Sensor system and method for operating a sensor system

• US 8,207,747 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Balslink, Thorsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US12/502,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20100019777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/633
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces

Abstract

A sensor system includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and an analyzer circuit, the first sensor including a first seismic mass having a first resonance frequency and the second sensor including a second seismic mass having a second resonance frequency, and the analyzer circuit being provided for analyzing a first output signal of the first sensor as well as a second output signal of the second sensor and, moreover, the first resonance frequency being unequal to the second resonance frequency.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising:

a first sensor including a first seismic mass having a first resonance frequency;

a second sensor including a second seismic mass having a second resonance frequency, the first resonance frequency being unequal to the second resonance frequency; and

an analyzer circuit for analyzing a first output signal of the first sensor and a second output signal of the second sensor,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are situated on a shared sensor element, wherein

the first sensor has first actuating means for exciting the first seismic mass having the first resonance frequency and the second sensor has second actuating means for exciting the second seismic mass having the second resonance frequency.

2. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the first resonance frequency is unequal to a multiple of the second resonance frequency.

3. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor includes a first micromechanical yaw rate sensor and the second sensor includes a second micromechanical yaw rate sensor.

4. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes an electronic stability program for vehicles.

5. The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the analyzer circuit generates a third output signal which includes a mean value from first and second output signals.

6. The sensor system according to claim 5, wherein if a difference between the first and the second output signals exceeds a freely selectable threshold value, an error signal is output by the analyzer circuit.

7. A sensor system comprising:

a first sensor including a first seismic mass having a first resonance frequency;

a second sensor including a second seismic mass having a second resonance frequency, the first resonance frequency being unequal to the second resonance frequency; and

an analyzer circuit for analyzing a first output signal of the first sensor and a second output signal of the second sensor,

wherein the first sensor has first detection means for detecting a first capacitance change, the first capacitance change being a function of a first deflection of the first seismic mass due to a first Coriolis acceleration of the first seismic mass, the second sensor having second detection means for detecting a second capacitance change, the second capacitance change being a function of a second deflection of the second seismic mass due to a second Coriolis acceleration of the second seismic mass, the first capacitance change having a first frequency which is substantially identical to the first resonance frequency and the second capacitance change having a second frequency which is substantially identical to the second resonance frequency.

8. A method for operating a sensor system including a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor having a first seismic mass and the second sensor having a second seismic mass, the first sensor and the second sensor situated on a shared sensor element, the method comprising:

exciting the first seismic mass to a first oscillation having a first resonance frequency with the aid of a first actuating device; and

exciting the second seismic mass, with the aid of a second actuating device, to a second oscillation having a second resonance frequency which is unequal to the first resonance frequency, wherein

the second seismic mass is excited to a second oscillation in such a way that the second resonance frequency is unequal to a multiple of the first resonance frequency.

9. A method for operating a sensor system including a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor having a first seismic mass and the second sensor having a second seismic mass, the method comprising:

exciting the first seismic mass to a first oscillation having a first resonance frequency with the aid of a first actuating device;

exciting the second seismic mass, with the aid of a second actuating device, to a second oscillation having a second resonance frequency which is unequal to the first resonance frequency;

measuring a first capacitance change, having substantially the first resonance frequency, using a first detection device, the first capacitance change being a function of a first deflection of the first seismic mass due to a first Coriolis acceleration of the first seismic mass; and

measuring a second capacitance change, having substantially the second resonance frequency, using a second detection device, the second capacitance change being a function of a second deflection of the second seismic mass due to a second Coriolis acceleration of the second seismic mass.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first detection device generates a first output signal as a function of the first capacitance change and the second detection device generates a second output signal as a function of the second capacitance change, the first and the second output signals being analyzed by an analyzer circuit, and at least one of a third output signal and an error signal being generated by the analyzer circuit as a function of the first and second output signals.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising operating an electronic stability program of a vehicle as a function of at least one of the third output signal and the error signal.