METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TESTING AN ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE

• US 20130229191A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kandler, Marcus, Salziger, Jan Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,733,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/28 Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002; testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers or computer components G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 ; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844

Abstract

A method and a device for testing an electronic appliance for determining at least one variable of a system. The electronic appliance is designed in the form of a sensor. The method includes defining an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the variable and producing an electric signal by means of the electronic appliance depending on the variable. The method also includes detecting at least one value of a parameter of the produced electric signal and defining an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the parameter depending on the defined minimum and/or maximum value of the variable of the system. A determination is made, based on whether the detected value of the parameter is greater than the minimum value defined for the parameter and/or smaller than the maximum value, whether there is a malfunction of the electronic appliance provoked by an external electromagnetic interference field.

Claims

1. A method for testing an electronic appliance for registering at least one variable of a system, wherein the electronic appliance is designed in the form of a sensor, with the steps:

Defining an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the variable;

Registering the variable of the system and producing an electric signal by means of the electronic appliance depending on the registered variable;

Detecting at least one value of a parameter of the produced electric signal;

Defining an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the parameter depending on the defined minimum and/or maximum value of the variable of the system;

Testing, whether the detected value of the parameter is greater than the minimum value defined for the parameter and/or smaller than the maximum value;

Determining on the basis of the result from step e), whether there is a malfunction of the electronic appliance provoked by an external electromagnetic interference field.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein values of a first and a second parameter of the electric signal are detected.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first parameter is the real part and the second parameter is the imaginary part of the electric signal or they depend on the real part and the imaginary part of the electric signal, respectively.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first parameter is an amplitude of the electric signal and the second parameter is a change of the amplitude and/or of the phase of the electric signal over time.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, depending on the variable, an expected range of values is defined for the first and the second parameter, which results from a functional correlation between the first and the second parameter, so that exactly one value of the second parameter is allocated to each value of the first parameter, wherein it is additionally tested whether or not the detected parameter appertains to this range of values.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the steps a) to e) are performed for a first variable of the system;

and

depending on the result for the first variable the steps a) to f) are performed for a second variable of the system and a second parameter, wherein the second variable is different from the first variable and according to step d) a minimum and/or maximum value of the second parameter is determined depending on the defined minimum and/or maximum value of the second variable.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, depending on the first and the second variable, expected minimum and/or maximum values are determined for two parameters, respectively.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the two parameters, the expected minimum and/or maximum values of which are determined depending on the first variable, are the real and the imaginary part of the electric signal, and/or the two parameters, the expected minimum and/or maximum values of which are determined depending on the second variable, are the change of the real and the imaginary part of the electric signal over time.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one further electronic appliance is provided, which is designed particularly analogous to the electronic appliance for determining the variable which is to be tested;

and

depending on the result of step e) the steps a) to f) are performed with the further electronic appliance.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, when the difference between a value of the parameter, determined with the electronic appliance which is to be tested, and a value of the parameter, determined at the same point in time with the further electronic appliance, exceeds a pre-determinable value, a circuit testing of the electronic appliance is initiated.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is designed for determining an occupancy of a vehicle seat by a vehicle occupant or in the form of a steering wheel sensor.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the variable, which can be registered by the sensor, is the amount of a shifting of a part of the vehicle seat, produced by the vehicle occupant while he moves into or out of the vehicle seat.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the variable, which can be registered by the sensor, is a speed with which the vehicle occupant moves into, out of or on the vehicle seat.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter denotes an amplitude, a frequency, an impedance or a phase of the electric signal or a change of these quantities.

15. A method for testing an electronic appliance for registering at least one variable of a system with the steps:

Producing a first electric signal produced by means of a first reference circuit and a second electric signal produced by means of a second reference circuit, wherein the first and second reference circuits are configured differently than the electronic appliance which is to be tested;

Determining at least one first values of a first parameter of the first electric signal and at least one second value of a second parameter of the second electric signal;

Determining a difference between the first and the second value;

Defining an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the difference;

Testing whether the first and/or the second value is greater than the minimum value and smaller than the maximum value;

Determining on the basis of the result from step e), whether there is a malfunction of the electronic appliance.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first electric signal is produced by a first reference circuit and the second electric signal is produced by a second reference circuit, wherein the first and/or the second reference circuit is designed analogous to the electronic appliance which is to be tested and the minimum and/or maximum value of the parameter is defined depending on a defined minimum and/or maximum value of the variable.

17. A device for testing an electronic appliance for determining at least one variable of a system having

Detecting means to detect a value of at least one parameter of an electric signal produced by the electronic appliance;

Defining means to define an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the parameter depending on a minimum and/or a maximum value of the variable, which is determinable by means of the electronic appliance;

Testing means to test whether a value of the parameter, detected by the detecting means, is greater than the minimum value defined by the defining means and/or smaller than the maximum value;

Determining means to determine on the basis of a signal of the testing means, whether there is a malfunction of the electronic appliance due to an interference field produced outside of the electronic appliance.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the defining, the testing and/or the determining means are designed in the form of a programmed appliance, an ASIC or a combination of both.

19. The device for testing an electronic appliance for determining at least one variable of the system having

Signal-producing means comprising a first reference circuit to produce at least a first reference signal and a second reference circuit to produce a second reference signal, wherein the first and second reference circuits are configured differently than the electronic appliance which is to be tested;

Detecting means to detect a first value of at least one first parameter of the first electric signal and a second value of at least one second parameter of the second electric signal as well as a difference between the first and the second parameter;

Defining means to define an expected minimum and/or maximum value of the difference between the first and the second value;

Testing means to test whether the difference is greater than the minimum value and smaller than the maximum value;

Determining means to determine on the basis of a signal of the testing means, whether there is a malfunction of the electronic appliance.