Identifiable electric component, method of identification and evaluation device

• US 6,567,007 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schmid, Helmut, Schriefer, Frank, Fritsche, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/937,607
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/649, 340/650, 340/651, 340/652, 340/653, 340/664, 340/568.1, 340/657, 324/96, 324/103.P, 324/133, 324/537, 324/601
• US Class Current: 340/653
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for

Abstract

An electrical component is proposed that has at least one voltage divider that can be read out using an evaluation unit to identify the electrical component by means of a voltage measurement. An evaluation unit is first connected to the electrical component, and a voltage measurement is carried out and converted by way of an analog-digital converter into a digital code with which the electrical component can be identified. This identification can be output via a data output to an electrical device.

Claims

1. An electrical component, comprising at least two externally accessible electrical contacts;

a resistor network for identifying the electrical component and connected with said electrical contacts, said resistor network including a multitude of parallel circuits of series circuits each having two ohm resistors, such that a voltage measured between each of the two resistors against a reference potential is tappable from outside via said electrical contacts, and the electrical component is identifiable by measuring individual voltages.

2. An electrical component as defined in claim 1, wherein said resistor network is formed so that values of said resistors are selected in graduation, and only voltage values up to a value of a reference voltage are measurable, and tolerance ranges of each of the voltage values is disjoint so as to detect an error and also inequivocally assign a voltage value to a code.

3. An electrical component as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising an input for a reference voltage, said input being connected with said resistor network.

4. A method for identifying an electrical component, comprising the steps of bringing an evaluation unit in contact by at least two electrical contacts with an electrical component having a resistor network;

applying an electrical reference voltage to a multitude of voltage dividers;

measuring an applied voltage by the evaluation unit at resistors of the voltage divider, and outputting an element of information based on the measured voltage by the evaluation unit, so as to identity the electrical component.

5. A method as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising assigning a digital code to a measured voltage by an analog-digital convertor that is then used to identify the electrical component.

6. A method as defined in claim 5;

and further comprising feeding the digital code determined by the analog-digital converter to an interface;

an outputting via a data output.

7. A method as defined in claim 5;

and further comprising feeding the digital code to a first central processor which can access a first memory unit in which an assignment of an output signal to a certain device is stored; and

communicating a first central processor to a unit selected from the group consisting of a data output unit and an output unit what the device is.

8. A method as defined in claim 5;

and further comprising feeding the digital code to a second central processor that access a second memory unit, from which data used to operate a device are loadable by a central processor.

9. A method as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising providing the reference voltage by the evaluation unit.

10. A method as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising using a direct voltage as the reference voltage.

11. A method as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising measuring a ratio of the voltage at a resistor to a reference voltage, by a ratio of the resistors in the voltage divider.

12. An evaluation device for identifying an electrical component, comprising an analog-digital convertor;

a data input;

at least one data output;

an evaluation unit connected to an electrical component via said data input by at least two electrical contacts, wherein a digital code is assignable to the measured voltages by said analog-digital convertor;

a multitude of voltage dividers to which an electrical reference voltage is applied and an applied voltage is measurable by the evaluation unit at the resistors of the voltage divider, wherein an element of information based on the measured voltage by the evaluation unit is outputted so as to identify the electrical component.

13. An evaluation device as defined in claim 12;

and further comprising a voltage source provided for a reference voltage and situated in said evaluation unit.

14. An evaluation device as defined in claim 12, wherein said evaluation unit has a central processor and a memory unit by which a digital code can be assigned to a type of device stored previously in the memory unit.

15. An evaluation device as defined in claim 12;

and further comprising a display unit connected to said evaluation unit and controllable by a central processor and in which a type of device identified is displayable.

16. An evaluation device as defined in claim 12;

and further comprising a second central processor connected to a said evaluation unit and connected to a second memory unit, from which data based on the digital code determined by the evaluation unit and used to operate the electrical device are loadable.