Sensor device for detecting at least one rotation rate of a rotating motion

• US 8,695,424 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Schmid, Bernhard, Burghardt, Roland, Simon, Otmar, Hilser, Roland, Heimel, Jrg
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US12/921,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 735/10, 735/11, 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 735/041.6, 735/040.2, 735/040.4, 701/29.1, 701/30.3, 701/30.4, 701/30.5, 701/30.6, 701/30.7, 701/30.9, 701/31.1
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5755 the devices having a single sensing mass

Abstract

In order to be able to perform redundant measurements of rotation rates particularly economically, disclosed herein is a sensor device which includes a dual-axis, first rotation rate sensor element with which rotation rates of rotating motions of the sensor device about a first and a second rotation rate measurement axis can be detected, wherein the first and the second rotation rate measurement axes are oriented orthogonally in relation to one another. The sensor device is defined by the fact that the sensor device includes at least one other rotation rate sensor element with which a rotation rate of a rotating motion of the sensor device about a rotation rate measurement axis, which lies in a plane together with the first and the second rotation rate measurement axes, can be deselected.

Claims

1. A sensor device in a vehicle for determining rotation rates of the vehicle, the sensor device comprising:

a dual-axis, first rotation rate sensor element that is configured to detect rotation rates of rotating motions of the sensor device about a first and a second rotation rate measurement axis, wherein the first and the second rotation rate measurement axes are oriented orthogonally in relation to one another;

at least one other rotation rate sensor element that is configured to detect a rotation rate of a rotating motion of the sensor device about a rotation rate measurement axis, which lies in a plane together with the first and the second rotation rate measurement axes; and

a plausibility checking device which is configured to determine a plausibility signal based on a comparison of a first rotation rate measured by the first rotation rate sensor element and a second rotation rate measured by said at least one other rotation rate sensor element,

wherein the first rotation rate, the second rotation rate, and the plausibility signal are used to control a driving state of the vehicle such that driving state interventions are attenuated based on the plausibility signal.

2. The sensor device as claimed in claim 1, in which the first rotation rate sensor element comprises a sensor structure which is configured to oscillate transversally and has a deflectable structure mass and a means for exciting the sensor structure which can oscillate transversally to oscillate along an oscillation axis, wherein the structure mass is configured to be deflected on the basis of Coriolis forces which occur during a rotation of the sensor device about the first and the second rotation rate measurement axes, and wherein the first and the second rotation rate measurement axes are oriented orthogonally in relation to the oscillation axis.

3. The sensor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plausibility checking device is configured to determine a rotation rate output signal in relation to a rotation rate measurement axis by at least a first rotation rate which is measured by the first rotation rate sensor element and a second rotation rate which is measured by said at least one other rotation rate sensor element.

4. The sensor device as claimed in claim 1, in which said at least one other rotation rate sensor element is embodied as a single-axis rotation rate sensor element that is configured to detect a rotation rate of a rotating motion of the sensor device about a third rotation rate measurement axis, which is oriented parallel to the first or the second rotation rate measurement axis.

5. The sensor device as claimed in claim 1, in which said at least one other rotation rate sensor element is embodied as a single-axis rotation rate sensor element that is configured to detect a rotation rate of a rotating motion of the sensor device about a fourth rotation rate measurement axis, which is not oriented parallel to the first or to the second rotation rate measurement axis.

6. The sensor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one other rotation rate sensor element is configured to detect rotation rates of rotating motions of the sensor device about two other rotation rate measurement axes which are oriented orthogonally to one another,

wherein said at least one other rotation rate sensor element is a dual-axis rotation rate sensor element, wherein at least one of the two other rotation axes is oriented parallel to the first or the second rotation rate measurement axis.

7. The sensor device as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a single-axis rotation rate sensor element which is configured to detect a rotation rate of a rotating motion of the sensor device about a fifth rotation rate measurement axis, wherein the fifth rotation rate measurement axis lies in a plane with a rotation rate measurement axis of the first rotation rate sensor element and with a rotation rate measurement axis of said at least one other dual-axis rotation rate sensor element, which rotation rate measurement axes are not arranged parallel to one another, and wherein the fifth rotation rate measurement axis is not oriented parallel to one of these rotation rate measurement axes of the first or of the other rotation rate sensor element.

8. The sensor device as claimed in claim 7, in which a plausibility checking device is configured to determine plausibility signals relating to rotation rates which have been determined in relation to a rotation rate measurement axis lying in the plane, by means of a comparison of rotation rates which have been determined in relation to rotation rate measurement axes which lie in a plane and comprise the fifth rotation rate measurement axis.

9. The sensor device as claimed in claim 6, additionally comprising a dual-axis rotation rate sensor element, wherein each rotation rate measurement axis of one of the dual-axis rotation rate sensor elements contained in the sensor device is oriented parallel to another rotation rate measurement axis of another rotation rate sensor element of the sensor device.

10. The sensor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation rate sensor elements which are contained are assemblies of an integrated circuit.

11. An assembly for detecting at least one rotation rate, comprising:

a sensor device as claimed in claim 1, and

a signal processing device which is configured to condition a rotation rate output signal and/or a plausibility signal in relation to at least one rotation rate measurement axis of the rotation rate sensor elements contained in the sensor device, in order to be made available outside the assembly.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one other sensor element which is coupled to the signal processing device and which is configured to detect a measurement variable which is different from a rotation rate, wherein the signal processing device is configured to make available an output signal relating to the measurement variable.

13. A motor vehicle comprising a sensor device as claimed in claim 1.

14. A motor vehicle comprising an assembly as claimed in claim 11.