Method and assembly for transmitting sensor signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9008217-B2
Application number	US-201113807775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2011
Priority date	Jul 2, 2010
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transmitting sensor signals, comprising the following steps: a first sensor ( 4 ), in particular a rotational speed sensor, supplies an alternating signal, which is present in the form of a sequence of sensor pulses ( 50 ) and pulse pauses ( 52 ) of predetermined duration, wherein in the pulse pauses ( 52 ) additional data ( 54 ) is transmitted as a bit sequence and wherein the bit sequence contains at least one free bit ( 56 ); a binary information sequence ( 60 ) comprising data from at least one further sensor ( 12, 14, 22, 30, 38 a, 38 b, 38 c ) is generated, which has a transmission length of a plurality of bits; and the data of the first sensor ( 4 ) and of the at least one further sensor ( 12, 14, 22, 30, 38 a, 38 b, 38 c ) is transmitted through a common data line ( 18 ) in that a processing unit ( 20 ) distributes the information sequence ( 60 ) to a plurality of chronologically sequential bit sequences and the at least one free bit ( 56 ) of the additional data ( 54 ) is assigned at least one bit of the information sequence ( 60 ). The information sequence ( 60 ) is thus reliably transmitted, even when it contains more bits than there are free bits available in the additional data ( 54 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for transmitting sensor signals, comprising:
supplying an alternating signal which exists as a sequence of sensor pulses and pulse pauses of a pre-defined duration from a first sensor, wherein in the pulse pauses additional data are transmitted as a bit sequence and wherein the bit sequence contains at least one free bit,
generating a binary information sequence comprising data from at least one further sensor, which has a transmission length of a plurality of bits, and
transmitting the data of the first sensor and of the at least one further sensor through a common data line, and distributing the binary information sequence to a plurality of chronologically sequential bit sequences and overlaying the at least one free bit of the additional data with at least one bit of the binary information sequence using a processing unit.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a start section is transmitted through the at least one free bit before the binary information sequence and the start section is likewise distributed to a plurality of bit sequences.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein an end section is transmitted after the binary information sequence has been transmitted by the at least one free bit.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least two further sensors are provided and the signals of the at least two further sensors are transmitted through one single input on the processing unit.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein a serialization module is disposed between the further sensors and the processing unit, said serialization module generates the binary information sequence out of the signals of the at least two further sensors and transmits this through an intermediate line to the processing unit.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the serialization module is supplied with electric energy out of the processing unit through the intermediate line.

7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein a common data line is used for supplying energy to the processing unit, and the serialization module is supplied with electric energy through a current line branched off the common data line.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor signal of the first sensor is transmitted through a first data line to the processing unit.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is lodged in a sensor housing of the first sensor.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a rotational speed sensor.

11. An arrangement for transmitting sensor signals according to the method of claim 1 , wherein said arrangement comprises the first sensor, the at least one further sensor, as well as the processing unit.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the first sensor is a rotational speed sensor.

Assignees

• Heim Jens
• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Heim Jens

Classifications

• H04L25/028 Primary

  Arrangements specific to the transmitter end · 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

• H04Q2209/826

  where the data is sent periodically · CPC title

• G08C15/06 Primary

  successively, i.e. using time division · CPC title

• G01P3/489

  Digital circuits therefor · CPC title