KR20010032697A - Automotive information and power transmission circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to circuitry for in-vehicle information and energy delivery. Transformers and additional electrical transformers are provided for energy and information transfer between parts fixedly arranged in the chassis, such as steering or sheet guide rails, and moving parts such as, for example, steering wheels or sheets. Through the transformer, a frequency signal is transmitted, and the frequency signal is supplied to a signal generating circuit existing on the moving part of the vehicle and used as a carrier frequency signal or a clock signal. The moving part of the vehicle is provided with an airbag ignition circuit, to which the ignition signal is supplied via a transformer.

Description

Circuit for information and energy transfer in vehicle {AUTOMOTIVE INFORMATION AND POWER TRANSMISSION CIRCUIT}

Energy and information during movement, for example, to transfer electrical energy and information between vehicle components moving relative to the chassis, such as the steering wheel or seat of the vehicle, and vehicle components fixed to the chassis, such as steering wheels (steering lines) or sheet guide rails. The transmission must be made without fail.

It is known from DE 30 41 257 A1 that a line coupling is provided in the form of a conductive helical spring between the electrical components of the steering wheel and the electrical components disposed between the steering wheels.

It is also known that DE 41 20 650 A1 is provided with a transformer whose primary side is fixed to the vehicle side and the secondary side is connected to the steering wheel. The transformer is used to transfer energy to the steering wheel and is controlled by impacting the primary side. By the secondary side, a rectifier circuit is provided for generating a controlled constant voltage, which circuit is used for supplying the voltage of an electrical component arranged on the steering wheel. For information transfer, a capacitor is provided coaxially to the transformer, through which the information signal is transmitted from a component fixed on the vehicle side to an electrical component on the steering wheel and vice versa. Energy transfer to the steering wheel appearing through the transformer can be stored at the time of the accident for the operation of the airbag.

In JP-A 58-115945 (summary) a control section of a vehicle having a transformer for energy and signal transmission is known. The secondary coil disposed on the steering wheel is connected to the rectifier for forming supply constant voltage on the one hand and to the demodulation circuit for demodulation on the other hand.

The present invention relates to circuitry for information and energy transfer in a vehicle, in particular in a passenger protection system with a steering wheel.

1 is an embodiment of a circuit according to the invention;

2 shows signal progression in capacitors and transformers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit for the transfer of information and energy between vehicle components moving with respect to each other, which enables reliable operation.

This object is achieved by the features mentioned in claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are presented in the dependent claims.

In the present invention, a frequency signal transmitted through a transformer is applied to a signal generating circuit so that the circuit can use and / or evaluate such signal in a suitable manner. The signal generating circuit uses the supplied frequency signal as a unique clock signal for example for the control (or adjustment) of its own operation stroke, so that the circuit does not need any clock oscillator. However, since the frequency signal can be used directly as a carrier frequency signal, the signal generation circuit is modulated by the signal or data transferred therefrom. The modulated signal is then passed through an additional electrical transformer. Thus, the circuit generation circuit is greatly simplified since the signal generation circuit does not require any unique carrier frequency signal generator in this case. At the same time, automatic synchronization is achieved between the signals transmitted through the two transmission sections (transformer and additional electrical transformer). As long as the signal generation circuit has a unique carrier frequency signal generator, the supplied frequency signal can be attracted for synchronization and / or adjustment of the unique carrier frequency signal generator.

The signal generating circuit may be an operation circuit disposed on a moving part such as a steering wheel or a vehicle seat, for example, and an operation command for a control part or a circuit part fixedly disposed in the chassis via the circuit, for example, a claxon command, a sheet moving command. And the like can be generated. In addition, the signal generating circuit can be formed as a sensor circuit, which tests the parameters to be monitored such as, for example, proper function standby or sheet occupancy of the ignition circuit of the airbag, and assigns corresponding indication signals via the electrical transformer. To the evaluation circuit.

Since the signal generating circuit carries its signal to an additional electrical transformer, no transformer is required. Thus, the transformer is used in the preferred embodiment to deliver only the ignition signal to the airbag fixed to the moving part, so that only the transmission interval for the ignition signal is preserved and any signal delay or signal modulation is transmitted in the reverse direction. Can not be caused by. Here, the ignition signal is modulated into a frequency signal such that a transformer is used to supply energy to the circuit part of the vehicle and to deliver the ignition signal in case of an accident.

In an embodiment of the circuit according to the invention, a transformer can be used as the energy and information transfer element, the primary side of which can be connected to the controller of the passenger protection system via an ignition bus (ignition signal bus). The signals delivered to the ignition bus can preferably be attracted for modulation and energy supply of the modulator, the modulator generating a carrier frequency signal forming a frequency signal, which is passed through the transformer to the steering wheel. Thus, the energy required in the circuit is drawn directly from the ignition bus to generate a carrier frequency signal, thereby eliminating the need for a separate voltage supply for the modulator with a direct board network connection. In addition, by the controller connected with the ignition bus, the operation and energy use of the modulator and the corresponding control such as the progression of the secondary side ignition energy supply through switching on and switching off can be controlled.

The information conveyed from the ignition bus for the ignition pellet is, in a preferred embodiment, modulated into a carrier frequency signal, for example in the form of amplitude modulation, and transmitted via the transformer to the steering wheel. The carrier frequency signal is preferably rectified for energy supply of the ignition pellet, while the information is reacquired by filtering, preferably low pass filtering. In addition, the information is conveyed backwards from the ignition pellets to the ignition bus, for example the secondary side of the transformer is deformed and loaded in a manner corresponding to the information to be conveyed. Such a load change, in other words an impedance change, results in a corresponding primary and / or voltage variation, which is detected for reacquisition and evaluation of the information on the primary side.

The circuit connected to the primary side of the ignition bus preferably comprises an oscillator for generating a carrier frequency signal, the oscillator being supplied by the ignition bus energy at the same time and thus not necessarily connected directly to the board network.

The steering wheel or sheet is preferably provided with an operating circuit, the operating circuit having a manually operated steering element, which is supplied with energy through a transformer. Information transfer between the operation circuit and the control circuit fixedly arranged on the vehicle side is preferably made by one or a plurality of capacitors, which form an electrical transformer. Thus, the partial or whole coupling between the information related to the passenger protection system and the related information through the operation circuit can be separated, thereby reducing the influence that these information will have on each other.

The operating circuit is preferably supplied with a carrier frequency signal as a clock signal, so that the carrier frequency is doubled, i.e. as a basic signal for modulation of the ignition bus information, and on the other hand as a clock standard for the operating circuit. Is used. This allows the operation circuitry to operate simultaneously with the passenger protection system controller, and also to ensure that the information transfer through the capacitor is synchronized with the energy and information transfer through the transformer. This can be further reduced as long as there is an unexpected mutual influence of the two information transmission intervals.

Preferably, the modulator affects amplitude modulation with a modulation rate of less than 100%. Therefore, since the amplitude of the carrier frequency signal is never reduced to zero regardless of the level state of the modulated information signal, the amount of energy for supplying the energy of the electric circuit existing in the moving part is always supplied on the secondary side.

By using a transformer (electrical transformer), there are never mechanical wear parts. In addition, the required energy is supplied directly from the ignition bus. Capacitors, optionally provided to and from additional operating circuitry for the transfer of information, may be directly formed by transformer housing portions facing each other, in a simple embodiment. Thus, the structural cost is kept small.

Looking at the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, one end of the ignition bus 1 with two lines is connected to an unillustrated controller of the passenger protection system and the other end is connected to the bridge rectifier 2. The bridge rectifier 2 influences the bipolar (pulse) signal, preferably transmitted to the ignition bus 1, between the two output lines 3, 4 of the comparator 5, the oscillator ( 6) and a rectified voltage supplied to the modulator 7. The oscillator 6 generates a high frequency carrier frequency signal and provides the signal to the input of the modulator 7, the other input of the modulator 7 being connected to the output of the comparator 5. The comparator 5 is connected to two lines of the ignition bus 1 by its two inputs, and a square wave information signal is output to the output of the comparator. The information signal corresponds to the information to be transmitted via the ignition bus 1. The modulator 7 influences the amplitude modulation of the carrier frequency signal provided from the oscillator 6 by means of the information signal of the comparator 5, and the amplitude modulated supply to the primary coil of the transformer (electrical transformer) 8. Generate the output signal. The primary coil of the transformer 8 is fixed to the vehicle side, preferably arranged between the steering wheels, while the secondary coil of the transformer 8 is fixed to the steering wheel. Here, the coils are arranged to transmit signals regardless of the rotational state of each steering wheel. A control circuit 9 is connected to the secondary coil of the transformer 8, which control circuit 9 is used to control the ignition pellet 10 of the steering wheel airbag. The control circuit 9 may comprise a rectifier for rectifying the amplitude modulated signal provided from the secondary coil of the transformer 8 to provide a unique voltage supply and the energy required to ignite the ignition pellet 10 in case of an accident. have. The control circuit 9 also comprises a low pass filter for low pass filtering of the signal provided from the secondary coil of the transformer 8. Thus, the low pass filter sends out a signal at its output, which corresponds to the information signal generated from the comparator 5. This signal is evaluated in the control circuit 9, which controls the corresponding operating function, for example the control of the ignition pellet 10. The control circuit 9 preferably comprises a microprocessor for signal evaluation, such as an ASIC module, which module is supplied by the rectified voltage generated from the rectifier to receive and evaluate the output signal sent from the low pass filter. .

In addition, the embodiment of the circuit shown in FIG. 1 represents a steering wheel operating circuit 11 that rotates with the steering wheel, which is represented by a switch, for example, such as a klaxon switch and / or radio. A switch for controlling the vehicle component. The switch actuation made by the steering wheel manipulation circuit 11 is detected by the manipulation element logic circuit 12, for example a periodic inquiry about the switching state, and a control circuit fixedly arranged in the vehicle via the capacitors C1, C2. Is passed to (14). The control circuit 14 is also connected to the manipulator control circuit 15, which circuit 15 is fixedly arranged in the manipulator (steering column) and may comprise a number of operating elements, for example an optical switch, a light switch, and the like. have. In addition, the control circuit 14 detects a command provided from the inter-steer operation circuit 15 and transmits information to signal the switch operation of the steering wheel operation circuit 11 and / or the inter-control operation circuit 15 to a data bus. Transfer to a controller controlling the execution of the commanded process, not shown, via 16.

In addition, from the control circuit 14, via the capacitors C1 and C2, signals are supplied to the operating element logic circuit 12, which circuit 12 provides, for example, an indication for a display fixedly arranged in the steering wheel. To control. Here, the capacitors C1 and C2 bridge the movement between the fixed part of the steering wheel and the rotatable steering wheel and together with the transformer 8 form the electric steering wheel transformer 17 as a whole.

The energy transferred to the steering wheel side through the transformer 8 is used not only to supply voltage to the control circuit 9, but also to supply energy to the operating element logic circuit 12, as described above. The voltage input of the operation circuit 12 is connected to a rectifier for supplying power to the control circuit 9, not shown. In contrast, the control circuit 14 is supplied with a distribution voltage through the board network.

The operation element logic circuit 12 is connected to the output line of the secondary coil of the transformer 8 by a clock input part via a line to which the capacitor 13 is connected. Therefore, the carrier frequency signal appearing on the secondary coil side is supplied as the clock signal to the clock input section. Thus, the operating element logic circuit 12 operates clocked synchronized with respect to the oscillator 6 and the control circuit 9 and does not require any unique clock generator. Here, the carrier frequency signal may optionally be supplied only to the clock input of the operating element logic circuit 12, while other connections may be used as the reference terminal or ground terminal. The capacitor 13 affects the separation according to the direct current between the control circuit 9 on the one hand and the secondary coil of the operating element logic circuit 12 and the transformer 8 on the other hand.

In an alternative embodiment, the operating element logic circuit 12 is provided with its own rectifier, which rectifier is connected to a terminal which is not connected to the secondary coil of the capacitor 13 and the supplied carrier frequency signal is supplied to the operating element logic. The circuit 12 is converted into a constant voltage for supplying a constant voltage. Thus, the rectifier circuit of the control circuit 9 receives only a unique voltage supply of the control circuit 9, thereby separating the coupling according to the complete direct current between the control circuit 9 and the operating element logic circuit 12. Occurs.

Capacitors C1 and C2 provided for the transfer of information between the control circuit 14 and the operating element logic circuit 12 are the narrowly spaced steering handles and the surfaces to be inverted facing each other between the controls, or the housing of the transformer 8. It can be formed through the mutually opposite surfaces of the. In this way, a compact structure can be achieved, which ensures coupling separation of the information transfer made on the one hand through the transformer 8 and on the other hand through the capacitors C1, C2.

In the upper curve column of FIG. 2, a signal abutting the capacitors C1 and C2 and transmitted from the connection element logic circuit 12 to the control circuit 14 is shown by signal progression. In the example shown, the amplitude modulated square wave signal is delivered without the same portion, and the carrier frequency is the same as the carrier frequency delivered through the transformer 8.

The lower curve column of FIG. 2 shows the signal transmitted from the modulator 7 to the control circuit 9 via the transformer 8, the modulation rate of which is less than 100%. Thus, the rectifier circuit of the control circuit 9 itself remains active at the zero level of information to be conveyed, and only the necessary energy for the rectifier circuit is always supplied. In contrast, via capacitors C1 and C2, the data to be transmitted, which does not need to be delivered with a constant voltage supply, is provided with a modulation rate of 100% for energy saving.

Thus, an ignition circuit disposed on the steering wheel of the vehicle and controlling the ignition pellet for operation of the airbag in the steering wheel according to the present invention, and the primary coil is fixed to the vehicle side, the secondary side is disposed on the steering wheel A circuit is provided for conveying information and energy in a passenger protection system of a vehicle having a controller that transmits an ignition signal for ignition of the ignition pellets through a transformer and an ignition bus, the circuit having a rectifier, the rectifier having an ignition bus Connected to the ignition bus, converts the signals to the rectified distribution voltage used for voltage supply of the modulator, the modulator modulates a carrier frequency signal with the signals delivered to the ignition bus, and the modulated signal Supplied into the primary coil of a transformer, the ignition circuit being modulated transmitted through the transformer. The call is demodulated to the evaluation information.

Claims (14)

The primary side, through which the frequency signal is transmitted to the transformer secondary side, has a transformer 8 fixed to the chassis side, the secondary side fixed to the moving vehicle component, Has a signal generator circuit disposed in the second vehicle component, and With further electrical transformers C1 and C2 for delivering the signals generated by the signal generating circuits 11 and 12 to further vehicle parts fixed relative to the first or vehicle chassis, A circuit for transferring information and energy between a first vehicle component fixed relative to a vehicle chassis and a second vehicle component moving relative to the vehicle chassis, And the signal generating circuit (11, 12) is connected to the secondary side of the transformer and receives the frequency signal transmitted through the transformer (8). The method of claim 1, The signal generating circuit uses the received frequency signal as a carrier signal and modulates the carrier frequency signal with signals delivered through additional electrical transistors (C1, C2). The method of claim 1, The signal generator (11, 12) having an internal oscillator synchronized by the received frequency signal. The method of claim 1, wherein And the second vehicle component moving relative to the vehicle chassis has a vehicle steering wheel. The method of claim 1, wherein And the second vehicle component moving relative to the vehicle chassis is an adjustable vehicle sheet. The method of claim 1, wherein An ignition circuit 9 disposed in the second vehicle part is provided, which controls the ignition pellet 10 for operating the airbag in the second vehicle part, A controller for transmitting an ignition signal for ignition of the ignition pellet 10 through an ignition bus 10 and a transformer fixed to the chassis side, A rectifier 2 is provided, which is connected to the ignition bus 1 and converts the signals transmitted thereto into a rectified distribution voltage which is used for the voltage supply of the modulator 7. The modulator 7 modulates the frequency signal with the signals transmitted to the ignition bus, and the modulated signal is supplied to the primary coil of the transformer 8, and the ignition circuit 9 supplies the transformer 8 with the modulated signal. And demodulate the modulated signal transmitted through for information evaluation. The method of claim 6, An oscillator is provided for generating a frequency signal to which a constant voltage is supplied by said rectifier (2). The method according to claim 6 or 7, A rectifier fixed to said second vehicle component, said rectifier being provided for rectifying a modulated signal provided through said transformer (8) for energy supply of said ignition circuit (9). The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, The ignition circuit (9) having a low pass filter, wherein the low pass filter filters the modulated signal transmitted through the transformer to obtain data modulated with a carrier frequency signal. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, The circuit, characterized in that the ignition circuit (9) changes the load of the secondary coil of the transformer to transfer information to the controller, and the controller performs load detection for information recognition. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, And the modulator (7) performs amplitude modulation of the carrier frequency signal at a modulation rate of less than 100%. The method of claim 1, wherein The signal generating circuits 11 and 12 are the operating circuits 11 and 12, the operating circuits 11 and 12 have an operating element which can be manually controlled, and two of the transformers 8 for energy supply. A circuit coupled with the secondary coil. The method of claim 1, wherein The additional electrical transformer is formed through one or more capacitors C1 and C2, and the capacitors C1 and C2 are formed between the second vehicle component and the component fixed to the vehicle side opposite the signal so that the signal A circuit which is used for information transfer between the generator circuit (11, 12) and the control circuit (14) fixed on the vehicle side. The method of claim 8, The rectifier supplies a constant voltage to the signal generating circuit (11, 12).