System and device for detecting yaw displacements using stand-by measuring channels

• US 7,167,785 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Company HG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Lohberg, Peter, Burghardt, Roland, Zydek, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US10/221,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/34, 701/36, 701/39, 701/63, 701/92, 702 57- 59, 702/85, 702 92- 93, 735/033, 735/040.3, 735/08
• US Class Current: 701/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3675 integrated in modulator units
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for detecting safety-critical measured quantities, in particular yaw rates or acceleration data in automotive vehicles, comprising at least two independent measuring channels with sensors that are independent of one another and elements for verifying a malfunction or a failure of the measuring channels. The first measuring channel and the additional measuring channel(s) are operated in hot redundancy employing sensors of the similar type but not exactly identical in such a manner that the sensors are operated in parallel and without restriction. This invention also relates to a device consisting of a sealed housing with a plug, and the aforementioned system is accommodated in the sealed housing.

Claims

1. System for detecting safety-critical measured quantities, comprising:

a first measuring channel including a first yaw rate sensor and a first longitudinal acceleration sensor,

a second measuring channel including a second yaw rate sensor and a second transverse acceleration sensor,

a first yaw rate signal conditioning circuit respectively associated with said first yaw rate sensor,

a second yaw rate signal conditioning circuit respectively associated with said second yaw rate sensor,

a first longitudinal acceleration signal conditioning circuit associated with said first longitudinal acceleration sensor,

a second transverse acceleration signal conditioning circuit associated with said second transverse acceleration sensor,

wherein the first measuring channel and the second measuring channel are operated in hot redundancy.

2. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein an output of each sensor'"'"'s respectively associated signal conditioning circuit is elevated by one or more electronic processing units, and wherein said one or more electronic processing units are connected to a communication serial interface adapter.

3. System as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more electronic processing units further include a comparison unit which compares information carried by the output signals of said first and second yaw rate sensors and a time variation between the output signals of the first and second yaw rate sensors of the signals with one another.

4. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second yaw rate sensors each respectively include mechanical vibration elements, and wherein the first and second yaw rate sensors differ from each other such that the first and second resonance frequencies of the respective first and second mechanical vibration elements are sufficiently different from one another such that the vibrations do not mutually influence each other.

5. System as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second resonance frequencies are respectively defined by a difference between an oscillatory drive frequency and a pick-up frequency of a mechanic vibration in the direction in space of a Coriolis reaction.

6. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vibration mechanical element of the first yaw rate sensor includes an oscillatory drive frequency is approximately equal to 12.0 kHz and a pick-up frequency approximately equal to 12.2 kHz that results in a first resonant frequency approximately equal to 200 Hz, and wherein the vibration mechanical element of the second yaw rate sensor includes an oscillatory drive frequency is approximately equal to 12.5 kHz and a pick-up frequency approximately equal to 12.6 kHz that results in a second resonant frequency approximately equal to 100 hz.

7. System as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second resonance frequencies are respectively defined by a difference between an oscillatory drive frequency and a pick-up frequency of a mechanic vibration in the direction in space of a Coriolis reaction.

8. System as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vibration mechanical element of the first sensor includes an oscillatory drive frequency is approximately equal to 12.0 kHz and a pick-up frequency approximately equal to 12.2 kHz that results in a first resonant frequency approximately equal to 200 Hz, and wherein the vibration mechanical element of the second sensor includes an oscillatory drive frequency is approximately equal to 12.5 kHz and a pick-up frequency approximately equal to 12.6 kHz that results in a second resonant frequency approximately equal to 100 hz.

wherein a flag (bit) (SMAL_POS_GAIN_FAILURE_SUSPICION) is set (52) when the percentage difference value exceeds a threshold value K5 (DELTA_YA>

60%).

9. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensors are arranged in a housing suitable for shielding them from high frequency electro-magnetic radiation.

10. System as claimed in claim 9, wherein the shielding housing is arranged within, but not physically connected to a seated enclosure.

11. System as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second yaw rate sensors are arranged on a first printed circuit board, and at least part of an electronic processing unit is arranged on a second printed circuit board.

12. System as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first printed circuit board is arranged inside the shielding housing, and the second printed circuit board is arranged outside the shielding housing.

13. System as claimed in claim 11, wherein the shielding housing includes plug pins which are connected to the first printed circuit board without cables.

14. System as claimed in claim 9, wherein the shielding housing is mounted within a sealed enclosure which includes mounting elements for the installation into an automotive vehicle.