Air-mass measuring apparatus, air-mass measuring system and air-mass measuring method for a vehicle

An air-mass measuring system for a vehicle, comprising:

• an air-mass measuring apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus including:
• a support element;
• an air-mass sensor for providing air-mass data, the air-mass sensor being disposed on the support element;
• at least one further sensor for providing further sensor data, the at least one further sensor being disposed on the support element;
• an evaluation circuit having a first input interface to receive the air-mass data, at least one second input interface to receive the further sensor data, and an output interface that includes a first wire connected to a source power voltage, a second wire connected to ground, and a third single shared data output wire, the evaluation circuit being disposed on the support element and being designed to provide the air-mass data and the further sensor data as bundled sensor data via the output interface by storing the air-mass data and the further sensor data and processing the stored air-mass data and the stored further sensor data to convert them into an integrated data element of a communications protocol, which is transmitted over the third shared single data output wire;
• and
• a housing that has an electronics chamber and a measuring channel for conducting a gas and an electrical connection;
• wherein:
• the support element is disposed in the electronics chamber;
• the air-mass sensor is inserted into the measuring channel;
• the output interface is connected to the electrical connection via electric lines to make the bundled sensor data available at the electrical connection;
• the air-mass measuring apparatus is disposed in an induction tract of a combustion engine of the vehicle and is connected via the electrical connection to a control unit of the vehicle;
• and
• the integrated data element is transmitted as a signal voltage representing an amplitude-modulated or frequency modulated signal.

An air-mass measuring method for a vehicle, comprising:

• receiving air-mass data via a first input interface of an evaluation circuit disposed on a support element, the air-mass data representing data provided by an air-mass sensor situated on the support element;
• receiving further sensor data via at least one second input interface of the evaluation circuit, the further sensor data representing data provided by at least one further sensor situated on the support element;
• storing the air-mass data and the further sensor data;
• processing the stored air-mass data and the stored further sensor data to convert them into an integrated data element of a communications protocol;
• and
• transmitting the integrated data element over a single shared data output wire of the output interface of the evaluation circuit, wherein the output interface includes the single shared data wire, a wire connected to a source power voltage, and a wire connected to ground;
• wherein the integrated data element is transmitted as a signal voltage representing an amplitude-modulated or frequency modulated signal.