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US 11,561,115 B2Granted
Sensor device and method
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsDragos Vocurek, Hans-Joerg Wagner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Sensor devices and corresponding methods are provided. When a signal path output (COMP OUT) indicates no threshold crossings, diagnosis is performed with a timing based on a clock. In case threshold crossings are indicated, diagnosis is performed with a timing based on threshold crossings.
Claims20
A sensor device, comprising:
- a signal path configured to receive a sensor signal, the signal path comprising a comparator circuit configured to compare the sensor signal to at least one threshold and generate a signal path output indicative of threshold crossings of the sensor signal relative to the at least one threshold or indicative of no threshold crossings of the sensor signal relative to the at least one threshold;
- a diagnosis circuit configured to receive a first enable signal or a second enable signal and perform at least one diagnosis of at least part of the sensor device in response to being triggered by the first enable signal or the second enable signal;
- and
- a diagnosis logic configured to monitor the signal path output and determine whether the signal path output indicates threshold crossings or no threshold crossings,
- in response to determining that the signal path output indicates no threshold crossings, the diagnosis logic is configured to generate the first enable signal and provide the first enable signal to the diagnosis circuit to trigger the diagnosis circuit to perform a first diagnosis at first time intervals defined by a timing of a clock signal, and
- in response to determining that the signal path output indicates threshold crossings, the diagnosis logic is configured to generate the second enable signal and provide the second enable signal to the diagnosis circuit to trigger the diagnosis circuit to perform a second diagnosis at second time intervals defined by a timing of the threshold crossings.
3 more elements
A method for sensor device diagnosis, comprising:
- generating, by a sensor device, a sensor signal;
- generating, by the sensor device, a signal path output indicative of threshold crossings of the sensor signal, including comparing the sensor signal to at least one threshold and generating the signal path output indicative of threshold crossings of the sensor signal relative to the at least one threshold;
- performing a first diagnosis of at least part of the sensor device with a timing based on a clock signal when the signal path output of the sensor device does not indicate threshold crossings of the sensor signal;
- and
- performing a second diagnosis of at least part of the sensor device according to a timing based on the threshold crossings when the signal path output indicates threshold crossings.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.