Signal Generator Transmitting Additional Data via Variable Time Intervals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing signal transmission protocols are inadequate for applications where events occur at varying time intervals, limiting the ability to transmit additional information alongside speed measurement data, particularly in systems like antilock braking systems (ABS) where constant time intervals are used.
Innovation Solution
A signal generator that includes a signal provider and a signal processing unit, which generates a transmit signal with event information representing the temporal occurrence of events and additional data distributed over varying time intervals, allowing for an arbitrary amount of additional data to be transmitted by adapting the data capacity to the length of the time intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If constant time intervals are used for signal transmission, then the transmission protocol is simple and reliable, but the ability to transmit additional information alongside speed measurement data is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transmit signal is segmented into distinct components: event information (pulses representing temporal occurrence of events) and additional information (data frames containing arbitrary additional data). This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple pulse-based event transmission while separately incorporating additional data without interfering with the core speed measurement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to data transmission by distributing additional data bits across multiple time intervals between events. Instead of adding data in parallel (another channel), the system embeds additional information in the time domain by allocating different numbers of data bits to different inter-event intervals, effectively utilizing the time dimension to increase information capacity.
2Productivity
If additional data is transmitted alongside event information, then the data rate increases, but the data capacity must be adapted to varying time intervals between events
Solution Approach 1:
The data capacity allocated to each time interval is made dynamic rather than fixed. The signal processing unit adapts the number of additional data bits transmitted in each interval based on the actual duration of that interval. Longer intervals can accommodate more data bits, while shorter intervals transmit fewer bits, ensuring efficient utilization of available time resources and maximizing overall data rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of data capacity (number of data bits per interval) based on the varying time interval duration. By adjusting this parameter dynamically according to the temporal characteristics of event occurrence, the system optimizes the data transmission efficiency without losing event timing information.
Data Source
AI summary
A signal generator comprises a signal provider and a signal processing unit. The signal provider is configured to provide a sensor signal indicating a repeatedly detected event, occurring within differing time intervals. The signal processing unit is configured to generate a transmit signal based on the sensor signal. The transmit signal comprises event information representing the temporal occurrence of the event and additional information representing additional data. The event information comprises pulses associated to detected events, wherein the pulses are temporarily separated within the transmit signal according to the differing time intervals of detected events so that each time interval of the differing time intervals comprises one pulse associated to a detected event. Further, the additional data comprises at least one frame comprising a predefined number of additional data bits. The information of the additional data bits of the at least one frame is distributed over at least two time intervals of the differing time intervals.