Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B3/00—Audible signalling systems; Audible personal calling systems
  • G08B3/10—Audible signalling systems; Audible personal calling systems using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
  • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
  • B06B1/0207—Driving circuits
  • B06B1/0215—Driving circuits for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
  • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
  • B06B1/0207—Driving circuits
  • B06B1/0223—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time
  • B06B1/0238—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time of a single frequency, e.g. a sine-wave
  • B06B1/0246—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time of a single frequency, e.g. a sine-wave with a feedback signal
  • B06B1/0253—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time of a single frequency, e.g. a sine-wave with a feedback signal taken directly from the generator circuit
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B2201/00—Indexing scheme associated with B06B1/0207 for details covered by B06B1/0207 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • B06B2201/50—Application to a particular transducer type
  • B06B2201/52—Electrodynamic transducer
  • B06B2201/53—Electrodynamic transducer with vibrating magnet or coil

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a horn with a control loop for adaptively tuning an operating variable of the signaling horn to a predefinable setpoint value, with a controlled from a pulse generator circuit with respect to its pulse frequency and / or its pulse-duty factor controls a current flowing through the horn excitation current "and wherein the control circuit Has circuit means which detect an operating variable of the signal horn and depending on it control the pulse generator so that the operating variable of the signal horn assumes the target value.
• Such a signal horn with a control loop for adaptive tuning of its resonance frequency is known from US 5,414,406.
• the actual switching frequency of the signal horn is measured by means of an acoustic sound sensor (microphone) and the phase offset between this measured actual signal and the pulse sequence controlling the signal horn and generated by a pulse generator is determined.
• the pulse frequency of the pulse generator is adjusted so that the phase shift is minimal. With this activation of the signal horn, it reaches its optimal working frequency, namely its Resonanzrfrequenz.
• the detection of the actual operating variable of the signal horn by means of an acoustic sound sensor is technically relatively complex.
• the function of an acoustic sound sensor is very much dependent on temperature and aging influences; that is, the sound frequency of the signal horn measured by the sound sensor is falsified due to temperature and aging influences. The control loop will then no longer be able to correctly tune the signal horn to its resonance frequency.
• the invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a signal horn of the type mentioned at the outset which can be implemented as simply as possible in terms of production technology and in which external influences have as little effect on the operating behavior.
• circuit means are present which detect one or more characteristic quantities of the excitation current flowing through the signal horn and in that further circuit means are present which result from the difference between the excitation current (s) derived characteristic variable (s) and one or more setpoints provide one or more manipulated variables for a pulse generator which controls a switch which controls the excitation current with respect to its pulse frequency and / or its pulse duty cycle. Because the actual operating variable of the signal horn is derived from the excitation current in the control loop, a noise sensor susceptible to failure, which measures the sound frequency of the signal horn, can be dispensed with.
• the resonance frequency or a variable proportional to it - preferably the excitation current - for the control process is expedient to use the resonance frequency or a variable proportional to it - preferably the excitation current - for the control process as the operating variable of the horn.
• the characteristic variable (s) of the excitation current is (are) preferably the relative phase position of harmonic spectral components of the excitation current and / or the spectral distribution of the excitation current. These characteristic quantities of the excitation current can be detected by a frequency analyzer.
• An advantageous arrangement is that there is a current-voltage converter that converts the excitation current into a voltage, that there is an analog-to-digital converter that digitizes the voltage, and that there is a digital frequency analyzer that a or several characteristic quantities of the digitized voltage curve derived from the excitation current are determined.
• a signal processor is expediently used which compares the characteristic quantity (s) of the excitation current or the voltage derived therefrom ascertained by the frequency analyzer with one or more nominal values and from the deviations between the characteristic quantity (s) ) and the setpoint (s) provides one or more manipulated variables for the pulse generator.
• the signal processor can carry out the setpoint comparison at periodically repeating time intervals.
• One or more setpoints which correspond to a fixed operating variable of the signal horn, can be stored, or one or more changeable setpoints can be supplied to the signal processor.
• the signal horn can be varied in its sound.
• FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a control circuit for adaptively tuning an operating variable of a signal horn, the control circuit being set to a fixed resonance frequency of the signal horn, and
• FIG. 2 shows a control circuit for adaptively adjusting an operating variable of a signal horn, the sound of the signal horn being variable.
• FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a control circuit for adaptively tuning an operating variable of a signal horn.
• the signal horn 1 has a structure as described, for example, in US Pat. No. 5,414,406, of which only one excitation coil 2 is shown in FIG. 1, which causes a membrane of the signal horn to vibrate when current flows through it.
• the excitation coil 2 of the signal horn 1 is fed by an energy source 3, for example a vehicle battery.
• an energy source 3 for example a vehicle battery.
• a switch 4 In the supply line between the energy source 3 and the excitation coil 2 there is a switch 4, the actuation of which activates the signal horn.
• the current I flowing through the excitation coil 2 is controlled by an electrically controllable switch 5 inserted into the circuit of the excitation coil 2.
• the control signal for the electrically controllable switch 5 comes from a pulse generator 6 which emits a pulse train with a specific pulse repetition frequency and with a specific pulse duty cycle.
• a driver 7 connected between the pulse generator 6 and the electrically controllable switch 5 brings the pulse sequence emitted by the pulse generator 6 to a suitable one for the electrically controllable switch 5
• the electrically controllable switch 5 is preferably a semiconductor switch, e.g. a field effect transistor.
• the electrically controllable switch 5 is therefore switched on and off in accordance with the pulse sequence generated by the pulse generator 6, and as a result the excitation current I flowing through the excitation coil 2 takes the form of a pulse sequence with the pulse frequency and pulse duty cycle predetermined by the pulse generator 6.
• the operating variable of the signal horn 1 is recorded as the controlled variable.
• the operating variable of the signal horn 1 is advantageously its resonant frequency or a variable proportional to it, namely the excitation current I flowing through the excitation coil 2 and the electrically controllable switch 5.
• the excitation current I itself is not supplied to the control loop as a control variable, but rather one from the excitation current I. derived voltage.
• U the conversion of the excitation current I into the voltage U takes place by means of a current-voltage converter, which in the simplest case is an ohmic resistor 8.
• the voltage U is brought to a signal level suitable for a subsequent analog-digital converter 10.
• the analog-to-digital converter 10 is required if the further signal processing in the control loop is to take place digitally. In the case of analog signal processing, the analog-to-digital converter 10 can be dispensed with.
• the digitized controlled variable namely the voltage U, is fed to a digital frequency analyzer 11.
• the frequency analyzer 11 determines one or more characteristic quantities of the voltage signal U. Characteristic quantities can be, for example, relative phase positions of certain harmonic spectral components and / or the spectral distribution of the signal U.
• the frequency analyzer 11 from the determined one or more characteristic quantities of the signal U a signal processor 12 are supplied.
• the signal processor 12 are stored desired values of these characteristic sizes, namely corresponding to a desired operation of a desired size 'excitation current profile I of the horn. 1
• the signal processor 12 determines deviations between the variable (s) determined by the frequency analyzer 11 and the target value (s) stored in the signal processor 12.
• the signal processor 12 provides one or more manipulated variables proportional to these deviations for the pulse generator 6.
• the one or more manipulated variables serve to control the pulse frequency and / or the pulse duty cycle of the pulse generator 6.
• the pulse rate and / or the pulse rate are Duty cycle of the pulse generator 6 is coordinated in such a way that "the deviations between the actual values and setpoints determined in the signal processor 12 become minimal, and thus the signal horn 1 is operated at its optimal frequency, namely the resonance frequency.
• the signal processor 12 receives a start signal S when the switch 4 is actuated to activate the signal horn.
• the signal processor 12 preferably carries out the comparison between one or more stored nominal values and one or more actual values supplied by the frequency analyzer 11; i.e. the control process is not started permanently but at certain repeating intervals. Every time a control process is initiated by the signal processor 12, the latter reports to the
• Analog-digital converter 10 from a start signal A, whereupon the analog-digital converter converts the analog input signal U into a digital signal for the frequency analyzer 11.
• the analog-to-digital converter 10 need not necessarily only in the times of the signal processor 12 initiated
• Control process can be activated, but can carry out the analog-digital conversion continuously.
• control circuit has the same circuit parts as in the previously described exemplary embodiments in FIG. 1. Therefore, all switching blocks in FIG. 2 also have the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1.
• the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2 differs from that in FIG. 1 only in that the signal processor 12 has a separate signal input 13.
• the signal processor 12 has a separate signal input 13.
• one or more predefined setpoints are stored in the signal processor 12.
• Signal input 13 for the signal processor 12 now makes it possible to supply setpoints from outside which allow the frequency of the signal horn 1 to be changed in deviation from its resonance frequency.
• the tone generated by the bugle 1 can be frequency and also in frequency
• the changeable setpoints given to the signal input 13 of the signal processor 12 can come, for example, from a central control unit in the motor vehicle.
• the switch 4 shown in the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1 is also omitted.
• the signal processor 12 also receives a start signal for the activation of the signal horn 1 via the signal input 13.
• the signal horn 1 is switched on in this case starting from the signal processor 12 via the pulse generator 6 and the electrically controllable switch 5, which closes the circuit of the excitation coil 2 ,
• circuit blocks 5, 6, 7 and 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 described above do not have to be separate circuits, but they can also be integrated with one another in a suitable manner.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Apparatuses For Generation Of Mechanical Vibrations (AREA)
• Measurement Of Mechanical Vibrations Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Testing Electric Properties And Detecting Electric Faults (AREA)
• Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)
• Circuits Of Receivers In General (AREA)
• Channel Selection Circuits, Automatic Tuning Circuits (AREA)
• Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=7693013

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (10)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2001
  • 2001-07-25 DE DE10136182A patent/DE10136182C1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-07-06 CN CNB028147855A patent/CN1301803C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-07-06 JP JP2003516705A patent/JP4076161B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-07-06 AT AT02758078T patent/ATE314893T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-07-06 DE DE50205530T patent/DE50205530D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-07-06 WO PCT/DE2002/002483 patent/WO2003011482A1/de active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-07-06 EP EP02758078A patent/EP1414590B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-07-06 ES ES02758078T patent/ES2254716T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (3)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events