IP Library Granted Patent US 11,009,371
Granted Patent B2
US 11,009,371 · App. 17/043,989 · Granted May 18, 2021

Method for automatically calibrating a camshaft sensor in order to correct a gap jump

Inventor: Denis Bouscaren (Toulouse, FR)
Assignees: Continental Automotive France; Continental Automotive GmbH
G01D5/24452F01L1/047G01D5/2448F01L2820/041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,009,371
App. No.
17/043,989
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for automatic calibration of a camshaft sensor for a motor vehicle. The sensor includes a processing module configured to generate, from a raw signal indicative of the variations in a magnetic field which are caused by the rotation of a toothed target and measured by a cell, an output signal indicative of the moments at which the teeth pass past the cell. The calibration method makes it possible, for each tooth, to determine a switching threshold not only as a function of a local minimum and of a local maximum for the tooth during the preceding revolution of the target, but also as a function of a corrective value calculated from a local maximum and/or a local minimum of the raw signal during the passage of a preceding tooth past the cell during a new revolution.

Claims (39)

1. A method for automatic calibration of a camshaft sensor for a motor vehicle engine,

said sensor comprising:

a toothed target comprising at least two teeth (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ),

a measurement cell configured to supply a raw signal indicative of the variations in a magnetic field which are induced by a rotation (R) of the target, and

a processing module configured to supply, from the raw signal, an output signal indicative of moments at which the teeth (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ) of the target pass past the cell,

said method comprising, for each new revolution (N) of the target and for each tooth (D j ):

determining a local minimum (m jN ) of the raw signal as a space preceding said tooth (D j ) passes past the cell,

determining a local maximum (M jN ) of the raw signal as said tooth (D j ) passes past the cell,

calculating a switching threshold (S jN ) for generating the output signal as a function of a local minimum (m j,N−1 ) and of a local maximum (M jN ) which are determined for said tooth (D j ) in a preceding revolution (N−1) of the target,

wherein the switching threshold (S jN ) is also calculated as a function of a corrective value (Δ k,N ) calculated as a function of a local maximum (M k,N ) of the raw signal determined during the passage of a preceding tooth (D k ) past the cell during the new revolution (N), and of a local maximum k (M k,N−1 ) of the raw signal determined during the passage of said preceding tooth (D k ) past the cell during a preceding revolution (N−1).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said corrective value (Δ k,N ) corresponds to a difference between the local maximum (M k,N−1 ) determined for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the preceding revolution (N−1) and the local maximum (M k,N ) determined for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the new revolution (N).

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said switching threshold (S j,N ) is calculated as a function of said corrective value (Δ k,N ) only if the corrective value (Δ k,N ) is above or equal to a predetermined correction threshold (ΔS).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a correction threshold is defined for each tooth (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ) and for each revolution of the target, and a correction threshold (ΔS k,N ) for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the new revolution (N) of the target is defined by:

Δ S k,N =(1− K )×( M k,N−1 −m k,N−1 )

where:

M k,N−1 corresponds to the value of the local maximum (M k,N−1 ) determined for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the preceding revolution (N−1),

m k,N−1 corresponds to the value of the local minimum (m k,N−1 ) for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the preceding revolution (N−1),

K is a predefined factor comprised between 0 and 1.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said switching threshold (S j,N ) is calculated according to:

S j,N =K× ( M j,N−1 −m j,N−1 −Δ k,N )+ m j,N−1

where:

Mj, N−1 corresponds to the value of the local maximum (M j,N−1 ) determined for said tooth (D j ) in the preceding revolution (N−1),

m k,N−1 corresponds to the value of the local minimum (m k,N−1 ) determined for said tooth (D j ) in the preceding revolution (N−1),

Δ k,N corresponds to the corrective value (Δ k,N ) calculated for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the new revolution (N).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein K is comprised between 0.7 and 0.8.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said corrective value (Δ k,N ) corresponds to a difference between an amplitude (A k,N−1 ) of the raw signal for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the preceding revolution (N−1) and an amplitude (A k,N ) of the raw signal for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the new revolution (N).

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said switching threshold is calculated as a function of said corrective value only if the corrective value is above or equal to a predetermined correction threshold.

9. A camshaft sensor for a motor vehicle engine,

comprising:

a toothed target comprising at least two teeth (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ),

a measurement cell configured to supply a raw signal indicative of the variations in a magnetic field which are induced by the rotation of the target, and

a processing module configured to supply, from the raw signal, an output signal indicative of moments at which the teeth (D 1 , D 1 , D 3 ) of the target pass past the cell,

said processing module being configured, for each new revolution (N) of the target and for each tooth (D j ), to:

determine a local minimum (m j,N ) of the raw signal as a space preceding said tooth (D j ) passes past the cell,

determine a local maximum (M j,N ) of the raw signal as the tooth (D j ) passes past the cell,

calculate a switching threshold (S j,N ) for generating the output signal as a function of a local minimum (m j,N−1 ) and of a local maximum (M j,N−1 ) which are determined for said tooth (D j ) in a preceding revolution (N−1) of the target,

wherein said processing module is also configured to calculate the switching threshold (S j,N ) as a function of a corrective value (Δ k,N ) calculated as a function of a local maximum (M k,N ) of the raw signal during the passage of a preceding tooth (D k ) past the cell during the new revolution (N), and of a local maximum (M k,N−1 ) during the passage of said preceding tooth (D k ) past the cell during a preceding revolution (N−1).

10. The sensor as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said corrective value (Δ k,N ) corresponds to a difference between a local maximum (M k,N−1 ) determined for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the preceding revolution (N−1) and a local maximum (M k,N ) determined for said preceding tooth (D k ) in the new revolution (N).

11. A motor vehicle comprising a camshaft sensor as claimed in claim 9 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 15, 2025
From: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH; CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE S.A.S.
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 071931/0711 →
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 22, 2021
From: BOUSCAREN, DENIS
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE; CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
Reel/Frame 057361/0619 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 1852953 · Apr 5, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210033428A1 · Feb 4, 2021