EP0661679A1 - Verfahren zum Einstellen von einem Alarmmodul, insbesondere von einem Ultraschall-Alarmmodul und Alarmmodul zur Anwendung dieses Verfahrens, insbesondere in einem Kraftfahrzeug - Google Patents

Verfahren zum Einstellen von einem Alarmmodul, insbesondere von einem Ultraschall-Alarmmodul und Alarmmodul zur Anwendung dieses Verfahrens, insbesondere in einem Kraftfahrzeug Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0661679A1
EP0661679A1 EP94403027A EP94403027A EP0661679A1 EP 0661679 A1 EP0661679 A1 EP 0661679A1 EP 94403027 A EP94403027 A EP 94403027A EP 94403027 A EP94403027 A EP 94403027A EP 0661679 A1 EP0661679 A1 EP 0661679A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
alarm module
phase
ultrasonic
reception
signal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP94403027A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0661679B1 (de
Inventor
Didier Pedemas
Jean-Claude Pajonk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Valeo Electronique SA
Original Assignee
Valeo Electronique SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from FR9315759A external-priority patent/FR2727551A1/fr
Application filed by Valeo Electronique SA filed Critical Valeo Electronique SA
Publication of EP0661679A1 publication Critical patent/EP0661679A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0661679B1 publication Critical patent/EP0661679B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
    • G08B13/16—Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid
    • G08B13/1609—Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid using active vibration detection systems
    • G08B13/1618—Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid using active vibration detection systems using ultrasonic detection means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for adjusting an alarm module, in particular an ultrasonic alarm module, and an alarm module implementing such a method, in particular in a motor vehicle.
  • the state-of-the-art alarm devices include emitting means such as one or more emission transducers for emitting waves, for example ultrasonic waves, into the volume to be monitored. Depending on the size and shape of this volume, as well as those of the objects that may possibly be there, a standing wave regime is established inside this volume.
  • the principle of detecting intrusions into the volume to be monitored then consists in measuring the variations in the level of the envelope of the signal received on receiving means, such as one or more receiving transducers.
  • Said receiving means are connected to a detection member whose role is to detect these variations. Furthermore, it is necessary to amplify the received signal beforehand in order to make it usable by the detection member. This is why the alarm devices include an amplifier arranged between the receiving means and the detection member.
  • the adjustment of the sensitivity of the alarm device is done by adjusting the gain of this amplifier.
  • the setting is determined when the device is dimensioned as a function of standard data such as for example the theoretical level of the ultrasonic waves emitted and the overall volume of the passenger compartment of the vehicle to be protected.
  • the standing wave regime is not established in a completely frozen manner but is on the contrary a slowly variable stationary regime.
  • This variation depends mainly on climatic conditions such as the temperature inside the vehicle, which in particular depends on climatic conditions which are very variable from one use to another.
  • climatic conditions such as the temperature inside the vehicle, which in particular depends on climatic conditions which are very variable from one use to another.
  • the variation in the level of received ultrasonic waves which is induced by these various factors is of the order of one to twenty-five, the period of this variation possibly being of the order of a few minutes to many hours.
  • the major drawback of the type of adjustment described above lies in the fact that the standing wave regime established inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle depends on various factors which are, on the one hand, the dispersion of the characteristics of the transducers used both in transmission and in reception, on the other apart, variations in the volume of the passenger compartment due for example to the presence of objects on the rear shelf or to changes in the arrangement of the seats.
  • the variation in the level of received ultrasonic waves which is induced by these various factors is of the order of one to one hundred.
  • the gain of the reception amplifier of the device is automatically adjusted as a function of the level of ultrasonic waves received by the reception transducer.
  • the variations in the level of ultrasonic waves induced by a disturbance of the monitored volume are independent of the state of standing waves.
  • they are identical, whether the reception transducer is placed at a standing wave node, the gain of the reception amplifier then having a first determined value, or whether it is placed at a standing wave belly. , the gain of the amplifier then having a second determined value greater than said first value.
  • the sensitivity of the alarm device is not constant and depends on the same variation factors as those mentioned above concerning the level of ultrasonic waves received by the reception transducer.
  • the measurement phase is included, in the broad sense, in the reception phase.
  • the measurement phase begins at the end of a fourth determined time elapsed since the start of the reception phase.
  • the measurement phase ends at the end of the reception phase.
  • the adjustment step is provided at least when the alarm module is put on standby.
  • the present invention also relates to an alarm module implementing the adjustment method described above.
  • an alarm module such as an ultrasonic alarm module in particular for monitoring a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, of the type comprising a detection and control unit, emission means, and means for receiving ultrasonic waves, characterized in that said receiving means comprise a variable gain amplifier, the gain of which is adjusted according to the method described above.
  • the emission means comprise a periodic voltage generator admitting an inhibition command, and means emitting ultrasonic waves such as at least one emitting transducer such as an ultrasonic cell operating in transmitter mode.
  • the reception means comprise receiving means such as at least one receiving transducer such as an ultrasonic cell operating in receiver mode, a variable gain amplifier, a demodulator ensuring the demodulation of signal amplitude received and amplified, as well as a low-pass filter.
  • receiving means such as at least one receiving transducer such as an ultrasonic cell operating in receiver mode, a variable gain amplifier, a demodulator ensuring the demodulation of signal amplitude received and amplified, as well as a low-pass filter.
  • variable gain amplifier of the reception means comprises an adjustment input adapted to receive a signal for controlling its gain.
  • the detection and control unit is constituted by an integrated circuit such as a microcontroller or an asic.
  • the abscissa axis is the time axis while the ordinate axis represents the values of the level of the envelope of the ultrasonic signal received.
  • the standing wave regime is established in a determined manner.
  • the signal received by the reception means of the alarm module is processed by said means to extract its envelope.
  • This envelope is in the form of a periodic curve 10 reflecting the alternation of nodes 11 and bellies 12 of the standing wave regime.
  • the level of the envelope of the signal received by the reception means of the alarm module when these are placed at a standing wave node is of the order of twenty-five times this level A.
  • a variation in the volume of the passenger compartment due to a phenomenon such as, for example, an intrusion inside this volume, or a break-in by broken windows, as well as a shock occurring against the vehicle. and such as to modify the standing wave regime, produce a disturbance whose effect is a DELTA variation in the level of the envelope of the signal received by the reception means of the alarm module.
  • This variation in DELTA level is represented in FIG. 1 by blocks 13 and 14. It is independent of the presence of a knot or a belly of standing waves in front of the reception means of the alarm module, which is translated in FIG. 1 by an identical height for the blocks 13 and 14 which are located respectively at the node 11 and at the belly 12 of standing waves.
  • the sensitivity of the alarm module is adjusted as a function of the level of the envelope of the signal received by its reception means, the same disturbance, resulting in the same DELTA variation in the level of this envelope, will be perceived as being of different amplitude depending on the receiving means of the alarm module are placed at a standing wave node or that these are placed at a belly of standing waves.
  • it will be perceived, as the case may be, in the same ratio as the ratio of the levels of the envelope of the signal received when the receiving means of the alarm module are placed at a belly of standing waves and when these are are placed at a standing wave node, that is to say in a ratio of one to twenty-five in the case shown in Figure 1.
  • the first situation is represented by curve 21 on which the envelope level of the ultrasonic signal received by the receiver means of the alarm module is equal to a first determined value.
  • the second situation is represented by curve 22 on which the envelope level of the ultrasonic signal received by the receiver means of the alarm module is equal to a second determined value greater than said first value.
  • An identical disturbance of the volume of the passenger compartment, due to a phenomenon such as for example an intrusion inside this volume, or a break-in by broken windows, as well as a shock intervening against the vehicle and of a nature to modifying the standing wave regime produces a disturbance of different amplitude depending on whether the operating conditions of the module correspond to said first situation or to said second situation.
  • this disturbance results in a variation DELTA1 of the level of the envelope 21 of the signal received by the reception means of the alarm module.
  • this disturbance results in a DELTA2 variation in the level of the envelope 22 of the signal received by the reception means of the alarm module, the value of this DELTA2 variation being greater than the value of the aforementioned DELTA1 variation.
  • the ratio of the values of the variations DELTA1 and DELTA2 is proportional to the ratio of the first determined value and the second determined value of the average level of energy present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
  • adjustment phase R or adjustment step R a first phase or step, called adjustment phase R or adjustment step R, as shown in FIG. 3.
  • the means emitting ultrasonic waves are controlled to emit acoustic waves in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
  • the ultrasonic wave receiving means then receive an ultrasonic signal, the envelope of which is represented by the curve in FIG. 3.
  • the adjustment step is itself divided into several phases which are explained below in conjunction with the description of FIG. 4. In practice, this phase lasts only a few seconds.
  • the alarm device enters a second phase, called the monitoring phase S, which is the actual operating phase of the alarm device.
  • the means emitting ultrasonic waves emit continuously or intermittently, depending on whether the alarm device is continuously emitting or operates by alternating activations and deactivation of the means emitting ultrasonic waves.
  • the adjustment phase R and the monitoring phase S begin with a rise time tm corresponding to the establishment of the standing wave regime inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
  • the envelope level of the ultrasonic signal received by the means for receiving ultrasonic waves is equal to an Enormal value, which depends on the stationary state established in the area of the space where said ultrasound is located. means of reception. This level remains constant on the scale of the disturbances produced by the phenomena to be detected such as an intrusion, a shock, etc.
  • the adjustment phase R is represented from an instant after the establishment of the standing wave regime.
  • the level of the envelope of the ultrasonic signal received is equal to Enormal.
  • the portion of the corresponding curve is referenced 31 in FIG. 4.
  • the transmission phase ends after a first determined time Te.
  • the means for transmitting ultrasonic waves are then deactivated and the device enters a second phase known as the reception phase.
  • the standing wave regime is broken and the acoustic energy present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle is no longer maintained, since the emission of ultrasonic waves is cut off.
  • the level of the envelope of the ultrasonic signal received by the reception means therefore evolves freely until this signal disappears.
  • This evolution essentially depends on the characteristics of the volume monitored and the level of energy present in the vehicle, such as during the emission phase where the standing wave regime was established.
  • the reception phase itself comprises a sub-phase, called the measurement phase, which corresponds to a time interval Tm, included in the time interval Tr that the reception phase lasts, during which the level of the envelope of the received ultrasonic signal is analyzed to extract the maximum value Emax and the minimum value Emin.
  • the measurement phase begins after a determined time To, for example equal to a few milliseconds after the start of the reception phase, that is to say also after the deactivation of the means for emitting ultrasonic waves.
  • This time interval To is a delay provided before the start of the measurement, which is intended to guarantee that said measurement is made under real conditions of rupture with respect to the prior standing wave regime.
  • the measurement phase ends at the same time as the reception phase.
  • an adjustment and detection unit comprises means for reading and saving the maximum value Emax and the minimum value Emin of the envelope level of the ultrasonic signal received.
  • the portion of curve 32 representing the evolution of this level during the measurement phase indeed has a maximum point 33 and a minimum point 34 corresponding to said maximum levels Emax and minimum Emin.
  • the maximum level Emax can be higher than the Enormal level received during the transmission phase, because the Enormal level is dependent on the standing wave regime established in the area of the space where the means for receiving ultrasonic waves are located. and can correspond to any point of the curve of figure 2.
  • the difference Emoy between the maximum level Emax and the minimum level Emin recorded during the measurement phase constitutes on the other hand a quantity representative of the average energy present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In particular, this quantity is independent of the stationary state established during the transmission phase.
  • this quantity takes into account the actual operating conditions of the alarm device on each standby, in particular those relating to the operating characteristics of the means for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, as well as to the arrangements from inside the vehicle.
  • the quantity Emoy is therefore a quantity usable for adjusting the gain of the reception amplifier because it provides an adjustment criterion guaranteeing constant sensitivity in all circumstances.
  • a detection and control unit 40 is connected to reception means 42 via an MES measurement input and a gain gain control GAIN output of an amplifier 47 of said means reception 42.
  • the detection and control unit is also connected to transmission means 41 by an INHIB output for inhibiting said emission means 41.
  • the emission means 41 are constituted by a generator 43 of periodic electric voltage, for example of a sinusoidal voltage at a frequency for example equal to 40 kHz, and by means emitting ultrasonic waves 44, such as at least an emitting transducer like an ultrasonic cell operating in emission mode.
  • One of the terminals of the transmitter transducer 44 is connected to the generator 43 while the other of its terminals is connected to the electrical ground of the circuit.
  • the transmitter transducer 44 is placed in the space to be monitored, such as the passenger compartment of a vehicle, and performs the transformation of the electrical energy received from the generator 43 into acoustic energy which is thus diffused inside the vehicle interior.
  • the generator 43 is adapted to receive an inhibition signal coming from the detection and control unit 41 whose effect is to cut the emission of acoustic energy in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
  • This inhibition signal is in particular transmitted by the detection and control unit throughout the duration Te of the reception phase described above.
  • the amplifier 47 is intended to amplify the signal received by the receiving means 46 in order to make it usable by the rest of the receiving means 42, in particular by the demodulator 45.
  • the gain adjustment of this amplifier makes it possible to control the sensitivity of the alarm device according to the method of the invention.
  • the amplifier 47 has an input for adjusting its gain which is adapted to receive a reference signal generated by the GAIN output of the detection and control unit 40.
  • the low-pass filter 49 makes it possible to eliminate the demodulation residues.
  • the low-pass filter is carried by the voltage multiplier 48. This is for example a multiplier by two, that is to say an amplifier whose gain is equal to two , and has a low-pass filtering stage.
  • the envelope signal thus extracted is sent to the measurement input MES of the detection and adjustment unit.
  • the detection and control unit 40 includes input means (not shown), such as an analog / digital converter, for acquiring the envelope signal of the ultrasonic wave signal in a form that can be used for it.
  • input means such as an analog / digital converter
  • the detection and control unit is constituted by a microcontroller controlled by an internal program.
  • the gain control signal delivered by the GAIN output of the detection and control unit 40 is delivered in the form of a train of rectangular pulses of fixed frequency, the duty cycle of which is variable and carries l gain setting information.
  • the gain control signal is transmitted in this form to the REG control input of the variable gain amplifier 47 which includes suitable means such as a low-pass filter (not shown) to transform it into analog information. such as a voltage, directly usable for controlling the gain of the amplifier.
  • suitable means such as a low-pass filter (not shown) to transform it into analog information. such as a voltage, directly usable for controlling the gain of the amplifier.
  • variable gain amplifier any type of variable gain amplifier can be used.
  • the variable gain amplifier is voltage controllable.
  • Other types of order the amplifier can be envisaged, for example a current command.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)
EP19940403027 1993-12-28 1994-12-27 Verfahren zum Einstellen von einem Alarmmodul, insbesondere von einem Ultraschall-Alarmmodul und Alarmmodul zur Anwendung dieses Verfahrens, insbesondere in einem Kraftfahrzeug Expired - Lifetime EP0661679B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9315759A FR2727551A1 (fr) 1993-12-28 1993-12-28 Procede de reglage d'un module d'alarme en particulier d'un module d'alarme a ultrasons, et un module d'alarme mettant en oeuvre un tel procede, notamment dans un vehicule automobile
FR9315759 1993-12-28
FR9401135A FR2727552B1 (fr) 1993-12-28 1994-02-02 Procede de reglage d'un module d'alarme en particulier d'un module d'alarme a ultrasons, et un module d'alarme mettant en oeuvre un tel procede, notamment dans un vehicule automobile
FR9401135 1994-02-02

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0661679A1 true EP0661679A1 (de) 1995-07-05
EP0661679B1 EP0661679B1 (de) 1999-10-06

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19940403027 Expired - Lifetime EP0661679B1 (de) 1993-12-28 1994-12-27 Verfahren zum Einstellen von einem Alarmmodul, insbesondere von einem Ultraschall-Alarmmodul und Alarmmodul zur Anwendung dieses Verfahrens, insbesondere in einem Kraftfahrzeug

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0661679B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69421054T2 (de)
ES (1) ES2139725T3 (de)
FR (1) FR2727552B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10100806A1 (de) * 2001-01-10 2002-07-11 Delphi Tech Inc System und Verfahren zur Überwachung eines von Wänden umschlossenen Raumes

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2050022A (en) * 1979-05-02 1980-12-31 Moser M Intruder Alarm
EP0482401A1 (de) * 1990-10-23 1992-04-29 Kabelwerke Reinshagen GmbH Verfahren zur Ultraschallüberwachung von Räumen, insbesondere bei Fahrzeugen
EP0572302A1 (de) * 1992-05-26 1993-12-01 Valeo Electronique Alarmsystem und -verfahren mittels einer Analyse des Signals eines Sensors

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2050022A (en) * 1979-05-02 1980-12-31 Moser M Intruder Alarm
EP0482401A1 (de) * 1990-10-23 1992-04-29 Kabelwerke Reinshagen GmbH Verfahren zur Ultraschallüberwachung von Räumen, insbesondere bei Fahrzeugen
EP0572302A1 (de) * 1992-05-26 1993-12-01 Valeo Electronique Alarmsystem und -verfahren mittels einer Analyse des Signals eines Sensors

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69421054D1 (de) 1999-11-11
FR2727552A1 (fr) 1996-05-31
DE69421054T2 (de) 2000-02-03
ES2139725T3 (es) 2000-02-16
FR2727552B1 (fr) 1997-01-10
EP0661679B1 (de) 1999-10-06

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