Method for reading out sensor data

• US 7,827,377 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fink, Andreas, Moldenhauer, Maike, Ohl, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore; Stephen C
• Application Number:
  US11/664,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154, 711/101, 711/110, 711/118, 711/202, 734/89, 734/91, 735/040.3
• US Class Current: 711/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2205/061 Adapt frequency, i.e. clock frequency at one side is adapted to clock frequency, or average clock frequency, at the other side; Not pulse stuffing only
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/12 Means for monitoring the fill level; Means for resolving contention, i.e. conflicts between simultaneous enqueue and dequeue operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/14 for overflow or underflow handling, e.g. full or empty flags

Abstract

A method is described for reading out sensor data from an intermediate memory written by at least one sensor to the intermediate memory at a data-transfer rate (Tpas). A sampling rate (Tsg) is selected in such a way as to avoid an overflow of the intermediate memory and all buffered sensor data is read into a control unit memory at the predetermined sampling rate (Tsg), the intermediate memory generating a message (RBE) if no new sensor data is present in the intermediate memory at the time of sampling.

Claims

1. A method for reading out sensor data from an intermediate memory written by at least one sensor to the intermediate memory at a data-transfer rate, comprising:

selecting a sampling rate in such a way that an overflow of the intermediate memory is prevented and all buffered sensor data is read into a control unit memory at the sampling rate; and

generating by the intermediate memory a message if no new sensor data is present in the intermediate memory at the time of sampling.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the data-transfer rate from a number of sensor data values read out in a predetermined period of time, the sampling rate and a number of messages being received in the predetermined period of time.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

determining information relating to a phase position of a sensor signal of the at least one sensor from the calculated data-transfer rate, the sampling rate, and a pattern of the messages.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

at least one of storing and processing the sensor data so as to be synchronized with a time base of a control unit if the sampling rate and the phase position of the sensor signal are known.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is part of at least one of an upfront sensor system, an environmental sensor system, a side-impact sensor system, and a contact sensor system for pedestrian safety.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the intermediate memory includes a receiver ASIC.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor derives its data-transfer rate from an oscillator circuit.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit memory includes a ring buffer.