Sensor module for detecting an operating parameter, method for monitoring a sensor module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557247-B2
Application number	US-201214238463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2012
Priority date	Aug 17, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A sensor module includes a sensor element set up to output a sensor signal, an A/D converter connected to the sensor element, a signal transmission unit connected to the A/D converter and set up for the transmission of a sensor signal converted by the A/D converter, and a supply signal tap at which an unconverted supply signal that represents a supply voltage or a supply current of the sensor module is present. An input of the A/D converter is connected to the supply signal tap. The unconverted supply signal that represents a supply voltage or a supply current of the sensor module is converted into a converted supply signal by the A/D converter that converts the sensor signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor module configured to acquire an operating parameter of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a sensor element outputting a sensor signal, the sensor element being connected directly to a supply voltage rail;
an A/D converter connected to the sensor element and configured to convert the sensor signal from the sensor element, the A/D converter being connected directly to the supply voltage rail;
a signal transmission unit connected to the A/D converter and configured to transmit the sensor signal converted by the A/D converter, the signal transmission unit being connected directly to the supply voltage rail; and
a supply signal tap which receives an unconverted supply signal directly from the supply voltage rail, the unconverted supply signal representing one of a supply voltage or a supply current of the sensor module, wherein an input of the A/D converter is connected to the supply signal tap.

2. The sensor module as recited in claim 1 , wherein the signal transmission unit is configured to transmit a supply signal converted by the A/D converter, the converted supply signal representing one of the supply voltage or the supply current of the sensor module.

3. The sensor module as recited in claim 2 , wherein one of:
(i) a multiplexer is one of connected upstream from the A/D converter or forms a part of an input interface of the A/D converter, the multiplexer having one input connected to the sensor element and another input connected to the supply signal tap; or
(ii) the multiplexer is one of connected immediately upstream from the signal transmission unit or forms a part of the signal transmission unit, wherein one input of the multiplexer connected to an output of the A/D converter assigned to the supply signal converted by the A/D converter, and a further input of the multiplexer is connected to an output of the A/D converter assigned to the sensor signal; or
(iii) the A/D converter is a multichannel A/D converter having multiple converter elements, wherein an input of one of the converter elements is connected to the sensor element and an input of another of the converter elements is connected to the supply signal tap.

4. The sensor module as recited in claim 3 , wherein the supply signal tap is provided on one of:
a supply voltage rail of the sensor module at which the supply voltage is present; or
a voltage divider connected to the supply voltage rail; or
a shunt resistor situated in a power supply of the sensor module; or
an internal control signal line situated in one of a voltage converter or a voltage regulator situated in a power supply of the sensor module.

5. A method for operating a sensor module which detects an operating parameter of a motor vehicle, comprising:
outputting a sensor signal by a sensor element of the sensor module, the sensor element being connected directly to a supply voltage rail;
converting the sensor signal of the sensor element by an A/D converter, the A/D converter being connected directly to the supply voltage rail;
transmitting the converted sensor signal by a signal transmission unit, the signal transmission unit being connected directly to the supply voltage rail; and
converting, by the A/D converter which converts the sensor signal, an unconverted supply signal from the supply voltage rail which represents one of a supply voltage or a supply current of the sensor module into a converted supply signal.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the signal transmission unit transmits the converted supply signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein one of:
(i) the converted sensor signal and the converted supply signal are combined by multiplexing to form a combination signal, and the signal transmission unit transmits the combination signal; or
(ii) the sensor signal outputted by the sensor element and the unconverted supply signal are combined by multiplexing to form a combination signal, and the combination signal is converted by the A/D converter and subsequently transmitted by the signal transmission unit; or
(iii) the signal transmission unit provides a first logical channel for the transmission of the converted sensor signal and a second logical channel for the transmission of the converted supply signal; or
(iv) the A/D converter is a multichannel A/D converter, the unconverted supply signal being converted by a first channel of the multichannel A/D converter, the sensor signal being converted by a second channel of the multichannel A/D converter, and the outputs of the first and second channels of the multichannel A/D converter being combined by multiplexing to form a combination signal which is transmitted by the signal transmission unit.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 , the signal transmission unit transmits the converted sensor signal with one of a higher priority, a higher data transmission rate, a higher resolution, or a higher updating rate than the converted supply signal.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the unconverted supply signal is one of:
(i) a voltage level which is one of proportional to or identical to the supply voltage of the sensor module;
(ii) a voltage which, in accordance with a shunt resistance inside the power supply of the sensor module, is proportional to the supply current of the sensor module; or
(iii) an internal control signal inside one of a voltage converter or a voltage regulator associated with the sensor module, the output voltage of the one of the voltage converter or the voltage regulator being set according to the internal control signal.

Assignees

• Grossmann Alex
• Daecke Dirk
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Grossmann Alex
• Daecke Dirk

Classifications

• G01D3/08 Primary

  with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown · CPC title

• G01M17/007 Primary

  Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles (G01M17/08 takes precedence) · CPC title