Accelerator Pedal Signal Simulation Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for simulating accelerator pedal signals struggle to efficiently and economically produce specific signal values within tolerance limits, making it difficult and costly to validate engine computer operations, especially in cases where signals are at the tolerance limits, which complicates ensuring operational safety and manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves measuring and adjusting electrical signals from an accelerator pedal by adding resistors in series to achieve specific signal values and coherence within tolerance intervals, allowing for the simulation of pedals with freely chosen signal values, enabling easy and economical testing of various scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pedals are manufactured according to particular signal limits to ensure safety validation, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates electrical copies (simulation circuits) of pedals with specific signal characteristics instead of manufacturing actual physical pedals according to particular signal limits. The simulation circuit reproduces the electrical behavior of pedals at tolerance limits through resistive networks, allowing validation testing without producing rare or difficult-to-manufacture pedal variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the simulation circuit (resistance values, voltage levels) to match the electrical characteristics of pedals at various points within tolerance intervals, including worst-case scenarios. By adjusting circuit parameters rather than manufacturing physical pedals with varying tolerances, the system can validate safety across the full range of possible pedal signal values.
2Measurement precision
If pedals are manufactured to simulate worst-case tolerance scenarios for safety testing, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing feasibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation circuit creates electrical copies of pedal signal characteristics without requiring physical manufacturing of pedals with specific tolerance combinations. The circuit reproduces voltage and current relationships that would exist in actual pedals at various points within tolerance intervals, enabling precise validation of computer response to edge-case signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation circuit acts as an intermediary between the control computer and actual pedals during validation testing. It provides the electrical interface and signal characteristics needed to test computer response to various pedal signals, including worst-case scenarios, without requiring physical pedals with precisely controlled tolerance variations.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple physical pedals with specific tolerance combinations are produced for validation, then test coverage is improved, but time and cost consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation circuit serves multiple functions: it can validate the control computer's response to various pedal signal conditions including normal operation, tolerance limit cases, and worst-case scenarios. A single simulation circuit design can be configured to represent multiple different pedal conditions by adjusting component values, eliminating the need to manufacture and test with multiple physical pedals for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation circuit creates electrical representations of various pedal signal conditions that would require multiple physical pedals to reproduce. By copying the electrical behavior rather than manufacturing physical variants, the system achieves comprehensive test coverage more efficiently.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for the easy and economical simulation of pedals with specific signal values, facilitating the validation of engine computer compatibility and ensuring operational safety by adjusting signal values within tolerance limits, thereby simplifying the testing process.
Implementation Method 1
a first resistor is added in series on one of the following three connections, the pedal power supply, the high signal or the low signal, to obtain one of the two particular values
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for simulating an accelerator pedal (2) emitting a high signal (U1) and another low signal (U2), characterized in that, to simulate, with a defined position of the pedal, a first particular value of the high signal (U1) or the low signal (U2), as well as a second particular value of the coherence between these two signals (U1/U2), the following operations are carried out successively: - the values of the high signal (U1) and the low signal (U2) are measured; - a first resistance is added in series on one of the following three connections, the power supply of the pedal (Ra), the high signal (R1) or the low signal (R2), to obtain one of the two particular values; and - the second resulting value is measured, and a second resistance is adjusted in series on one of the two remaining connections to obtain the second desired particular value.