Method for recognizing a sensor type

• US 7,937,237 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Craemer, Ulrich, Wolpert, Hartmut, Zobel, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): TEIXEIRA MOFFAT, JONATHAN CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US10/599,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• Field of Search: 702/1, 702/33, 702/57, 702/73, 702/90, 702/91, 702/104, 702/127, 702/183, 702/187, 702/189, 702/193, 702/198
• US Class Current: 702/116
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass

Abstract

A first condition, which is met when a measuring signal (V_SENS) of a sensor exceeds a first threshold value (V_SW), is checked. A second condition, which is met when a gradient (GRD_V_SENS) of a measuring signal (V_SENS) is greater than a predefined second threshold (GRD_V_SW), is checked. If the first and second conditions are met, this is recognized on a sensor with a signal evaluation area multiplex output for the measuring signal. If at least one of the conditions is not met, this is recognized on a sensor without a signal evaluation area-multiplex output for the measuring signal.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing a sensor type, the method performed by a program of computer instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and executable by a processing unit and comprising the following steps:

Checking, by the processing unit, a first condition that will have been met if a measuring signal of a sensor exceeds a first threshold,

Checking, by the processing unit, a second condition if the first condition has been met, with the second condition having been met if a gradient of the measuring signal is greater in amount than a predefined second threshold,

Determining, by the processing unit, whether or not the sensor is a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor, wherein a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor comprises a type of sensor that measures at least two different parameters having non-overlapping ranges of signal values and outputs the measurements of the at least two different parameters in a multiplexed manner, including;

recognizing the sensor as a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor if the first and second conditions have been met, and

recognizing the sensor as not a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor if at least one of the first and second conditions has not been met.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conditions are in each case checked close in time to a start of operation of the sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor having the signal-value-range multiplex output for the measuring signal will be recognized if the first and second conditions have been met a predefined number of times, and otherwise the sensor not having a signal-value-range multiplex output for the measuring signal will be recognized.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in case of a recognized sensor having a signal-value-range multiplex output:

a measurement value of the measuring signal, which value was registered a predefinable period of time before the first and second condition were met, will be assigned to either a fuel temperature or a fuel quantity depending on the sign of the gradient of the measuring signal or depending on the measurement value'"'"'s absolute value.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a fault will be recognized if the first and second conditions are not met during a predefinable period of time.

6. A method for determining whether or not a sensor is a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor, defined as a sensor that measures at least two different parameters having non-overlapping ranges of signal values and outputs the measurements of the at least two different parameters in a multiplexed manner, the method performed by a program of computer instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and executable by a processing unit and comprising:

Determining, by the processing unit, whether a measuring signal of the sensor exceeds a first threshold and if so, determining whether a gradient of the measuring signal is greater in amount than a predefined second threshold, and if so, identifying the sensor as a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor,

and if either step of determining fails, then identifying the sensor as not being a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the steps of determining are in each case checked close in time to a start of operation of the sensor.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sensor having the signal-value-range multiplex output for the measuring signal will be recognized if the steps of determining have been met a predefined number of times, and otherwise the sensor not having a signal-value-range multiplex output for the measuring signal will be recognized.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the following steps are carried out in the case of a recognized sensor having a signal-value-range multiplex output:

assigning a measurement value of the measuring signal, which value was registered a predefinable period of time before the steps of determining were met, to either a fuel temperature or a fuel quantity depending on the sign of the gradient of the measuring signal or depending on the measurement value'"'"'s absolute value.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a fault will be recognized if the steps of determining are not met during a predefinable period of time.

11. An arrangement for recognizing whether or not a sensor is a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor, defined as a sensor that measures at least two different parameters having non-overlapping ranges of signal values and outputs the measurements of the at least two different parameters in a multiplexed manner, the arrangement comprising:

means for determining whether a measuring signal of the sensor exceeds a first threshold and

means for determining whether a gradient of the measuring signal is greater in amount than a predefined second threshold,

wherein the sensor is recognized as a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor if both determinations are met, and if either determination fails, then the sensor is not recognized as a signal-value-range multiplex output type sensor.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the determinations are performed close in time to a start of operation of the sensor.

13. The arrangement according to claim 11,

wherein the sensor having the signal-value-range multiplex output for the measuring signal will be recognized if the determinations have been met a predefined number of times, and otherwise the sensor not having a signal-value-range multiplex output for the measuring signal will be recognized.

14. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein in the case of a recognized sensor having the signal-value-range multiplex output a measurement value of the measuring signal, which value was registered a predefinable period of time before the determinations were met, is assigned to either a fuel temperature or a fuel quantity depending on the sign of the gradient of the measuring signal or depending on the measurement value'"'"'s absolute value.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein a fault will be recognized if the determinations are not met during a predefinable period of time.