WO2006114079A2

WO2006114079A2 - Energetically autonomous switching element without a line

Info

Publication number: WO2006114079A2
Application number: PCT/DE2006/000666
Authority: WO
Inventors: Herbert Gall; Jochen BÖTTCHER; Michael Mannigel
Original assignee: Eao Automotive Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2005-04-27
Filing date: 2006-04-15
Publication date: 2006-11-02
Also published as: WO2006114079A3; DE112006001763A5; EP1875527A2; DE102005020006A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an energetically autonomous switching element without a line, preferably for using inside motor vehicles. Said switching element comprises a radio emitter module which operates preferably in an ISM frequency band, the required energy of said module being preferably provided by a piezoelectric energy converter. The inventive switching element essentially consists of a housing containing an actuating element wherein an energy converter (1), an evaluation circuit and a microcontroller (3) form a structural unit, the microcontroller (3) being equipped only with a reset pin and at least one data memory, and comprising only one input and one output.

Description

Line-free self-powered switching element

The invention relates to a line-free energy self-sufficient switching element for preferably use in the interior of motor vehicles.

DE 102 56 156 A1 discloses an energy-autonomous electromechanical radio switch, which has at least one transducer element for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy and at least one actuation field for introducing the mechanical energy and at least one sensor for each actuation field for detecting the switching command and at least one Has electronics for generating and sending a radio signal and a mechanism for deflecting the forces introduced by the actuation field forces on the transducer element.

I

The disadvantage here is that additional sensors (mechanical buttons) for i detection of the switching command are required or for the evaluation of

Actuation direction are needed.

In DE 101 55 125 B4 a device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy is described with a piezoelectric transducer, wherein by a path reduction of the deformation of the deformation mechanism when storing the mechanical energy is greater than in the delivery of mechanical energy to the piezoelectric transducer, so that a force acting on the piezoelectric transducer force is achieved by the leverage effect, which is reinforced by the achieved by leveraging factor of Wegverkürzung. DE 101 03 952 A1 discloses a device for supplying energy, in particular a sensor, with a piezoelectric transducer which is deformable by a mechanical energy store and supplies a corresponding electrical voltage, in which the passive piezoelectric transducer is replaced by a deformation work delivered by the energy store is bendable, in which case the transducer is rod-shaped and its one end of the bar relative to another firmly held rod end, in particular in two opposite directions is bendable.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide an improvement for a line-free energy self-sufficient switching element.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that in a lead-free energy self-sufficient switching element with a radio transmitter module, an energy converter, an evaluation circuit and a microcontroller are arranged in the housing of the switching element with an actuating element in construction, wherein the microcontroller with only one reset pin and at least one data memory equipped with only one input and one output. The start triggering of the program sequence in the microcontroller is effected by the operating voltage applied as a result of the actuation of the energy converter.

The evaluation circuit for determining the actuation direction of the actuating element preferably consists of a series resistor and a Zener diode, wherein in one switching state a turn-on signal and in the other switching state a turn-off signal is generated and the input (IN) of the microcontroller is supplied.

As one of the main advantages of this solution according to the invention is to mention that the energy converter not only, as in the known products, the power generation, but also for switching signal generation and status determination whether the switching element is pressed or released. A further advantage is that due to the simultaneous use of the energy converter for power supply and for generating the switching signal can be dispensed with the use of further mechanical probe for detecting the switching state and thus the disadvantages of the mechanically actuated button disadvantages can be excluded.

Advantageous developments and refinements of the invention can be seen from the remaining dependent claims and from the embodiment described in principle below with reference to the drawings.

Show it

FIG. 1 shows an illustration of the basic principle of the line-free switching element;

Figure 2 is an illustration of the block diagram of the line-free switching element.

FIG. 1 shows a representation of the basic principle of the line-free switching element.

For the structural design of a circuit-free switching element, which is to be used in the interior of a motor vehicle, a combination of an energy converter 1, preferably a piezoelectric transducer, for self-sufficient energy supply and electromagnetic signal transmission in the 868 MHz SRD band is selected.

When actuated, the piezoelectric transducer 1 actuated via an actuating element generates a specific amount of energy, which is converted by a voltage converter 2 into a form suitable for the microcontroller 3 and for the HF module 4. By evaluating the pulse shape of the generated - A -

Voltage, the microcontroller 3 if necessary between the states "actuator pressed" or "released" differ. This also applications can be realized in which the switching function of devices on the operating duration of the actuating element is dependent.

After actuation of the actuating element and the associated power supply and generation of the on or off signal, the microcontroller 3 generates a stored in the memory transmission message with a unique identifier, and the on or off information.

This transmission telegram is then modulated in the RF module 4 and sent via the interface (antenna) 5.

In order to increase the transmission reliability, it is possible to transmit the transmission telegram several times in very short time intervals in succession.

The use of the 868 MHz SRD band for data transmission offers an advantage over other frequency bands released for public use. The advantage is a fixed duty cycle of 1%, i. with an assumed telegram transmission time of approx. 3 to 4 ms, including 2 repetitions, the switching element can be actuated up to 9000 times per hour.

The duty cycle reduces mutual interference to a minimum. Due to the very short transmission telegrams, many transmitters can be operated in one radio cell without the probability of collision increasing.

The use, for example, of a 32-bit identifier allows the receiving modules to differentiate between 2 ³² transmitters, ie 4,295 billion transmitters be differentiated. This means that with about 20 switching elements per motor vehicle, over 214 million vehicles can be operated with circuit-free switching elements in the same frequency band.

The information of the transmission telegram is assigned in a downstream control unit, which is located outside of the switching element according to the invention, various switching functions. For example, the on / off function or a time-dependent switching function are possible.

The realization of the aforementioned constructive solution of a line-free switching element for the interior of motor vehicles is carried out according to the block diagram of Figure 2.

By pressing the actuating element of the piezoelectric transducer 1 is actuated and generates a positive pulse, which is passed through a rectifier circuit. The downstream "step-down" voltage regulator 9 regulates the voltage to a required for the microcontroller 3 and the RF module 4 operating voltage of 5 volts and charges a capacitor 8.

After provision of the operating voltage, the microcontroller 3 performs a hardware reset and restarts the program.

The generated by the piezoelectric transducer 1 positive pulse is simultaneously on a

Voltage limiting, consisting of the series resistor 6 and the diode 7 is supplied to the input IN of the microcontroller 3. Through the diode 7, it is possible to recognize the on / off status, since at a positive pulse (pressing the actuator) at the input IN is an H level; in the case of a negative pulse (release of the actuating element), an L level is present at the input IN.

The microcontroller 3 queries the program flow from the level at the input IN. Then the microcontroller 3 transmits the transmission telegram consisting of the identifier and the on or off information via the output OUT to the RF module 4.

The RF module 4 modulates the transmission telegram with an intended ASK modulation and transmits it by means of an antenna 5.

When releasing the actuator, the above-described processes take place analogously.

The program of the microcontroller 3 must contain the following program execution points:

• Initialization of input and output, as well as the reset pin;

• Level query of input IN;

• Generation of the send telegram, consisting of a 32-bit identifier stored in the data memory and the on / off status; • Output of the send telegram to the RF module 4, including a repetition twice.

The design of the antenna 5 could be done directly as a circuit on the board, which gives the possibility to save costs and space.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

energy converters

2 - Voltage transformer

3 - processor

4 - RF module

5 - antenna

6 - series resistor

7 - Zener diode

8 - capacitor

9 - Voltage regulator 10 - Rectifier

Claims

claims

1. Line-free energy self-sufficient switching element with a radio transmitter module, which preferably operates in an ISM frequency band, the energy required is preferably provided by a piezoelectric energy converter, the generated by an operation, actuation (direction) dependent voltage pulse fed to a known voltage converter and in a DC voltage is converted, which serves for the supply of a microcontroller and the transmission module, characterized in that in the housing of the switching element with an actuating element in the unit an energy converter, an evaluation circuit and a microcontroller are arranged, wherein the microcontroller (3) with only one reset Pin and at least one data memory is equipped and has only one input and one output.

2. line-free energy self-sufficient switching element according to claim 1, characterized in that the start triggering of the program flow in the microcontroller (3) by the operation of the energy converter (1) applied operating voltage.

3. line-free energy self-sufficient switching element according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation circuit for determining the actuation direction of

Actuating element e.g. / Preferably, a series resistor (6) and a Zener diode (7), wherein in a switching state, a switch-on and in the other switching state, a switch-off signal is generated and the input (IN) of the microcontroller (3) is supplied.