Method for increasing the reliability of transducers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139255-B2
Application number	US-201514941112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A method for increasing a reliability of transducers having a first IC and a second IC, each has a sensor and a signal output and a signal input and a comparator, and a sensor signal generated as a function of the physical quantity sensed by the relevant sensor is applied to the respective signal outputs. The signal outputs are each connected to a first input of the comparator, and the signal inputs are each connected to a second input of the comparator. The two ICs can be integrated into a common IC package, and the signal output of the first IC is connected to the first input of the comparator on the first IC and to the signal input of the second IC and to a first contact area passing through the IC package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for increasing a reliability of transducers having a first integrated circuit (IC) and a second integrated circuit (IC), each of the first IC and second IC has a sensor and a signal output and a signal input and a comparator, the method comprising:
applying a sensor signal generated as a function of the physical quantity sensed by the sensor of each of the first IC and second IC to the respective signal output;
connecting the signal outputs to a first input of each comparator of the first IC and second IC, the signal inputs each being connected to a second input of each comparator of the first IC and second IC, and the first IC and second IC are integrated into a common IC package;
connecting the signal output of the first IC to the first input of the comparator on the first IC and to the signal input of the second IC and to a first contact area passing through the common IC package;
connecting the signal output of the second IC to the first input of the comparator on the second IC and to the signal input of the first IC, so that the output signal of the first IC is compared on the second IC with the output signal of the second IC, and the output signal of the second IC is compared on the first IC with the output signal of the first IC;
altering, starting at a predefined discrepancy between the two output signals, the output signal at the signal output of the second IC such that the output signal no longer corresponds to the sensor signal of the first IC;
comparing the output signal of the second IC on the first IC with the output signal of the first IC; and
altering, starting at a predefined discrepancy between the two output signals, the output signal at the signal output of the first IC such that the output signal no longer corresponds to the sensor signal of the second IC,
wherein the second IC measures a same physical quantity as the first IC, and
wherein the first IC monitors and compares signal measurements of the same physical quantity with the second IC.

2. The method for increasing the reliability according to claim 1 , wherein the signal output of the second IC is connected only within the common IC package or is connected to a second contact area that passes through the common IC package.

3. The method for increasing the reliability according to claim 1 , wherein analog output signals are applied to both of the signal outputs.

4. The method for increasing the reliability according to claim 1 , wherein a useful band is provided, and starting at the predefined discrepancy, the output signal at the signal output of the first IC is altered such that the output signal lies outside the useful band.

5. The method for increasing the reliability according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison of the two output signals on the first IC and the comparison of the two output signals on the second IC are each performed by respective comparators on each of the first IC and the second IC.

6. The method for increasing the reliability according to claim 1 , wherein, on the second IC, starting at the predefined discrepancy, the output signal of the second signal output is placed in an error band, and as a result, the output signal of the first signal output is placed in the error band, and subsequently the sensor signal is again output at the signal output of the second IC.

7. A method for increasing a reliability of transducers having a first integrated circuit (IC) and a second integrated circuit (IC), the first and second ICs have substantially the same or exactly the same monolithically integrated circuit functions, each of the first IC and second IC has a sensor and a signal output and a signal input and a comparator, the method comprising:
applying a sensor signal generated as a function of the physical quantity sensed by the relevant sensor to the respective signal outputs;
connecting the signal outputs to a first input of the comparator, the signal inputs each being connected to a second input of the comparator and the first IC and the second IC are integrated into a common IC package;
connecting the signal output of the first IC to the first input of the comparator on the first IC and to the signal input of the second IC and to a first contact area passing through the IC package;
connecting the signal output of the second IC to the first input of the comparator on the second IC and to the signal input of the first IC, so that the output signal of the first IC is compared on the second IC with the output signal of the second IC, and the output signal of the second IC is compared on the first IC with the output signal of the first IC;
altering, starting at a predefined discrepancy between the two output signals, the output signal at the signal output of the second IC such that the output signal no longer corresponds to the sensor signal of the first IC;
comparing the output signal of the second IC on the first IC with the output signal of the first IC; and
altering, starting at a predefined discrepancy between the two output signals, the output signal at the signal output of the first IC such that the output signal no longer corresponds to the sensor signal of the second IC,
wherein, after an alteration of the output signal, the sensor signal is again output at the applicable signal output after a predetermined time with the altered output signal.

8. The method for increasing the reliability according to claim 1 , wherein the alteration of the two output signals is carried out by a change in the gain of an output amplifier connected to the relevant signal output.

9. A method for increasing a reliability of transducers having a first integrated circuit (IC) and a second integrated circuit (IC), the first and second ICs have substantially the same or exactly the same monolithically integrated circuit functions, each of the first IC and second IC has a sensor and a signal output and a signal input and a comparator, the method comprising:
applying a sensor signal generated as a function of the physical quantity sensed by the relevant sensor to the respective signal outputs;
connecting the signal outputs to a first input of the comparator, the signal inputs each being connected to a second input of the comparator and the first IC and the second IC are integrated into a common IC package;
connecting the signal output of the first IC to the first input of the comparator on the first IC and to the signal input of the second IC and to a first contact area passing through the IC package;
connecting the signal output of the second IC to the first input of the comparator on the second IC and to the signal input of the first IC, so that the output signal of the first IC is compared on the second IC with the output signal of the second IC, and the output signal of the second IC is compared on the first IC with the output signal of the first IC;
altering, starting at a predefined discrepancy between the two output signals, the output signal at the signal output of the second IC such that the output signal no longer corresponds to the sensor signal of the first IC;
comparing the output signal of the second IC on the first IC with the output signal of the first IC; and
altering, starting at a predefined discrepancy between the two output signals, the output signal at the signal output of the first IC such that the output signal no longer corresponds to the sensor signal of the second IC,
wherein one control unit is provided on each of the first IC and the second IC, and a gain of the applicable output amplifier is altered by the control unit to alter the applicable output signal as a function of a size and a duration of the discrepancy.

10. The method for increasing the reliability accord

Assignees

• Micronas Gmbh
• Tdk Micronas Gmbh

Inventors

• Rubehn Thilo

Classifications

• G01D18/00 Primary

  Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00 · CPC title

• G08C25/00 Primary

  Arrangements for preventing or correcting errors; Monitoring arrangements · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title