Speed detection for a tachograph system

• US 8,275,509 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Gunnar, Fritsch, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN J
• Application Number:
  US12/310,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 701/34, 701/35, 701/33, 701/32, 701/31, 701/29, 701/29.7, 701/30.3, 701/30.5, 701/30.6, 701/31.3, 701/32.4, 342/357.25, 342/357.22, 342/357.2, 342/357.35, 702/142, 713/150, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/30.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/122 Speed recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/02 of speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/56 for comparing two speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 7/00 Details or accessories common to the registering or indicating apparatus of groups G07C3/00 and G07C5/00

Abstract

System and method for detecting and storing at least speed as an information relevant for resignation for a tachograph system. to provide a tamperproof tachograph system offering a high degree of security. An arithmetic unit detects signals for determining the speed from at least two independent sensors and compares them with each other and stores a sensor-related error message if the signals deviate significantly from each other. The signals of at least three independent sensors are compared with each other in the arithmetic unit and are checked for their plausibility by excluding any signals that significantly deviate from a plurality of signals and determining the speed of the vehicle to be stored only using one or more of those signals that deviate from each other only within defined limits.

Claims

1. A method of operating a tachograph system comprising a plurality of sensors and a computation unit configured to detect and store at least a speed as a piece of registration-relevant information for the tachograph system, the method comprising:

detecting a signal from each of the plural sensors for determining the speed;

checking the detected signals for plausibility by comparing the detected signals;

storing a sensor-related error message if the detected signals differ more than a predetermined amount;

checking one of the plural sensors that is a pilot sensor and has an associated pilot function for plausibility using the detected signals from the other plural sensors;

flagging the pilot sensor as erroneous when the signals supplied by the other plural sensors differ from one another within a preset limit and a signal from the pilot sensor differs beyond the preset limit;

ascertaining the speed based on the plausibility-checked signals from a majority of the plural sensors when the pilot signal is flagged as erroneous, wherein the signals from the majority of the plural sensors differ from each other within a preset limit; and

storing an error message when the pilot signal is flagged as erroneous.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein data is transmitted between at least one of the plural sensors and the computation unit in encrypted form.

3. A tachograph system for capturing registration-relevant vehicle data comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to detect a speed of the vehicle and output a signal representing the detected speed, wherein one of the sensors is a tachometer on an output side of a vehicle gearbox configured for speed detection;

a computation unit coupled to the tachometer and the plural sensors configured to compare the signals output by the tachometer and the plural sensors and check the signal from the tachometer for plausibility using the plural sensors;

a memory for storing at least the speed as a piece of registration-relevant information,

wherein the computation unit is configured to;

exclude erroneous signals and ascertain the speed using only those signals supplied by the sensors which are within particular limit values and

the ascertained speed is determined using signals from a majority of the plural sensors.

4. The tachograph system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tachometer is sealed.

5. The tachograph system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plural sensors is a position sensor configured to capture position data for the vehicle, and the speed can be ascertained using the signals from the position sensor.

6. The tachograph system according to claim 5, wherein the position sensor is a GPS receiver integrated in the computation unit.

7. The tachograph system according to claim 5, wherein the position sensor is a GPS receiver in a navigation system.

8. The tachograph system as claimed in one of claim 3 wherein at least one of the plural sensors is an ABS wheel sensor.

9. The tachograph system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plural sensors is a tachometer for detecting an engine speed and, together with a gear sensor for detecting a selected gear, is configured for speed detection.

10. The tachograph system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plural sensors is a receiver for receiving a speed ascertained by a fixed speed-measuring device.

11. The tachograph system according to claim 3, wherein data transmitted between at least one sensor and the computation unit is encrypted.

12. A method of operating a tachograph system comprising:

receiving a plurality of data from a first source;

storing the received plural data with respective time stamps;

storing sensor data from a plurality of sensors with respective time stamps;

checking the stored received data for plausibility by comparing them to the stored data from the plural sensors;

checking the first source that is a pilot sensor and has an associated pilot function for plausibility using the stored data from a majority of the plural sensors;

calculating at least one of distance and speed based on the plausibility-checked signals for each of the sensor data and received data;

comparing the at least one of the calculated distance and speed,

wherein the steps of calculating and comparing are repeated when the compared calculated distance and speed are within prescribed limits and

wherein an error message is generated and stored when the compared at least one of the calculated distance and speed are not within the prescribed limits.

13. The method of operating a tachograph system according to claim 12, wherein the first source is a GPS source.

14. The method of operating a tachograph system according to claim 12, further comprising incrementing an error counter when the received plural data is invalid.

15. The method of operating a tachograph system according to claim 12, wherein the sensor data generated by one of a tachometer and an ABS sensor.