Time-corrected sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10628707-B2
Application number	US-201214343998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2012
Priority date	Sep 12, 2011
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A sensor system has a plurality of sensor elements and a signal processing device in communication with the plurality of sensor elements. The signal processing device is configured to evaluate more than one of at a substantially similar time and assign time information which includes information on the time of the respective measurement to the measurement data of physical variables, wherein the signal processing device takes into consideration time information at least during the generation of a fusion data set in a fusion filter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor system, the sensor system comprising:
a plurality of sensor elements configured to measure physical variables and output sensor signals comprising measurement data representing the physical variables measured;
a signal processing device in communication with the plurality of sensor elements;
wherein the signal processing device is configured to evaluate each of the sensor signals from the sensor elements during a time period;
wherein the signal processing device is configured to assign time information, which comprises information on the time of the respective measurement, to the measured physical variables;
wherein the signal processing device is configured to take into consideration time information at least during the generation of a fusion data set in a fusion filter;
wherein the signal processing device is configured to determine a defined time span, the defined time span defined by a maximum delay of the input data of the fusion filter, the maximum delay being determined from a maximum difference between the time information of the measured physical variables and the time information of a presently pending function step of the fusion filter, wherein the maximum delay is further defined as being greater than or equal to the maximum expected delay of a measurement of a satellite navigation system which is part of the sensor system;
the measurement data comprising measured physical variables, the measured physical variables each having offset values and/or change values and/or correction values and/or error values, associated with each of the measured physical variables; and
wherein the fusion filter is configured to take into consideration at least one model assumption of the measured physical variables, wherein the at least one model assumption assumes that offset values and/or change values and/or correction values and/or error values, associated with each of the physcial variables, between one or more function steps of the fusion filter are substantially unchanged within the defined time span for which absolute values and/or internal values of the physical variables are stored.

2. The sensor system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fusion filter is configured to:
implement successively, each function step being assigned time information,
provide fusion data sets which each provide a relative value of the physical variable and information on the data quality in respect of each physical variable which is processed and/or calculated by the fusion filter.

3. The sensor system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fusion filter has an absolute value and/or internal value of this physical variable, wherein the absolute values and/or internal values of the one or more function steps with respect to one or more physical variables are stored for a defined time period.

4. The sensor system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the fusion filter is configured to:
compare time information input values with the absolute value and/or internal value of a same physical variable, the time information corresponds to the time information input values.

5. The sensor system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the signal processing device is further configured to:
assign time information to each of the input values of the fusion filter,
assign a priority to each of the physical variables,
compute the input values of physical variables of the fusion filter with internal values of the fusion filter of the same physical variables, which correspond in terms of priority and/or with regard to the time information to the respective time information and/or the priority of the respective input variable.

6. The sensor system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal processing device is configured to define the priority of the presently pending function step by the time information of the input value of a physical variable with the most recent time information, wherein the input values of physical variables whose time information is older are extrapolated onto the priority of the most recent time information and then computed with internal values of the fusion filter.

7. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processing device is configured to define a defined time span by a defined time span which is different for some or each physical variable.

8. The sensor system as claimed in claim 1 , the sensor system further comprising a satellite navigation system, which provides a synchronization pulse to synchronize the time information of the fusion filter with the time information of the satellite navigation system.

9. The sensor system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the satellite navigation system is configured to provide distance data in each case between an assigned satellite and a vehicle or a variable which is dependent thereon and velocity information data between the assigned satellite and the vehicle or a variable dependent thereon, wherein these input values of physical variables of the satellite navigation system are computed, in time-corrected fashion, with internal values of the fusion filter by virtue of the internal values of these physical variables being extrapolated if the time information of the input values of these physical variables are older than time information of the presently pending function step of the fusion filter, wherein, for the extrapolation, in particular a gradient of the last two values of such a physical variable is used if these two values are based on two successive measurements between which no measurement of the same measured variable has failed.

Assignees

• Steinhardt Nico
• Continental Teves Ag & Co Ohg

Inventors

• Steinhardt Nico

Classifications

• G01S19/47

  the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial · CPC title

• G08C19/24

  using time shift of pulses · CPC title

• G01S19/49 Primary

  whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled · CPC title

• B60T2210/36

  Global Positioning System [GPS] · CPC title

• B60R16/0231 Primary

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title