Redundant Sensor Module Signal Checking for Diagnostic Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor modules with redundant signal acquisition and processing lack reliable error-free transmission and diagnostic coverage due to common chip implementation and shared output stages, leading to undetected errors of low probability.
Innovation Solution
A sensor module design with separate processing devices for each redundant sensor, a control device generating a sensor module signal based on processed signals, and a checking device ensuring coherency, providing a check result signal to enhance diagnostic coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If redundant sensor signals are transmitted through a common output stage and shared transmission line, then cost is reduced and device complexity is lowered, but diagnostic coverage deteriorates to zero and error detection capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the previously common output stage into separate output stages for each sensor signal path. Each sensor signal (first sensor signal and second sensor signal) now has its own dedicated output stage and transmission line, preventing shared errors while maintaining cost-effectiveness through integrated circuit implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a checking device as an intermediary component that monitors the coherency between processed sensor signals before they reach the output stages. This checking device enables error detection in the transmission channels without requiring complete redundancy of the entire signal path.
2Device complexity
If redundant signal paths are implemented in a common chip, then device complexity is reduced and integration is improved, but error-free transmission cannot be reliably ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal transmission paths within the integrated circuit, providing separate transmission lines for each sensor signal from the processing devices to the output stages. This segmentation allows the benefits of integration while ensuring that errors in one path do not affect other paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism through the checking device that monitors the processed sensor signals and provides error information back to the system. This feedback enables the detection of transmission errors that occur within the integrated circuit, maintaining reliability despite high integration.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include a sensor module for providing a sensor module signal comprising information representative of a physical quantity measured by the sensor module. The sensor module may include: a first sensor providing a signal representative of the physical quantity; a first processing device processing the first signal; a second sensor providing a signal representative of the physical quantity; a second processing device processing the second signal; a control device generating the sensor module signal based on the processed first sensor signal and the processed second sensor signal; and a checking device checking the sensor module signal, the processed first sensor signal, and the processed second sensor signal for coherency, and providing a check result signal representative of a result of the check.