# US 11,079,295 B2 · Method and system for determining reliability of a pressure sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,295 B2 - Document ID: US11079295B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/430,051 - Filed: 2019-06-03 - Published: 2020-12-03 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-03 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Francesco Solazzi; Martin Hassler; Christoph Steiner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079295B2 ## CPC - G01L 9/0052: {of piezoresistive elements (circuits therefor G01L9/06)} - G01L 27/007: {Malfunction diagnosis, i.e. diagnosing a sensor defect} - G01L 9/0051: {using variations in ohmic resistance} - G01L 9/02: by making use of variations in ohmic resistance, e.g. of potentiometers {, electric circuits therefor, e.g. bridges, amplifiers or signal conditioning} - G01L 9/06: of piezo-resistive devices - G01L 19/12: Alarms or signals - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract A pressure sensor is configured to monitor a first resistance value of a first resistor and a second resistance value of a second resistor. The first resistor and the second resistor are configured to be sensing elements of a sensing component of a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is configured to determine, based on a difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value satisfying a threshold, that a measurement from the sensing component is unreliable. The pressure sensor is configured to perform, based on determining that the measurement from the sensing component is unreliable, an action associated with the pressure sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pressure sensor, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, configured to: receive a measurement from a sensing component, wherein the sensing component includes a first resistor and a second resistor; determine a first resistance value of the first resistor and a second resistance value of the second resistor; determine, based on a difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value satisfying a threshold, that the measurement is unreliable; and perform, based on determining that the measurement is unreliable, an action associated with the measurement or the pressure sensor, wherein the one or more processors, when performing the action, are to: increase a frequency associated with determining the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are in a Wheatstone bridge circuit of the sensing component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pressure sensor of claim 2, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are not coupled to a same terminal of the Wheatstone bridge circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are situated in a circuit on or within a flexible membrane of the sensing component, wherein the flexible membrane, when flexed, is configured to affect the first resistance value and the second resistance value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein a probability that the measurement is reliable is determined to be relatively high when the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value is within another threshold, and wherein the probability that the measurement is reliable is determined to be relatively low when the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value is greater than the threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first resistance value and the second resistance value are determined based on receiving the measurement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first resistance value and the second resistance value are respectively determined based on a first conductance value of the first resistor and a second conductance value of the second resistor, wherein the first conductance value and the second conductance value are respectively determined by applying bias voltages across the first resistor and the second resistor. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a sensing component comprising: a flexible membrane, and a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and a sensor controller configured to: monitor, based on iteratively biasing terminals of the Wheatstone bridge circuit with a voltage supply and a ground, a first resistance value of a first resistor of the Wheatstone bridge circuit and a second resistance value of a second resistor of the Wheatstone bridge circuit; determine, based on a difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value, a status of the flexible membrane, wherein the status indicates that a measurement from the sensing component is unreliable based on the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value satisfying a threshold; and perform, based on determining that the status is unreliable, an action associated with the sensing component, wherein, when performing the action, the sensor controller is configured to: increase a frequency associated with determining the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are opposite one another in the Wheatstone bridge circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the status indicates that the measurement is reliable when the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value does not satisfy the threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein, when the status indicates that the measurement is unreliable due to a contaminant being in contact with the flexible membrane, the sensor controller, when increasing the frequency associated with determining the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value, is configured to: increase a frequency of iterations associated with iteratively biasing the terminals of the Wheatstone bridge circuit to monitor the flexible membrane to permit the sensor controller to determine when the contaminant is no longer in contact with the flexible membrane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein, when the status indicates that the measurement is unreliable, the sensor controller, when performing the action, is further configured to at least one of: send a notification to a user interface to indicate that a contaminant may be in contact with the flexible membrane; indicate that the measurement is likely inaccurate; or disable the sensing component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein, when the status indicates that the measurement is unreliable, the sensor controller, when performing the action, is further configured to: measure a first voltage of a first measurement terminal of the Wheatstone bridge circuit; measure a second voltage of a second measurement terminal of the Wheatstone bridge circuit; determine, based on a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage, a pressure measurement associated with an environment of the flexible membrane; and perform an action associated with the pressure measurement. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the flexible membrane, when flexed, is configured to cause the Wheatstone bridge circuit to output different voltage values based on changes to at least one of the first resistance value or the second resistance value. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: monitoring, by a device, a first resistance value of a first resistor and a second resistance value of a second resistor, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are sensing elements of a sensing component of a pressure sensor; determining, by the device and based on a difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value satisfying a threshold, that a measurement from the sensing component is unreliable; and performing, by the device and based on determining that the measurement from the sensing component is unreliable, an action associated with the pressure sensor, wherein performing the action comprises: increasing a frequency associated with determining the difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the sensing component comprises: a flexible membrane; and a Wheatstone bridge circuit, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are opposite resistors in the Wheatstone bridge. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein monitoring the first resistance value and the second resistance value comprises: determining a first conductance value of the first resistor and a second conductance value of the second resistor; and determining the first resistance value based on the first conductance value and the second resistance value based on the second conductance value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are in a Wheatstone bridge circuit, and wherein the first conductance value and the second conductance value are determined by applying a supply voltage to one or more terminals of the Wheatstone bridge circuit and a ground to one or more other terminals of the Wheatstone bridge circuit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein performing the action further comprises at least one of: sending a notification to a user interface to indicate that the measurement is unreliable; preventing the pressure sensor from providing another measurement; or disabling the pressure sensor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a sensor of a tire pressure monitoring system.