Sensor device for a motor vehicle system

• US 20060100780A1
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Mezger, Klaus, Linkohr, Jochen, Bracht, Alexander, Aleksic, Mario, Entenmann, Volker, Schuessler, Robert, Ortloff, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention involves a sensor device for a vehicle control system, comprisig -a buffer for geographic information, whereby the geographic information is suitable to describe at least one possible route of the vehicle, -an input interface to select subsets of the geographic information stored in the buffer, whereby the selection is effected by the provision of at least one position-related parameter at the input interface, -an output interface to select subsets of the geographic information corresponding to the parameter values provided, whereby the output information is sent for further processing in the vehicle control system.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. Sensor arrangement for a vehicle control system, said sensor arrangement, comprising:

a buffer for geographic information, said buffer containing only geographic information suitable to describe at least one possible route of the vehicle;

an input interface for selecting a subset of the geographic information stored in the buffer, in response to at least one position-related parameter entered at the input interface;

an output interface for outputting the subset of the geographic information corresponding to the at least one parameter values, whereby the output information is sent for further processing in the vehicle control system.

19. The sensor arrangement according to of claim 18, wherein the buffer is overwritable.

20. The sensor arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the buffer comprises a flash ROM.

21. The sensor arrangement according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the input and output interfaces is connected to a vehicle-based information network.

22. The sensor arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the geographic information is at least partially or incrementally changeable.

23. The sensor arrangement according to claim 22, wherein change of the geographic information is performed by means of a data transmission line connected to the buffer.

24. The sensor arrangement according to claim 23, wherein one of a geographic position of the vehicle, a geographic area based thereon, and a route section based thereon, is entered as a parameter value at the input interface.

25. The sensor arrangement according to claim 24, further comprising an EDP connection with a vehicle-based telematics platform.

26. The sensor arrangement according to claim 25, further comprising an EDP connection with a vehicle-based road impact fees calculator.

27. The sensor arrangement according to claim 26, further comprising an EDP connection with a navigation system.

28. The sensor arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the navigation system is centrally based.

29. The sensor arrangement according to Claim 28, wherein the geographic information is certified.

30. The sensor arrangement according to claim 29, wherein a non straight parameter-based, partial section of a route is described in said geographic data as a circular arc or a clothoid or a spline.

31. The sensor arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the geographic information describes at least one route of the vehicle.

32. The sensor arrangement according to claim 31, wherein the vehicle is a commercial vehicle.

33. The sensor arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises an intelligent sensor.

34. The sensor arrangement according to Claim 33, wherein the geographic information comprises data describing only highways.