Apparatus for processing sensor signal from knock sensor of internal combustion engine
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorTakayoshi Honda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a knock sensor signal processing apparatus, a first apparatus which receives an engine knock sensor signal performs A/D conversions of the signal with a predetermined period and transmits successive pluralities of A/D values in parallel, by serial data communication, to a second apparatus in response to respective commands received from the second apparatus. The number of communication lines provided for transmitting the A/D values is made greater than those for transmitting commands from the second apparatus to the first apparatus, so that a high A/D conversion frequency together with low data rate of transmitting the A/D values can be achieved, thereby reducing communication-generated noise.
Claims12
A knock sensor signal processing apparatus comprising a first apparatus coupled to receive a knock sensor signal that is an analog signal produced from a knock sensor of a vehicle engine, with said first apparatus comprising an A/D (analog-to-digital) converter, and a second apparatus coupled for serial communication with said first apparatus via communication lines,
- with said A/D converter of said first apparatus performing repetitive A/D conversions of said knock sensor signal with a predetermined conversion period, and successive A/D values resulting from said A/D conversions being transmitted serially from said first apparatus to said second apparatus via said communication lines, and with said second apparatus comprising digital filter processing circuitry for performing consecutive digital filter processing of successive ones of said A/D values;
- wherein said communication lines comprise a first set of communication lines for transmitting at least said A/D values from said first apparatus to said second apparatus and a second set of communication lines for transmitting at least operating commands from said second apparatus to said first apparatus, and wherein said first set of communication lines is greater in number than said second set of communication lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.