Sensor module and method for monitoring the function thereof

Abstract

In a method for monitoring the function of a sensor module, which has a sensor, by means of the sensor a measurement signal for a physical quantity to be determined is generated and applied to an output terminal in an unchanged form or in processed form—after at least one linear signal processing step and/or at least one nonlinear signal processing step are performed. In addition, a test signal is generated whose spectrum lies substantially outside the spectrum of the measurement signal. The test signal is supplied at a place in the sensor from which it reaches the output terminal in unchanged form or in processed form—after the performance of the at least one linear signal processing step—only in the case of a functional sensor. An output signal present at the output terminal is compared with the test signal and a diagnosis signal is generated, which indicates whether the test signal is present at the output terminal. The test signal is filtered out of the output signal and the remaining signal is applied as the measurement signal at a measurement signal output of the sensor module.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.