Wheel speed sensor system, vehicle including said wheel speed sensor system and method of processing wheel speed signals

1. A wheel speed sensor system, comprising:

one or more first wheel speed sensors;

a first application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) configured to receive one or more first wheel speed signals from the one or more first wheel speed sensors and to convert the one or more first wheel speed signals to first wheel speed data;

a first electronic control unit (ECU) configured to receive the first wheel speed data from the first ASIC via a data link between the first ECU and the first ASIC, the first ECU being independent from the first ASIC;

one or more second wheel speed sensors;

a second ASIC configured to receive one or more second wheel speed signals from the one or more second wheel speed sensors and to convert the one or more second wheel speed signals to second wheel speed data;

a second ECU configured to receive the second wheel speed data from the second ASIC via a data link between the second ECU and the second ASIC, the second ECU being independent from the second ASIC;

a first printed circuit board (PCB) on which the first ASIC and the first ECU are disposed, wherein the first PCB is independent from the first ECU and the first ASIC; and

a second PCB on which the second ASIC and the second ECU are disposed, wherein the second PCB is independent from the second ECU and the second ASIC and separate from the first PCB;

wherein the first ECU is further configured to receive the second wheel speed data from the second ASIC via a data link between the first ECU and the second ASIC, and wherein the second ECU is further configured to receive the first wheel speed data from the first ASIC via a data link between the second ECU and the first ASIC.

2. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one controllable device;

wherein the first ECU is configured to process the first wheel speed data and the second wheel speed data received by the first ECU to produce control data, and to control the at least one controllable device based on the control data produced by the first ECU; and

wherein the second ECU is configured to process the first wheel speed data and the second wheel speed data received by the second ECU to produce the control data, and to control the at least one controllable device based on the control data produced by the second ECU.

3. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one controllable device comprises at least one electric motor, in particular for driving a hydraulic piston for producing a hydraulic brake pressure.

4. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 2 , wherein the first ECU is configured to determine whether the second ECU is defective, and wherein, if the first ECU determines that the second ECU is defective, the first ECU is configured to control the controllable device based on the control data produced by the first ECU.

5. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 2 , wherein the second ECU is configured to determine whether the first ECU is defective, and wherein, if the second ECU determines that the first ECU is defective, the second ECU is configured to control the controllable device based on the control data produced by the second ECU.

6. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the first ECU is configured to transmit the first wheel speed data received by the first ECU to the second ECU via a bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU, and/or wherein the second ECU is configured to transmit the second wheel speed data received by the second ECU to the first ECU via the bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU.

7. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 6 , wherein in a standard mode of operation when both the first ECU and the second ECU are operational, the first ECU is configured to receive the second wheel speed data from the second ECU via the bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU, and to operate as a master ECU, wherein the first ECU operating as the master ECU includes the first ECU controlling the controllable device based on the control data produced by the first ECU.

8. The wheel speed sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising a CAN BUS, wherein the first ECU and the second ECU are configured to exchange at least one of the first wheel speed data, the second wheel speed data and the control data via the CAN BUS.

9. A method of processing wheel speed signals, comprising:

transmitting one or more first wheel speed signals from one or more first wheel speed sensors to a first application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),

converting the one or more first wheel speed signals to first wheel speed data using the first ASIC, and

transmitting the first wheel speed data from the first ASIC to a first electronic control unit (ECU) via a data link between the first ASIC and the first ECU, the first ECU being independent from the first ASIC, and transmitting the first wheel speed data from the first ASIC to a second ECU via a data link between the first ASIC and the second ECU;

transmitting one or more second wheel speed signals from one or more second wheel speed sensors to a second ASIC, the second ASIC being independent from the second ECU,

converting the one or more second wheel speed signals to first wheel speed data using the second ASIC, and

transmitting the second wheel speed data from the second ASIC to the second ECU via a data link between the second ASIC and the second ECU, and transmitting the second wheel speed data from the second ASIC to the first ECU via a data link between the second ASIC and the first ECU,

wherein the first ASIC and the first ECU are disposed on a first printed circuit board (PCB) which is independent from the first ECU and the first ASIC, and the second ASIC and the second ECU are disposed on a second PCB which is independent from the second ECU and the second ASIC and separate from the first PCB.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

processing the first wheel speed data and the second wheel speed data received by the first ECU to produce control data, and

controlling at least one controllable device based on the control data produced by the first ECU; or

processing the first wheel speed data and the second wheel speed data received by the second ECU to produce the control data, and

controlling the at least one controllable device based on the control data produced by the second ECU.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining whether the second ECU is defective, and

if it is determined that the second ECU is defective, controlling the controllable device based on the control data produced by the first ECU; and

determining whether the first ECU is defective, and

if it is determined that the first ECU is defective, controlling the controllable device based on the control data produced by the second ECU.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting the first wheel speed data received by the first ECU from the first ECU to the second ECU via a bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU, and/or transmitting the second wheel speed data received by the second ECU from the second ECU to the first ECU via the bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising in a standard mode of operation when both the first ECU and the second ECU are operational:

transmitting the second wheel speed data received by the second ECU from the second ECU to the first ECU via the bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU, and

controlling the controllable device based on the control data produced by the first ECU based on the first wheel speed data received by the first ECU via the data link between the first ASIC and the first ECU and based on the second wheel speed data received by the first ECU via the bidirectional data link between the first ECU and the second ECU.