METHOD, CONTROL UNIT, AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING A GASEOUS SUBSTANCE IN A GAS MIXTURE

• US 20200132669A1
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Venkatesh, Rajeev H., Thomas, Mary, Lu, Ye
• Granted Patent: US 11,085,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0016 by regulating a physical variable, e.g. pressure or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

Abstract

A method for detecting a gaseous substance in a gas-mixture, a first measuring-variable which represents a first chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas-mixture being acquired, at least one second measuring-variable which represents a second chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas-mixture that differs from the first parameter being acquired, and a starting-measuring-instant, corresponding to the starting-instant, of the first parameter is specified when an amount of a time-derivative of the first measuring-variable exceeds a first predefined threshold-value and an amount of a time-derivative of the second measuring-variable exceeds a second predefined threshold-value, and at least one further first measuring-variable is acquired, an end instant is specified when the at least one further first measuring-variable corresponds to the starting measuring-variable, and an output signal is generated when the amount of a difference between the end instant and the starting instant is greater than a predefined minimum time span.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A method for detecting a gaseous substance and/or ethanol, in a gas mixture with the aid of a gas sensor, the method comprising:

performing the following;

a first acquisition, in which at least one first measuring variable which represents a first chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture, in particular a concentration of ethanol, is acquired using a first sensor element;

a second acquisition, in which at least one second measuring variable which represents a second chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture that differs from the first chemical and/or physical parameter, in particular a temperature, a pressure or a humidity, is acquired using a second sensor element,

a first comparison, in which a comparison takes place as to whether an amount of a time derivative of the first measuring variable exceeds a first predefined threshold value and whether an amount of a time derivative of the second measuring variable exceeds a second predefined threshold value,

a first specification, in which a starting instant and a starting measuring variable, corresponding to the starting instant, of the first chemical and/or physical parameter is specified when a comparison is positive,

a third acquisition, in which at least one further first measuring variable is acquired,

a second comparison, in which a comparison takes place as to whether the at least one further first measuring variable corresponds to the starting measuring variable;

a second specification, in which an end instant is specified when the second comparison is positive;

a third comparison, in which a comparison takes place as to whether the amount of a difference between the end instant and the starting instant is greater than a predefined minimum time span, and

a signal-generation, in which an output signal is generated when the third comparison is positive.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in the second acquisition, at least one third measuring variable which represents a chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture that differs from the first and second chemical and/or physical parameter(s) is additionally acquired using a third sensor element, and wherein in the first comparison, an additional comparison takes place as to whether an amount of a time derivative of the third measuring variable exceeds a third predefined threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the second acquisition, at least one fourth measuring variable which represents a chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture which differs from the first, second and third chemical and/or physical parameter(s) is additionally acquired using a fourth sensor element, and wherein in the first comparison, an additional comparison takes place as to whether an amount of a time derivative of the fourth measuring variable exceeds a fourth predefined threshold value.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second method acquisition is positive when a relative deviation of the amount between the at least one further first measuring variable and the starting measuring variable is smaller than a fifth predefined threshold value, in particular smaller than 5%.

14. A control unit for detecting a gaseous substance and/or ethanol, in a gas mixture with the aid of a gas sensor, comprising:

a memory unit; and

an arithmetic unit configured to perform the following;

in a first acquisition, to acquire at least one first measuring variable which represents a first chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture, in particular a concentration of ethanol, using a first sensor element, and

in a second acquisition, to acquire at least one second measuring variable which represents a second chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture that differs from the first chemical and/or physical parameter, in particular a temperature, a pressure or a humidity, using a second sensor element,

in a first comparison, to carry out a comparison as to whether an amount of a time derivative of the first measuring variable exceeds a first predefined threshold value and whether an amount of a time derivative of the second measuring variable exceeds a second predefined threshold value,

in a first specification, to specify a starting instant and a starting measuring variable, corresponding to the starting instant, of the first chemical and/or physical parameter when the comparison is positive,

in a third acquisition, to detect at least one further first measuring variable,

in a second comparison, to compare whether the at least one further first measuring variable corresponds to the starting measuring variable,

in a second specification, to specify an end instant when the second comparison is positive,

in a third comparison, to compare whether the amount of a difference between the end instant and the starting instant is greater than a predefined minimum time span, and

in a signal-generation, to generate an output signal when the third comparison is positive.

15. The control unit of claim 14, wherein the arithmetic unit is configured in the second acquisition, to additionally acquire at least one third measuring variable which represents a chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture that differs from the first and second chemical and/or physical parameter, using a third sensor element, and wherein the arithmetic unit is configured in the first comparison, to additionally carry out a comparison as to whether an amount of a time derivative of the third measuring variable exceeds a third predefined threshold value.

16. The control unit of claim 15, wherein the arithmetic unit is configured in the second acquisition, to additionally acquire at least one fourth measuring variable which represents a chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture that differs from the first, second and third chemical and/or physical parameter, using a fourth sensor element, and wherein the arithmetic unit is configured in the first comparison, to additionally compare whether an amount of a time derivative of the fourth measuring variable exceeds a fourth predefined threshold value.

17. The control unit of claim 14, wherein the arithmetic unit is configured in the second comparison, to determine in a positive comparison when a relative deviation of the amount between the at least one further first measuring variable and the starting measuring variable is smaller than a fifth predefined threshold value, in particular smaller than 5%.

19. The gas sensor of claim 14, wherein the gas sensor is a breath gas sensor.

18. A gas sensor to detect a gaseous substance and/or ethanol, in a gas mixture, comprising:

a control unit;

a first sensor element; and

a second sensor element;

wherein the control unit includes;

a memory unit; and

an arithmetic unit configured to perform the following;

in a first acquisition, to acquire at least one first measuring variable which represents a first chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture, in particular a concentration of ethanol, using the first sensor element, and

in a second acquisition, to acquire at least one second measuring variable which represents a second chemical and/or physical parameter of the gas mixture that differs from the first chemical and/or physical parameter, in particular a temperature, a pressure or a humidity, using the second sensor element,

in a first comparison, to carry out a comparison as to whether an amount of a time derivative of the first measuring variable exceeds a first predefined threshold value and whether an amount of a time derivative of the second measuring variable exceeds a second predefined threshold value,

in a first specification, to specify a starting instant and a starting measuring variable, corresponding to the starting instant, of the first chemical and/or physical parameter when the comparison is positive,

in a third acquisition, to detect at least one further first measuring variable,

in a second comparison, to compare whether the at least one further first measuring variable corresponds to the starting measuring variable,

in a second specification, to specify an end instant when the second comparison is positive,

in a third comparison, to compare whether the amount of a difference between the end instant and the starting instant is greater than a predefined minimum time span, and

in a signal-generation, to generate an output signal when the third comparison is positive.