Motor Vehicle Door Latch Sensor Signal Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle door lock systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting sensor signals from one control unit to another, requiring significant adaptation efforts and often resulting in delayed or inconsistent data transfer.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a motor vehicle door lock system where all current paths in the line network have different electrical resistances, allowing sensor signals to be transmitted in parallel to multiple control units, ensuring immediate and consistent signal availability, and enabling easy adaptation to various vehicle types by providing sensor signals directly to both central and sub-control units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensor signals are transmitted sequentially between control units, then data consistency can be maintained, but transmission delay and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into multiple independent control units (central control unit and sub-control units), each directly connected to the sensor through separate current paths. This segmentation allows parallel signal acquisition without requiring sequential data transfer, thus maintaining data consistency while eliminating transmission delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a sequential one-dimensional signal transmission approach to a parallel multi-dimensional architecture where multiple control units simultaneously access sensor signals through different current paths with distinct electrical resistances, enabling time-synchronized data acquisition across all control units.
2Adaptability or versatility
If control units are adapted to exchange data between them, then functional flexibility is achieved, but control effort and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal sensor interface architecture where the sensor with its multiple current paths serves as a common data source for different control units. Each control unit independently evaluates sensor signals through its own current path, eliminating the need for complex inter-control-unit data exchange and adaptation protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the line network with multiple current paths as an intermediary structure between the sensor and control units. This intermediary enables direct parallel access to sensor signals for multiple control units without requiring them to communicate with each other, thereby reducing control effort and system complexity.
3Reliability
If redundant switch arrangements with active redundancy are implemented, then diagnostic capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different electrical resistances to different current paths within the line network. This allows each control unit to receive sensor signals with distinct electrical characteristics, enabling individual diagnostic evaluation of switch states and current path integrity without requiring complex redundant switch arrangements.
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 solution enables seamless signal transmission between control units, facilitating easy adaptation to different vehicle types and ensuring reliable diagnostic capabilities by distinguishing between switch states through varying current intensities, thus enhancing the functionality and adaptability of the motor vehicle door lock system.
Implementation Method 1
all of the current paths of the line network have different electrical resistances, which correspond to varying current levels in the individual current path with an essentially constant supply voltage
Data Source
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AI summary
A motor vehicle door latch mechanism, having a circuit arrangement with at least one sensor (9, 10, 11, 12), and with at least one connected control unit (6, 7), wherein the sensor (9, 10, 11, 12) has two or more switch states, and two different control units (6, 7) are connected to the sensor (9, 10, 11, 12).