# US 2009/0260435 A1 · Method and System for Monitoring a Sensor Arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0260435 A1 - Document ID: US20090260435A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/991,945 - Filed: 2006-08-31 - Published: 2009-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2005-09-12 - Assignees: Vdo Automotive AG - Inventors: Raphael Mayer-Wegelin; Heinz-Werner Morell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260435A1 ## CPC - G01C 19/567: using the phase shift of a vibration node or antinode - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) ## Abstract The invention relates to a method and a system for monitoring a sensor arrangement comprising a vibrating gyroscope. Said vibrating gyroscope is used as a resonator and is part of at least one control circuit that excites the vibration gyroscope by feeding an excitation signal with its natural frequency. An output signal can be tapped from the vibrating gyroscope from which the excitation signal can be derived by filtering and amplification. The invention is characterized in that a first value of temperature change is calculated from the difference of the actual value of the natural frequency and a value of the natural frequency measured at a reference temperature during a comparison and stored in a memory, and the temperature coefficient of the natural frequency in relation to the measured temperature. A second value of the temperature change is calculated from the difference between the output values of a temperature sensor at the actual temperature and at a reference temperature stored in the memory and the temperature coefficient of the temperature sensor. The two calculated values are compared and an error signal is produced in case they deviate by a degree exceeding a predetermined value. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -8. (canceled) ### Claim 9 A method for monitoring a sensor arrangement comprising a vibration gyroscope which constitutes a resonator and forms a part of at least one control circuit which feeds an exciter signal at a natural frequency to excite the vibration gyroscope, wherein an output signal is tapable from the vibration gyroscope and the exciter signal is derived from said output signal by filtering and amplification, the method comprising: calculating a first value of a change in temperature compared to a measurement from a difference between a current value of the natural frequency and the value of the natural frequency previously measured during an adjustment, stored in a memory and measured at a reference temperature, and from a temperature coefficient of the natural frequency; calculating a second value of the change in temperature compared to the measurement from the difference between output variables of a temperature sensor at a current temperature, the reference temperature stored in the memory and the temperature coefficient of the temperature sensor; comparing the first calculated value and the second calculated value; and generating a fault signal when a deviation which exceeds a predefined amount occurs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising: wherein the step of comparing uses a correction temperature which takes into account thermal conditions which have changed compared to the adjustment of the temperature sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the correction temperature is calculated from the measured power loss of an integrated circuit which contains the temperature sensor, the power loss which has been measured during the adjustment and stored in the memory and from the thermal resistance of the integrated circuit with respect to surroundings of the temperature sensor. ### Claim 12 An arrangement for monitoring a sensor arrangement comprising: a vibration gyroscope which constitutes a resonator and forms part of at least one control circuit which feeds an exciter signal at a natural frequency to excite the vibration gyroscope, an output signal being tapable can from the vibration gyroscope and the exciter signal being derived from said output signal by filtering and amplification; and means for calculating a first value of a change in temperature compared to a measurement from a difference between a current value of the natural frequency and the value of the natural frequency previously measured during an adjustment, stored in a memory and measured at a reference temperature, and from a temperature coefficient of the natural frequency, for calculating a second value of the change in temperature compared to the measurement from the difference between output variables of a temperature sensor at a current temperature, the reference temperature stored in the memory and the temperature coefficient of the temperature sensor, for comparing the first calculated value and the second calculated value, and for generating a fault signal when a deviation which exceeds a predefined amount occurs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means comprise a microcontroller with a nonvolatile memory. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The arrangement as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: means for using a correction temperature in the comparison which takes into account thermal conditions which have changed compared in comparison to the adjustment of the temperature sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: means for including a correction temperature in the calculation for taking into account thermal conditions which have changed compared in comparison to the adjustment of the temperature sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The arrangement as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: means for calculating the correction temperature from a measured power loss of an integrated circuit which contains the temperature sensor, from the power loss which has been measured during the adjustment and stored in the memory and from the thermal resistance of the integrated circuit with respect to surroundings of the sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The arrangement as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: means for determining the current value from a respective setting of a divider of a digital frequency synthesizer and a clock frequency of the frequency synthesizer.