SENSOR APPARATUS

• US 20110208443A1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uemura, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24461 by redundancy or plausibility

Abstract

A sensor apparatus of the present invention includes a first output terminal for outputting a sense signal, and a failure diagnosis circuit for determining whether a failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, to output a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality. The time required for an output concerning the failure detection signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the second output terminal is shorter than the time required for an output concerning the sense signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the first output terminal, thus leading to improvement in reliability under abnormal condition.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus, comprising:

a drive circuit section for outputting a drive signal;

a detection device, into which the drive signal from the drive circuit section is inputted;

a detection circuit section for fetching a response signal from the detection device;

a processing circuit section, into which the response signal from the detection circuit section is inputted and which fetches the sense signal from this response signal;

a first output terminal for outputting a sense signal from the processing circuit section; and

a failure diagnosis circuit for setting as a failure diagnosis object section at least any one of the drive circuit section, the detection device, the detection circuit section and the processing circuit section, determining whether the failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, and also outputting a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality,

wherein a delay unit is provided at any place on an electric connection line from the failure diagnosis object section to the first output terminal,

wherein time required for an output concerning the failure detection signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the second output terminal is shorter than time required for an output concerning the sense signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the first output terminal,

wherein when determining abnormality of the failure diagnosis object section, the failure diagnosis circuit outputs an abnormal voltage value output command signal, and the first output terminal outputs a signal outside a range of a normal output voltage.