Sensor device, method and device for monitoring a sensor device, and system having a sensor device

• US 7,400,231 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Haas, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/197,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.33, 340/442, 340/443, 340/444, 340/445, 340/446, 340/447, 340/438, 701/35, 701/1, 701/36, 701/29
• US Class Current: 340/426.33
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/485 using magnetostrictive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/22 transferred to the indicator by electric or magnetic means

Abstract

A sensor device is disposed in a wheel. It contains an acceleration sensor, the measurement signal of which is representative of the acceleration of the sensor device. Detachment of the sensor device from its mounting position is detected according to the measurement signal of the acceleration sensor. The sensor device can also contain a position sensor, the measurement signal of which is representative of a relative position of the sensor device based on its mounting position. The sensor device can also contain a deformation measuring element disposed in such a way that a measurement signal of the deformation measuring element exhibits a characteristic oscillation if the sensor device has become detached from its mounting position.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a sensor device, which comprises the steps of:

disposing the sensor device at a mounting position in a wheel;

the sensor device containing an acceleration sensor outputting a measurement signal representative of acceleration of the sensor device;

establishing a correlation coefficient in dependence on the measurement signal of the acceleration sensor and a square of a vehicle speed of a motor vehicle on which the wheel is disposed; and

detecting detachment of the sensor device from the mounting position based on the correlation coefficient.

2. A method for monitoring a sensor device, which comprises the steps of:

disposing the sensor device at a mounting position in a wheel;

the sensor device containing an acceleration sensor outputting a measurement signal representative of an acceleration of the sensor device; and

at a vehicle speed lower than a predefined vehicle speed threshold, detecting the detachment of the sensor device from the mounting position using a measure of a mutual deviation of a plurality of values, measured at time intervals, of the measurement signal of the acceleration sensor or of quantities derived therefrom.

3. A method for monitoring a sensor device, which comprises the steps of:

disposing the sensor device at a mounting position in a wheel;

the sensor device containing an acceleration sensor outputting a measurement signal representative of an acceleration of the sensor device; and

at a vehicle speed higher than a predefined vehicle speed threshold, detecting the detachment of the sensor device from the mounting position if the measurement signal of the acceleration sensor falls below a predefined acceleration threshold or if the measurement signal does not change in correlation with the vehicle speed.

4. A method for monitoring a sensor device, which comprises the steps of:

disposing the sensor device at a mounting position in a wheel;

forming the sensor device to contain a temperature sensor; and

detecting detachment of the sensor device from the mounting position based on a temperature deviation obtained from a difference of two temperatures registered by the temperature sensor.

5. A method for monitoring a sensor device, which comprises the steps of:

attaching a sensor device to a mounting position in a wheel; and

detecting detachment of the sensor device from the mounting position according to a measure of a signal strength of an information signal transmitted by the sensor device.

6. A device for monitoring a sensor unit, the device comprising:

an evaluation unit detecting detachment of the sensor unit from a mounting position in a wheel;

said evaluation unit detecting the detachment according to a measure of signal strength of an information signal transmitted by the sensor unit.

7. A sensor device to be disposed in a wheel at a mounting position, the sensor device comprising:

a position sensor outputting a measurement signal representing a position of the sensor device in the wheel relative to the mounting position;

said position sensor selected from a group consisting of a first position sensor, a second position sensor, and a third position sensor;

said first position sensor being a magnetic field sensor;

said second position sensor including a switch having a position dependent upon the position of the sensor device in the wheel relative to the mounting position; and

said third position sensor including an electric conductor disposed in the wheel and two contacts which are only electrically coupled to said electric conductor in the mounting position.

8. A sensor device to be disposed in a wheel at a mounting position, comprising:

at least one deformation measuring element disposed so that a measurement signal of said deformation measuring element exhibits a characteristic oscillation if the sensor device has become detached from the mounting position.

9. A method for monitoring a sensor device disposed in a wheel at a mounting position, the sensor device contains at least one deformation measuring element disposed so that a measurement signal of the deformation measuring element exhibits a characteristic oscillation if the sensor device becomes detached from the mounting position, which comprises the step of:

detecting a detachment of the sensor device from the mounting position in dependence on a measure of the characteristic oscillation of the measurement signal of the deformation measuring element.

10. A device for monitoring a sensor unit disposed in a wheel at a mounting position and having at least one deformation measuring element disposed so that a measurement signal of the deformation measuring element exhibits a characteristic oscillation if the sensor unit becomes detached from the mounting position, the device comprising:

an evaluation device detecting a detachment of the sensor unit from the mounting position in dependence on a measure of the characteristic oscillation of the measurement signal of the deformation measuring element.

11. A system, comprising:

a first sensor device to be disposed in a wheel at a mounting position; and

a second sensor device having a sensor element for detecting vibrations transferred to the wheel by said first sensor device if said first sensor device becomes detached from said mounting position.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said second sensor device is disposed on the wheel.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said second sensor device is disposed on a component of a motor vehicle, said component is connected to the wheel such that vibrations of the wheel are transferred to the component.

14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a mechanical vibration element disposed such that, when said first sensor device becomes detached from said mounting position, said mechanical vibration element is excited and vibrates.