Signal processing system and method

• US 7,664,612 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bauer, Scott E., Baal, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano; Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suarez; Felix E
• Application Number:
  US11/930,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 702/65, 702/67, 702/89, 702/106, 702/107, 702/122, 702/176, 702/57, 702/64, 702/82, 736/60, 363/21.11, 701/45, 324/656, 324/713, 600/508
• US Class Current: 702/65
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0283 in which a current or voltage is generated due to relative movement of conductor and magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general

Abstract

First and second complementary voltage signals are operatively coupled across a series circuit comprising first and second sense resistors and a circuit element therebetween. An output signal responsive to the self-impedance of the circuit element is generated responsive at least one of a voltage across the first sense resistor and a voltage across the second sense resistor, and at least one of the first and second complementary voltage signals is controlled responsive to the output signal so as to provide for attenuating at least one noise signal having a frequency that is substantially different from a frequency of the first and second complementary voltage signals.

Claims

1. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element, comprising:

a. generating first and second complementary voltage signals, wherein said first and second complementary voltage signals comprise respective first and second oscillatory voltage signals having a nominal peak amplitude, and said second oscillatory voltage signal comprises a waveform of said first oscillatory voltage signal shifted in phase by substantially 180 degrees;

b. operatively coupling said first complementary voltage signal to a first node of a series circuit;

c. operatively coupling said second complementary voltage signal to a fourth node of said series circuit, wherein said series circuit comprises;

i) a first sense resistor between said first node and a second node; and

ii) a second sense resistor between a third node and said fourth nodes, wherein said series circuit is completed by connecting said second and third nodes to the circuit element;

d. generating an output signal responsive to at least one of a voltage across said first sense resistor and a voltage across said second sense resistor, wherein said output signal is responsive to the self-impedance of said circuit element when said circuit element is connected to said second and third nodes of said series circuit; and

e. controlling at least one of said first and second complementary voltage signals responsive to said output signal so as to provide for attenuating at least one noise signal, wherein a frequency of said at least one noise signal is substantially different from a frequency of said first and second complementary voltage signals.

2. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of controlling said at least one of said first and second complementary voltage signals comprises filtering said output signal with a low pass filter so as to generate a filtered output signal;

and generating said at least one of said first and second complementary voltage signals responsive to said filtered output signal.

3. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 2, wherein the operation of generating said at least one of said first and second complementary voltage signals responsive to said filtered output signal comprises adding a signal responsive to said filtered output signal to an oscillatory signal.

4. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 3, wherein one of said first and second complementary voltage signals is generated by inverting the other of said first and second complementary voltage signals.

5. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 3, wherein said signal responsive to said filtered output signal is generated by phase shifting said filtered output signal, wherein the operation of phase shifting is adapted so that said first and second complementary voltage signals are stable.

6. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 1, wherein said circuit element comprises at least one inductance coil.

7. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 6, further comprising operatively coupling said at least one inductance coil to a magnetic circuit of a vehicle;

and detecting a perturbation of said magnetic circuit responsive to said output signal.

8. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 7, wherein the operation of detecting said perturbation of said magnetic circuit comprises detecting a crash of said vehicle, wherein said perturbation of said magnetic circuit is responsive to said crash.

9. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 8, further comprising controlling a safety restraint system responsive to said output signal.

10. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a. demodulating said output signal, or a signal responsive thereto, so as to generate at least one of an in-phase signal component and a quadrature-phase signal component thereof, wherein said in-phase signal component is in-phase with at least one of said first and second oscillatory voltage signals, and said quadrature-phase signal component is substantially 90 degrees out-of-phase with respect to at least one of said first and second oscillatory voltage signals; and

b. controlling a safety restraint actuator responsive to at least one of said in-phase signal component and said quadrature-phase signal component.

11. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 1, further comprising regulating a voltage across said second and third nodes in reference to a predetermined level.

12. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a. detecting a signal responsive to a DC bias current in said series circuit; and

b. controlling at least one of said first and second complementary voltage signals so as to substantially null said signal responsive to said DC bias current in said series circuit.

13. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 1, further comprising demodulating said output signal, or a signal responsive thereto, so as to generate at least one of an in-phase signal component and a quadrature-phase signal component thereof, wherein said in-phase signal component is in-phase with at least one of said first and second oscillatory voltage signals, and said quadrature-phase signal component is substantially 90 degrees out-of-phase with respect to at least one of said first and second oscillatory voltage signals.

14. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 13, further comprising representing at least one of said in-phase signal component and said quadrature-phase signal component in digital form.

15. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 14, wherein the operations of demodulating said output signal, or a signal responsive thereto, and representing at least one of said in-phase signal component and said quadrature-phase signal component in digital form comprise:

a. transforming said output signal, or said signal responsive thereto, with a sigma-delta converter, so as to generate a first intermediate signal;

b. at least one of mixing a sinusoidal signal with said first intermediate signal so as to generate a first in-phase intermediate signal, and mixing a cosinusoidal signal with said first intermediate signal so as to generate a first quadrature-phase intermediate signal, wherein said sinusoidal signal is in-phase with said first oscillatory voltage signal, and said cosinusoidal signal is substantially 90 degrees out-of-phase with respect to said first oscillatory voltage signal; and

c. at least one of filtering said first in-phase intermediate signal with a first decimation filter and a first low-pass filter so as to generate a first in-phase output signal; and

filtering said first quadrature-phase intermediate signal with a second decimation filter and a second low-pass filter so as to generate a first quadrature-phase output signal.

16. A method of processing a signal responsive to a self-impedance of a circuit element as recited in claim 15, wherein said output signal, or said signal responsive thereto, is adapted so that a magnitude thereof when input to said sigma-delta converter is less than unity under normal operating conditions.