Sensor device including a sensor for carrying out surrounding-area monitoring with the aid of sonic waves

US11248951B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Dirk Schmid · Simmozheim, DE
• Karl-Heinz Richter · Weingarten, DE
• Martin Reiche · Weil der Stadt, DE
• Michael Frank · Bretten, DE
• Peter Preissler · Vacha, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 11, 2018
• Grant date: Feb 15, 2022
• Expiry date: Aug 5, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04R25/305
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A sensor device, including a sensor having a sound transducer to emit sonic waves and convert received sonic waves to electrical signals. A sensor evaluation unit carries out surrounding-area monitoring during a normal operation of the sensor, by evaluating electrical signals of the sound transducer. During a monitoring mode of the sensor, a monitoring unit of the sensor device measures an impedance of the sound transducer for different excitation frequencies of excitation signals produced with a signal generator of the sensor device. The sensor device includes a first and a second signal path, which are each connected to the sound transducer and are connectable to the signal generator. To reset the sensor from normal operation to the monitoring mode, a first control unit of the sensor device is configured to decouple the signal generator from the first signal path and to connect it to the second signal path.