SENSOR INTERFACES

• US 20140358377A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Hammerschmidt, Dirk, Hoffmann, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01054 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/36 Preventing errors by testing or debugging software

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relates to an automotive control unit (ACU) able to communicate with sensors using a plurality of different communication protocols. The ACU comprises a control unit that operates a sensor interface module to selectively generate a plurality of control signals corresponding to a plurality of different communication protocols, wherein respective control signals have characteristics corresponding to one of the plurality of different communication protocols. A modulation unit receives one of the control signals and generates a modulated communication signal having characteristics that correspond to a communication protocol of the one of the control signals. A communication bus provides the communication signal to a sensor network comprising one or more sensors. By operating the modulation unit to operate according to different communication protocols the ACU can be operated to communicate with multiple sensors using different communication protocols (e.g., PSI5 and DSI3 communication protocols).

Claims

1. An automotive control unit (ACU), comprising:

a control unit configured to selectively generate a plurality of control signals corresponding to a plurality of different communication protocols, wherein respective control signals have characteristics corresponding to one of the plurality of different communication protocols;

a modulation unit configured to receive one of the control signals and to generate a modulated communication signal having characteristics that correspond to a communication protocol of the one of the control signals; and

a communication bus configured to provide the communication signal to a sensor network comprising one or more sensors.

2. The ACU of claim 1, wherein a same sensor interface module comprising the control unit and the modulation unit is configured to selectively generate the plurality of different communication protocols, which comprise a Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) protocol and a Distributed System Interface 3 (DSI3) protocol.

3. The ACU of claim 2, wherein the ACU comprises an airbag control unit configured to control operation of one or more airbags within an automobile.

4. The ACU of claim 3, wherein the communication bus comprises a two wire communication bus having a first bus wire connected between the modulation unit and sensor network and a second bus wire connected between the modulation unit and the sensor network.

5. The ACU of claim 4, wherein the communication signal comprises a voltage modulation.

6. The ACU of claim 1, further comprising:

an evaluation unit configured to send a test signal to the sensor network, measure a response of the test signal induced by the sensor network, and determine one or more characterization parameters of the sensor network based upon the measured response.

7. The ACU of claim 6, wherein the test signal comprises a voltage modulation having a voltage variation value that is less than a voltage variation value of a synchronization pulse, so that the test signal can characterize an impedance load of the sensor network without receiving a data packet response.

8. The ACU of claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to send the test signal during a time window that is free of data communication between the sensor network and the ACU.

9. The ACU of claim 6, wherein the test signal comprises a voltage modulation having a synchronization pulse with characteristics that correspond to a first communication protocol, so that the test signal can be used to determine if the first communication protocol is being used by the sensor network.

10. The ACU of claim 9,

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine that the sensor network is using the first communication protocol if a response to the first communication protocol is received from the sensor network;

and

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine that the sensor network is not using the first communication protocol if the response to the first communication protocol is not received from the sensor network.

11. The ACU of claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to initially send a first test signal having a DSI3 synchronization pulse with an initially decreasing voltage and to subsequently send a second test signal having a PSI5 synchronization pulse with an initially increasing voltage.

12. A sensor system, comprising:

a sensor interface module configured to generate a communication signal that is provided to a sensor network comprising one or more sensors; and

an evaluation unit configured to characterize an electrical behavior of the sensor network by operating the sensor interface module to send the communication signal as a test signal to the sensor network, measuring a response of the test signal induced by the sensor network, and determining one or more characterization parameters that describe the electrical behavior of the sensor network based upon the measured response.

13. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein determining the one or more characterization parameters is performed by fitting an equivalent network, configured to model the sensor network, to the measured response.

14. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to characterize the electrical behavior of the sensor network using a synchronous bus mode by determining an open time window free of data communication between the sensor interface module and the sensor network, and sending the test signal within the open time window.

15. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to operate the sensor interface module to generate the test signal as a modulated voltage that varies by a voltage value that is less than a minimum amplitude of a synchronization pulse of an associated communication protocol.

16. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to operate the sensor interface module to generate the test signal as a modulated current by varying a supply current of the sensor interface module.

17. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the sensor interface module is configured to generate the communication signal according to a Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) communication protocol.

18. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the one or more characterization parameters comprise a complex impedance of an impedance load of the sensor network, one or more components of an equivalent network that describes the impedance load, or one or more components of a transfer function that describes the impedance load.

19. The sensor system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to adjust operation of the sensor interface module based upon the determined one or more characterization parameters to improve a performance of the sensor interface module.

20. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to adjust operation of the sensor interface module based upon one or more characterization parameters collected from a plurality of temporally separate characterization acts.

21. The sensor system of claim 12, further comprising:

a control unit configured to operate the sensor interface module to selectively generate a plurality of control signals corresponding to a plurality of different communication protocols, wherein respective control signals have characteristics corresponding to one of the plurality of different communication protocols; and

wherein the sensor interface module is configured to receive one of the control signals and to generate the test signal to have characteristics that correspond to a communication protocol of the one of the control signals.

22. The sensor system of claim 21, wherein the test signal comprises a voltage modulation having a synchronization pulse with characteristics that correspond to a first communication protocol, so that the test signal can be used to determine if the first communication protocol is being used by the sensor network.

23. The ACU of claim 22,

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine that the sensor network is using the first communication protocol if a response to the first communication protocol is received from the sensor network;

and

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine that the sensor network is not using the first communication protocol if the response to the first communication protocol is not received from the sensor network.

24. The sensor system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of different communication protocols comprise a Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) protocol and a Distributed System Interface 3 (DSI3) protocol.

25. A method of detecting a communication protocol being used by sensors connected to an automotive control unit (ACU), comprising:

selectively generating a plurality of control signals corresponding to a plurality of different communication protocols, wherein respective control signals have characteristics corresponding to one of the plurality of different communication protocols;

generating a test signal comprising a modulated communication signal having characteristics that correspond to a communication protocol of one of the control signals; and

providing the communication signal to a sensor network comprising one or more sensors.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of different communication protocols comprise a Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) protocol and a Distributed System Interface 3 (DSI3) protocol.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the test signal comprises a voltage modulation having a synchronization pulse with characteristics that correspond to a first communication protocol, so that the test signal can be used to determine if the first communication protocol is being used by the sensor network.

28. A method of characterizing an electrical behavior of a sensor network, comprising:

providing an automotive control unit having a sensor interface module connected to a sensor network comprising one or more sensors;

generating a test signal based upon one or more controller parameters;

sending the test signal to the sensor network;

measuring a response of the test signal induced by the sensor network; and

determining one or more characterization parameters that describe an electrical behavior of the sensor network from the measured response.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the test signal comprises a modulated voltage that varies by a voltage value that is less than a minimum amplitude of a synchronization pulse of an associated communication protocol.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the test signal comprises a modulated current.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

adjusting operation of the sensor interface module based upon the one or more characterization parameters to improve a performance of the sensor interface module.

32. The method of claim 29,

wherein operation of the sensor interface module is adjusted based upon one or more characterization parameters collected from a plurality of temporally separate characterization acts.