DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AT LEAST ONE STRUCTURE-BORNE SOUND SIGNAL

Abstract

A method is provided for detecting at least one structure-borne sound signal, in particular for detecting at least one damage event and/or at least one contact event. On a motor vehicle with a sensor, provision is made for a site of impact of the damage event and/or contact event to be determined by recording at least one measurement signal at a single sensor having a single structural unit, and for separately determining the distance between the sensor and the site of impact and the direction from which the structure-borne sound signal hits the single sensor. A device is also provided for detecting at least one structure-borne sound signal, in particular a structure-borne sound signal influenced by a damage event and/or contact event, with at least one sensor. The sensor has at least one storage device and at least one signal-transferring connection with at least one evaluation device.

Claims

1. A device for detecting at least one structure-borne sound signal, in particular of a structure-borne sound signal influenced by a damage event and/or contact event, with at least one sensor means, wherein the sensor means comprises at least one signal-transferring connection with at least one storage means and at least one signal-transferring connection with at least one evaluation means, wherein the sensor means comprises at least two, in particular three sensor elements for detecting independently of each other, at least one structure-borne sound signal, the sensor elements have a fixed spatial arrangement in relation to each other, and the sensor means consists of a single structural unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor elements are arranged on a common carrier part.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor elements are arranged in the form of an equilateral triangle.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the carrier part is a film portion and in that the sensor elements are applied to this film portion by printing them on.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor elements arranged on the carrier part and the evaluation means are arranged in a common housing.

6. A vehicle, in particular motor vehicle, with a device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. In the schematically drawn diagrams

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a sensor means with three sensor elements on a carrier part in a top view,

[0028] FIG. 2a shows a sensor means and an evaluation means in a housing in a perspective view,

[0029] FIG. 2b shows a sensor means in a housing in the opened state,

[0030] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary arrangement of a sensor means and the distance between the site of impact and the sensor means as well as the direction of the incoming structure-borne sound signal,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a diagram of elected method steps of the method for recording the structure-borne sound signals and their further processing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a sensor means 1 with three sensor elements 2, 3, 4 on a carrier part 5.

[0033] The carrier part 5 consists of a PVDF film. Electrode layers 6, 7 have been applied to the carrier part 5, and their overlapping regions form the sensor elements 2, 3, 4. The three-channel sensor means 1 comprises a plug-in connection 8 for connection with e.g. an evaluation means. The symmetry axes 9, 10, 11 of the sensor elements 2, 3, 4 meet in a centre and the symmetry axes 9, 10, 11 of two adjacent sensor elements 2, 3, 4 comprise an angle of 120.

[0034] FIG. 2a shows a housing 12 with a sensor means 1 in the opened state. Due to the housing the sensor means 1 is protected against external influences.

[0035] FIG. 2b shows a housing 12 in the closed state with a sensor means 1 arranged therein and an evaluation means 13 connected with the sensor means. Due to the arrangement in a housing 12 the evaluation means 13 and the sensor means 1 form a fixed structural unit thereby permitting a simple assembly. Furthermore the housing 12 protects the sensitive sensor means 1 and the evaluation means 13 against external influences.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of a sensor means 1 using a motor vehicle door 14 as an example. The sensor means 1 is in a central position of the areal region of the motor vehicle door 14. A site of impact 15 of a damage or a contact event is indicated as an example. The distance 16 between the sensor means 1 and the site of impact 15 can be ascertained by determining the phase of a structure-borne sound signal. As an indication of the direction from which the structure-borne sound signal hits the sensor means 1 at the site of impact 15, a coordinate system 17 is shown, the origin of which is the position of the sensor means. The position of the site of impact is unequivocally defined by the indications of the angle and the distance.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic sequence of a selection of method steps. Measurement signals 18, 19, 20 are recorded at the sensor elements, independently of each other. The recorded analogue measurement signals 18, 19, 20 are converted into digital measurement signals 21, 22, 23 by an analogue/digital converter. The digital measurement signals 21, 22, 23 are stored respectively in a FIFO storage means. In the storage means the measurement signals 24, 25, 26 are shifted such that the signal portions 27, in which a threshold value is exceeded, are arranged identically, congruently within the sequence of data in the storage means. Around the signal portions in which a threshold is exceeded, a signal section with a forward limit 28 and a rearward limit 29 is selected. This signal section is passed to further processing and evaluation.

[0038] All features mentioned in the above description and in the claims can be randomly selectively combined with the features of the independent claim. The disclosure of the invention is thus not limited to the described and claimed feature combinations, rather all feature combinations which are meaningful within the framework of the invention are to be considered as disclosed.