Arrangement for angular measurement

• US 6,693,423 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Weser, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KINDER, DARRELL D
• Application Number:
  US10/095,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 324/207.2, 324/207.21, 324/207.22, 324/207.25, 324/224, 324/225, 324/202, 324/207.12, 73/17.5, 702/94, 702/151, 702/130, 33/1.PT
• US Class Current: 324/207.25
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24461 by redundancy or plausibility

Abstract

An arrangement for angular measurement includes an angle sensor that supplies sensor signals phase shifted 90° with respect to each other and having actual amplitude values. A signal-processing device provides expected amplitude values of the sensor signals and graded limit values for a deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals; compares the expected amplitude values with the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals; determines a deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values, and a range of values in which the determined deviation occurs; and generates an error signal including reliability class information about the range of values in which the determined deviation occurs. As a result, monitoring and evaluation of the measured sensor signals with accuracy and reliability is possible.

Claims

1. An arrangement for angular measurement, comprising

an angle sensor for supplying two sensor signals which are 90°

phase shifted with respect to each other and have actual amplitude values, and

a signal-processing device for

computing and/or making available expected amplitude values of the sensor signals in dependence upon predetermined an or measured values of selected circuit and/or operation parameter of the arrangement for angular measurement,

computing and/or making available a plurality of graded limit values for a deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals, by which graded limit values a plurality of ranges of values is fixed for said deviation,

comparing the expected amplitude values with the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals,

determining the deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values, and determining the range of values in which the determined deviation occurs, and

generating an error signal comprising reliability class information about the range of values in which the determined deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals occurs.

2. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that an individually digitally encoded bit code in the error signal is assigned to the reliability class information in accordance with the range of values in which the deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals occurs.

3. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a CORDIC algorithm is used in the signal-processing device for computing an angle from the sensor signals, and the radius determination provided by this CORDIC algorithm is utilized for determining the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals.

4. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the signal-processing device is adapted to generate an angle signal assigned to the angle computed from the sensor signals, and the error signal is supplied together with the angle signal by the signal-processing device.

5. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 4, characterized by a control apparatus receiving the angle signal and the error signal and being adapted to perform different functions in dependence upon the reliability class information comprised in the error signal.

6. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a temperature signal representing a measured temperature value is utilized as a selected circuit and/or operation parameter of the arrangement for angular measurement.

7. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature value and for making available the temperature signal representing the measured temperature value.

8. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a characteristic of the signal representing the angle sensor is utilized as a selected circuit and/or operation parameter of the arrangement for angular measurement.

9. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the signal-processing device and/or the control apparatus is implemented for a plausibility test of the sensor signals supplied by the angle sensor and performed on the basis of the reliability class information.

10. An arrangement for angular measurement, comprising:

an angle sensor that supplies sensor signals phase shifted 90°

with respect to each other and having actual amplitude values; and

a signal-processing device that provides expected amplitude values of the sensor signals, provides a plurality of graded limit values for a deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals, compares the expected amplitude values with the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals, determines a deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values and determines a range of values in which the determined deviation occurs, and generates an error signal including reliability class information about the range of values in which the determined deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals occurs.

11. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, wherein an individually digitally encoded bit code in the error signal is assigned to the reliability class information in accordance with the range of values in which the deviation between the expected amplitude values and the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals occurs.

12. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, wherein a CORDIC algorithm is used by the signal-processing device to compute an angle from the sensor signals, and a radius determination provided by the CORDIC algorithm is utilized for determining the actual amplitude values of the sensor signals.

13. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal-processing device generates an angle signal assigned to the angle computed from the sensor signals, and the error signal is provided together with the angle signal by the signal-processing device.

14. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a control apparatus that receives the angle signal and the error signal, and that performs different functions depending upon the reliability class information included in the error signal.

15. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal-processing device provides the expected amplitude values based on predetermined or measured values of circuit or operation parameters of the arrangement for angular measurement.

16. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, wherein a temperature signal representing a measured temperature value is used by the signal processing device as the predetermined or measured valves.

17. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a temperature sensor that measures a temperature value and uses the measured temperature value as the predetermined or measured values.

18. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, wherein a signal representing the angle sensor is used by the signal processing device as the predetermined or measured values.

19. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 18, wherein the signal-processing device conducts a plausibility test of the sensor signals supplied by the angle sensor based on the reliability class information.

20. An arrangement for angular measurement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the graded limit values fix a plurality of ranges of values for the deviation.