Method for processing the signal of a particle sensor that operates in accordance with the principle of laser-induced incandescence, assembly for processing such a signal, and particle sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022050041-A1
Application number	US-201917299175-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2019
Priority date	Dec 13, 2018
Publication date	Feb 17, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for the processing of the output signal of a particle sensor that operates according to the principle of laser-induced incandescence. The system includes a detector that provides an output signal that characterizes an acquired temperature radiation. It is provided that: a.) the detector is designed and configured such that it provides an output signal that includes a plurality of pulses, and b.) the system includes a summer to which the output signal is supplied at least at times, and that is designed and configured such that it sums the output signal over a time interval.

First claim

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A method for processing the output signal of a particle sensor that operates according to laser-induced incandescence, comprising the step:
providing an output signal from a detector that characterizes a temperature radiation acquired by the detector, the output signal including a plurality of pulses; at least at times: supplying the output signal to a summer; and summing the output signal by the summer over a time interval.

16 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein at least at times, a time period in which two pulses are outputted in immediate succession is smaller than a total width of the two pulses, so that a “pile-up” occurs, and the summer is an integrator that integrates the output signal over the time interval.

17 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the summer is a counter that sums a number of the pulses within the time interval.

18 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein a duration of the time interval is variable.

19 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein an output of the summer is digital.

20 . The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the output of the summer is parallel.

21 . The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein 1 bit at the output of the summer at most corresponds approximately to an expected integral of a voltage, or of a current, of an individual pulse.

22 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the bit corresponds approximately to the expected integral of the voltage, or of the current, of half an individual pulse.

23 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the summer can be reset by an external signal after an expiration of a specified time interval after a last resetting.

24 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein a state of the summer is read out at time intervals, the time intervals being fixed or flexibly controllable.

25 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein data read out from the summer are at first supplied to a buffer that is permanently read out after receiving a specified quantity of data.

26 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein data read out from the summer are first supplied to a buffer, a specified number of last-received data is stored in the buffer, and the stored number is then outputted as a data packet to an evaluation device.

27 . The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein data read out from the summer are provided to an evaluation device that processes the received data in stages, such that in a first stage those data packets are identified that have a specified property, and in a second stage only the identified data packets are evaluated.

28 . A system for processing an output signal of a particle sensor that operates according to laser-induced incandescence, comprising:
a detector that provides an output signal that characterizes an acquired temperature radiation, the output signal including a plurality of pulses; and a summer to which the output signal is supplied at least at times and that is configured such that the summer sums the output signal over a time interval.

29 . The system as recited in claim 28 , wherein the summer has at least two inputs.

30 . A particle sensor that operates according to laser-induced incandescence, the particle sensor comprising:
a system for processing an output signal of a particle sensor that operates according to laser-induced incandescence, the system including:
a detector that provides an output signal that characterizes an acquired temperature radiation, the output signal including a plurality of pulses; and
a summer to which the output signal is supplied at least at times and that is configured such that the summer sums the output signal over a time interval.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Schreiber Markus
• Scholl Michael
• Curcic Michael
• Rusanov Radoslav

Classifications

• G01N15/1429 Primary

  Signal processing · CPC title

• G01N15/06 Primary

  Investigating concentration of particle suspensions (by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10) · CPC title

• G01N2015/1486

  Counting the particles · CPC title

• G01N2015/0693

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01N15/075

  by optical means · CPC title