Method for configuring a sensor system with an auxiliary address in order to readdress a vehicle sensor system

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for configuring a sensor system (1) with an auxiliary address (22), having a plurality of sensors (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and a serial bus system (8) in which a plurality of sensor connections (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) for connecting the sensors (2 to 7) to the bus system (8) are arranged in series. Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle sensor system (1).

Description

[0001] Method for configuring a sensor system with an auxiliary address for re-addressing a vehicle sensor system

[0002] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for configuring a sensor system. The sensor system comprises several sensors. Furthermore, the sensor system includes a serial bus system in which several sensor connectors for connecting the sensors to the bus system are arranged serially. Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle sensor system.

[0003] Modern vehicles are equipped with a large number of sensors. Integrating these sensors into a system with a serial bus is also known. In serial bus systems, the sensors are arranged in a series. They must then be addressed accordingly. In this context, a sensor system, a driver assistance system, and a method for operating the sensor system are known from DE 10 2009 002 867 A1. A specific procedure is provided for identifying the individual sensors connected to the sensor connector in the bus system. Each sensor connector is equipped with a specific configuration pin, which is individually connected to either a power supply line, a data line, or a ground line of the bus system.Due to this individual connection of the configuration port, an individual signal is present at each configuration port, so that it can be recognized which sensor connector the sensor is installed on, thus enabling addressing accordingly.

[0004] However, such a system requires considerable effort in designing the bus system, with individual additional configuration lines for each sensor and then also individual evaluation of the signals received on each line. This results in a significant configuration effort, and errors can occur during the evaluation process, leading to inaccurate sensor identification and addressing.

[0005] This state of the art does not fundamentally address the further requirement that different wiring configurations can occur, particularly in serial bus systems. Since individual wiring configurations for serial bus systems can be advantageous for different vehicle types from different manufacturers, this issue must also be considered when designing sensor systems.

[0006] Additional hardware in the form of cables for such a sensor system is expensive and also requires additional installation space. Addressing is particularly difficult with such diverse cabling configurations.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to create a method and a vehicle sensor system in which safe and precise addressing is enabled even with different wiring configurations of the sensor system.

[0008] This task is solved by a method and a vehicle sensor system according to the independent claims.

[0009] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for configuring a sensor system, in particular a vehicle sensor system, with multiple sensors and with a serial bus system in which multiple sensor connectors for connecting the sensors to the bus system are arranged serially. The method preferably comprises the following steps:

[0010] In particular, performing an output assignment process in which an electronic address is assigned to a number n of sensors and / or sensor connections, in particular with an assignment module, thereby creating an output addressing or reference addressing;

[0011] In particular, determining an actual wiring configuration of the sensors and / or sensor connections and / or the master control unit in the serial bus system, especially one related to hardware, which is characterized by a position of a master control unit of the bus system in relation to the sensors and / or sensor connections in the bus system and / or which is characterized by a position of the sensors and / or sensor connections, especially in comparison to each other and / or on a vehicle;- In particular, changing the output addressing if the actual wiring configuration differs from a reference wiring configuration or an output wiring configuration in which the output addressing is correct, whereby, to change the output addressing to a new addressing configuration, at least one additional auxiliary address is provided, the auxiliary address is assigned to at least one sensor and / or sensor terminal, so that the address assigned to the sensor and / or sensor terminal by the output addressing becomes free, and thereby, in the further process of the new addressing, the freed address is assigned to another sensor and / or sensor terminal that requires this address in the actual wiring configuration.

[0012] Such a configuration method offers several advantages. Firstly, it is now possible, particularly through software, to utilize different cabling configurations, especially hardware-based component cabling, while still performing efficient, fast, and highly reliable, and therefore error-minimized, addressing, particularly in a software-based manner. In a very clever and intelligent way, a larger number of addresses are used to allow for re-addressing if necessary. Specifically, the total number of electronic addresses is at least one greater than the number n of available sensor connections.In addition to the number n of electronic addresses that are actually assigned to the sensor connections in the addressed state and with active addressing, the intelligent approach using an auxiliary address makes the re-addressing procedure, if necessary, very simple yet fast and reliable even with a wide variety of cabling configurations.

[0013] In practical examples, the auxiliary address is no longer needed after re-addressing and is therefore not an address that remains active in the configured state of the sensor system and is not assigned to a sensor connection, and thus, in particular, to a sensor coupled to it. After re-addressing, the auxiliary address is no longer required.

[0014] In wiring configurations with serial bus systems, it is intended that different vehicle manufacturers or different vehicle types from the same manufacturer use the same sensor system. However, due to structural requirements, the master control unit, in particular, may be connected at different points in the serial arrangement of the sensors and thus also in the serial arrangement of the sensor connections. Similarly, the sensors, and especially the sensor connections, may be installed in different positions on the vehicle, which can depend, for example, on the vehicle type. It is therefore possible that a sensor is installed in one position on the vehicle of one type and in a different position on another type.This can also occur even if the same sensor system is used for different vehicle types and the sensors are located at the same point along the serial bus system's cable run. These are examples of different wiring configurations. For instance, in this serial view, the master control unit might be wired at one end or at the opposite end of the serial arrangement of connectors. Nevertheless, it may be necessary for the master control unit to communicate with the sensor connection furthest away in the serial arrangement, in a specific order, considering the serial arrangement and thus the addressing.To avoid the need for additional hardware, namely cables, in these various cabling configurations and thus avoid increasing the overall length and number of cables in such a sensor system, the proposed method enables and maintains a minimal cabling requirement. This allows for efficient addressing, particularly software-based, for these different configurations. The result is a highly flexible and adaptable method that can respond to the specific situation and then precisely specify the required addressing.

[0015] Different sensor positions on the vehicle might be necessary, for example, if a minimum cable length is required for the serial bus system, but the master control unit is to be installed in different positions in different vehicle types. In such cases, the sensors and / or sensor connectors are to be installed in the nearest required positions on the vehicle, particularly in relation to the master control unit.

[0016] A wiring configuration, which can also be called a position configuration, is characterized in particular by the location or position where a specific sensor, especially one with a specific sensor connector, is or is to be installed on the vehicle. Therefore, a wiring configuration can also be referred to as a vehicle position configuration. This results in a wide variety of actual wiring configurations, especially in comparison to the initial wiring configuration or the reference wiring configuration. To ensure the correct ascending or descending address sequence is assigned to the sensor connectors and thus to the connected sensors, re-addressing, particularly in a purely software-based manner, may be necessary.

[0017] Consideration can also be given to where the sensor and / or sensor connector is located in the serial chain along the cable run, and / or where the master control unit is directly wired to a specific sensor connector. These can be specific cable position configurations.

[0018] In a highly efficient manner, a method has thus been created which can be used in a wide variety of hardware cabling configurations in order to achieve addressing of the sensor connections arranged in series that is tailored to the respective actual cabling configuration and specifically required, and thus also of the sensors coupled to them, especially in relation to the individual position of the master control unit in this serial arrangement.

[0019] This also avoids the need for a cumbersome, hardware-based reconfiguration of the wiring setup, thus eliminating the communication link required in a serial bus system between the master control unit and the sensors acting as slaves. This method therefore allows for the correct addressing to be performed in a wide variety of configurations of such a serial arrangement, with both a master control unit and the sensors acting as slaves.

[0020] This eliminates the need for extensive, separate configuration lines operating at different signal levels or supplied with different signals to detect the respective positions of the sensor connections. This also simplifies, yet enables faster and more accurate, the fundamental addressing compared to the prior art. In one embodiment, the initial addressing and re-addressing occur when the sensor connections are populated with sensors. The addresses of the respective connector connections are preferably stored in the sensors connected to those connector connections. Thus, in one embodiment, the addresses can, for example, address the sensor connections, but the actual information—namely, the addresses themselves—is stored in the connected sensors.This eliminates, for example, the need for storage capacity in the sensor connectors themselves. In particular, it also allows for evaluation and / or processing tasks, or similar operations, to be performed directly within the sensors themselves. Specifically, this addressing method also addresses each individual sensor that is connected to, or especially plugged into, a sensor connector.

[0021] In one embodiment, the assignment of the auxiliary address is repeated successively multiple times. This allows the same single auxiliary address to be used repeatedly in a re-addressing loop or a cascaded re-addressing process to essentially release and reassign addresses assigned to sensors and / or sensor connections by the output assignment process. Specifically, this successive assignment of an auxiliary address involves assigning it sequentially to each sensor connection, whose respective address must be changed, until all required sensors or sensor connections have been re-addressed and the re-addressing of the multiple sensors or sensor connections, in particular all required sensors or sensor connections, has been completed. For example, in such a successive assignment, the auxiliary address can first be assigned to the sensor or sensor connection that is currently being re-addressed.The sensor connection is assigned to the first address required in the serial bus system during the re-addressing process, which is necessary for the serial arrangement and communication structure. Subsequently, the freed address can be successively assigned to the position where it is ultimately needed during the re-addressing. The address that becomes free in this next step can then be assigned to the position, sensor, or connector where the temporary auxiliary address was assigned. This frees up the auxiliary address, which can then be assigned to the sensor or sensor connection that is required in the serial arrangement following the sensor or sensor connection that is already correctly assigned in the ongoing re-addressing process.In this respect, the auxiliary address can therefore be assigned step by step, and thus alternately or permutingly, to the position or sensor or sensor connection that has not yet been re-addressed, which is the next sensor or sensor connection in the serial sequence on the vehicle that has already been correctly re-addressed.

[0022] In one embodiment, the subsequent assignment of the auxiliary address to sensors and / or sensor connectors is carried out in the order in which the re-addressing is to be configured. This is also a correspondingly advantageous approach, as explained in more detail above using an example. Thus, in this successive, continuous re-addressing process, the auxiliary address is always used to specifically assign it to the position in the serial sequence, and therefore to the sensor or sensor connector whose current address is required in the next step due to the output assignment process. This is necessary to correctly address the sensor or sensor connector that has not yet been re-addressed. The sensor or sensor connector that follows the sensor or connector(s) in the serial arrangement that were last correctly re-addressed is the one or more sensors or connectors that were correctly re-addressed.

[0023] This auxiliary address enables an extremely simple, yet fast and error-free procedure for re-addressing even large numbers of addresses. This approach also ensures a highly structured re-addressing process, where the current status of the re-addressing procedure is always clear, allowing for targeted execution of the next re-addressing step.

[0024] In one embodiment, when determining an actual wiring configuration, it is checked whether a number n of sensors and / or sensor connections are present or required, and if a number m, with m greater than zero and less than n, is present, the re-addressing is only carried out for the number m.

[0025] The proposed method thus enables, in a particularly intelligent and expansive manner, its use not only in cabling configurations where virtually the maximum number n of connectors must always be transferred from an initial addressing configuration to a new addressing configuration, but also in cases where a reduced number of connectors is present in the final addressing configuration. This allows not only the configuration of an initial addressing configuration to a new addressing configuration with the same number n of connector or sensor connections, but also the provision of a reduced number m of connectors required for the actual cabling configuration. The method is therefore extended in this respect as well and intelligently multifunctional.In addition to addressing, an existing cabling configuration with a reduced number m of connector connections can also be cleverly, quickly, highly securely and with minimal errors re-addressed, especially starting from the initial configuration with the number n.

[0026] This is particularly possible in situations where, for example, a vehicle type requires fewer sensors in its wiring. This might be necessary due to a more cost-effective vehicle model. Even in such cases, it's still possible to utilize the basic structure of the bus system and the existing addresses. For more expensive vehicles, where a full set of n sensors and thus connectors are intended for active operation, this approach can also be used for active addressing and for the entire required number n of correctly addressed connectors during re-addressing.

[0027] In one embodiment, a reduced re-addressing process checks the positions of the m sensors and / or sensor connections relative to the positions of the original wiring configuration. Based on this position check, the reduced number of required addresses is provided, specifically assigned. This reduced number of required addresses is then assigned to the sensor positions on the vehicle in the sequence required for the actual wiring configuration.

[0028] In one embodiment, ultrasonic sensors are used. The proposed method is particularly advantageous for sensor systems that utilize multiple sensors in a coordinated manner. Especially in serial bus systems, communication between these multiple sensors, particularly in series, is crucial for their functionality, especially for signal processing and understanding the signal content during evaluation. Ultrasonic sensors are frequently used in such sensor systems. For example, such sensor systems can be part of a vehicle's assistance system, such as a parking assistance system or a narrow-space driving assistance system. In such systems, the multiple ultrasonic sensors are typically installed in the front of the vehicle, particularly on the front bumper.It is also possible for several sensors of such a sensor system to be installed in the rear of the vehicle, for example, on a rear bumper. In this context, configurations are possible in which four or even six such ultrasonic sensors are installed in the front. The same can be provided in the rear of the vehicle. The number n can be greater than or equal to four, in particular five or six. The number m can be, for example, four. However, the number can also be less or more.

[0029] In one embodiment, the sensors and / or sensor connections and the master control unit are integrated into a highly specific serial system. In particular, this serial arrangement in one embodiment is a so-called daisy chain. This enables a very robust serial communication system. Both signal transmission and forwarding are advantageous in this context. This type of system is also particularly advantageous and robust under a wide variety of environmental conditions and mechanical influences, such as vibration in a vehicle. Furthermore, larger amounts of data can be transmitted via the serial chain.

[0030] In one embodiment, the DSI (Distributed Systems Interface) 3 is used as the bus system. This is a very modern and specifically designed bus protocol. The advantages mentioned above are particularly well supported here.

[0031] In general, it is also intended here that the sensors at the sensor connections are assigned the addresses that the slots or sensor connections have, or which are assigned to them.

[0032] In particular, the sensors in the sensor system are of the same design and functionality. The number of sensors can therefore be, or is, the same. Consequently, there is no difference between the sensors themselves, nor can it be detected; the difference is solely due to their position at their respective individual sensor connectors.

[0033] In particular, an address specifies the precise position of a sensor, i.e., a vehicle sensor position, on a vehicle where the sensor system is installed or is to be installed. Through re-addressing, the positions—that is, the actual positions already occupied or planned for installation—of the sensors on the vehicle, especially those linked to the current wiring configuration, are made available to the serial bus system.

[0034] As explained above, a wiring configuration characterizes, in particular, at least the positions of the sensors on the vehicle. It therefore describes, specifically, where each sensor is located on the vehicle. This applies to both the initial wiring configuration and the current wiring configuration. It is also known, in particular, the sensor's position in the serial bus system, i.e., its position along the cable run. This is a sensor cable run position, specifically within the cable run configuration.

[0035] In particular, if the position of the sensor, and thus especially its connector, in the serial bus system, and therefore also along the cable run, does not correspond to its position on the vehicle, re-addressing is necessary. Specifically, the output addressing is designed so that the first position of a sensor, and thus of a sensor connector, on the vehicle is the same as the first position of the sensor in the sequence along the cable run. This also applies to the other sensors of the sensor system in the output wiring configuration. Therefore, there is also a predefined sequence of positions on the vehicle.

[0036] In contrast, with an existing wiring configuration, a second sensor, which is located or intended to be located in the specified first position on the vehicle, might not actually be in the first position along the cable run. This is just one example of many ways in which the position of a sensor on the vehicle and its position along the cable run can differ.

[0037] In one embodiment, when determining the actual wiring configuration, the system also checks the position of a sensor, and thus also the position of a sensor connector on the vehicle, and the position of the sensor, and thus the sensor connector, along the cable run. If these positions differ, no output wiring configuration exists. Re-addressing is then necessary. Specifically, the sensor is assigned the address that corresponds to its position in the sequence of positions on the vehicle. This, as with the general aspect of the invention, enables the sensors to be queried and / or communicated with in the required sequence of the serial bus system, particularly the daisy chain, even if the sensor positions along the cable run are not sequential.

[0038] It is advantageous if the auxiliary address is generated during the outbound addressing process. Outbound addressing can also be referred to as discovery mode.

[0039] In general, this method allows for more variable and thus configuration-specific addressing. Addressing is no longer limited to a generic, predefined standard addressing scheme where the first address is assigned to the first sensor in the cable run, located (or required to be located) in the first position of the vehicle, and the second address is assigned to the second sensor in the cable run, located (or required to be located) in the second position of the vehicle, and so on. Instead, it is now possible to accommodate a wide variety of actual wiring configurations that do not conform to such a standard wiring configuration, such as the initial wiring configuration, and to implement situation-dependent addressing.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle sensor system with multiple sensors. The vehicle sensor system also includes a serial bus system. In this serial bus system, several sensor connectors for connecting the sensors to the bus system are arranged serially. The vehicle sensor system also includes at least one addressing system for assigning electronic addresses to the sensors and / or the sensor connectors. The vehicle sensor system is particularly configured to perform a method according to the aspect mentioned above or an advantageous embodiment thereof. In particular, this method, i.e., this configuration method, is performed by the vehicle sensor system.

[0041] Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a vehicle sensor system according to the aforementioned aspect or an advantageous embodiment thereof. Specific positions, i.e., vehicle sensor positions, are provided on the vehicle, at each of which a sensor of the vehicle sensor system is arranged or is to be arranged. Such an individual position pattern is preferably vehicle-specific, i.e., for example, dependent on the vehicle type or a specific model of a vehicle type. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. These show:

[0042] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a sensor system with an output wiring configuration and output addressing;

[0043] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a sensor system with an actual wiring configuration and an output addressing which requires re-addressing due to the actual wiring configuration;

[0044] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of another sensor system with a further example of an existing wiring configuration and required re-addressing; and

[0045] Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of another embodiment of a sensor system with a reduced actual wiring configuration compared to an output wiring configuration and a required re-addressing.

[0046] In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent elements are given the same reference symbols.

[0047] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a sensor system 1, which is a vehicle sensor system. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor system 1 comprises several sensors 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. These are ultrasonic sensors in this embodiment. The sensor system 1 also includes a serial bus system 8. The serial bus system 8 is a DSI3 bus or uses a corresponding bus protocol.

[0048] Furthermore, the sensor system 1 has a master control unit 9.

[0049] In the exemplary embodiment, sensor system 1 also has sensor connections 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Sensor connections 10 to 15 can, for example, be designed as slots or plug connectors into which sensors 2 to 7 can be reversibly inserted and thus coupled. Here, sensors 2 to 7 are arranged in a daisy chain in serial configuration. In particular, the master control unit 9 is also connected in this serial configuration.

[0050] In this embodiment, sensor system 1 has electronic addresses 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21. The number n of these electronic addresses 16 to 21 is therefore six. Specifically, the number of available sensor connections 10 to 15 is also six. The number of sensors 2 to 7 in this embodiment is also six.

[0051] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, the sensor system 1 has an additional auxiliary address 22 as an electronic address. Addresses 16 to 21 are therefore also, in particular, electronic identifiers or identification codes with which a sensor connection 10 to 15, and thus also a sensor 2 to 7 coupled to each sensor connection 10 to 15, is addressed in the serial communication chain.

[0052] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a wiring configuration, which is an output wiring configuration. Sensors 2 to 7, and thus in particular also terminals 10 to 15, are each connected to each other in a serial arrangement by at least one cable. In this embodiment, the master control unit 9 is also connected to sensor terminal 15 by a cable in the serial chain, specifically directly. In this output wiring configuration, the master control unit 9 is therefore furthest from the first sensor 2 in the serial communication chain. The subsequent sensors 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 follow in the chain. Thus, the position of sensors 2 to 7 in this serial chain increases towards the master control unit 9.

[0053] The output wiring configuration is also characterized by the fact that sensors 2 to 7 are arranged on a vehicle in a specific, predetermined sequence. This sequence of vehicle sensor positions is, in particular, vehicle-dependent. In the exemplary embodiment, the output wiring configuration links the first vehicle sensor position to the first address 16, the second vehicle sensor position to the second address 17, and so on. The first sensor 2 and / or the first sensor connection 10 is therefore located at the first position, which can also be designated P1, on the vehicle; the second sensor 3 and / or the second sensor connection 11 is located at the second position, which can also be designated P2, on the vehicle, and so on, so that the sixth sensor 7 and / or the sixth sensor connection 15 is located at the sixth position on the vehicle, which can be designated P6.There are therefore positions P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 on the vehicle. These positions P1 to P6 can, for example, be positions in a row at the rear, particularly a bumper, or at the front, particularly a bumper, for the sensors. In the output wiring configuration, the position of a sensor 2 to 7, and thus also of a sensor connector 10 to 15, i.e., a sensor cable route position, corresponds to the vehicle sensor position. The positions along the cable route, i.e., the sensor cable route positions, can be designated by the not-shown K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, and K6. Thus, sensor 2 and / or sensor connector 10 are located at cable route position K1, and so on.

[0054] With regard to addressing an output wiring configuration, a configuration or addressing signal is preferably generated. This signal is then used to check whether current is being drawn at sensor 2. If no current is being drawn, since there is no wiring on the right side in the illustration in Fig. 1, sensor 2 is the first sensor in the chain. It is then assigned the first address 16. Subsequently, a resistor is connected, in particular between the addressed first sensor 2 and the second sensor 3 in the chain, so that no current is drawn between sensor 2 and the subsequent sensor 3 during further testing. Thus, the second sensor 3 knows that it is the second sensor in the serial chain.This procedure is carried out successively during output addressing until the sixth and last sensor 7, which is closest to the master control unit 9 in the serial chain, is addressed. This sensor then receives its sixth address, which in this case is address 21.

[0055] Figure 1 illustrates an output assignment process in which each electronic address 16 to 21 is assigned to an assignment module 1a of the sensor system 1. The assignment module 1a can be a software module and / or a hardware module. This creates the output addressing shown in Figure 1. This can also be referred to as reference addressing. If, in an embodiment, such an output wiring configuration, which can also be called a reference wiring configuration, is recognized as the actual wiring configuration, no further re-addressing is required. This output addressing can also be referred to as discovery mode.

[0056] Figure 2 shows a state in which the sensor system 1 has an actual wiring configuration that differs from the initial wiring configuration explained in Figure 1. Specifically, in this example, at least the positions P1 to P6 of sensors 2 to 7 on the vehicle differ from those in Figure 1.

[0057] In principle, a configuration procedure determines or verifies the current cabling configuration. If, as shown in Fig. 2, it is detected that a cabling configuration differs from the output or reference cabling configuration described in Fig. 1, the output addressing corresponding to Fig. 1 is re-addressed.

[0058] In the example shown in Fig. 2, the current wiring configuration differs from the initial wiring configuration, particularly in that the master control unit 9 is located at the opposite end of the serial communication link. This means that, as shown, sensor port 10 with electronic address 16 is the closest to the master control unit 9, i.e., the master control unit 9 is directly wired only to this sensor port 10. Accordingly, the other sensor ports 11 to 15 are progressively further away from the master control unit 9 in the serial chain. Sensors 2 to 7 are also connected to sensor ports 10 to 15. Due to this current wiring configuration, re-addressing is necessary.

[0059] Because in this current wiring configuration, the positions of sensors 2 to 7 on the vehicle, i.e., the vehicle sensor positions, differ from those shown in Fig. 1, as mentioned above. The order in which sensors 2 to 7 are arranged on the vehicle also differs from their positions along the cable run. These differences, in particular, necessitate re-addressing. In the example shown, sensor connections 10 to 15 are in the same order as in Fig. 1. Only the master control unit 9 is located on the opposite side of the cable run. It is essential that sensors 2 to 7 are re-addressed so that their newly assigned addresses 16 to 21 reflect their order in the communication chain as they are arranged on the vehicle.This means, for example, that sensor 2 is located at the last position on the vehicle, i.e., at P6, sensor 3 is located at the fifth position on the vehicle, i.e., at P5, and so on, so that sensor 7 is located, or is to be located, at the first position, i.e., P1, in the given sequence of positions on the vehicle. Therefore, in this example, it is necessary to assign address 21 to sensor 2, which characterizes this sixth position, i.e., P6, on the vehicle with respect to the communication chain in the daisy chain. This also applies in particular to its position relative to the master control unit 9. The same applies, as explained above, to all other sensors 3 to 7.

[0060] In this example, it should be shown how this is done in Fig.Figure 2 shows the state after the re-addressing, where address 16, characterizing the first position P1 on the vehicle, is assigned to sensor 7, for example, also to sensor connection 10; address 17, characterizing the second position P2 on the vehicle, is assigned to sensor 6, for example, also to sensor connection 11; address 18, characterizing the third position on the vehicle, is assigned to sensor 5, for example, also to sensor connection 12; address 19, characterizing the fourth position on the vehicle, is assigned to sensor 4, for example, also to sensor connection 13; address 20, characterizing the fifth position on the vehicle, is assigned to sensor connection 14; and address 21, characterizing the sixth position on the vehicle in the sequence of the specified vehicle sensor positions, is assigned to sensor 2, for example, also to sensor connection 15.For example, in Fig. 2, it is provided that the sensors 2 to 7 are arranged, or are to be arranged, in reverse order at the positions on the vehicle as in Fig. 1.

[0061] In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, after initial addressing and thus a detection mode, sensor 2 at position P6 is assigned address 16. This is done accordingly for the other sensors 3 to 7, so that they are assigned addresses 17 to 21. However, sensor 2 is not located at position P1 but rather at position P6, and the other sensors 3 to 7 are located at positions P5 to P1, not P2 to P6. Therefore, re-addressing is necessary. To achieve this, starting from the chain shown in Fig.1, in which the sensor connections 10 to 15 are present with the output addressing, but in particular the master control unit 9 is directly wired to the sensor connection located at position P1, and / or the sensors 2 to 7 are not arranged or are not intended to be arranged at the positions on the vehicle as with the output addressing, an auxiliary address 22 is assigned in a first step, here for example at position P6. This frees up the address 21 assigned there.

[0062] In a second step, this newly available address 21 is assigned to sensor 2, located at the sixth position P6 on the vehicle in the current wiring configuration and, as shown in Fig. 2, connected to sensor terminal 15. This frees up the address 16 assigned there. In the subsequent addressing process, this freed address is then assigned to the next sensor terminal in the sequence. This, in turn, frees up the auxiliary address 22.

[0063] This iterative procedure for assigning the auxiliary address 22 continues until the assignment shown in Fig. 2 is generated. This assignment represents the actual wiring configuration with the actual positions of sensors 2 to 7 on the vehicle and shows the addresses 16 to 21 characterizing positions P1 to P6. The re-addressing is then complete, and the assignment shown in Fig. 2 is achieved. This assignment matches the actual wiring configuration shown there in such a way that, for example, sensor 2 furthest in the chain from the master control unit 9, for example at sensor terminal 15, has the sixth address 21. The other addresses in the chain are assigned successively, so that sensor 7, the closest sensor 7 in the chain to the master control unit 9, has the first address 16.

[0064] This procedure of successively assigning the auxiliary address 22 to different sensors 2 to 7, in particular also the sensor connections 10 to 15, makes it possible to successively reorder the addresses 16 to 21 assigned there and assign them to the sensor connections 10 to 5 according to an individual re-addressing.

[0065] Thus, even with such an existing wiring configuration as shown in Fig. 2, at the end of the configuration process, in which the re-addressing is performed, a constellation is again created in one embodiment where the first sensor 2 has the sixth address 21. Subsequently, the other sensors 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are also arranged in the serial chain of positions on the vehicle such that they are again provided with the addresses 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, which characterize or are addressed according to the position that is moving closer to the master control unit 9 in the sequence.

[0066] In particular, when determining an existing wiring configuration, it is also checked whether a number n of sensor connections (10 to 15) is present or required. This is the case in the examples shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. It is also the case in the example shown in Fig. 3, which will be explained below. The situation differs in the example shown in Fig. 4, which will also be explained below. There, a smaller number m, in this example four, is required compared to the number n, which in this example is six.

[0067] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the master control unit 9 is arranged in the serial chain in the same way as in the output wiring configuration with respect to sensor connection 15, which is the last connection in the serial chain but, according to its intended position, is the closest to the master control unit 9. The sixth sensor 7 is therefore located at position P6 on the vehicle, as is also the case in the output wiring configuration.

[0068] However, in Fig. 3, sensors 2 to 6 are arranged in different positions on the vehicle than in Fig. 1. Therefore, a re-addressing is necessary for this reason alone.

[0069] The fifth sensor 6 is located at position P1 on the vehicle. In this example, it is assigned the first address 16, as already shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the fourth sensor 5, the third sensor 4, the second sensor 3, and the first sensor 2 are located, or are to be located, at positions P5, P4, P3, and P2 on the vehicle. Therefore, during the re-addressing process, as already shown in Fig. 3, these sensors are assigned addresses 20, 19, 18, and 17, which characterize these positions on the vehicle. This is also done according to the procedure with the auxiliary address 22, as explained in Fig. 2. In addition, Fig. 4 shows another example of a schematic representation of a sensor system 1.In this embodiment, the actual wiring configuration has a number m, here four for example, of sensor connections, which is less than the number n of an output wiring configuration. Therefore, in this example, two of the n addresses are not required.

[0070] In this exemplary embodiment, positions P1 and P6 on the vehicle are not required. Therefore, sensor connections 10 and 15 are not needed in this example. These positions P1 and P6 could also be, for example, the outermost positions on the left and right sides of a configuration of ultrasonic sensors mounted on a bumper. In this case, a configuration can be presented in which only the centrally located ultrasonic sensors of such a sensor system are installed or required on the bumper.

[0071] Starting from an initial wiring configuration, particularly that shown in Fig. 1, where the sensor connections 13, 12, 11, and 10 would follow the master control unit 9 in sequence, with addresses 19, 18, 17, and 16 respectively, a re-addressing is required with regard to the wiring configuration desired in Fig. 4, which is an example of a reduced actual wiring configuration, especially compared to the initial wiring configuration. Specifically, if, for example, the positions of sensor connections 14, 13, 12, and 11 from the initial wiring configuration are required, a re-addressing is necessary. In this example, it may be provided that sensors 2, 3, 4, and 5 are located, or are to be located, at positions P2, P3, P4, and P5 on the vehicle.To assign addresses 20, 19, 18, and 17 to these sensors 5, 4, 3, and 2, and also to sensor connections 14, 13, 12, and 11, one of the unused addresses 16 or 21 from the output addressing can be used as an auxiliary address, or the auxiliary address 22 can be used. The re-addressing procedure can then be performed iteratively with this auxiliary address, as already explained in Figures 2 and 3.

[0072] Here too, Fig. 4 already shows the state of the re-addressing of the actual cabling configuration.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for configuring a sensor system (1) with multiple sensors (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and with a serial bus system (8) in which multiple sensor ports (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) for connecting the sensors (2 to 7) to the bus system (8) are arranged serially, comprising the following steps: performing an output assignment operation in which an electronic address (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) is assigned to each of a number n of sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor ports (10 to 15) by means of an assignment module (1a), thereby generating an output addressing; Determining an actual wiring configuration of the sensors (2 to 7) and / or the sensor connections (10 to 15) and / or the master control unit (9) in the serial bus system (8), which is characterized by a position of a master control unit (9) of the bus system (8) in relation to the sensors (2 to 7) and / or the sensor connections (10 to 15) in the bus system (8) and / or which is characterized by a position of the sensors (2 to 7) and / or the sensor connections (10 to 15) (8), in particular in comparison to each other and / or on a vehicle; Changing the output addressing when the actual wiring configuration differs from an output wiring configuration in which the output addressing is correct, wherein, to change the output addressing to a new addressing, at least one additional auxiliary address (22) is provided, the auxiliary address (22) is assigned to at least one sensor (2 to 7) and / or one sensor terminal (10 to 15), so that the address assigned to the sensor (2 to 7) and / or the sensor terminal (10 to 15) by the output addressing becomes free, and thereby, in the further process of the new addressing, the freed address is assigned to another sensor (2 to 7) and / or sensor terminal (10 to 15) that requires this address in the actual wiring configuration.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the output addressing and the re-addressing then take place when the sensor connections (10 to 15) are equipped with sensors (2 to 7), and the addresses (16 to 21) of the respective sensor connections (10 to 15) are stored in the respective sensors (2 to 7) coupled to them.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the assignment of the auxiliary address (22) is successively repeated several times and is assigned to each sensor (2 to 7) and / or sensor connection (10 to 15), whose address (16 to 21) is to be changed, until all sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15) to be addressed have been re-addressed and the re-addressing of the multiple sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15) has been carried out.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the subsequent assignment of the auxiliary address (22) to sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15) is carried out in the order in which the re-addressing is to be designed.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein when determining an actual wiring configuration, it is checked whether a number n of sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15) are present or required, and if a number m, with m less than n, is present, the re-addressing is carried out only for the number m.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein, in a reduced re-addressing procedure, it is checked at which positions the sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15) of the number m are arranged in relation to the positions of the output wiring configuration, and depending on this position check, the reduced number of required addresses are assigned to the sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein ultrasonic sensors (2 to 7) are provided as sensors.

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensors (2 to 7) and the master control unit (9) are arranged in a daisy chain.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein DSI3 is used as the bus system.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an address (16 to 21) specifies a specific position of a sensor (2 to 7) and / or sensor connection (10 to 15) on a vehicle on which the sensor system (1) is installed or is to be installed, and by re-addressing the positions of the sensors (2 to 7) and / or sensor connections (10 to 15) on the vehicle, in particular those associated with the actual wiring configuration, are made available to the serial bus system (8).

11. Vehicle sensor system (1) with multiple sensors (2 to 7) and with a serial bus system (8) in which multiple sensor connections (10 to 15) for connecting the sensors (2 to 7) to the bus system (8) are arranged serially, and with an addressing system, in particular an assignment module (1a), for assigning electronic addresses (16 to 21) to the sensors (2 to 7) and / or the sensor connections (10 to 15), wherein the vehicle sensor system (1) is configured to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

Images