US 12,716,798 B2Granted

System and method for fault detection in sensors

AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.

InventorsBodh Raj Gautam, Vikram Varma

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Abstract

A sensing circuit is coupled to a sensor comprising first and second sensing elements. The sensing circuit detects changes in physical parameters by determining change in attributes of first and second sensing elements. The sensing circuit may include a switching circuit, first and second test elements, and a converter. During a normal mode, the switching circuit couples the first and second sensing elements to the converter to generate a first parameter value. During a fault diagnosis mode, the switching circuit couples one of (i) a first test element and the second sensing element and (ii) a second test element and the first sensing element to the converter to generate a second parameter value. The second parameter value is compensated to obtain a third parameter value that is further compared with the first parameter value to obtain a differential value. Based on the differential value, faults in the sensor are detected.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A sensing circuit, comprising:

a switching circuit coupled to a sensor, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element;
a test circuit comprising a first test element and a second test element, wherein the switching circuit is coupled between the sensor and the test circuit;
and
a converter coupled to the switching circuit,
wherein during a normal mode of the sensing circuit, the switching circuit is configured to selectively couple the first sensing element and the second sensing element to the converter such that the converter is configured to generate a first differential output signal,
wherein during a fault diagnosis mode of the sensing circuit, the switching circuit is configured to selectively couple one of a group consisting of (i) the first test element and the second sensing element and (ii) the second test element and the first sensing element, to the converter such that the converter is configured to generate a second differential output signal, and
wherein the first differential output signal and the second differential output signal are processed to detect a fault associated with the sensor.

4 more elements

A method to detect faults by a sensing circuit, comprising:

selectively coupling by a switching circuit of the sensing circuit, during a normal mode of the sensing circuit, a first sensing element and a second sensing element to a converter of the sensing circuit to provide a first differential input signal to the converter, and during a fault diagnosis mode of the sensing circuit, one of a group consisting of (i) a first test element and the second sensing element and (ii) a second test element and the first sensing element to the converter to provide a second differential input signal to the converter, wherein the first sensing element and the second sensing element are included in a sensor;
generating, by the converter, a first differential output signal based on the first differential input signal, and a second differential output signal based on the second differential input signal;
and
detecting, by a test controller of the sensing circuit, a fault associated with one of a group consisting of the first sensing element and the second sensing element based on processing of the first differential output signal and the second differential output signal.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/638,886Filed 18 Apr 2024
Priority: IN 2023410669575 Oct 2023
Published: US 2025/0116561 A110 Apr 2025
Granted: 25 Aug 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G01L 27/007
Testing or calibrating of apparatus for measuring fluid pressure: malfunction diagnosis, i.e. diagnosing a sensor defect
G01L 9/0072
Transmitting or indicating the displacement of flexible diaphragms: using variations in capacitance
G01L
Measuring force, stress, torque, work, mechanical power, mechanical efficiency, or fluid pressure