Method and Device for Monitoring the Noise from a Sensor

• US 20100299083A1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kretschmann, Matthias, Jiang, Zheng-Yu, Preis, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/032 affecting incoming signal, e.g. by averaging; gating undesired signals

Abstract

A method and device for monitoring the noise from a sensor and a use of the method in automobiles for determining a frictional value between tyres of a motor vehicle and a road surface, in particular an economical and reliable method for monitoring a sensor noise and a corresponding device for obtaining, amongst other things, system-relevant information may be achieved, wherein an influence on spectral components of the sensor noise signal is determined and compared with set values.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring sensor noise,

comprising

determining an effect of spectral components of the sensor noise signal and comparing the effect with reference values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

an analysis occurs on the basis of a standard deviation of an arithmetic mean.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

an output signal of a sensor is sampled and sample values are combined in groups of a number of sample values and are subject to first averaging, and the results of this first averaging are subject to a second form of averaging, taking at least one of one or more adjacent or preceding and subsequent values into account.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

an arithmetic technique for calculating and evaluating sensor noise uses a convolutional technique.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the convolutional technique is used with different granularities.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

frequencies above a normal driving dynamics are included in an evaluation.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

concluding

the presence of a current friction value of a road surface from an output signal of said method, through comparison with set threshold values.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein frequencies over around 5 Hz are included in the evaluation.

7. A device for monitoring the noise of a sensor,

comprising a sampler is connected to a signal output of a sensor,

wherein the sampler is connected to a first buffer memory for storing of sample values, and the buffer memory is connected to an arithmetic element for determining a first average, whereby the arithmetic element is operable to be adjusted with regard to the number of sample values or a window width to be processed,

and a second memory connected to an output of the arithmetic element for storing of results in the sequence in which they arrive, wherein the second memory is connected to a second arithmetic element, so that a second form of averaging can be carried out, taking at least one of one or more adjacent or preceding and subsequent values into account.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein

the device includes a convolutional arithmetic element with an input for the setting of different levels of granularity.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein

an output, for transmitting at least one of a resulting value and a comparative assessment of results, is connected to comparison means and to a data ROM containing a reference value.

12. A method of monitoring sensor noise,

comprising

sampling an output signal of a sensor,

combining sample values in groups of a number of sample values,

subjecting the sample values to a first averaging, and

subjecting the results of the first averaging to a second form of averaging, taking at least one of one or more adjacent or preceding and subsequent values into account.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

an analysis occurs on the basis of a standard deviation of an arithmetic mean.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein

an arithmetic technique for calculating and evaluating sensor noise uses a convolutional technique.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the convolutional technique is used with different granularities.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein

frequencies above the normal driving dynamics are included in the evaluation.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein frequencies over around 5 Hz are included in the evaluation.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising concluding the presence of a current friction value of a road surface from an output signal of said method, through comparison with set threshold values.