Device and method for safety switch off of an electrical consumer in a vehicle

A safety switch-off device for an electrical consumer in a vehicle, the electrical consumer being adapted to be operated in an active state and in at least one further operating state with reduced current consumption compared to the active state, the at least one further operating state being an idle or standby state, the device comprising:

• an electronic switch with a current path, arranged in a supply line leading directly or indirectly to the at least one electrical consumer of the vehicle, via which supply line the electrical consumer can be supplied with currents respectively necessary for operation in its active state and for operation in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states,
• a driver circuit for controlling the electronic switch, wherein either a switch on signal for switching the electronic switch on and thus for switching its current path to a conducting state or a switch-off signal for switching the electronic switch off and thus for switching its current path to a blocking state can be applied to the driver circuit,
• a voltage detection element provided for arrangement in the supply line and generating a voltage drop when a current flows through the supply line,
• at least one voltage amplifier with two inputs connected on either side of the voltage detection element, and with an output supplying an amplified signal,
• a high-pass or a band-pass filter for filtering the amplified signal at the output of the voltage amplifier, comprising an input connected to the output of the voltage amplifier and comprising an output supplying the filtered signal,
• a first comparator connected to the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter and comprising two inputs and one output, for comparing a magnitude of the filtered signal of the high-pass or band-pass filter to a first threshold value or to a first voltage range,
• wherein the first comparator outputs a first activation signal at its output when the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter is greater than the first threshold value or equal to the first threshold value and exceeds or falls below the first voltage range,
• a monitoring unit connected to the output of the first comparator, which, whenever the at least one electrical consumer is in its active state or in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states, generates, for the driver circuit, the switch on signal for the electronic switch to supply the at least one electrical consumer with current and outputs to the driver circuit the switch-off signal for the electronic switch for purpose of a potential safety switch off of the at least one electrical consumer,
• wherein the monitoring unit comprises switchable circuit components which can selectively be activated or deactivated, i.e. can be transferred into a switch-off or a standby mode, based on a determination of a thermal load of the supply line or the at least one electrical consumer due to an increased current consumption, or a temperature compensation circuit, or a voltage supply circuit, or a voltage regulation circuit, or comparators with reference voltage generation circuits,
• wherein the monitoring unit requires less electric energy when its switchable circuit components are deactivated than in a case where its switchable circuit components are activated,
• wherein the switchable circuit components of the monitoring unit, when deactivated, are activatable upon receipt of the first activation signal present at the output of the first comparator, and
• wherein a single voltage amplifier is provided, which can be switched between an operation with a higher energy demand and an operation with a lower energy demand, and that the voltage amplifier needs less energy when the circuit components of the monitoring unit are deactivated than when the circuit components of the monitoring unit are activated, and that the voltage amplifier is switchable under control by the monitoring unit.

A safety switch-off device for an electrical consumer in a vehicle, the electrical consumer being adapted to be operated in an active state and in at least one further operating state with reduced current consumption compared to the active state, the at least one further operating state being an idle or standby state, the device comprising:

• an electronic switch with a current path, arranged in a supply line leading directly or indirectly to the at least one electrical consumer of the vehicle, via which supply line the electrical consumer can be supplied with currents respectively necessary for operation in its active state and for operation in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states,
• a driver circuit for controlling the electronic switch, wherein either a switch on signal for-switching the electronic switch on and thus for switching its current path to a conducting state or a switch-off signal for switching the electronic switch off and thus for switching its current path to a blocking state can be applied to the driver circuit,
• a voltage detection element provided for arrangement in the supply line and generating a voltage drop when a current flows through the supply line,
• at least one voltage amplifier with two inputs connected on either side of the voltage detection element, and with an output supplying an amplified signal,
• a high-pass or a band-pass filter for filtering the amplified signal at the output of the voltage amplifier, comprising an input connected to the output of the voltage amplifier and comprising an output supplying the filtered signal,
• a first comparator connected to the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter and comprising two inputs and one output, for comparing a magnitude of the filtered signal of the high-pass or band-pass filter to a first threshold value or to a first voltage range,
• wherein the first comparator outputs a first activation signal at its output when the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter is greater than the first threshold value or equal to the first threshold value and exceeds or falls below the first voltage range,
• a monitoring unit connected to the output of the first comparator, which, whenever the at least one electrical consumer is in its active state or in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states, generates, for the driver circuit, the switch on signal for the electronic switch to supply the at least one electrical consumer with current and outputs to the driver circuit the switch-off signal for the electronic switch for purpose of a potential safety switch off of the at least one electrical consumer,
• wherein the monitoring unit comprises switchable circuit components which can selectively be activated or deactivated, i.e. can be transferred into a switch-off or a standby mode, based on a determination of a thermal load of the supply line or the at least one electrical consumer due to an increased current consumption, or a temperature compensation circuit, or a voltage supply circuit, or a voltage regulation circuit, or comparators with reference voltage generation circuits,
• wherein the monitoring unit requires less electric energy when its switchable circuit components are deactivated than in a case where its switchable circuit components are activated,
• wherein the switchable circuit components of the monitoring unit, when deactivated, are activatable upon receipt of the first activation signal present at the output of the first comparator, and
• the safety switch-off device further comprising a single voltage amplifier, wherein either the voltage amplifier has a variable amplification factor, which is higher when circuit components of the monitoring unit are deactivated than when circuit components of the monitoring unit are activated, or the high-pass or band-pass filter comprises a voltage amplifier connectable when circuit components of the monitoring unit are deactivated, for outputting an output signal amplified even further and thus higher as compared to the amplification by the voltage amplifier.

A safety switch-off device for an electrical consumer in a vehicle, the electrical consumer being adapted to be operated in an active state and in at least one further operating state with reduced current consumption compared to the active state, the at least one further operating state being an idle or standby state, the device comprising:

• an electronic switch with a current path, arranged in a supply line leading directly or indirectly to the at least one electrical consumer of the vehicle, via which supply line the electrical consumer can be supplied with currents respectively necessary for operation in its active state and for operation in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states,
• a driver circuit for controlling the electronic switch, wherein either a switch on signal for switching the electronic switch on and thus for switching its current path to a conducting state or a switch-off signal for switching the electronic switch off and thus for switching its current path to a blocking state can be applied to the driver circuit,
• a voltage detection element provided for arrangement in the supply line and generating a voltage drop when a current flows through the supply line,
• at least one voltage amplifier with two inputs connected on either side of the voltage detection element, and with an output supplying an amplified signal,
• a high-pass or a band-pass filter for filtering the amplified signal at the output of the voltage amplifier, comprising an input connected to the output of the voltage amplifier and comprising an output supplying the filtered signal,
• a first comparator connected to the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter and comprising two inputs and one output, for comparing a magnitude of the filtered signal of the high-pass or band-pass filter to a first threshold value or to a first voltage range,
• wherein the first comparator outputs a first activation signal at its output when the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter is greater than the first threshold value or equal to the first threshold value and exceeds or falls below the first voltage range,
• a monitoring unit connected to the output of the first comparator, which, whenever the at least one electrical consumer is in its active state or in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states, generates, for the driver circuit, the switch on signal for the electronic switch to supply the at least one electrical consumer with current and outputs to the driver circuit the switch-off signal for the electronic switch for purpose of a potential safety switch off of the at least one electrical consumer,
• wherein the monitoring unit comprises switchable circuit components which can selectively be activated or deactivated, i.e. can be transferred into a switch-off or a standby mode, based on a determination of a thermal load of the supply line or the at least one electrical consumer due to an increased current consumption, or a temperature compensation circuit, or a voltage supply circuit, or a voltage regulation circuit, or comparators with reference voltage generation circuits,
• wherein the monitoring unit requires less electric energy when its switchable circuit components are deactivated than in a case where its switchable circuit components are activated,
• wherein the switchable circuit components of the monitoring unit, when deactivated, are activatable upon receipt of the first activation signal present at the output of the first comparator and wherein a first voltage amplifier and a second voltage amplifier are provided, the first voltage amplifier being adapted to be operated when the circuit components of the monitoring unit are deactivated, and the second voltage amplifier being operable when the circuit components of the monitoring unit are activated and that the high-pass or band-pass filter is connected to the output of the first voltage amplifier.

A safety switch-off device for an electrical consumer in a vehicle, the electrical consumer being adapted to be operated in an active state and in at least one further operating state with reduced current consumption compared to the active state, the at least one further operating state being an idle or standby state, the device comprising:

• an electronic switch with a current path, arranged in a supply line leading directly or indirectly to the at least one electrical consumer of the vehicle, via which supply line the electrical consumer can be supplied with currents respectively necessary for operation in its active state and for operation in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states,
• a driver circuit for controlling the electronic switch, wherein either a switch on signal for switching the electronic switch on and thus for switching its current path to a conducting state or a switch-off signal for switching the electronic switch off and thus for switching its current path to a blocking state can be applied to the driver circuit,
• a voltage detection element provided for arrangement in the supply line and generating a voltage drop when a current flows through the supply line,
• at least one voltage amplifier with two inputs connected on either side of the voltage detection element, and with an output supplying an amplified signal,
• a high-pass or a band-pass filter for filtering the amplified signal at the output of the voltage amplifier, comprising an input connected to the output of the voltage amplifier and comprising an output supplying the filtered signal,
• a first comparator connected to the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter and comprising two inputs and one output, for comparing a magnitude of the filtered signal of the high-pass or band-pass filter to a first threshold value or to a first voltage range,
• wherein the first comparator outputs a first activation signal at its output when the output of the high-pass or band-pass filter is greater than the first threshold value or equal to the first threshold value and exceeds or falls below the first voltage range,
• a monitoring unit connected to the output of the first comparator, which, whenever the at least one electrical consumer is in its active state or in its at least one further operating state or in one of its further operating states, generates, for the driver circuit, the switch on signal for the electronic switch to supply the at least one electrical consumer with current and outputs to the driver circuit the switch-off signal for the electronic switch for purpose of a potential safety switch off of the at least one electrical consumer,
• wherein the monitoring unit comprises switchable circuit components which can selectively be activated or deactivated, i.e. can be transferred into a switch-off or a standby mode, based on a determination of a thermal load of the supply line or the at least one electrical consumer due to an increased current consumption, or a temperature compensation circuit, or a voltage supply circuit, or a voltage regulation circuit, or comparators with reference voltage generation circuits,
• wherein the monitoring unit requires less electric energy when its switchable circuit components are deactivated than in a case where its switchable circuit components are activated,
• wherein the switchable circuit components of the monitoring unit, when deactivated, are activatable upon receipt of the first activation signal present at the output of the first comparator, and wherein a first voltage amplifier with a first amplification factor and a second voltage amplifier with a second amplification factor smaller than the first amplification factor are provided, of which the first voltage amplifier is operable with the circuit components of the monitoring unit deactivated, and the second voltage amplifier is operable with the circuit components of the monitoring unit activated, and that the high-pass or band-pass filter is connected to the output of the first voltage amplifier.