Control device for a motor vehicle having an input equipped for processing signals of different types of sensors

1. A control device ( 42 ) for use in a motor vehicle, said control device ( 42 ) comprising:

at least one input that includes an input port ( 12 ), at least one input channel ( 20 , 38 ), and an input circuitry ( 43 ) and receives signals from a sensor ( 10 , 34 ) via said input port ( 12 ) and sends said signals via said input circuitry ( 43 ) to said input channel ( 20 , 38 ), wherein said input port ( 12 ) is connected to a defined voltage via a resistor and said input circuitry ( 43 ) has a pull-up resistor ( 36 ), a pull-down resistor ( 26 ), a pull-up switch ( 44 ) connected in series with said pull-up resistor ( 36 ) and that can be actuated by said control device ( 42 ), which controls connection of said input port ( 12 ) to a high voltage, and a pull-down switch ( 46 ) connected in series with said pull-down resistor ( 26 ) and that can be actuated by said control device ( 42 ), which controls connection of said input port ( 12 ) to a low voltage.

2. A control device ( 42 ) as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said control device ( 42 ) controls said pull-up switch ( 44 ) via a separate digital port ( 48 ) controlled by a microcomputer ( 24 ) and said pull-down switch ( 46 ) via a separate digital port ( 50 ) controlled by said microcomputer ( 24 ).

3. A control device ( 42 ) as set forth in claim 2 , wherein when one of said pull-up and pull-down switches ( 44 , 46 ) is closed, other of said pull-up and pull-down switches ( 44 , 46 ) is opened.

4. A control device ( 42 ) as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said pull-up and pull-down switches ( 44 , 46 ) are either of complimentary field-effect transistors and complimentary bi-polar transistors and said control device ( 42 ) controls said pull-up and pull-down switches ( 44 , 46 ) via said input port ( 12 ).

5. A control device ( 42 ) as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said input circuitry ( 43 ) connects both an analog input channel ( 20 ) and digital input channel ( 38 ) of a central region ( 16 ) of said control device ( 42 ) with said input port ( 12 ).

6. A control device ( 42 ) as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said pull-up and pull-down switches ( 44 , 46 ) are implemented via a digital port with an existing high-side switch and low-side switch.

7. A method for adapting a control device ( 42 ) to a sensor ( 10 , 34 ) that is to be connected to the control device ( 42 ), wherein the control device ( 42 ) is for use in a motor vehicle and includes at least one input that has an input port ( 12 ), at least one input channel ( 20 , 38 ), and an input circuitry ( 43 ) and receives signals from the sensor ( 10 , 34 ) via the input port ( 12 ) and sends the signals via the input circuitry ( 43 ) to the input channel ( 20 , 38 ), wherein said method comprises a step of:

connecting the input port ( 12 ) to a defined voltage via a resistor either by a first pull-up switch ( 44 ) that can be actuated by the control device ( 42 ) controlling connection of the input port ( 12 ) to a high voltage and a second pull-down switch ( 46 ) that can be controlled by the control device ( 42 ) controlling connection of the input port ( 12 ) to a low voltage;

closing the pull-down switch ( 46 );

opening the pull-up switch ( 44 );

checking whether a constant DC voltage “U” is at an input channel ( 20 ) and a value of the voltage “U” lies in an acceptable range of Uu<U<Uo;

saving that an analog sensor ( 10 ) is connected to the input port ( 12 ) when the voltage “U” is at the input channel ( 20 ) and the value of the voltage “U” lies in the acceptable range of Uu<U<Uo; and

selecting software structures for analysis of signals of the analog sensor ( 10 ).

8. A method for adapting a control device ( 42 ) to a sensor ( 10 , 34 ) that is to be connected to the control device ( 42 ), wherein the control device ( 42 ) is fix use in a motor vehicle and includes at leas input that has an input port ( 12 ), at leas one input channel ( 20 , 38 ), and an input circuitry ( 43 ) and receives signals from the sensor ( 10 , 34 ) via the input port ( 12 ) and sends the signals via the input circuitry ( 43 ) to the input channel ( 20 , 38 ), wherein said method comprises a step of:

connecting the input port ( 12 ) to a defined voltage via a resistor either by a first pull-up switch ( 44 ) that can be actuated by the control device ( 42 ) controlling connection of the input port ( 12 ) to a high voltage and a second pull-down switch ( 46 ) that can be controlled by the control device ( 42 ) controlling connection of the input port ( 12 ) to a low voltage;

closing the pull-down switch ( 46 );

opening the pull-up switch ( 44 );

checking whether a constant DC voltage “U” is at an input channel ( 20 ) and a value of the voltage “U” lies in an acceptable range of Uu<U<Uo;

saving that an analog sensor ( 10 ) is connected to the input port ( 12 ) when the voltage “U” is at the input channel ( 20 ) and the value of the voltage “U” lies in the acceptable range of Uu<U<Uo;

selecting software structures for analysis of signals of the analog sensor ( 10 );

deactivating a pull-down current path through an opening of the pull-down switch ( 46 );

activating a pull-up current pad through a closing of the pull-up switch ( 44 );

checking whether a signal with a plausible frequency for a PWM sensor is applied to the input port ( 12 );

saving information that the PWM sensor ( 34 ) is connected to the input port ( 12 ) if the PWM sensor ( 34 ) is connected to the input port ( 12 ); and

selecting software structures for analysis of signals of the PWM sensor ( 34 ).