Device and method for improved monitoring of a lateral-acceleration sensor

• US 6,952,633 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Damaske, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US10/274,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 701/34, 701/92, 701/76, 701/1, 701/29, 303/122.05, 303/122, 303/183, 303/170, 180/197
• US Class Current: 701/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

A device and a method for monitoring a lateral-acceleration sensor suitable for use in a motor vehicle. A first lateral-acceleration variable is detected which describes the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle. The device also includes a detecting arrangement with which wheel-speed variables are detected that describe the speeds of the individual wheels. Also included is a first determination arrangement with which a variable describing the vehicle speed is determined as a function of at least one wheel-speed variable, and a second determination arrangement with which a second lateral-acceleration variable is determined as a function of at least one wheel-speed variable, as well as a monitoring arrangement in which at least one comparison of the first lateral-acceleration variable to the second lateral-acceleration variable is carried out for monitoring the lateral-acceleration sensor. In addition, an enabling arrangement is provided in which a decision is made about implementation or interruption of the monitoring in the monitoring arrangement. At least one comparison of a wheel-speed variable to the variable describing the vehicle speed is carried out in the enabling arrangement, and the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor takes place depending on the result of this at least one comparison.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring a lateral-acceleration sensor, the lateral acceleration sensor detecting a first lateral acceleration variable that describes a lateral acceleration activity on a vehicle, the device comprising:

a detecting arrangement for detecting at least one wheel-speed variable that describes at least one speed of at least one wheel;

a first determination arrangement for determining a variable describing a vehicle speed as a first function of at least one of the at least one wheel-speed variable;

a second determination arrangement for determining a second lateral-acceleration variable as a second function of another of the at least one wheel-speed variable;

a monitoring arrangement for performing at least one first comparison of the first lateral-acceleration variable to the second lateral-acceleration variable in order to monitor the lateral-acceleration sensor; and

an enabling arrangement for deciding about one of an implementation and an interruption of a monitoring performed by the monitoring arrangement, wherein;

at least one second comparison of the at least one wheel-speed variable to the variable describing the vehicle speed is performed by the enabling arrangement, and

the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is performed depending on a result of the at least one second comparison.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one second comparison depends upon whether one of a right curve and a left curve of the vehicle exists.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one second comparison is used to check:

whether at least one inside wheel wheel-speed variable allocated to at least one inside wheel assumes a first value smaller than the variable describing the vehicle speed; and

whether at least one outside wheel wheel-speed variable allocated to at least one outside wheel assumes a second value greater than the variable describing the vehicle speed.

4. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is interrupted when one of the following occurs:

the at least one inside wheel wheel-speed variable assumes a third value greater than the variable describing the vehicle speed; and

the at least one outside wheel wheel-speed variable assumes a fourth value smaller than the variable describing the vehicle speed.

5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein an interrupted monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is only commenced again when a specifiable time interval has elapsed since a moment the monitoring was interrupted.

6. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein a presence of one of the right curve and the left curve is detected by evaluating the second lateral-acceleration variable.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first lateral-acceleration variable is filtered by a filter.

8. The device as recited in claim 7, wherein the filter includes a low-pass filter.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is interrupted when the first lateral-acceleration variable exceeds a specifiable limiting value.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is interrupted when the second lateral-acceleration variable exceeds a specifiable limiting value.

11. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is interrupted when one of the first lateral acceleration variable and the second lateral-acceleration variable exceeds a specifiable limiting value.

12. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the specifiable limiting value is selected so that exceeding the specifiable limiting value by one of the first lateral-acceleration variable and the second lateral-acceleration variable indicates a lifting danger for the at least one wheel.

13. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is interrupted when one of the following occurs:

a road condition is detected as one of sand, ice, and snow; and

the vehicle is in a state of aquaplaning.

14. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

15. A method for monitoring a lateral-acceleration sensor, the lateral acceleration variable detecting a first lateral acceleration variable that describes a lateral acceleration activity on a vehicle, comprising:

detecting at least one wheel-speed variable which describes at least one speed of at least one wheel in a detecting arrangement;

determining a variable describing a vehicle speed in a first determination arrangement as a first function of the at least one wheel-speed variable;

determining a second lateral-acceleration variable in a second determination arrangement as a second function of the at least one wheel-speed variable;

performing at least one first comparison of the first lateral-acceleration variable to the second lateral-acceleration variable in a monitoring arrangement for monitoring the lateral-acceleration sensor; and

performing at least one second comparison of the at least one wheel-speed variable to the variable describing the vehicle speed during cornering;

wherein the monitoring of the lateral-acceleration sensor is performed depending on a result of the at least one second comparison.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.