Composite sensor and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

This application relates to a composite sensor, comprising at least: a printed circuit board; an accelerometer electrically connected to a first side of the printed circuit board; a wheel speed sensor communicatively connected to a second side of the printed circuit board via a flexible terminal element; a signal connector connected to the printed circuit board to receive an acceleration signal and a wheel speed signal; and a housing accommodating the printed circuit board, the accelerometer, the wheel speed sensor, and the signal connector. The wheel speed signal from the wheel speed sensor is communicated to the printed circuit board and then transmitted to the signal connector via a first signal channel, and the acceleration signal from the accelerometer is transmitted to the printed circuit board and then transmitted to the signal connector via a second signal channel. This application also describes a method for manufacturing the related composite sensor. With this application, the integration of the two sensors described above can be achieved with a simple structure, and on the other hand, installation and wiring are simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a composite sensor and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] In the prior art, it is known to install additional sensors for vehicles, especially for the suspension or braking systems of vehicles, to monitor the status of the suspension or braking systems.

[0003] For example, for an active or semi-active suspension system of a vehicle, a peripheral accelerometer may be provided to sense the acceleration at a peripheral point (e.g., a steering knuckle) of the vehicle, thereby providing the electronic control unit (ECU) of the suspension system with high-precision acceleration information at that peripheral point, so as to monitor the state of the suspension system in this application.

[0004] For example, the braking system of a vehicle may also be equipped with a wheel speed sensor to monitor the rotational speed of the wheels, so as to detect the current rotation of the wheels and provide the corresponding information to the electronic control unit (ECU) of the braking system.

[0005] Based on the acceleration at the aforementioned peripheral points and the rotational speed of the wheels, the suspension and braking systems can be effectively controlled respectively, thereby ensuring the vehicle's performance, such as safety and reliability.

[0006] The aforementioned peripheral accelerometers and wheel speed sensors are installed separately at different locations, such as the steering knuckle, because they are used in different systems. In this case, the separate construction and installation of the peripheral accelerometers and wheel speed sensors increases costs and requires separate wiring, thus making the wiring in areas such as the steering knuckle complex and messy. Furthermore, the two installation locations obviously increase the difficulty and complexity of installation.

[0007] Therefore, it is expected that the installation and wiring complexity of peripheral accelerometers and wheel speed sensors can be simplified, thereby providing cost-effectiveness. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to this application, a composite sensor is proposed, comprising at least: a printed circuit board; an acceleration sensor configured to be electrically connected to a first side of the printed circuit board to output an acceleration signal; a wheel speed sensor configured to be communicatively connected to a second side of the printed circuit board via a resilient terminal element to output a wheel speed signal; a signal connector connected to the printed circuit board to receive the acceleration signal and the wheel speed signal respectively; and a housing accommodating the printed circuit board, the acceleration sensor, the wheel speed sensor, and the signal connector; wherein the wheel speed signal from the wheel speed sensor is communicated to the printed circuit board and then directly transmitted to the signal connector via a first signal channel, and the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor is transmitted to the printed circuit board and then directly transmitted to the signal connector via a second signal channel.

[0009] According to another aspect, a method for manufacturing a composite sensor is also proposed, wherein the composite sensor is as described above, and the manufacturing method includes: molding a first housing and molding a second housing; accommodating a signal connector in the first housing; electrically connecting an acceleration sensor to a first side of a printed circuit board and connecting a resilient terminal element to a second side of the printed circuit board; accommodating a wheel speed sensor in the second housing; clamping an assembled printed circuit board between the first housing and the second housing at a mating position, such that the printed circuit board is communicatively connected to the signal connector and the resilient terminal element is communicatively connected to the wheel speed sensor; and fixing the first housing and the second housing to each other.

[0010] Optionally, this application also relates to a method for acquiring acceleration and wheel rotation speed at peripheral points of a vehicle, wherein the acquisition method includes: placing a composite sensor at a predetermined position in the steering knuckle of the vehicle, the composite sensor being as described above, wherein the composite sensor is positioned such that its wheel rotation speed sensing part is aligned with the measurement area of ​​the wheel; transmitting the measurement signal of the composite sensor from the composite sensor via at least one segment of the same wiring path; and receiving the measurement signal and acquiring the acceleration and wheel rotation speed at peripheral points of the vehicle.

[0011] The composite sensor of this application enables the integration of a peripheral accelerometer and a wheel speed sensor with a simple construction. Furthermore, the integration simplifies installation and wiring, thus providing cost-effectiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A perspective view of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0013] Figure 2A block diagram of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown, illustrating the internal path of signal transmission within the composite sensor.

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the external path for signal transmission of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 An exploded schematic diagram of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0016] Figure 5 A manufacturing process diagram of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0017] Figures 6A-6C A schematic diagram illustrating the state of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application during possible manufacturing steps; and

[0018] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the installation of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The details shown herein are merely examples for illustrative discussion of the disclosed embodiments and to provide an easily understood description of the principles and concepts. No further detail is intended to be shown in this regard except for the purpose of providing a basic understanding and enabling those skilled in the art to clearly see how the disclosed integrated current-supported capacitor manifests in practice.

[0020] In the embodiments of this application, reference will be made to Figure 1-4 The specific construction of the composite sensor of this application is described in detail. In the embodiments of this application, "composite sensor" means that a single structure has the meaning of being able to measure at least two quantities. Therefore, a composite sensor means that it measures multiple quantities. Figure 1-4 In the embodiments described, a single sensor configuration capable of simultaneously measuring wheel rotation speed and acceleration at a point on the outer periphery of the vehicle body is shown. Furthermore, it should be noted that although a composite sensor is defined as measuring wheel rotation speed and acceleration at a point on the outer periphery of the vehicle body in the embodiments of this application, those skilled in the art should recognize that the concept of a composite sensor in this application can be applied to the combination of any other type of sensor, especially those where there is a need for compactness in the installation space and / or a need for simplification in signal transmission wiring.

[0021] In the accompanying drawings of this application, Figure 1 A perspective view of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2A block diagram of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown, illustrating the internal path of signal transmission within the composite sensor. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the external path for signal transmission of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown; and Figure 4 An exploded schematic diagram of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1-4 The detailed construction of the composite sensor according to this application is illustrated in conjunction with each other. For example... Figure 1-4 As shown, the composite sensor of this application includes a printed circuit board. As those skilled in the art will understand, a printed circuit board (also referred to as a PCB) herein refers to a board on which printed circuitry can be implemented to connect various electronic devices or electrical circuits via the printed circuitry. In embodiments of this application, the printed circuit board may be replaced with any other form of circuit board without departing from the scope of this application. It should be noted that... Figure 2 In the accompanying drawing, the dashed lines are intended to represent the first side (upper side) and the second side (lower side) of the printed circuit board, respectively, rather than any specific construction or structure.

[0022] In embodiments of this application, the composite sensor 1 may include a first sensor 100 and a second sensor 102, or may achieve the measurement of the physical quantities targeted by both in a single structure. The first sensor 100 is configured to be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 104 or its first side to output a first signal, and the second sensor is configured to be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 104 or its second side to output a second signal. In other words, within the scope of this application, sensors that are functionally or spatially related for measuring different quantities can be integrated or composited as described in this application. In the case of integration, to simplify wiring and save space, it is considered to electrically connect sensors measuring different quantities to the same printed circuit board so that the same printed circuit board can receive different signals and output signals to the composite sensor 1. As those skilled in the art know, sensors typically include a sensing unit and optionally, for example, processing circuitry or a chip that converts the sensed signal into a corresponding desired measurement. It is conceivable that, in embodiments of this application, the corresponding chips of the first and second sensors are electrically connected to the printed circuit board. To ensure that the measurements are isolated from each other or do not interfere with each other, or to consider the independence of the sensing positions of different sensors, the first sensor 100 and the second sensor 102 can be respectively set on different sides of the printed circuit board 104.

[0023] It is conceivable that the associated circuitry in the corresponding sensing portions of the first sensor 100 and / or the second sensor 102 may also be optionally integrated onto a printed circuit board to save space and enhance integration. Taking the first sensor 100 as an example, its sensing portion 1000 can, where possible, utilize circuitry on the printed circuit board 104 to implement at least a portion of the sensing circuitry (not shown, used to measure changes in electrical signals caused by the desired physical quantity). The same applies to the second sensor 102. Alternatively, it is also possible to attach the sensing portion of the first sensor 100, either independently or pre-packaged, to the printed circuit board and communicatively connect it to its chip (e.g., via printed circuitry on the printed circuit board) to achieve the function of the first sensor, and the same applies to the second sensor.

[0024] Of course, it is also conceivable that the respective sensing units of the first sensor 100 and / or the second sensor 102 and their chips can be integrated together, where permissible, and then electrically connected to the printed circuit board. Optionally, if the predetermined application locations of the first sensor 100 and / or the second sensor 102 (the target location where the sensors are set) overlap, it is possible to consider setting the first and second sensors on the same side of the printed circuit board without departing from the scope of this application.

[0025] In the embodiments described below, the first sensor 100 is exemplary selected as an acceleration sensor, particularly an acceleration sensor measuring acceleration at a peripheral point of the vehicle body in the field of vehicles, and the second sensor 102 is exemplary selected as a wheel speed sensor, particularly a rotational speed sensor measuring the rotational speed of the wheels in the field of vehicles. However, it should be understood that any description of the acceleration sensor can be broadly replaced with other types of first sensors, and any description of the wheel speed sensor can be broadly replaced with other types of second sensors without departing from the scope of this application. The selection of the acceleration sensor and wheel speed sensor herein is merely for the purpose of more clearly describing the detailed possible constructions of the composite sensor of this application and is not a limitation. In other words, in the following description, the first sensor 100 and the acceleration sensor are interchangeable, and the second sensor 102 and the wheel speed sensor are interchangeable, with no limitation except for certain differences in specific components.

[0026] Based on this, considering that the acceleration sensor and the wheel speed sensor typically have different sensing positions, the acceleration sensor is configured to be electrically connected to the first side of the printed circuit board 104 to output an acceleration signal, and the wheel speed sensor is configured to be electrically connected to the second side of the printed circuit board 104 to output a wheel speed signal. Optionally, the wheel speed sensor is electrically connected to the second side of the printed circuit board 104 via a resilient terminal element 106, such as a spring element, for better sensing and measurement, as described later. In other words, the resilient terminal element 106 serves as a communication terminal between the printed circuit board and the wheel speed sensor. Using such an element with inherent elasticity as a communication terminal helps to absorb the influence of possible vibrations on the measurement accuracy of the composite sensor, and the spring element allows for simple and quick installation and fixation on the second side of the printed circuit board. Furthermore, this resilient terminal element 106 also helps to ensure a tight electrical contact with the second sensor, such as the wheel speed sensor.

[0027] Furthermore, as will be understood, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the composite sensor 1 of this application may further include a signal connector 108, which is configured to connect to a printed circuit board 104 to receive a first signal, such as an acceleration signal, from the first sensor 100, and a second signal, such as a wheel speed signal, from the second sensor 102. As described above, the measured quantity or measurement signal from the composite sensor 1 needs to be transmitted to other mechanisms 110 (e.g., the ECU of a vehicle, but this is merely exemplary and not limiting) for use. It is also conceivable that the composite sensor 1 obviously needs to be electrically connected to the other mechanisms 110 as described above. For this purpose, the signal connector 108 serves to facilitate interface connection with the wiring for transmitting signals. Optionally, the signal connector 108 includes different output terminals corresponding to the signals transmitted by the first sensor 100 and the second sensor 102, respectively. Figure 6A (Seen as 700), for example, a pin terminal, which can mate with a connector that is complementary to the wiring connected to the desired external structure 110 of the vehicle to ensure a communication electrical connection.

[0028] Furthermore, as will be understood, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the composite sensor 1 also includes a housing 112, which houses a printed circuit board 104, an acceleration sensor (first sensor 100), a wheel speed sensor (second sensor 102), and a signal connector 108, making the composite sensor 1 a single integrated structure, thereby achieving spatial compactness. The overall structure and shape can be appropriately designed according to the structure of the first sensor 100 and the second sensor 102, and are not limited herein.

[0029] As mentioned above and in reference Figure 2 To ensure the independence of the measurement signals from the wheel speed sensor (second sensor 102) and the acceleration sensor (first sensor 100), optionally, the wheel speed signal from the wheel speed sensor is communicated to the printed circuit board 104 (or its printed circuit) and then directly transmitted to the signal connector 108 via the first signal channel 114. Similarly, the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor is transmitted to the printed circuit board 104 (or its printed circuit) and then directly transmitted to the signal connector 108 via the second signal channel 116. In this case, it is particularly necessary for the signal connector 108 to have different output terminals 700 or pins, such as pin terminals, corresponding to the different signals, to output the first and second signals respectively. Optionally, the first signal channel 114 and the second signal channel 116 are independent of each other, that is, they transmit related measurement signals without interfering with each other. However, it is conceivable that the first and second signal channels can be the same and transmit different signals therein. In this case, different first and second signals can be transmitted in a manner such as time-domain intervals, or the two signals can be coupled in a predetermined manner and subsequently decoupled in a predetermined manner without deviating from their respective ranges. As those skilled in the art will understand, in the case of an acceleration sensor and a wheel speed sensor, since the acceleration signal is configured to control systems such as suspension system 300 (especially its ECU) and the wheel speed signal is configured to control systems such as braking system 400 (especially its ECU), these two signals, even after exiting the composite sensor 1, i.e., signal connector 108, must be transmitted separately to different systems via separate signal paths to achieve the corresponding operations. More generally, the corresponding signals from the first and second sensors can be used in any possible different or the same systems without departing from the scope of this application, even though the acceleration sensor and the wheel speed sensor are shown here being used in different systems.

[0030] As mentioned earlier, the acceleration sensor includes an acceleration sensing unit and an acceleration chip, and the wheel speed sensor includes a wheel speed sensing unit and a wheel speed chip. In the field of vehicles, the acceleration sensing unit and the wheel speed sensing unit indirectly measure relevant physical quantities through different measurement principles. Therefore, the acceleration chip is configured to convert the sensing signal of the acceleration sensing unit into a corresponding acceleration signal, and the wheel speed chip is configured to convert the sensing signal of the wheel speed sensing unit into a corresponding wheel speed signal.

[0031] The basic principles of the accelerometer and wheel speed sensor will be briefly described below. The accelerometer sensing element is selected as a MEMS sensing component, configured to measure the magnitude of acceleration based on the stress change (e.g., the degree of deformation of the elastic component) caused by the change in mass on the component with acceleration. For example, when acceleration changes, the mass exerts a corresponding stress on the elastic component due to inertia; this stress change can be measured by factors such as capacitance change (a change in capacitance due to the deformation of the elastic component causing capacitor deformation). Therefore, acceleration can be determined correspondingly based on the change in capacitance signal. The accelerometer chip can process this capacitance change signal into a direct acceleration signal for transmission. As envisioned, the accelerometer sensor can be configured to sense acceleration signals in the X-axis direction (along the vehicle's forward / backward direction) and / or the Y-axis direction (along the vehicle's left / right direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction) in a horizontal plane. Of course, acceleration measurements in the Z-axis direction (the vehicle's vertical direction) can also be combined without departing from the scope of this application. The aforementioned MEMS sensing components can be optionally replaced with any other sensing component capable of measuring acceleration without departing from the scope of this application, which is to be expected.

[0032] Similarly, the wheel speed sensing unit is selected as a Hall effect sensing component. It is configured to utilize a magnet of appropriate length (especially a magnet with alternating N and S poles) placed at an appropriate position on the wheel. As the magnet rotates at different speeds with the wheel, different Lorentz forces are generated in the conductor cutting the magnetic field lines of the magnet, producing different electrical signals (Hall effect). Therefore, the speed of the magnetic field can be calculated from the electrical signals, and the wheel speed can be further determined. Thus, the wheel speed chip can calculate the speed of the magnetic field based on the changes in the electrical signals from the Hall effect wheel speed chip, and thus determine the wheel rotation speed. Of course, the aforementioned Hall effect sensing component can be optionally replaced with any other sensing component capable of measuring wheel speed without departing from the scope of this application; these are all conceivable. Naturally, in the case of a Hall effect sensing component, it is necessary to ensure that the conductor in the Hall effect sensing component is always located within the magnetic field of the relevant magnet; that is, the Hall effect sensing component has certain requirements regarding its installation position, which is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated further here.

[0033] The following will be based on... Figure 1 and Figure 4 This paper describes some possible structural forms of the housing 112 of the composite sensor 1 of this application. Figure 1 and Figure 4In this application, the housing 112 of the composite sensor 1 includes a first housing 1120 and a second housing 1122 that can be assembled with each other. It is conceivable that the first housing 1120 houses the first sensor 100 (accelerometer). Optionally, the first housing 1120 also houses a signal connector 108, or the signal connector 108 is constructed in the first housing 1120.

[0034] The second housing 1122 houses the wheel speed chip and the wheel speed sensing unit (i.e., the second sensor 102). In this case, it is conceivable that the printed circuit board 104 is positioned between the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122. Although it is described herein that the signal connector 108 is housed in the first housing 1120, this is merely exemplary; in practice, the signal connector 108 can be positioned in any suitable housing location that facilitates connection to external wiring without departing from the scope of this application. The signal connector 108 is housed in the first housing 1120 because, in the case where the first sensor 100 is an acceleration sensor, the location of the wheel speed sensor in the second housing 1122 would be relatively concealed and inconvenient for wiring connections. Clearly, the signal connector is configured to electrically connect to the signal output interface on the printed circuit board 104 to achieve signal output.

[0035] While a two-piece configuration of the housing corresponding to the first and second sensors has been described herein, this is merely exemplary and not limiting. Optionally, the two-piece configuration of the housing may correspond to an equivalently divided two-piece configuration along an axis of symmetry, i.e., a longitudinally cut two-piece configuration. Optionally, the housing may be a single-piece configuration. Further alternatively, the housing may be selected as a multi-piece configuration, such as any possible multi-piece configuration.

[0036] like Figure 1 and 4 As shown, in the case where housing 112 includes the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 as described above, optionally, the second housing 1122 is sleeved at one end to the housing interface 1126 of the first housing 1120, and the first housing 1120 includes a signal interface 1124 (or interface configuration) on the side opposite to the second housing 1122 for connecting to an external mechanism, such as a signal line or wiring of the vehicle's ECU. In this case, the output terminal of the signal connector 108 is exposed in the signal interface, allowing the corresponding connector of the external mechanism to be shaped and connected to the signal interface, such as a snap-fit ​​connection, and ensuring a stable communication electrical connection between the input terminal in the corresponding connector and the output terminal of the signal connector 108.

[0037] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and 4As shown, the composite sensor 1 of this application also includes a mating portion 118 configured to fix the composite sensor 1 to a selected position on a vehicle. As previously described, due to a sensing element such as a Hall effect sensor, at the selected position, the wheel speed sensing element is aligned with the sensing area of ​​the wheel (e.g., where the movement of a magnet can be sensed). The composite sensor 1 is fixed to the vehicle via any suitable fixing component, for example, by means of the mating portion 118. For example, the mating portion 118 is configured as a through hole and fixed to the housing 112, allowing the composite sensor 1 to be fixed in place via the through hole by means of a component 1060 such as a screw. The mating portion 118 may also be selected as other configurations for fixed connection to the housing 112, such as a snap-fit ​​portion, a welded portion, an adhesive portion, etc., without departing from the scope of this application. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the mating portion 118 is a thread provided on a certain area of ​​the housing surface (e.g., the circumferential outer surface of the second housing 1122) so that it can be screwed into the appropriate position in the vehicle. It is also conceivable that the mating part 118 is a possible combination of the above situations without departing from the scope of this application.

[0038] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and 4 As shown, the mating portion 118 of the composite sensor 1 of this application is integrated into, fixedly connected to, or integrally connected to the second housing 1122. Furthermore, it is conceivable that after the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 are assembled together to form the entire housing 112, the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 can be additionally fixed to each other, for example, at the locations where they are fitted together as described above. This additional fixing 800 can be achieved, for example, by any possible means such as gluing, welding, screws, laser welding, etc., without departing from the scope of this application.

[0039] exist Figure 3 The image schematically illustrates an embodiment in which the composite sensors described in this application are used on both sides of a vehicle. Further, as... Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the acceleration signal can optionally be transmitted in a format such as PSI5, and after being output from the composite sensor 1, i.e. from the signal connector 108, the acceleration signal can be transmitted via the same signal channel to an external mechanism 110, such as the vehicle's ECU, especially the suspension system's ECU, to enable the manipulation and monitoring of the suspension system.

[0040] Optionally, as mentioned above, the acceleration signal includes a single-axis acceleration signal or two or more axial acceleration signals spaced apart in the time domain within any signal period, depending on the construction of the acceleration sensing component. When transmitted together with other sensor signals, in the same signal channel, the acceleration signal, especially each axial acceleration signal, is time-spaced apart from other sensor signals within any signal period to avoid mutual interference. This can be achieved, for example, by using timestamps that can be applied by the chips associated with each sensor or by the chips outputting signals in a time-domain coordinated manner.

[0041] The manufacturing method of the composite sensor 1 described above will be described in detail later in this application, wherein, Figure 5 A manufacturing process diagram of the composite sensor 1 according to an embodiment of this application is shown, and Figures 6A-6C A possible schematic diagram shows the state of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application during possible manufacturing steps.

[0042] At step 502, the first housing 1120 is molded. This first housing may be made of an organic material such as PAXX, but this is merely exemplary. The first housing 1120 of this application may be made of a suitable material 600, such as an organic or inorganic material, without departing from the scope of this application, such as various possible polymers such as polypropylene, polyester, polyurethane, or various other substances such as plastics and resins.

[0043] In step 504, a second housing 1122 is molded, which can be manufactured in a similar manner to the first housing, and will not be described in detail here.

[0044] At step 506, the signal connector 108 is fixedly housed in the first housing. Optionally, step 506 can be combined with step 502 into a single step, in which the signal connector 108 is integrally molded with the first housing 1122 to form a first housing 1120 in which the signal sensor 108 is housed.

[0045] At step 508, the printed circuit board 104 is assembled. During this step, the acceleration sensor (first sensor 100), in particular its chip, is electrically connected to the printed circuit board or a first side thereof. In the case that the second sensor 102 is a wheel speed sensor, this step also includes connecting a resilient terminal element 106, such as a spring element, to the printed circuit board 104 or a second side thereof.

[0046] In step 510, the wheel speed sensor, especially its sensing component and chip, is housed in the second housing 1122 to form a wheel speed sensor housed in the second housing 1122.

[0047] At step 512, at the position where the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 abut each other, the assembled printed circuit board 104 is sandwiched between the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122, such that the printed circuit board 104 is communicatively connected to the signal connector 108 and to the second sensor 102. In the case of a wheel speed sensor, the elastic terminal element 106 is communicatively connected to the wheel speed sensor, particularly to the signal output of the wheel speed sensor. Optionally, the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 are sleeved together.

[0048] In step 514, the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 are fixed to each other, for example in... Figure 6C This is shown in detail in the text.

[0049] Further, optionally, the manufacturing method also includes fixing the mating part 116 to the composite sensor 1. Optionally, refer to... Figure 6A As shown, both the optional mating part 116 and the optional signal connector 108 are integrally molded with the first housing 1120. That is, in Figure 6A In a variation, the signal connector 108 and the mating part 116 are integrally molded at the appropriate location in the first housing 1120 (an example but not a limitation of overmolding techniques).

[0050] Alternatively, in Figure 6B A variation of step 512 is shown in the diagram. Figure 6B First, the assembled printed circuit board 104 is positioned appropriately within the first housing 1120, enabling the printed circuit board 104 to communicatively connect to the signal connector 108. It should be understood that the first housing includes positioning structures for pre-determining the position of the printed circuit board therein, thereby holding the printed circuit board 104 in the appropriate position within the first housing. Optionally, the printed circuit board 104 is also assembled into the first housing 1120 via a housing interface 1126. Furthermore, a second housing 1122 is then connected to the first housing 1122, for example... Figure 6C As shown, the printed circuit board 104 is also communicatively connected to the second sensor, and in the case of the wheel speed sensor, the resilient terminal element 196 is communicatively connected to the wheel speed sensor and fixes the first housing 1120 and the second housing 1122 to each other.

[0051] Although the methods for manufacturing composite sensors according to this application have been described above in a certain order, this is merely exemplary. Multiple steps in these methods may be combined into a single step, and one step in the method may be decomposed into multiple steps. Furthermore, one or more of these steps may be omitted without departing from the scope of this application. Additionally, some of these steps can be performed in reverse order without departing from the scope of this application. Furthermore, some of these steps can be performed in parallel without departing from the scope of this application.

[0052] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the installation of a composite sensor according to an embodiment of this application is shown, thereby leading to a method according to this application for obtaining the acceleration and wheel rotation speed at a peripheral point of a vehicle.

[0053] First, the composite sensor described in this application is placed in an appropriate position. In the case that the first sensor 100 is an acceleration sensor and the second sensor 102 is a wheel speed sensor, it is placed in a predetermined position in the steering knuckle 900 of the vehicle so that the composite sensor 1 is positioned so that its wheel speed sensing part can be aligned with a predetermined measurement area of ​​the wheel (where a magnet is provided, for example).

[0054] Then, the composite sensor 1 transmits its measurement signal via at least one segment of the same wiring path (the unified wiring path may include multiple signal channels, and the wiring path only indicates that it is possible to transmit the measurement signal of the composite sensor via a single wire harness).

[0055] The measurement signal is then received, for example by an external mechanism 110, to obtain, for example, the acceleration at a peripheral point of the vehicle and the rotational speed of the wheels.

[0056] While various embodiments of this application have been described in detail above, it should be understood that these embodiments are exemplary and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make various appropriate changes based on the above embodiments without departing from the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A composite sensor, wherein, It comprises at least: a printed circuit board, an acceleration sensor configured to be electrically connected to a first side of the printed circuit board to output an acceleration signal; a wheel speed sensor configured to be communicatively connected to a second side of the printed circuit board via a flexible terminal element to output a wheel speed signal; a signal connector connected to the printed circuit board to receive the acceleration signal and the wheel speed signal, respectively; and a housing in which the printed circuit board, the acceleration sensor, the wheel speed sensor, and the signal connector are accommodated; wherein the wheel speed signal from the wheel speed sensor is transmitted directly to the signal connector via a first signal channel after being communicated to the printed circuit board and the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor is transmitted directly to the signal connector via a second signal channel after being transmitted to the printed circuit board.

2. The composite sensor of claim 1, wherein, The acceleration sensor comprises an acceleration sensing portion and an acceleration chip, and the wheel speed sensor comprises a wheel speed sensing portion and a wheel speed chip, wherein the acceleration chip is configured to convert a sensing signal of the acceleration sensing portion into the corresponding acceleration signal and the wheel speed chip is configured to convert a sensing signal of the wheel speed sensing portion into the corresponding wheel speed signal.

3. The composite sensor of claim 2, wherein, The housing comprises a first housing and a second housing that can be assembled to each other, wherein the first housing accommodates the signal connector and the second housing accommodates the wheel speed chip and the wheel speed sensing portion, wherein the printed circuit board is disposed between the first housing and the second housing.

4. The composite sensor of claim 3, wherein, The second housing is fitted to the housing interface of the first housing at one end thereof and the first housing comprises a signal interface on the side opposite to the second housing to which a signal line of an external mechanism is connected, wherein an output terminal of the signal connector is exposed in the signal interface.

5. The composite sensor of claim 3, wherein, The compound sensor further comprises a fitting portion configured to secure the compound sensor to a selected position of a vehicle at which the wheel speed sensing portion is aligned with a sensing area of a wheel.

6. The composite sensor of claim 5, wherein, The fitting portion is integrated to the second housing, and wherein the first housing and the second housing are additionally secured at the position where they are fitted to each other.

7. The composite sensor of claim 2, wherein, The acceleration sensing portion is selected as a MEMS sensing component and the wheel speed sensing portion is selected as a Hall effect sensing component; the first channel and the second channel are independent of each other.

8. The composite sensor of claim 2, wherein, The acceleration signal is transmitted in a PSI5 format and the acceleration signal, after being output from the compound sensor, can be transmitted to an ECU of a vehicle via the same signal channel as other sensor signals in the same format.

9. The composite sensor of claim 8, wherein, The acceleration signal comprises a single directional axis acceleration or two or more directional axis accelerations spaced apart in time domain within any signal period, and wherein the acceleration signal and the other sensor signals are configured to be spaced apart from each other in time domain within any signal period in the same signal channel.

10. A method of manufacturing a composite sensor, wherein, The composite sensor is the composite sensor according to any one of claims 1-9, and the manufacturing method includes: Molding the first shell; Molding the second shell; The signal connector is housed in the first housing; The accelerometer is electrically connected to the first side of the printed circuit board, and the flexible terminal element is connected to the second side of the printed circuit board. The wheel speed sensor is housed in the second housing; At the point where the first housing and the second housing abut each other, an assembled printed circuit board is sandwiched between the first housing and the second housing, such that the printed circuit board is communicatively connected to the signal connector and the resilient terminal element is communicatively connected to the wheel speed sensor; and The first housing and the second housing are fixed together.

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