JP2017204226A - Signal processing device and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a signal processing device capable of reducing the number of signal lines for transferring a sensor output.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: a plurality of sensors 21 to 26; a signal processing device 1 for outputting output signals based on respective sensor signals of the plurality of sensors 21 to 26 input to a plurality of input terminals from one output terminal; and a control device 3 to which the output signal is input. A signal processing device 1 comprises: a signal conversion part 11 for converting the plurality of sensor signals into the output signal; and a transmission part 12 for outputting the output signal to the output terminal. The output signal is a serial communication signal including sensor data of the sensor signals converted into the output signal and identification data for specifying the input terminals to which the sensor signals are input.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a signal processing device that processes sensor signals.

  In recent years, the number of sensors mounted on vehicles and the like has been increasing, and a SENT sensor output interface with a single line output has been widely used.

  As an example of the related art related to the above, Patent Document 1 can be cited. In Patent Document 1, a plurality of sensor units are connected to an engine control unit ECU via a harness.

JP 2014-206444 A

  However, in the sensor corresponding to the SENT type output interface, the number of signal lines corresponding to the number of sensors is required to output the sensor by serial communication. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the ECU with input terminals corresponding to the number of sensors. For such a problem, Patent Document 1 does not mention anything.

  In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal processing device and a vehicle that can reduce the number of signal lines that transfer sensor output.

  The signal processing device disclosed in the present specification is a signal processing device that outputs an output signal based on each sensor signal input to a plurality of input terminals from one output terminal, and the plurality of sensor signals are output from the output signal. A signal conversion unit that converts the output signal to the output terminal; and the output signal includes sensor data of the sensor signal converted to the output signal, and the sensor signal. Is a serial communication signal including identification data for identifying the input terminal to which the input is input (first configuration).

  In the signal processing device having the first configuration, the output signal may be configured to be a signal encoded in a single edge nibble transmission (SENT) format (second configuration).

  In the signal processing device having the first or second configuration, the sensor signal may be configured to be a signal of the SENT format (third configuration).

  In the signal processing device having any one of the first to third configurations, the sensor data is plural, and the identification data is a combination of the input terminals to which the sensor signal converted into the output signal is input. (4th configuration).

  The signal processing device having any one of the first to fourth configurations further includes a frequency determination unit that determines a frequency of a frequency signal included in the sensor signal, and the determination result of the frequency determination unit is sent to the signal conversion unit. An output configuration (fifth configuration) is preferable.

  The signal processing device having any one of the first to fifth configurations further includes a voltage value determination unit that determines a voltage value of a voltage signal included in the sensor signal, and the determination result of the voltage determination unit is the signal conversion The configuration (sixth configuration) is preferable.

  The signal processing device having any one of the first to sixth configurations further includes a current value determination unit that determines a current value of a current signal included in the sensor signal, and the determination result of the current determination unit is the signal conversion It is good to make it the structure (seventh structure) output to a part.

  The vehicle disclosed in the present specification outputs a plurality of sensors and output signals based on the sensor signals of the plurality of sensors input to the plurality of input terminals from one output terminal. A signal processing device having any one of the seventh configurations and a control device to which the output signal is input are configured (eighth configuration).

  In the vehicle having the eighth configuration, the length of at least one of the first signal lines connecting the signal processing device to the sensor is equal to the length of the second signal line connecting the signal processing device to the control device. A configuration shorter than the length (9th configuration) is preferable.

  In the vehicle having the eighth or ninth configuration, the signal processing device includes a plurality of first signal processing devices and a second signal processing device, and the first signal processing device includes a plurality of the inputs. A first output signal based on each of the sensor signals input to the terminal is output, and the second signal processing device outputs each of the first output signals input from the plurality of first signal processing devices to the second A configuration (tenth configuration) may be employed in which the output signal is converted and output from the output terminal to the control device.

  In the vehicle having the tenth configuration, the first output signal includes the sensor data of the sensor signal converted into the first output signal, the input terminal to which the sensor signal is input, and the first output signal. It is good to make it the structure (11th structure) which is a serial communication signal containing the identification data which identify | isolates the said 1st signal processing apparatus which outputs.

  In the vehicle having the tenth or eleventh configuration, the length of at least one of the third signal lines connecting the first signal processing device to the second signal processing device is the length of the second signal line. A shorter configuration (a twelfth configuration) may be used.

  According to the signal processing device and the vehicle disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to reduce the number of signal lines for transferring the sensor output.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the sensor system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the vehicle carrying the sensor system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data structure of a SENT format. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the signal conversion in the signal conversion part in 1st Embodiment. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the identification data in a signal processing apparatus. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the signal conversion in the signal conversion part in the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the identification data in the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the sensor system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is an example of the vehicle carrying the sensor system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the signal conversion in the signal processing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the identification data in the intermediate | middle output signal which a low-order signal processing apparatus outputs. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the identification data in the intermediate output signal which another low-order signal processing apparatus outputs. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the identification data in the output signal which a high-order signal processing apparatus outputs.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a sensor system 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an example of a vehicle 200 equipped with the sensor system 100 according to the first embodiment. The sensor system 100 of this configuration example includes a signal processing device 1, a sensor group 2, and an ECU (engine control unit) 3.

  The sensor group 2 includes sensors 21 to 26. Each of the sensors 21 to 23 is an ultrasonic sensor for detecting an obstacle in front of the vehicle 200, for example, and is provided on the left front side, the center front side, and the right front side of the vehicle 200. Each of the sensors 21 to 23 corresponds to a SENT (single edge nibble transmission) type output interface, which will be described later, and outputs sensor signals S1 to S3 indicating detection results in a SENT format. The sensors 24 to 26 are not compatible with the SENT output interface. The sensor 24 is a Karman vortex type airflow sensor, for example, and outputs a sensor signal S4 indicating a detection result at a frequency. The sensor 25 is, for example, a pressure sensor, and outputs a sensor signal S5 indicating a detection result with a voltage value. The sensor 26 is, for example, an optical sensor such as a solar radiation sensor that detects the intensity of sunlight and uses the detection result for operation control of the air conditioner, and outputs a sensor signal S6 that indicates the detection result as a current value.

  Note that the types of the sensors 21 to 26 are not limited to the above examples. The number of sensors included in the sensor group 2 may be a plurality other than six. In addition, the number of sensors corresponding to the SENT output interface may be plural or one other than three.

  The signal processing device 1 includes six input terminals CH1 to CH6, one output terminal OUT, a signal conversion unit 11, an output I / F 12, a frequency determination unit 14, a voltage value determination unit 15, and a current value determination. Unit 16. The signal processing device 1 outputs an output signal So based on the sensor signals S1 to S6 input to the input terminals CH1 to CH6 from one output terminal OUT.

  Input terminals CH1 to CH6 are electrically connected to sensors 21 to 26 via harnesses 41 to 46, respectively. Sensor signals S1 to S6 are input to the input terminals CH1 to CH6, respectively. The sensor signals S1 to S3 are serial communication signals in the SENT format, and are input to the signal conversion unit 11 from the input terminals CH1 to CH3. The sensor signal S4 is input to the frequency determination unit 14 from the input terminal CH4. The sensor signal S5 is input to the voltage value determination unit 15 from the input terminal CH5. The sensor signal S6 is input to the current value determination unit 16 from the input terminal CH6. Hereinafter, the input terminals CH1 to CH6 may be collectively referred to as the input terminal CH. In addition, the number of input terminals CH connected to the sensor group 2 is not limited to this example, and may be any number according to the number of sensors included in the sensor group 2. Good.

  The signal processing device 1 is electrically connected to the ECU 3 via the output terminal OUT and the harness 5 and is capable of serial communication with the ECU 3. The signal processing device 1 is preferably arranged at a position closer to the sensor group 2 than the ECU 3, and the length of at least one of the harnesses 41 to 46 is preferably shorter than the length of the harness 5. If it carries out like this, each length and the total length of the harnesses 41-46, 5 used with the sensor system 100 can be made shorter. Therefore, the wiring of the harnesses 41 to 46 and 5 can be simplified, and the space required for the wiring can be reduced to save space. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  The signal converter 11 converts the six sensor signals S1 to S6 input to the input terminals CH1 to CH6 into an output signal So. The output signal So is a serial communication signal encoded in the SENT format.

  The output I / F 12 is a transmission unit that outputs the output signal So generated by the signal conversion unit 11 to the output terminal OUT, and transmits the output signal So to the microcomputer 3 via the output terminal OUT by serial communication.

  In addition, the frequency determination unit 14, the voltage value determination unit 15, and the current value determination unit 16 determine the physical quantity included in the sensor signals S4 to S6 output from the sensors 24 to 26 that are not compatible with the SENT method. This is an example of a unit, and generates physical data based on the determination result and outputs it to the signal conversion unit 11.

  That is, the frequency determination unit 14 determines the frequency of the frequency signal included in the sensor signal S4, and outputs the frequency data Df indicating the determination result to the signal conversion unit 11.

  The voltage value determination unit 15 includes an A / D converter (not shown) that performs analog / digital conversion (so-called A / D conversion) on the sensor signal S5. The voltage value determination unit 15 determines the voltage value of the voltage signal included in the digitally converted sensor signal S5, and outputs the voltage value data Dv indicating the determination result to the signal conversion unit 11.

  The current value determination unit 16 determines the current value of the current signal included in the sensor signal S6, and outputs current value data Di indicating the determination result to the signal conversion unit 11. The current value determination unit 16 includes, for example, an I / V amplifier (not shown), an A / D converter (not shown) and a voltage value determination circuit (not shown) provided separately from the voltage value determination unit 15. . The I / V amplifier performs current / voltage conversion (so-called I / V conversion) on the sensor signal S6. The A / D converter performs analog / digital conversion on the sensor signal S6 subjected to the I / V conversion. The voltage value determination circuit determines the voltage value of the sensor signal S6 that has been subjected to I / V conversion and A / D conversion. Data indicating the determined voltage value is output to the signal converter 11 as current value data Di.

  If a sensor output not corresponding to the SENT method is directly input to the ECU 3 for processing, the ECU 3 is provided with various output interfaces corresponding to physical data such as frequency, voltage value, and current value and its data processing unit. This is necessary, and the load applied to the ECU 3 increases. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, if the physical data determination units 14, 15 and 16 determine the physical quantities included in the sensor signals S4 to S6 and generate the physical data Df, Dv and Di, Such an output interface (including the input terminal) and its data processing unit may not be provided in the ECU 3. Therefore, the load applied to the ECU 3 can be reduced.

  According to the configuration described above, the signal processing device 1 can transfer the output signal So obtained by converting the sensor signals S1 to S6 to the ECU 3 by single-wire communication, so that the number of signal lines for transferring the sensor output to the ECU 3 is reduced. can do. Therefore, the number of input terminals provided in the ECU 3 and the number of harnesses 5 connecting the signal processing device 1 and the ECU 3 can be reduced.

(SENT format)
Next, the SENT format will be described. The SENT format is a data format used in single-wire data communication (that is, serial communication). FIG. 3 shows the data structure of the SENT format.

  The SENT format is defined in synchronization with a basic clock signal having a unit period (1 tick) set within a range of 3 to 90 [μs]. When a serial communication signal in the SENT format is transferred, a synchronization / calibration pulse (Sync) is transmitted. Thereafter, a status nibble (Status), data nibbles Data1 to Data6 for six packets, and a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) nibble (4 [bit]) are sequentially transmitted in nibble units. Note that nibble is a unit of information amount corresponding to 4 [bits].

  When the synchronization / calibration pulse (SYNC) is output, the low period is set to 5 ticks or more, and the total is set to 56 ticks. On the receiving side, if the synchronization / calibration pulse (Sync) exceeds 56 ticks, a communication NG determination is made.

  In the status nibble (Status), a data signal of 4 [bit] that can be arbitrarily used is output. In this embodiment, when the SENT format output signal So is transmitted by serial communication, the identification data ID is output in a status nibble. The identification data ID is data for specifying an input terminal CH to which a sensor signal including sensor data output in the data nibbles Data1 to Data6 is input.

  Data nibbles Data1 to Data6 for 6 packets can output 24 [bit] (= 4 [bit] × 6 [packet]) data signals as a whole. Hereinafter, the data nibbles Data1 to Data6 may be collectively referred to as data nibbles D. In this embodiment, when the SENT format output signal So is transmitted by serial communication, the sensor data D1 to D6 of the sensor signals S1 to S6 are output in the data nibble D. The 24 [bit] data signal can be arbitrarily divided. That is, if the total information amount is within 24 [bits], a plurality of data signals may be output, or one data signal may be output. Allocation of sensor data output by the data nibble D will be described later.

  In the CRC nibble, a data signal used for error detection is output.

(Signal conversion processing)
Next, signal conversion processing in the signal conversion unit 11 will be described. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of signal conversion in the signal conversion unit 11 in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a table showing an example of the identification data ID1 to ID6 in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 shows input terminals CH respectively associated with the identification data ID1 to ID6. Information indicating the correspondence between the identification data ID and the input terminal CH is stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) of the signal processing device 1. Hereinafter, the identification data ID1 to ID6 may be collectively referred to as identification data ID.

  The signal converter 11 receives the sensor signals S1 to S3, the frequency data Df of the sensor signal S4, the voltage value data Dv of the sensor signal S5, and the current value data Di of the sensor signal S6. First, the signal converter 11 decodes the SENT format sensor signals S1 to S3, respectively, and extracts sensor data D1 to D3. The signal conversion unit 11 encodes the sensor data D1 to D3, the frequency data Df, the voltage value data Dv, and the current value data Di into the SENT format and converts them into output signals So1 to So6, respectively.

  The output signals So1 to So6 include sensor data D1 to D3, Df, Dv, and Di of the sensor signals S1 to S6 and identification data ID1 to ID6, respectively. The identification data ID1 to ID6 are data specifying the input terminals CH1 to CH6 to which the sensor signals S1 to S6 are input, respectively, and are associated as shown in FIG.

  When the output signal So1 is transferred by serial communication, identification data ID1 specifying the input terminal CH1 to which the sensor signal S1 is input is output in a status nibble, and sensor data D1 is output in a data nibble D. The same applies when the output signals So2 and So3 are transferred by serial communication.

  When the output signal So4 is transferred by serial communication, identification data ID4 specifying the input terminal CH4 to which the sensor signal S4 is input is output in a status nibble, and frequency data Df is output in a data nibble D.

  When the output signal So5 is transferred by serial communication, identification data ID5 that specifies the input terminal CH5 to which the sensor signal S5 is input is output in a status nibble, and voltage value data Dv is output in a data nibble D.

  When the output signal So6 is transferred by serial communication, identification data ID6 that specifies the input terminal CH6 to which the sensor signal S6 is input is output as a status nibble, and current value data Di is output as a data nibble D.

<Modification of First Embodiment>

  Note that, when the output signals So1 to So6 are transferred by serial communication, the sensor data D1 to D3, Df, Dv, and Di that are output by the data nibble D may be singular as shown in FIG. As long as the total information amount falls within the data capacity of the entire data nibble D (for example, 24 [bit] in FIG. 2), a plurality of information amounts may be provided. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of signal conversion in the signal conversion unit 11 in a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a table showing an example of identification data ID1 and ID2 in the modification of the first embodiment. Information indicating the correspondence relationship in FIG. 7 is stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) of the signal processing device 1.

  The signal converter 11 encodes the sensor data D1 to D3 into the SENT format and converts it into the output signal So1. The signal conversion unit 11 encodes the frequency data Df, the voltage value data Dv, and the current value data Di into the SENT format and converts them into the output signal So2.

  The output signal So1 includes identification data ID1 and sensor data D1 to D3 of the sensor signals S1 to S3. The output signal So2 includes identification data ID2 and sensor data Df, Dv, Di of the sensor signals S4 to S6.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the identification data ID1 indicates the combination of the input terminals CH1 to CH3 to which the sensor signals S1 to S3 converted into the output signal So1 are input in the order of output of the sensor data D1 to D3 in the data nibble D. . The identification data ID2 indicates the combination of the input terminals CH4 to CH6 to which the sensor signals S4 to S6 converted into the output signal So2 are input in the order of output of the sensor data Df, Dv, and Di in the data nibble D.

  When the output signal So1 is transferred by serial communication, the identification data ID1 is output as a status nibble, and the sensor data D1 to D3 are sequentially output as a data nibble D. Further, when the output signal So2 is transferred by serial communication, the identification data ID2 is output as a status nibble, and the frequency data Df, the voltage value data Dv, and the current value data Di are sequentially output as the data nibble D.

  Note that the number of sensor data output in the data nibble D of the output signals So1 and So2 is not limited to the examples illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, and may be a plurality other than three. Further, the sensor data output by the data nibble D of the output signals So1 and So2 is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. Combinations of sensor data output in the data nibble D of the same output signal So may be grouped based on the type of sensor data. For example, the combination may be collected for each physical quantity (frequency, voltage value, current value) of the sensor data. Alternatively, the combination may be classified into sensor data of sensor signals corresponding to the SENT format and sensor data of sensor signals not corresponding to the SENT format.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, a plurality of signal processing devices 110 a, 110 b, and 120 are provided in the sensor system 100. Hereinafter, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described. Moreover, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure part similar to 1st Embodiment, and the description may be abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the sensor system 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is an example of a vehicle 200 equipped with the sensor system 100 according to the second embodiment. In the sensor system 100 of this configuration example, the signal processing device 1 includes two signal processing devices 110 a and 110 b and a signal processing device 120. In addition, each structure of signal processing apparatus 110a, 110b, 120 is the same as the signal processing apparatus 1 (refer FIG. 1) of 1st Embodiment. Therefore, these explanations are omitted.

  Hereinafter, the input terminals CH1 to CH6 and the output terminal OUT of the lower signal processing apparatus 110a are referred to as LCH1a to LCH6a and OUTa, respectively. The input terminals CH1 to CH6 and the output terminal OUT of the lower signal processing apparatus 110b are referred to as LCH1b to LCH6b and OUTb. Further, the input terminals CH1 to CH6 of the upper signal processing apparatus 120 are referred to as UCH1 to UCH6.

  The sensor group 2 includes sensors 21a to 26a that are electrically connected to the lower signal processing device 110a and capable of serial communication, and sensors 21b to 23b that are electrically connected to the lower signal processing device 110b and capable of serial communication. And including. Each of the sensors 21a to 23a is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor for detecting an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 200, and is provided on the left front side, the center front side, and the right front side of the vehicle 200 as shown in FIG. Each of the sensors 21b to 23b is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor for detecting an obstacle behind the vehicle 200, and is provided on the left rear side, the central rear side, and the right rear side of the vehicle 200 as shown in FIG. Yes. Each of the sensors 21a to 23a and 21b to 23b corresponds to a SENT output interface, and outputs sensor signals S1a to S3a and S1b to S3b indicating detection results in a SENT format.

  Each of the sensors 24a to 26a is a sensor not compatible with the SENT format. The sensor 24a is, for example, a Karman vortex airflow sensor, and outputs a sensor signal S4a indicating a detection result at a frequency. The sensor 25a is a pressure sensor, for example, and outputs a sensor signal S5a indicating a detection result with a voltage value. The sensor 26a is an optical sensor, for example, and outputs a sensor signal S6a indicating a detection result with a current value.

  The number and types of sensors included in the sensor group 2 are not limited to the above examples. The number and types of sensors corresponding to the SENT output interface are not limited to the above examples.

  The connection relationship between the signal processing devices 110a, 110b, and 120 has a hierarchical structure. In other words, the two lower signal processing devices 110a and 110b to which the sensor group 2 is connected are electrically connected to the upper signal processing device 120 and are capable of serial communication.

  The input terminals LCH1a to LCH6a of the lower signal processing apparatus 110a are electrically connected to the sensors 21a to 26a via the harnesses 41a to 46a, respectively. The low-order signal processing device 110a generates an intermediate output signal Sia based on the sensor signals S1a to S6a input to the input terminals LCH1a to LCH6a and outputs the intermediate output signal Sia to the signal processing device 120.

  Input terminals LCH1b to LCH3b of the lower signal processing apparatus 110b are electrically connected to the sensors 21b to 23b via the harnesses 41b to 43b, respectively. The lower-level signal processing device 110b generates an intermediate output signal Sib based on the sensor signals S1b to S3b input to the input terminals LCH1b to LCH3b and outputs the intermediate output signal Sib to the signal processing device 120.

  The input terminal UCH1 of the higher-order signal processing device 120 is electrically connected to the output terminal OUTa of the lower-order signal processing device 110a via the harness 61 so that serial communication is possible. The input terminal UCH2 of the upper signal processing apparatus 110 is electrically connected to the output terminal OUTb of the lower signal processing apparatus 110b via the harness 62 so that serial communication is possible. The host signal processing device 120 is electrically connected to the ECU 3 via the output terminal OUT and the harness 5 and is capable of serial communication. The host signal processing device 120 converts each of the intermediate output signals Sia and Sib input from the two signal processing devices 110a and 110b into an output signal So and outputs the output signal So to the ECU 3.

  The signal processing devices 110a and 110b are preferably arranged closer to the sensor group 2 than the ECU 3, and the length of at least one of the harnesses 41a to 46a and 41b to 43b is the length of the harnesses 61 and 62. Shorter than that. Moreover, it is preferable that at least one of the lengths of the harnesses 61 and 62 is shorter than the length of the harness 5. If it carries out like this, each length and total length of each harness 41a-46a, 41b-43b, 5, 61, 62 used with the sensor system 100 can be made shorter. Therefore, the wiring of each harness 41a-46a, 41b-43b, 5, 61, 62 can be simplified, and the space required for the wiring can be reduced to save space. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(Signal conversion processing)
Next, signal conversion processing in the signal processing device 1 having the upper signal processing device 120 and the lower signal processing devices 110a and 110b will be described. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of signal conversion in the signal processing device 1 according to the second embodiment. 11A to 11C are tables showing an example of identification data ID in the signal processing apparatus 1. FIG. 11A is a table showing an example of identification data id1a to id6a in the intermediate output signal Sia output from the lower-level signal processing device 110a. FIG. 11B is a table showing an example of identification data id1b to id3b in the intermediate output signal Sib output from the other lower-level signal processing device 110b. FIG. 11C is a table showing an example of identification data ID1 to ID3 in the output signal So of the higher-level signal processing device 120. 11A is stored in a non-volatile memory (not shown) of the signal processing devices 110a and 120, and the information indicating the correspondence relationship of FIG. 11B is non-volatile memory (not shown) of the signal processing devices 110b and 120. Stored in In addition, information indicating the correspondence relationship in FIG. 11C is stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) of the signal processing device 120.

  In the low-order signal processing device 110a, first, the sensor signals S1a to S3a in the SENT format are decoded, and the sensor data D1a to D3a are extracted. Then, the sensor data D1a to D3a, Df, Dv, and Di are each encoded in the SENT format and converted into intermediate output signals Sia1 to Sia6.

  The intermediate output signals Sia1 to Sia6 are serial communication signals including sensor data D1a to D3a, Df, Dv, Di of the sensor signals S1a to S6a and identification data id1a to id6a, respectively. The identification data id1a to id6a are data specifying the input terminals LCH1a to LCH6a to which the sensor signals S1a to S6a are input, respectively, and are associated as shown in FIG. 11A.

  When the output signal Sia1 is transferred to the host signal processing device 120 by serial communication, the identification data id1a specifying the input terminal LCH1a to which the sensor signal S1a is input is output in a status nibble, and the sensor data D1a is in a data nibble D Is output. The same applies when the output signals Sia2 to Sia6 are transferred to the higher-level signal processing device 120 by serial communication.

  The lower signal processing device 110b converts the sensor signals S1b to S3b into SENT format intermediate output signals Sib1 to Sib3 in the same manner as the lower signal processing device 110a. Then, the lower signal processing device 110b transfers the intermediate output signals Sib1 to Sib3 to the upper signal processing device 120 by serial communication.

  Next, in the high-order signal processing device 120, first, the intermediate output signals Sia1 to Sia6 and Sib1 to Sib3 in the SENT format are respectively decoded, and their sensor data D1a to D3a, Df, Dv, Di, D1b to D3b are obtained. Extracted. The sensor data D1a to D3a, Df, Dv, Di, and D1b to D3b are each encoded in the SENT format and converted into output signals So1 to So3, respectively.

  The output signal So1 includes identification data ID1 and sensor data D1a to D3a of the sensor signals S1a to S3a. As shown in FIG. 11C, the identification data ID1 indicates the identification data ida1 to ida3 of the intermediate output signals Sia1 to Sia3 converted into the output signal So1, in the output order of the sensor data D1a to D3a in the data nibble D. When the output signal So1 is transferred by serial communication, the identification data ID1 is output in the status nibble, and the sensor data D1a to D3a are sequentially output in the data nibble D.

  The output signal So2 includes identification data ID2 and sensor data Df, Dv, Di of the sensor signals S4a to S6a. As shown in FIG. 11C, the identification data ID2 indicates the identification data ida4 to ida6 of the intermediate output signals Sia4 to Sia6 converted into the output signal So2, in the output order of the sensor data Df, Dv, and Di in the data nibble D. When the output signal So2 is transferred by serial communication, the identification data ID2 is output in status nibble, and the frequency data Df, voltage value data Dv, and current value data Di are sequentially output in data nibble D.

  The output signal So3 includes identification data ID3 and sensor data D1b to D3b of the sensor signals S1b to S3b. As shown in FIG. 11C, the identification data ID3 indicates the identification data idb1 to idb3 of the intermediate output signals Sib1 to Sib3 converted into the output signal So3 in the output order of the sensor data D1b to D3b in the data nibble D. When the output signal So3 is transferred by serial communication, the identification data ID3 is output as a status nibble, and the sensor data D1b to D3b are sequentially output as a data nibble D.

  Note that the number of sensor data output in the data nibble D of the output signals So1 to So3 is not limited to the example of FIG. 10 and may be a plurality other than three. Further, the sensor data output by the data nibble D of the output signals So1 and So2 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. Combinations of sensor data output in the data nibble D of the same output signal So may be grouped based on the type of sensor data. For example, the combination may be grouped by the same or related physical quantity (frequency, voltage value, current value) of the sensor data. Alternatively, the combination may be classified into sensor data of sensor signals corresponding to the SENT format and sensor data of sensor signals not corresponding to the SENT format.

  Further, in the configuration of the present embodiment described above, the signal processing devices 110a, 110b, and 120 are not limited to the present embodiment, and may have different configurations. For example, the signal processing devices 120 and 110b only need to include at least the signal conversion unit 11 and the output I / F 12.

  Further, the hierarchical structure in the signal processing apparatus 1 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the lower signal processing apparatus 1 connected to the upper signal processing apparatus 1 may be 1, or may be a plurality of three or more. The hierarchical structure in the signal processing device 1 may be three or more layers.

(Application example of the present invention)
In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9, the sensor output of the sensor group 2 mounted on the vehicle 200 is converted into an output signal So by the signal processing device 1, and the output signal So is converted into a single wire type. The present invention can be suitably applied to a configuration that outputs data to the ECU 3 by data communication.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each process, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is within the scope of the present invention.

  The invention disclosed in this specification can be used for a system in which sensor signals output from a plurality of sensors are input to a control device such as an ECU.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Sensor system 200 Vehicle 1,110,120 Signal processing apparatus 11 Signal conversion part 12 Output I / F
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Frequency determination part 15 Voltage value determination part 16 Current value determination part 2 Sensor group 21-26 Sensor 3 ECU
41-46, 5, 61, 62 Harness S1-S6 Sensor signal Sia, Sib Intermediate output signal So Output signal

Claims (12)

A signal processing device that outputs an output signal based on each sensor signal input to a plurality of input terminals from one output terminal,
A signal converter for converting a plurality of the sensor signals into the output signal;
A transmitter for outputting the output signal to the output terminal;
With
The output signal is a serial communication signal including sensor data of the sensor signal converted into the output signal and identification data for specifying the input terminal to which the sensor signal is input. Processing equipment.   The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output signal is a signal encoded in a SENT format.   The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor signal is a signal in the SENT format. The sensor data is plural,
The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification data further indicates a combination of the input terminals to which the sensor signal converted into the output signal is input. A frequency determination unit for determining the frequency of the frequency signal included in the sensor signal;
The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination result of the frequency determination unit is output to the signal conversion unit. A voltage value determination unit that determines a voltage value of a voltage signal included in the sensor signal;
The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination result of the voltage determination unit is output to the signal conversion unit. A current value determination unit that determines a current value of a current signal included in the sensor signal;
The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination result of the current determination unit is output to the signal conversion unit. Multiple sensors,
The signal processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an output signal based on each sensor signal of the plurality of sensors input to a plurality of input terminals is output from one output terminal;
A control device to which the output signal is input;
A vehicle comprising:   The length of at least one of the first signal lines connecting the signal processing device to the sensor is shorter than the length of the second signal line connecting the signal processing device to the control device. The vehicle according to claim 8. The signal processing device includes a plurality of first signal processing devices and a second signal processing device,
The first signal processing device outputs a first output signal based on each of the sensor signals input to the plurality of input terminals,
The second signal processing device converts each of the first output signals input from the plurality of first signal processing devices into a second output signal and outputs the second output signal to the control device from the output terminal. The vehicle according to claim 8 or claim 9.   The first output signal includes the sensor data of the sensor signal converted into the first output signal, the input terminal to which the sensor signal is input, and the first signal processing device that outputs the first output signal. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a serial communication signal including identification data for specifying   The length of at least one of the third signal lines connecting the first signal processing device to the second signal processing device is shorter than the length of the second signal line. The vehicle according to claim 11.

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