Physical-quantity detection sensor

A physical-quantity detection sensor comprising:

• a sensor portion (10) for generating and outputting a voltage depending on a physical quantity;
• a signal processing circuit (4);
• a checking signal generation portion (20) for outputting a reference voltage for check;
• means for, during a physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, inputting the voltage outputted from the sensor portion (10) into the signal processing circuit (4) to implement detection of the physical quantity;
• means for, during a checking mode of operation which differs from the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, inputting the reference voltage into the signal processing circuit (4) from the checking signal generation portion (20);
• and
• means for, during the checking mode of operation, detecting a malfunction of the signal processing circuit (4) on the basis of an output signal from the signal processing circuit (4) which responds to the reference voltage inputted thereinto.

A physical-quantity detection sensor comprising:

• a sensor portion (10) for generating and outputting a voltage depending on a physical quantity;
• a signal processing circuit (4);
• a checking signal generation portion (20) for outputting a reference voltage for check;
• means for, during a physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, selecting the voltage outputted from the sensor portion (10) and inputting the selected voltage into the signal processing circuit (4);
• and
• means for, during a checking mode of operation which differs from the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, selecting the reference voltage outputted from the checking signal generation portion (20) and inputting the reference voltage into the signal processing circuit (4).

A physical-quantity detection sensor comprising:

• a sensor portion (10) for generating and outputting a voltage depending on a physical quantity;
• a signal processing circuit (4);
• a checking signal generation portion (20) including a bridge circuit for outputting a reference voltage for check which is insensitive to the physical quantity;
• means for, during a physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, inputting the voltage outputted from the sensor portion (10) into the signal processing circuit (4) to implement detection of the physical quantity;
• means for, during a checking mode of operation which differs from the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, inputting the reference voltage into the signal processing circuit (4) from the checking signal generation portion (20);
• and
• a system control circuit for, during the checking mode of operation, detecting a malfunction of the signal processing circuit (4) on the basis of an output signal from the signal processing circuit (4) which responds to the reference voltage inputted thereinto.

A physical-quantity detection sensor comprising:

• a sensor portion (510) for generating and outputting a voltage depending on a physical quantity;
• a checking signal generation portion (520) for outputting a reference voltage for check;
• a signal processing circuit (504, 533);
• means for, during a physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, selecting the voltage outputted from the sensor portion and inputting the selected voltage into the signal processing circuit;
• means for, during a checking mode of operation after the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, selecting the reference voltage outputted from the checking signal generation portion and inputting the reference voltage into the signal processing circuit;
• and
• means (534) for continuously outputting a sensor output signal during the checking mode of operation, the sensor output signal being an output signal from the signal processing circuit occurring at a moment in the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation which immediately precedes the checking mode of operation.

A physical-quantity detection sensor comprising:

• a sensor portion (510) for generating and outputting a voltage depending on a physical quantity;
• a checking signal generation portion (520) for outputting a reference voltage for check;
• a signal processing circuit (504, 533);
• means for, during a physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, inputting the voltage outputted from the sensor portion into the signal processing circuit;
• means for, during a checking mode of operation after the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation, inputting the reference voltage into the signal processing circuit from the checking signal generation portion;
• means for, during the checking mode of operation, detecting a malfunction of the signal processing circuit on the basis of an output signal from the signal processing circuit which responds to the reference voltage inputted thereinto;
• and
• means (534) for latching the output signal from the signal processing circuit at a moment in the physical-quantity sensing mode of operation which immediately precedes the checking mode of operation, and continuously outputting the latched signal during the checking mode of operation.

A physical-quantity detection apparatus comprising:

• a first sensor circuit (710) including a first sensing portion (711) for generating and outputting a signal depending on a physical quantity;
• reference generation means (720) for generating a reference signal (V1, V2) depending on the physical quantity;
• comparing means (730) directly connected with the first sensor circuit and the reference generation means for comparing the signal outputted by the first sensor circuit with the reference signal generated by the reference generation means;
• and
• means for generating a malfunction detection signal on the basis of a result of the comparing by the comparing means.

A physical-quantity detection apparatus comprising:

• a first sensor circuit (710) including a first sensing portion (711) for generating and outputting a signal depending on a physical quantity;
• reference generation means (720) for generating a reference signal (V1, V2) depending on the physical quantity;
• comparing means (730) directly connected with the first sensor circuit and the reference generation means for comparing the signal outputted by the first sensor circuit with the reference signal generated by the reference generation means;
• and
• means for outputting information of a result of the comparing by the comparing means via power fed to the first sensor circuit.

A sensor-signal processing apparatus comprising:

• a power supply terminal;
• means for feeding, via the power supply terminal, a power supply voltage for operating a sensor;
• current detecting means (759, 760) for generating a voltage depending on a current flowing through the power supply terminal;
• signal converting means (761) for converting an output voltage from the sensor into a first conversion-resultant signal, and converting the voltage generated by the current detecting means into a second conversion-resultant signal;
• and
• signal processing means (762) for processing the first conversion-resultant signal generated by the signal converting means, and detecting a malfunction of the sensor in response to the second conversion-resultant signal generated by the signal converting means.