Method for processing a signal supplied by a bi-directional sensor and corresponding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790870-B2
Application number	US-201314647249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A method and device for processing a signal (CRK) provided by a bidirectional sensor, the method includes the following steps:
generation of a first signal (CRK_CNT) utilizing all the slots of the signal provided by the sensor, generation of a second signal (CRK_FW) utilizing the slots corresponding to a first direction of transit, generation of a third signal (CRK_BW) utilizing the slots corresponding to a second direction of transit, connection of the first signal to the input of the first electronic component, connection of the second and third signals to a second component, detection by the second component of edges of the signals received, change of the value of the predefined threshold (THMI) in the first component upon each detection of an edge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for processing a signal (CRK) provided by a bidirectional sensor detecting the transit of teeth of a target with a view to generating an angular clock of an internal combustion engine with the aid of a first electronic component ( 2 ) receiving the signal originating from the bidirectional sensor, said first component ( 2 ) exhibiting means for determining, in a signal exhibiting low-level segments and high-level segments, whether the length of a segment of a given level is or is not greater than a predefined threshold (THMI), and the signal (CRK) provided by the bidirectional sensor being a signal in the form of slots comprising at least low-level segments, high-level segments, and intermediate-level segments, each slot corresponding to the transit of a tooth of a target in front of the sensor and the signal also comprising characteristics making it possible to determine the direction of transit of the tooth, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
generation of a first signal (CRK_CNT) utilizing all the slots of the signal provided by the sensor but exhibiting only segments corresponding to a first level and segments corresponding to a second level,
generation of a second signal (CRK_FW) utilizing the slots of the signal provided by the sensor and corresponding to a first direction of transit of a tooth in front of the sensor, and exhibiting a constant level during the rotation of the target in the second direction of transit,
generation of a third signal (CRK_BW) utilizing the slots of the signal provided by the sensor and corresponding to the second direction of transit of a tooth in front of the sensor, and exhibiting a constant level during the rotation of the target in the first direction of transit,
connection of the first signal (CRK_CNT) to the input of the first electronic component ( 2 ),
connection of the second signal (CRK_FW) and of the third signal (CRK_BW) to a second electronic component (GTM, 24 , 26 ),
detection by the second electronic component (GTM, 24 , 26 ) of rising and/or falling edges of the second signal (CRK_FW) and of the third signal (CRK_BW),
change of the value of the predefined threshold (THMI) in the first component ( 2 ) when the second electronic component (GTM, 24 , 26 ) detects an edge on one of the two signals connected to the second component whereas the previous edge has been detected on the other signal, the threshold value being able to take either a first predefined value termed the maximum value or a second value, termed the predefined minimum value, in such a way that the length of the slots is always on one and the same side of the corresponding threshold.

2. The processing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third signal (CRK_BW) is obtained by taking the difference between the first signal (CRK_CNT) and the second signal (CRK_FW).

3. The processing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detection of rising and/or falling edges of the second signal (CRK_FW) and of the third signal (CRK_BW) is carried out by carrying out the detection on one signal, and then, as soon as a sought-after edge is detected, the detection is carried out solely on the other signal, until a sought-after edge is detected thereon.

4. An electronic device comprising means for the implementation of each of the steps of a processing method as claimed in claim 1 .

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the device comprises a generic timer module (GTM) inside which are embedded the first component ( 2 ) and the second component ( 24 , 26 ), as well as at least one third component outside the generic timer module so as to generate the first (CRK_CNT), the second (CRK_FW) and the third signal (CRK_BW).

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first component ( 2 ) is a phase locked loop.

7. A management system of an internal combustion engine, wherein the system comprises an electronic device as claimed in claim 4 as well as at least one bidirectional sensor.

8. The processing method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the detection of rising and/or falling edges of the second signal (CRK_FW) and of the third signal (CRK_BW) is carried out by carrying out the detection on one signal, and then, as soon as a sought-after edge is detected, the detection is carried out solely on the other signal, until a sought-after edge is detected thereon.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first component ( 2 ) is a phase locked loop.

10. A management system of an internal combustion engine, wherein the system comprises an electronic device as claimed in claim 5 as well as at least one bidirectional sensor.

11. A management system of an internal combustion engine, wherein the system comprises an electronic device as claimed in claim 6 as well as at least one bidirectional sensor.

Assignees

• Continental Automotive France
• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Hou Jerome

Classifications

• F02D41/0097

  using means for generating speed signals · CPC title

• F02D41/009

  using means for generating position or synchronisation signals · CPC title

• H03K5/26

  the characteristic being duration, interval, position, frequency, or sequence · CPC title

• F02D28/00 Primary

  Program control of engines · CPC title

• H03K5/156 Primary

  Arrangements in which a continuous pulse train is transformed into a train having a desired pattern · CPC title