Ultrasonic Sensor Diagnostic Unit for Receiver Path Overload Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic sensors for motor vehicles lack detailed functionality checks, leading to potential undetected malfunctions, particularly in amplification issues, which can result in failure to detect target objects due to insufficient signal amplification.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic sensor device with a diagnostic unit that explicitly checks the receiver's functionality, including amplifier performance, by varying transmission pulse lengths and amplification factors, allowing for detailed diagnosis and error messaging, thereby ensuring reliable detection of target objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional ultrasonic sensors perform only basic functionality checks (settling time, natural frequency), then the device complexity remains low, but the measurement precision of sensor functionality is insufficient to detect internal errors such as faulty amplification
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system is segmented into multiple independent test components: settling time measurement, natural frequency measurement, and receiver path overload measurement. Each component can be independently activated and evaluated, allowing comprehensive functionality checking without requiring a monolithic complex diagnostic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The diagnostic unit performs preliminary measurements of settling time and natural frequency before conducting the overload measurement. These preliminary actions establish baseline values that are necessary for the subsequent receiver path diagnosis, enabling a systematic approach to functionality verification.
2Measurement precision
If the receiver amplifier amplifies received signals strongly, then the detection sensitivity increases, but the reliability decreases due to potential overload when receiving strong echo pulses
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system dynamically adjusts the evaluation criteria based on the measured settling time. The maximum permissible signal level for overload detection is determined as a function of the measured settling time, allowing the system to adapt to different operational conditions and maintain reliable overload detection across varying signal strengths.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the evaluation parameter for overload detection based on the measured settling time. By making the overload threshold a function of the settling time parameter, the system can accurately distinguish between strong valid echo signals and actual overload conditions, maintaining both sensitivity and reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the ultrasonic sensor is used for multiple applications (parking aid, driving assistance, blind spot monitoring), then the versatility increases, but the reliability of individual component functionality decreases due to lack of component-specific diagnostics
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic unit is designed to perform multiple diagnostic functions: measuring settling time, determining natural frequency, and detecting receiver path overload. This multi-functional diagnostic capability ensures reliable component-specific functionality checking regardless of the ultrasonic sensor's application, whether for parking aid, driving assistance, or blind spot monitoring.
4Ease of operation
If the control unit performs plausibility checks only on binary message pulses, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the loss of information occurs regarding the qualitative operation of internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic unit provides feedback about the qualitative operation of internal components (amplifier, receiver path) by measuring settling time, natural frequency, and overload conditions. This feedback information is made available to the control unit, enabling informed decisions about sensor functionality without complicating the overall control operation.
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
Enables more precise assessment of the ultrasonic sensor's functionality, detecting internal errors such as faulty amplification, and ensuring reliable detection of target objects by providing detailed diagnostic results to the control unit.
Implementation Method 1
an excitation element, for example a piezoelectric element, configured to provide an electrical signal when receiving the ultrasonic waves and to excite the membrane to emit the ultrasonic waves
Implementation Method 2
a membrane for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves
Implementation Method 3
an excitation element, for example a piezoelectric element, configured to provide an electrical signal when receiving the ultrasonic waves
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor device for a motor vehicle, having a diaphragm (11) for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, having an excitation element (12) which is designed to make available an electrical reception signal when the ultrasonic waves are received, and to excite the diaphragm (11) to emit the ultrasonic waves, having a transmitter (13) for outputting electrical pulses to the excitation element (12), and having a receiver (16) for receiving and preparing the electrical reception signal, wherein the ultrasonic sensor device (2) has a diagnostic unit (22) which is configured to carry out diagnosis of the receiver (16) and in the process check the functional capability of the receiver (16).