Abstract: A method for transmitting data in a sensor bus system and a sensor bus system. The sensor bus system includes an electronic controller, a plurality of sensors, and a twisted two-wire line between the electronic controller and the sensors, wherein the electronic controller is designed to supply electrical energy to the sensors via the twisted two-wire line, and the sensors are designed to transmit received information to the electronic controller in an I/Q-modulated manner via the twisted two-wire line.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining a three-dimensional position of a reflection point of an object in the environment of a vehicle using an ultrasonic sensor having at least three sensor elements. At least two sensor elements are arranged at a horizontal offset to one another and at least two sensor elements are arranged at a vertical offset to one another. The method includes: transmitting at least two ultrasonic signals using at least one of the sensor elements of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the two ultrasonic signals are transmitted chronologically one after the other, and the two ultrasonic signals are transmitted in different spatial directions and/or with respectively differently shaped sonic cones and/or with respectively different ultrasonic frequencies; sensing the transmitted ultrasonic signals, each reflected on an object, as reflection signals using the at least three ultrasonic sensor elements; and ascertaining the three-dimensional position of a reflection point of the object.

Abstract: A sensor assembly of a vehicle. The sensor includes a control device, a multitude of sensors, each sensor having an individual sensor identifier, a data bus, which connects each sensor to the control device, and a supply line, which connects each sensor to the control device for a voltage supply. Each sensor has a shunt resistor. All shunt resistors are integrated in series into the supply line. Each sensor is developed to detect a voltage drop at its respective shunt resistor. The control device is developed to actuate each sensor with the aid of the individual sensor identifier and to assign an individual geographical address to each sensor based on the detected voltage drops along the supply line.

Abstract: A sensor, including at least one transducer for emitting signals and for receiving reflected echo signals, the transducer being set up to output an analog measuring signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog measuring signal into a digital measuring signal, an evaluation unit for evaluating the digital measuring signal, and a communication unit for transmitting a measuring result of the evaluation via a digital communication interface. The communication unit is equipped to receive a request for diagnostic data via the digital communication interface, and is also equipped to switch the sensor to diagnostic operation and to transmit requested diagnostic data via the digital communication interface. The communication unit is set up to communicate with at least two different data rates via the digital communication interface, a higher data rate being used for transmitting the diagnostic data than for transmitting the measuring result during normal operation of the sensor.

Abstract: An operating method for an ultrasound transceiver device, where the ultrasound transceiver device is alternately and, in particular alternatingly operated in a transmit mode and in a receive mode; subsequently to a transmit mode and/or prior to a receive mode, the ultrasound transceiver device is actively damped by the action of a sequence of counter control pulses; a phase position and/or a damping energy are/is iteratively determined or adapted via a training by a measure of the damping success at least temporarily assuming or approaching an at least locally optimal value.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor device including a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a control unit for operating the ultrasonic sensors, the control unit being configured to activate selectively either a first group of the ultrasonic sensors or a second group of the ultrasonic sensors at the same time, so that the activated ultrasonic sensors emit an ultrasonic signal, each ultrasonic sensor of the first group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the second group and each ultrasonic sensor of the second group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the first group, and the control unit being configured to operate adjacent active ultrasonic sensors using different frequency-modulated excitation patterns.

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.

Abstract: A method and device for processing an echo signal received from an acoustic sensor. The echo signal is detected over a measurement time interval. A minimum value is ascertained, which describes a minimum amplitude of the echo signal within the measurement interval. An amplitude value is ascertained, which describes an amplitude of the echo signal within a measurement window. The measurement window is a predefined time interval within the measurement interval. A difference is ascertained between the minimum value and the amplitude value. A determination is made whether the echo signal comprises an interference signal of the first type or an interference signal of the second type, based on the ascertained difference.

Abstract: A method for operating an ultrasonic measuring device, encompassing the steps of receiving echo amplitudes, ascertaining object distances for the received echo amplitudes, computing normalized echo amplitudes for the received echo amplitudes, a received echo amplitude with a certain object distance being divided by a reference echo amplitude for the same or a similar object distance, encoding the normalized echo amplitudes, and transmitting the encoded echo amplitudes to a control unit. Also described is a related computer program, a system for carrying out the method, and a vehicle that includes a driving assistance system.

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.

Abstract: A sensor, including at least one transducer for emitting signals and for receiving reflected echo signals, the transducer being set up to output an analog measuring signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog measuring signal into a digital measuring signal, an evaluation unit for evaluating the digital measuring signal, and a communication unit for transmitting a measuring result of the evaluation via a digital communication interface. The communication unit is equipped to receive a request for diagnostic data via the digital communication interface, and is also equipped to switch the sensor to diagnostic operation and to transmit requested diagnostic data via the digital communication interface. The communication unit is set up to communicate with at least two different data rates via the digital communication interface, a higher data rate being used for transmitting the diagnostic data than for transmitting the measuring result during normal operation of the sensor.

Abstract: A method and device for processing an echo signal received from an acoustic sensor. The echo signal is detected over a measurement time interval. A minimum value is ascertained, which describes a minimum amplitude of the echo signal within the measurement interval. An amplitude value is ascertained, which describes an amplitude of the echo signal within a measurement window. The measurement window is a predefined time interval within the measurement interval. A difference is ascertained between the minimum value and the amplitude value. A determination is made whether the echo signal comprises an interference signal of the first type or an interference signal of the second type, based on the ascertained difference.

Abstract: A method for operating an ultrasonic sensor is provided, a plurality of measuring cycles being consecutively carried out. In each measuring cycle, an electroacoustic transducer of the ultrasonic sensor is excited to carry out mechanical oscillations with the aid of an excitation pulse, whereby a measuring signal is transmitted by the transducer, an echo signal is received by the transducer, and a piece of object information is ascertained from the echo signal. The frequency profile of the excitation pulse differs in measuring cycles which are carried out chronologically consecutively, the frequency profile of an excitation pulse being selected in each measuring cycle randomly or according to a predefined sequence from a group of predefined frequency profiles.

Abstract: An operating method for an ultrasound transceiver device, where the ultrasound transceiver device is alternately and, in particular alternatingly operated in a transmit mode and in a receive mode; subsequently to a transmit mode and/or prior to a receive mode, the ultrasound transceiver device is actively damped by the action of a sequence of counter control pulses; a phase position and/or a damping energy are/is iteratively determined or adapted via a training by a measure of the damping success at least temporarily assuming or approaching an at least locally optimal value.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor device including a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a control unit for operating the ultrasonic sensors, the control unit being configured to activate selectively either a first group of the ultrasonic sensors or a second group of the ultrasonic sensors at the same time, so that the activated ultrasonic sensors emit an ultrasonic signal, each ultrasonic sensor of the first group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the second group and each ultrasonic sensor of the second group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the first group, and the control unit being configured to operate adjacent active ultrasonic sensors using different frequency-modulated excitation patterns.

Abstract: A method for operating an ultrasonic measuring device, encompassing the steps of receiving echo amplitudes, ascertaining object distances for the received echo amplitudes, computing normalized echo amplitudes for the received echo amplitudes, a received echo amplitude with a certain object distance being divided by a reference echo amplitude for the same or a similar object distance, encoding the normalized echo amplitudes, and transmitting the encoded echo amplitudes to a control unit. Also described is a related computer program, a system for carrying out the method, and a vehicle that includes a driving assistance system.

Abstract: A method for operating a surroundings-detection system of a vehicle includes at least one transceiver unit emitting a frequency-modulated signal and receiving echo signals of the emitted frequency-modulated signal. The received echo signals are associated with reflection sources, and a piece of information about the speed of the reflection source relative to the transceiver unit is ascertained on the basis of the received echo signals.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transmission and reception device is described. This includes a transmission circuit for generating a transmission signal at its transmission outputs and, an ultrasonic transducer, which is suited for converting electrical signals into sound signals and sound signals into electrical signals, a transformer, the primary side of which is connected to the transmission outputs and of the transmission circuit and the secondary side of which is connected to the ultrasonic transducer, and a reception circuit for processing a received signal present at its reception input.

Abstract: A method for mapping surroundings of a vehicle, objects in the surroundings of the vehicle being detected with the aid of sensors and particular detected objects being described by two coordinate points and also by a position fuzziness assigned to the particular coordinate point, the coordinate points and the position fuzziness values being stored in an interface in the form of data which may be accessed by driver assistance systems of the vehicle. A method is also described for ascertaining the collision probability of a vehicle with an object, in which the surroundings of the vehicle are initially mapped using the method for mapping the surroundings of a vehicle, a travel path to be traveled by the vehicle is ascertained in a subsequent step, and the degree of overlap between the object and the travel path and also the collision probability are finally determined, taking the position fuzziness into account.

Abstract: An ultrasonic measuring system is described for detecting an obstacle using a resonant transducer element for transmitting an ultrasonic pulse and for generating a received signal which includes the ultrasonic echo pulse reflected from the obstacle, the transducer element generating a decay signal having its resonance frequency after transmitting an ultrasonic pulse. The ultrasonic measuring system includes an evaluation unit having a control unit which is designed to activate the transducer element for transmitting the ultrasonic pulse with the aid of a frequency-modulated transmitted signal generated by the control unit, the frequency modulation taking place with the aid of a modulation signal in such a way that the signature of the ultrasonic pulse differs from that of the decay signal.