Bus master for a bus for connecting sensors and/or firing means

• US 20040148081A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG), Robert Bosch GmbH, Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG), Robert Bosch GmbH, Siemens AG
• Inventors: Nitschke, Werner, Mauritz, Ewald, Pfaffeneder, Bernd, Wulff, Holger, Bogenrieder, Hans, Balzer, Knut, Meier, Klaus-Dieter, Buehring, Heiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01054 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/423 with centralised control, e.g. polling

Abstract

A bus master for a bus for connection of sensors and/or ignition means is described, which has at least two bus drivers allowing data to be received independently of one another. For this purpose a polling operation, specifically using a multiplexer or a demodulator associated through one of the particular bus drivers, is used. Furthermore, a state machine is provided, which also alternatingly determines the system status on the basis of the measured quantities determined on the bus conductor for the particular bus driver. In a refinement, a particular bus driver may have a dedicated processor for system status determination.

Claims

1. A bus master for a bus (10) for connection of sensors (4, 9) and/or ignition means (5 through 8), the bus master (1) and the at least two bus drivers (2, 3) associated with it being connectable to the sensors (4, 9) and/or ignition means (5 through 8) via the bus (10),

wherein the at least two bus drivers are able to receive data independently of one another over the bus (10).

2. The bus master as recited in claim 1,

wherein a first multiplexer (17) is connected downstream of the at least two bus drivers (2, 3) for alternating supply of data received by the at least two bus drivers (2, 3) via the bus (10) to a demodulator (20).

3. The bus master as recited in claim 1,

wherein a demodulator (23) is associated with each of the at least two bus drivers (2, 3).

4. The bus master as recited in claim 2 or 3,

wherein a processor (21) having an upstream second multiplexer (18) is associated with the at least two bus drivers (2, 3) for alternatingly determining the instantaneous system status of the at least two bus drivers (2, 3) as a function of the quantities measured on the bus (10).

5. The bus master as recited in claim 2 or 3,

wherein a processor (25), which determines the instantaneous system status of the particular bus driver (2, 3) as a function of the quantities measured on the bus (10), is associated with each of the at least two bus drivers (2, 3).