all the Figures, identical or functionally identical elements and devices have been provided with the same reference characters, unless otherwise indicated. The numbering of method steps is provided for clarity, and in particular is not intended to imply a particular temporal sequence, unless otherwise indicated. In particular, a plurality of method steps can also be carried out simultaneously. Schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale, if not explicitly otherwise indicated.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of an antenna device 10 according to a specific example embodiment of the present invention.

(8) Antenna device 10 for receiving electromagnetic waves includes a bearer 20 having an external side 22. At, in particular on, external side 22 there is situated a receive antenna device 30 for receiving electromagnetic waves having a first polarization 50.

(9) Moreover, at external side 22 of bearer 20, in particular on external side 22, there is situated at least one repolarization device 40 that is fashioned to re-emit electromagnetic waves impinging on repolarization device 40 having first polarization 50 as electromagnetic waves having a second polarization 52.

(10) At external side 22, in particular at a distance from external side 22, there is situated a filter device 60 that is fashioned to absorb electromagnetic waves having second polarization 52.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an antenna device 100 according to a further specific embodiment of the present invention. Antenna device 100 is a variant of antenna device 10 and, compared thereto, has a first multiplicity (here: two) of receive antenna devices 30, as well as a second multiplicity (here: three) of repolarization devices 40, at, in particular on, external side 22 of bearer 20. Receive antenna devices 30 and repolarization devices 40 can be distributed in two dimensions at external side 22 of bearer 20.

(12) Antenna device 100 has in addition a transmit antenna device 80 on external side 22 of bearer 20, by which electromagnetic waves can be emitted having first polarization 50. Transmit antenna device 80 can include a signal source and/or a polarization filter for producing the electromagnetic waves having first polarization 50 that are to be emitted.

(13) Transmit antenna device 80 and repolarization devices 40 are fashioned such that first polarization and second polarization 50, 52 are two different linear polarizations standing perpendicular to one another.

(14) In antenna device 100, filter device 60 is situated between external side 22 and a covering device 70 that is fashioned for example as a bumper of a vehicle, or can be used or is used as a bumper of a vehicle. Filter device 60 is realized by a conductive thread, for example made of graphite, placed in a radome. In particular, covering device 70 is situated between external side 22 of bearer 20 and a direction from which electromagnetic waves sent out by transmit antenna device 80 and reflected by external objects are most frequently to be expected. Preferably, filter device 60 is situated between external side 22 of bearer 20 and the direction from which the electromagnetic waves sent out by transmit antenna device 80 and reflected by external objects are most frequently to be expected.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a possible realization of a repolarization device 40 such as can be used in the antenna system according to the present invention, in particular antenna system 10 or 100.

(16) Repolarization device 40 includes a dragon-shaped metallic patch 42 and a metallic microstrip line 48 buried thereunder. Patch 42 is coupled to microstrip line 48 via two coupling slits 44, 46. Patch 42, microstrip line 48, and coupling slits 44, 46 are preferably situated on different copper layers and are not galvanically connected to one another. Electromagnetic waves impinging on patch 42 having first polarization 50 are, given a corresponding configuration of repolarization device 40, received via patch 42 and are coupled into buried microstrip line 48 via a first coupling slit 44. There, the electromagnetic waves run to a second coupling slit 46, are again coupled into patch 42, and are then radiated by patch 42. Second coupling slit 46 is rotated by 90 relative to first coupling slit 44, causing a rotation of the polarization of the electromagnetic waves by 90.

(17) In FIG. 3, patch 42, coupling slits 44, 46, and microstrip line 48 are each shown once in a schematic oblique view and once in a schematic top view.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a schematic flow diagram for the explanation of a method for operating an antenna system according to a further specific embodiment of the present invention. The method according to the present invention can be used for the operation of an antenna system according to the present invention, and can be adapted with regard to all described or implied developments and variants of the antenna system according to the present invention, in particular antenna systems 10 and 100.

(19) In a step S01, electromagnetic waves having a first polarization are received by at least one receive antenna device at an external side of the bearer.

(20) In a step S02, electromagnetic waves impinging on a repolarization device 40; 40 at external side 22 of bearer 20 having first polarization 50 are re-emitted as electromagnetic waves having a second polarization 52.

(21) In a step S03, electromagnetic waves having second polarization 52 are absorbed at least partly, preferably for the most part, particularly preferably completely, by a filter device 60 at external side 22 of bearer 20.

(22) Although the present invention has been described above on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto, but rather can be modified in many ways. In particular, the present invention can be modified in many ways without departing from the core idea of the present invention.