Vehicle Sensor Node Signal Processing Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle sensor systems lack efficient development structures, fault tolerance, and accuracy, as they primarily allocate sensors to specific functions without effective utilization of secondary functions and redundant measurement paths for improved reliability and availability.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system comprising multiple sensor elements detecting different primary variables using various measurement principles, connected to a signal processing facility with fault management, filtering, and calculation functions, integrated on a circuit board, which provides derived variables and evaluates information quality for reliability, accuracy, and availability, ensuring redundant measurement paths for enhanced fault tolerance and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sensors are allocated to specific functions without shared signal processing, then each function has dedicated sensor support, but development costs increase and system complexity grows
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system implements a universal signal processing facility that serves multiple functional facilities simultaneously. The control unit processes signals from sensor elements and makes them available to various functions through standardized interfaces, allowing one sensor system to support multiple functions without requiring separate dedicated sensor systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple signal processing functions (filtering, fault management, derived variable calculation) into a single integrated control unit. This merging of functions reduces the overall system complexity and development costs while maintaining the ability to serve multiple functional facilities.
2Reliability
If single measurement paths are used, then system structure is simple, but fault tolerance and accuracy are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary fault management and signal validation before providing data to functional facilities. By detecting and managing faults in advance through redundant measurement paths, the system ensures reliable operation without requiring complex post-processing or multiple independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between sensor elements and functional facilities, managing redundant measurement paths and selecting optimal signals. This intermediary layer provides fault tolerance by comparing redundant measurements and selecting valid data, while presenting a simplified interface to functional facilities.
3Measurement precision
If signal processing functions are distributed to each function, then each function has independent processing, but accuracy and fault tolerance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges filtering, fault management, and derived variable calculation functions into a centralized control unit. This consolidation improves accuracy by ensuring consistent signal processing across all functions while reducing the overall system complexity compared to distributed processing architectures.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring sensor signals, comparing redundant measurements, and adjusting signal selection based on detected faults or quality metrics. This feedback loop enhances measurement precision while maintaining a manageable processing structure through centralized control.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a sensor system including a plurality of sensor elements which are designed so that the elements detect at least partially different primary measured values and utilize at least partially different measurement principles, further including a signal processing apparatus, an interface apparatus and a plurality of functional apparatuses. The sensor elements are connected to the signal processing apparatus, which is designed so that it includes at least one of the following signal processing functions each for at least one of the sensor elements and/or the output signals thereof, an error handling, a filtering, a calculation and/or provision of a derived measured value. At least one measured value is derived from at least one primary measured value of one or more sensor elements, and all functional apparatuses are connected to the signal processing apparatus via the interface apparatus and the signal processing apparatus provides the signal processing functions.