Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Other

Continental Automotive Gmbh

Arnulf Pietsch

Gerhard Wild

Marten Swart

Reinhard Hamperl

Gerd Winkler

Manfred Frimberger

Christian Zelger

Lorenz Pfau

Erwin Hetzenecker

Justin E Cresswell

Reinhard Schmid

Karlheinz Wamke

Justin Cresswell

Hendrik B&ouml;zen

The invention relates to a method for determining the electrical resistance of an electrical supply lead to sensor elements and concerns a sensor arrangement. The sensor elements are interconnected to form a sensor arrangement, and the electrical total resistance of the supply lead to the sensor elements is determined by effecting a measurement involving an electrical component. The electrical total resistance of the supply lead to the sensor elements is compared to a reference value, whereby the reference value is the value of the electrical total resistance of a reference component of the circuit arrangement and of its electrical leads. The reference value is also determined by effecting a measurement.

Method for determining the electrical resistance of an electrical supply lead to sensor elements and a sensor arrangement

The invention relates to a method and a circuit arrangement for determining an electric measurement value for a resistance element (R), preferably for determining an electric current that flows through said resistance element (R), whereby the resistance element (R) to be measured is interconnected to additional resistance elements within a resistance array () consisting of columns (CL, CL, CL) and rows (R, R, R) of resistance elements. According to the invention, the load of a basic load resistance element (R), which is connected between the output of a measurement/supply unit () and the common ground terminal connection of the resistance array (), is applied to the measurement voltage (MEAS). The measurement voltage (MEAS) is simultaneously connected to the input of an impedance transformer (OCL, OR), whose output is connected in a subsequent step to the resistance elements in the resistance array () that are not to be measured. This prevents a voltage differential at the input of the operation amplifier, eliminating to a great extent undesired signal fluctuations, which could falsify the measurement result.

Method and circuit arrangement for determining an electric measurement value for a resistance element, preferably for determining an electric current that flows through the said resistance element

A sensor mat configuration includes a sensor mat having row lines, column lines, and a plurality of force-dependent resistors connected between the row lines and the column lines to form a matrix having rows and columns. The sensor mat configuration includes a printed circuit board having a plurality of fixed resistors. The first terminal of each one of the plurality of the fixed resistors is connected to a respective one of the column lines, and the second terminal of each one of the plurality of the fixed resistors are connected together, thereby forming an additional row of the matrix. The resistances of the plurality of the fixed resistors are known within a narrow tolerance range, which enables these resistors to be used in measurements for accurately determining the resistances of the force-dependent resistors of the sensor mat.

Sensor mat configuration enabling actual resistance values of force-dependent resistors of a sensor mat to be determined

A sensor configuration for measuring the local distribution of a measured variable has a plurality of sensor elements which are disposed in a distributed fashion and interconnected in an array. An electric response of the sensor elements is a function of the local value of the measured variable. At least one of the sensor elements has a series circuit composed of a series element which is independent of the value of the measured variable and a measuring element which is dependent on the value of the measured variable.

Sensor configuration

A demodulator of an evaluating unit for a device for detecting objects derives a useful signal from a supplied input signal with the aid of a carrier signal. The demodulator further derives a test signal with the aid of a modulated carrier signal. An evaluator detects as a function of the useful signal whether an object is being detected and, as a function of the test signal the functionality of the device.

EVALUATING UNIT FOR A DEVICE FOR DETECTING OBJECTS, IN PARTICULAR FOR MONITORING THE INTERIOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AS WELL AS A DEVICE FOR DETECTING OBJECTS HAVING SUCH AN EVALUATING UNIT AND A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SUCH A DEVICE

An antenna configuration in an apparatus for detecting a child safety seat placed on a seat in a motor vehicle. A single transmitting antenna formed as a loop surrounds two loop-shaped receiving antennas. The receiving antennas receive electromagnetic measurement fields originating from an electromagnetic exciter field transmitted by the transmitting antenna.

Antenna configuration of an apparatus for detecting a child safety seat placed on a seat of a motor vehicle

A pressure transducer, in particular for sensing a lateral collision in a motor vehicle, delivers an electric useful signal which is determined by a relative pressure change relating to a pressure event. Low-frequency changes in an output signal of a sensor device, which depend on the ambient pressure, are compensated by a control device with an integrating behavior. The sensitivity of the sensor device, as a manipulated variable, changes in a manner inversely proportional to the ambient pressure. Higher-frequency pressure changes in the output signal of the sensor device are not compensated, but as a result of the variable sensitivity of the sensor device, determine as relative pressure changes the useful signal, which is additionally independent of temperature influences and offset errors of the pressure transducer.

Growing community of inventors

Wuppertal, Germany

Arnulf Pietsch