Plausibility check of a sensor signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746492-B2
Application number	US-201214352094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2012
Priority date	Oct 19, 2011
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

In a method for checking the plausibility of sensor signals, a first sensor element detects at least one first physical quantity and outputs it as a first sensor signal, and a second sensor element detects a second physical quantity correlated with the first physical quantity and outputs it as a second sensor signal. The first sensor element has a first reliability range having an upper limit and/or a lower limit, which range is related to the second physical quantity. The first physical quantity detected by the first sensor element is recognized as plausible if the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element lies within the corresponding first reliability range of the first sensor element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating a trigger signal, comprising:
generating, by a first sensor element, a first sensor signal;
generating, by a second sensor element, a second sensor signal;
comparing the first sensor signal with a first threshold value;
comparing the second sensor signal with a second threshold value;
determining a triggering criterion has been met when (i) the first sensor signal exceeds the first threshold value and (ii) the first sensor signal is recognized as plausible; and
outputting a trigger signal when the triggering criterion has been met;
wherein the plausibility of a sensor signal is checked by performing the following:
detecting, by the first sensor element, at least one first physical quantity, wherein the at least one first physical quantity is output by the first sensor element as the first sensor signal;
detecting, by the second sensor element, a second physical quantity correlated with the first physical quantity, wherein the second physical quantity is output by the second sensor element as the second sensor signal, and wherein at least the first sensor element has at least one first reliability range having at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit, the at least one first reliability range being related to the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element; and
determining an instantaneous value of the first physical quantity detected by the first sensor element as being plausible if an instantaneous value of the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element at a correspondent instant lies within the at least one first reliability range of the first sensor element;

wherein the plausibility check, which is performed based on the at least one first reliability range, detects implausible first sensor signals even if the first sensor element functions properly or is non-defective.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect crash-related physical quantities.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the trigger signal activates a safety-related system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting a trigger signal if the sensor signal is plausible.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect the first and second physical quantities in the same or different value ranges, the first and second physical quantities being different types of physical quantities.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect the first and second physical quantities in the same or different value ranges, the first and second physical quantities being different types of physical quantities.

7. A device for generating a trigger signal, comprising:
a first sensor element detecting a first physical quantity and outputting a first sensor signal corresponding to the first physical quantity, wherein at least the first sensor element has at least one first reliability range having at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit;
a second sensor element detecting a second physical quantity correlated with the first physical quantity and outputting a second sensor signal corresponding to the second physical quantity, wherein the at least one first reliability range of the first sensor element is related to the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element; and
an evaluation and control unit configured to:
(i) determine an instantaneous value of the first physical quantity detected by the first sensor element as being plausible if an instantaneous value of the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element at a correspondent instant lies within the at least one first reliability range of the first sensor element;
(ii) determine a triggering criterion has been met when the first sensor signal exceeds a first threshold value and the first physical quantity corresponding to the first sensor signal is determined as plausible; and
(iii) output a trigger signal when the triggering criterion has been met;

wherein the plausibility check, which is performed based on the at least one first reliability range, detects implausible first sensor signals even if the first sensor element functions properly or is non-defective.

8. The device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect crash-related physical quantities at different measuring points.

9. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect at least one of an acceleration, a pressure, a structure-borne sound, and a yaw rate.

10. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first threshold value and the at least one reliability range is stored in a memory unit.

11. The device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect the first and second physical quantities in the same or different value ranges, the first and second physical quantities being different types of physical quantities.

12. A method for generating a trigger signal, comprising:
generating, by a first sensor element, a first sensor signal;
generating, by a second sensor element, a second sensor signal;
comparing the first sensor signal with a first threshold value;
comparing the second sensor signal with a second threshold value;
determining a triggering criterion has been met when (i) the first sensor signal exceeds the first threshold value and (ii) the first sensor signal is recognized as plausible; and
outputting a trigger signal when the triggering criterion has been met;
wherein the plausibility of a sensor signal is checked by performing the following:
detecting, by the first sensor element, at least one first physical quantity, wherein the at least one first physical quantity is output by the first sensor element as the first sensor signal;
detecting, by the second sensor element, a second physical quantity correlated with the first physical quantity, wherein the second physical quantity is output by the second sensor element as the second sensor signal, and wherein at least the first sensor element has at least one first reliability range having at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit, the at least one first reliability range being related to the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element; and
determining an instantaneous value of the first physical quantity detected by the first sensor element as being plausible if an instantaneous value of the second physical quantity detected by the second sensor element at a correspondent instant lies within the at least one first reliability range of the first sensor element;

wherein the first and second sensor elements detect the first and second physical quantities using different measuring principles.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first and second sensor elements detect crash-related physical quantities.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the trigger signal activates a safety-related system.

15. A device for generating a trigger signal, comprising:
a first sensor element detecting a first physical quantity and outputting a first sensor signal corresponding to the first physical quantity, wherein at least the first sensor element has at least one first reliability range having at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit;
a second sensor element detecting a second physical quantity correlated with the first physical quantity and outputting a second sensor signal corresponding to the second physical quantit

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Rauh Christian
• Korn Christian
• Koerner Olaf
• Rittler Stephan
• Hild Hansjoerg Markus

Classifications

• G01N29/04

  Analysing solids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14) · CPC title

• G01P21/00 Primary

  Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups · CPC title

• G01N2291/0289

  Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture · CPC title

• G01D5/24461 Primary

  by redundancy or plausibility · CPC title