Circuit configuration for evaluating yaw rate sensor signals

• US 5,842,143 A
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Probst, Gregor, Lohrenz, Frank, Menten, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/710,986
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.039, 364/426.016, 364/426.028, 364/426.027, 364/426.022, 303/140, 303/146, 701/34, 701/72, 701/83, 701/82, 701/77
• US Class Current: 701/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A circuit configuration for evaluating signals from a yaw rate sensor is used in particular for movement stabilization in a motor vehicle. There is provided a controller which receives the signals from the yaw rate sensor and from further sensors. The further sensors detect motion state dependent variables, such as for example wheel speed, steering wheel angle, lateral acceleration and longitudinal acceleration. The controller calculates from one or more of these further sensors a reference yaw rate. The reference yaw rate is compared with the yaw rate measured by the yaw rate sensor. The plausibility of the yaw rate sensor signal is also checked, taking account of the motion state. If the difference between the measured yaw rate and the reference yaw rate determined in the plausibility check is above a predetermined threshold value, then the yaw rate sensor is identified as being faulty.

Claims

1. A circuit configuration for evaluating signals from a yaw rate sensor, comprising:

a controller connected to and receiving a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor;

said controller being connected to and receiving signals from a plurality of further sensors sensing motion state dependent variables, and said controller calculating a reference yaw rate as a sum of a plurality of yaw rate values calculated from the signals from said plurality of further sensors, each weighted by a respective weighting factor;

said controller being programmed to calculate a difference between the reference yaw rate and the yaw rate signal received from the yaw rate sensor and to compare the difference with a predetermined threshold value; and

said controller outputting a state signal indicating a state of the yaw rate sensor depending on a result of the comparison.

2. The circuit configuration according to claim 1, wherein said controller is connected in a system for movement stabilization in a motor vehicle.

3. The circuit configuration according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes a fuzzy logic circuit for determining the weighting factors for weighting the yaw rate values.

4. The circuit configuration according to claim 1, wherein the reference yaw rate is calculated using at least one of the following formulae:

##EQU2##

5. A circuit configuration for evaluating signals from a yaw rate sensor, comprising:

a controller connected to and receiving a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor;

a system for movement stabilization in a motor vehicle connected to said controller;

said controller being connected to and receiving signals from at least one further sensor sensing motion state dependent variables, and said controller calculating a reference yaw rate from the signals;

said controller performs a plausibility check ascertaining whether the signal from the yaw rate sensor is plausible in view of a motion state of the vehicle;

said controller being programmed to calculate a difference between the reference yaw rate and the yaw rate signal received from the yaw rate sensor and to compare a difference with a predetermined threshold value, and said controller comparing the difference with the predetermined threshold value in dependence on a result of the plausibility check;

said controller outputting a state signal indicating a state of the yaw rate sensor depending on a result of the comparison.

6. A method of evaluating signals from a yaw rate sensor, the method which comprises:

receiving a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor with a controller connected to the yaw rate sensor;

receiving, with the controller, signals from a plurality of further sensors sensing motion state dependent variables, and calculating a reference yaw rate as a sum of a plurality of yaw rate values calculated from the signals from said plurality of sensors, each weighted by a respective weighting factor;

calculating a difference between the reference yaw rate and the yaw rate signal and comparing the difference with a predetermined threshold value; and

outputting a state signal indicating a state of the yaw rate sensor depending on a result of the comparing step.