Arrangement Provided with a Recording Device

• US 20080191042A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Klostermeier, Dieter, Kimmich, Franz, Nather, Horst
• Application Number:
  US11/916,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20080191042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/61.00V
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network

Abstract

An arrangement (1) has a recording device, in particular a tachograph (2) for a motor vehicle, a voltage source (3) supplying power to the recording device and a sensor (S) transmitting a signal thereto, wherein different modules (7, 8, 9, MEM) of the recording device consume energy and are embodied in such away that they are connectable and disconnectable. In order to solve, in particular, a problem of a relatively unstable voltage supply, the aim of the invention is to design a system whose operation is low-affected by the voltage oscillations and interruptions and which is not overcharged by a just unstable energy supply. For this purpose, several (7, 8, 9, MEM) modules are disconnectable or connectable when the energy supply operating voltage (U) is modified.

Claims

1. An arrangement with a recording device comprising:

a voltage source which supplies the recording device with power,

a sensor which transmits a signal to the recording device on the basis of which the recording device stores recordings, wherein various modules of the recording device consume power and are designed so as to be capable of being switched off and on, and wherein the arrangement is operable in such a way that if there is a change in the operating voltage of the power supply a number of the modules are switched off or on.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the various modules have different energy consumption rates and the modules which are above a specific limiting power consumption are switched off when there is a drop in the operating voltage.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein specific voltage ranges of the operating voltage are assigned specific operating modes, modules are assigned to specific operating modes, and modules which are assigned to the current operating mode S0 are switched on and modules which are not assigned to the current operating mode are switched off.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the voltage ranges which are assigned to specific operating modes are limited by upper and lower voltage threshold values which each have a different value, in the sense of a hysteresis, for a rising voltage and a dropping voltage, respectively.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the recording device has a microcontroller and a system clock as a module, and in a power-saving interactive mode the microcontroller is not active, and during the inactive mode the system clock transmits to the microcontroller, at periodic time intervals, a wakeup command which places the recording device in a power economy pre-mode during which the microcontroller is active.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein when the recording device is in the inactive mode it is changed from the inactive mode to the power economy pre-mode by a drop in the operating voltage.

7. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein after the operating voltage has been switched on, the recording device firstly changes into the inactive mode.

8. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the recording device is connected to an ignition system for a motor vehicle, and after the ignition system is switched off the recording device firstly checks whether the conditions for a change into the inactive mode are met, and it changes into the inactive mode if the conditions are satisfied.

9. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein in the power economy pre-mode the microcontroller performs tasks which fulfill specific need criteria, and it goes into the inactive mode when the performance of the tasks is concluded.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the storage of recorded data in an internal memory of the recording device fulfills the need criteria.

11. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein when the operating voltage drops below a specific voltage threshold value, the recording device changes from a normal operating mode into a rescue mode, at the start of which the individual modules each carry out data protection, and after data protection has been concluded signal that the data protection is concluded.

12. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein after the data-protecting modules have signaled that the data protection is concluded, the recording device records the conclusion of the data protection as the time of interruption of the voltage supply and changes into a safety mode.

13. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the recording device is a tachograph for a motor vehicle.

14. A method of operating a recording device comprising a voltage source which supplies the recording device with power, a sensor, and various modules capable of being switched off and on, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a signal from the sensor to the recording device on the basis of which the recording device stores recordings,

if there is a change in the operating voltage of the power supply, switching on or off a number of the modules.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the various modules have different energy consumption rates and the modules which are above a specific limiting power consumption are switched off when there is a drop in the operating voltage.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein specific voltage ranges of the operating voltage are assigned specific operating modes, modules are assigned to specific operating modes, and modules which are assigned to the current operating mode S0 are switched on and modules which are not assigned to the current operating mode are switched off.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the voltage ranges which are assigned to specific operating modes are limited by upper and lower voltage threshold values which each have a different value, in the sense of a hysteresis, for a rising voltage and a dropping voltage, respectively.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the recording device has a microcontroller and a system clock as a module, and in a power-saving interactive mode the microcontroller is not active, and during the inactive mode the system clock transmits to the microcontroller, at periodic time intervals, a wakeup command which places the recording device in a power economy pre-mode during which the microcontroller is active.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein when the recording device is in the inactive mode it is changed from the inactive mode to the power economy pre-mode by a drop in the operating voltage.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein after the operating voltage has been switched on, the recording device firstly changes into the inactive mode.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the recording device is connected to an ignition system for a motor vehicle, and after the ignition system is switched off the recording device firstly checks whether the conditions for a change into the inactive mode are met, and it changes into the inactive mode if the conditions are satisfied.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein in the power economy pre-mode the microcontroller performs tasks which fulfill specific need criteria, and it goes into the inactive mode when the performance of the tasks is concluded.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the storage of recorded data in an internal memory of the recording device fulfills the need criteria.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein when the operating voltage drops below a specific voltage threshold value, the recording device changes from a normal operating mode into a rescue mode, at the start of which the individual modules each carry out data protection, and after data protection has been concluded signal that the data protection is concluded.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein after the data-protecting modules have signaled that the data protection is concluded, the recording device records the conclusion of the data protection as the time of interruption of the voltage supply and changes into a safety mode.