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Vehicles today are often fitted with a number of inertial sensors which have different specifications and come from different suppliers but which measure the same inertial signals - angular rate and acceleration. Integration of these sensor elements into new or existing ECUs could reduce the number of sensors, bringing cost benefits without a deterioration in system performance. This paper will discuss this development, the requirements it places upon sensor elements and how these challenges can best be met. An assessment of current sensor elements and their suitability for use in different integration strategies completes the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focus is pointed on the ConnectedDrive Context Server (CDCS), a central server component managing the situational context of an automotive human-machine-interaction, that is capable of providing key functionalities for a flexible prototyping process in the development and evaluation of "intelligent" vehicle behaviour. The main features are an object-oriented, shared knowledge management database and both generic, flexible I/O and knowledge analysis interfaces, offering a high compatibility for the connection to existing applications and for the implementation of intelligent reasoning algorithms. Our prototyping architecture is currently used in the development and evaluation of several context aware applications like a context-sensitive lane departure warning system (LDWS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk micromachining from VTI Technologies Oy is well known for excellent performance especially for low-g measurements. The latest development of VTI 3D - MEMS has combined higher aspect ratios reached with deep reactive ion etching with those bulk structures. This has allowed shrinking the die size of sensing elements in combination with even better performance than earlier generation of accelerometers and inclinometers. Parallel to this dedicated integrated circuits have been developed in a way that better and more precise signal conditioning and highly advanced safety features were possible in the same die. This has provided an excellent tool box for failure detection that enables latest automotive application to come along with a minimum amount of physical sensors; so called sensor fusion. Accurate inclination measurement opens various possibilities for improved or new functionality and applications in a vehicle from Hill Start Aid through headlamp levelling to improved navigation. Improved performance of sensors facilitates usage of higher range sensors also as a high performance inclinometer, enabling sensor fusion, adding new applications without increased system cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapidly developing silicon-based sensor technology also necessitates new material solutions in the field of silicon wafers. Combined with the constantly accelerating product cycles, this means that new sensors need to be launched cost-effectively and quickly. Collaboration between the material supplier and the customer must be seamless and continuous in order to be able to avoid unnecessary business risks. Traditional sensor technologies are now joined by high aspect ratio (HAR) structures that enable the products' cost-effectiveness to be improved even further, as the method makes allowances for small sensors and large wafer sizes, and is mostly compatible with the technology used in the manufacture of semiconductors. HAR technology also enables full advantage to be taken of the possibilities presented by SOI: in the manufacture of SOI wafers, it is possible to introduce tailored buried structures in the wafer. This opens up new vistas in terms of manufacturing high-performance sensors that integrate multiple functions. This presentation focuses on SOI technology that enables HAR structures with DRIE processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the product lines for automotive MEMS gyroscopes for the applications ESP®, roll-over detection for airbag systems, and navigation systems by describing their silicon micromachining technology, working principle, and packaging technology. In each of these technology areas, important progress has been made in the past decade which enabled a very broad market acceptance for MEMS gyroscope sensors. Additionally, we discuss important future trends of MEMS gyroscopes that arise due to changing system requirements and due to the impact of upcoming non-automotive applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) resonators have been investigated for over forty years but have never delivered the high performance and low cost required of commercial oscillators. Limiting factors have been temperature drift, long term stability, susceptibility to vibration, manufacturability, and low cost back end packaging. These requirements have now been met by SiTime's MEMS First™ wafer-level encapsulation technology combined with a system architecture using modern phase lock loop (PLL) technology combined with a high performance CMOS signal conditioning chip with integral temperature sensor to compensate for frequency offset and temperature drift. SiTime's MEMS and CMOS chips are manufactured in state of the art CMOS fabrication facilities and can be packaged with any semiconductor packaging technology such as plastic molding, flip chip, MCM and SIP. The resulting silicon MEMS oscillators outperform existing quartz solutions in various aspects such as reliability, robustness, small size, and system integration; and are suitable for most automotive and commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proposed EU regulation requires the automotive industry to develop technologies that will substantially decrease the risk for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians when hit by a vehicle. Automatic brake assist systems, activated by a suitable sensor, will reduce the speed of the vehicle before the impact. Far InfraRed (FIR) detectors are ideal candidates for such sensing systems. In order to enable high volume serial installation, the main development must be focused on cost reduction. Optimizing all aspects of the system, including sensor size, production yield and 3D wafer level vacuum packaging will lower today's "high end" FIR product costs by an order of magnitude. A low-cost FIR infrared bolometer is developed in the Eureka labeled PIMS (Pedestrian Injury Mitigation System) project. In the paper the background and the actual design of the first demonstrator to be finished in 2008 are described in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent concepts to reduce the current consumption of direct battery based TMPS are mandatory in order to fulfil the OEM requirements for lifetime, operating temperature range and batterysize/weight. In this paper an overview of standard TMPS applications and developments towards a reduced current consumption through intelligent low-power management will be presented. Overall goal is the reduction of the battery size and in a second phase the replacement of primary batteries by an energy harvesting concept. Therefore, different vibration harvesting concepts have been evaluated and will be discussed in view of possible TPMS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controlling units in safety, powertrain, comfort and networked vehicle application are speeding up to more and more complex systems. These systems have to survive long-term operation in a harsh environment, where humidity, vibration and, over all, high temperatures will impact reliability. On top of that, temperature and lifetime requirements are increasing, while materials, components and processes are still limited to their environmental conditions. Additional the market asks for zero ppm failure rates, extended warranty and decreasing development time. More reliable electronic systems with high integrated functionality within a shorter period of development time, new methods/models for reliability of components and materials and lifetime prediction are necessary. Understanding about failure mechanism is one essential topic for accelerated test methods, end of life prediction and decreasing testing time. A promising vision is the decreasing of development time using virtual qualification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive safety systems have contributed very much in reducing injuries or fatalities related from vehicle accidents for the last decades. Passive restraint systems such as belts and airbags have reached an installation rate of almost 100%, providing an optimum of protection for the vehicle occupants. A further increase of road traffic safety requires also new generations of sensing systems. The systems shall also be capable to address the area of passive safety and active safety. With this type of sensing systems relevant data is collected in the surrounding of the vehicle. By combining this primary data with additional data from the vehicle, e.g. vehicle speed, steering angle, driver interaction etc. it is possible to activate non-reversible restraint devices for occupant protection as well as pedestrian protection systems. The system is also used to support braking functions to reduce the stopping distance of a vehicle. At low speeds a crash can most likely be avoided, even an automatic emergency braking would be possible with this type of systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Car Telematics systems are becoming the mobile communications platform of choice for cars and trucks. The availability of brilliant, high-resolution TFT-LCD displays, up to 1280x480 pixels and realtime camera systems up to VGA at 60 fps are providing increased capabilities for navigation, office-like tasks and communication, and automated driving options i.e. lane departure warning, obstacle detection, sign recognition, blind spot detection or parking assistance. APIX, Inova Semiconductors' new automotive Pixel link, is uniquely designed to overcome the bandwidth-distance limitations of the physical layers of today's automotive multimedia links. The new 1 Gbit/s link just needs two copper wires (or four wires for bidirectional functionality) to connect displays or cameras with their respective processing units up to 15 m or more. Thus the new link has the potential to enable new driver assistance systems to increase the throughput and to reduce connectivity cost, cable weight and cable diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a number of architectural security solutions based upon concrete hardware components such as customized security controllers, trusted platform modules (TPMs), "security boxes", FPGAs and ASICs. We analyze benefits and disadvantages of each solution proposed in terms of physical and cryptographic security, costs, needed and achievable performance. We also discuss the consequences of the solutions with respect to several wide-spread security applications including immobilizer systems, component identification, software flashing, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical markets for high pressure sensors are common rail diesel, gasoline direct injection (GDI), transmission, oil pressure and brake application with their variety from medium up to high pressure ranges like 35, 70, 200, 260, 1800 up to 3000 bar. These markets require a simple, cost-efficient, reliable and robust concept. Target of the development was a pressure sensor with a minimized number of parts and the usage of state of the art processes for manufacturing. Furthermore, the advanced feature of a stainless steel membrane in harsh environment and a wide application specific flexibility in the mechanical and electrical connector design was also the objective. The pressure sensor designed by First Sensor Technology GmbH (FST) uses a special patented piezo-resistive monolithic sensor element for measuring the point stress on a steel diaphragm. The sensor works in a temperature range between -40°C and 140°C and has an accuracy of 1..3% depending on the temperature range. With this concept a pressure sensor with minimized outside dimensions has been developed, applicable for engine oil, diesel, transmission oil, gasoline and blend, carbon dioxide and other media in a pressure range between 35 bar and 3000 bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misfire detection systems are becoming increasingly important in automotive market due to recent environmental issues (Euro rules). An early misfire diagnosis also allows to prevent damages to the exhaust emission system and consequent costs for the user. Today few low cost methods exists in order to precisely detect single misfires in real time, the majority in fact require the use of expensive sensors (e.g. pressure sensors) or dedicated circuits (e.g. ionization current sensing). This work describes a method and electronic system capable of detecting misfires with good accuracy, using parameters such as the speed sensor signal, already available in commercial engines. The proposed method is exclusively based on the real time analysis of the crankshaft angular velocity and its variations. This is possible since each misfire event generates an abrupt perturbation of the crankshaft angular velocity, that can be detected using an appropriate signal processing algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional pedestrian protection systems utilizing contact- or noncooperative perception sensors are limited by uncertainties in target classification. Moreover, these systems offer no benefit in case of fully or partially hidden pedestrians like e.g. children hidden by cars. In this paper, we present a novel approach using cooperative sensor technology to overcome these drawbacks. Within the research project AMULETT, we are developing a cooperative sensor system to clearly classify and locate vulnerable road users. The system warns the driver in the early phase of a possible collision or is triggering collision mitigation strategies in case of unavoidable contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings an innovative approach to generate 3D scene views from real world data using a matrix range sensor and a 2D video sensor. Besides the enhanced visualization, combining 2D and 3D data provides also valuable information for object detection and recognition as well as for other image processing methods. The scope of this work includes a discussion on extracting good features from low resolution images, necessary for the system calibration. The registration process is based on a geometrical model which is derived from the calibration parameters of the cameras. Finally, a FPGAbased solution is provided, which generates the 3D scene on-the-fly. The proposed architecture achieves its maximum performance with a fully pipelined implementation from the raw data to the generated fusion coordinates, while limited hardware resources are consumed. In contrast to standard processor approaches, a significant performance boost is achieved with the FPGA architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many advanced driver assistant systems depend on a correct determination of the dynamic states of the host vehicle and of moving objects detected by environmental sensors. In order to estimate the correct position and orientation of tracked objects over ground, the movement of the host vehicle must be known precisely. The translation and the change of the yaw angle of the host vehicle during a short period of time are determined using integrated standard sensors, such as yaw rate, steering angle and wheel speed sensors. However, in extreme situations, such as skidding or wheel spin, the integrated sensors are not able to measure the host vehicle's real translation and rotation. In order to provide a valid position and orientation information even in these extreme situations especially for object tracking systems, stationary objects in the environment of the vehicle are detected by an automotive laser scanner and are used as landmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lidar ACC Stop&Go is an advanced driver assistance system that was recently introduced. The system is capable to handle a large set of driving situations. In this paper an extension to this driver assistance system using information from a digital map database is presented. The system behavior is improved and features are added by using an electronic horizon from the map data. Digital maps extend the range of the laserscanner with abstract information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution presents an overview of a whole detection and tracking system designed for supporting future smart ACC applications. The key system features are the usage of the latest signal processing and tracking algorithms addressing the major problems of today's available systems. The detection scheme based on sensor fusion of a multi-beam Lidar and a vision sensor is presented as well as a tracking algorithm fusing data from both sensors for refined state estimates and improved detection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The INTERSAFE project was created to generate an European approach to increase safety at intersections. A detailed accident analysis was carried out. Based on the derived relevant scenarios driver assistant functions are developed to support the driver in critical intersection situations. In addition evaluation and user test results of the Intersection Driver Warning System are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the road condition in front of a vehicle could prevent accidents and make technologies like electronic stability control (ESP) more efficient. By making three investigations of the classifications of the four road conditions dry asphalt, asphalt covered with water, ice and snow the possibility of a preview sensor is exploited. By measuring the reflectance from the different surfaces with a halogen light and an actual sensor (Road eye) in a laboratory surroundings the advantage and disadvantage are revealed. The sensor is also mounted in a Volvo truck for real-life condition measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tecnalia Automoción is working on new concepts for car cockpit components based on "Ambient Intelligence" (AmI) principles. Related to this concept, Tecnalia Automoción has developed a prototype of a sensorized active headrest to be placed maintaining desired horizontal and vertical safety distances to head and without pyrotechnical actuators which can cause injuries to the user. With the implementation of AmI based solutions like described above, the number of car sensors and actuators will grow up drastically, and more efficient control architectures will be needed. For this, Tecnalia Automoción is designing a networked solution with smart sensors and actuators integrating the IEEE 1451 standard group, initially to be applied to active headrest prototype. IEEE 1451 is a group of seven standards, some of them in revision phase, about smart transducers interface for sensors and actuators that they will let us to have more features in sensor-actuator side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased traffic safety depends on the differentiation in warning, steering actuation, braking interventions as well as the possible passive safety measures in critical situations. Continental built up a test vehicle to develop active safety measures based on radar and camera information. The system focuses on rear end collisions and uses next generation automotive CMOS camera and radar technology to avoid collisions or to reduce their impact severity. The paper describes the networking and the benefit of the additional information, generated by sensor fusion in emergency situations. Key aspects are changes in brake preparation and crash adaptation and the influence of the driver's behaviour, compared to conventional beam sensor based safety systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the opportunities for MEMS sensors components and what are the new market drivers. What are the opportunities for and current challenges facing MEMS suppliers, and what does this mean for the proportion of income invested in R&D? How does this affect the industry chain and how can suppliers stay on top? To answer these questions we look at market trends in the automotive sector and examine the changing level of involvement of systems and component manufacturers in MEMS along the automotive supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automotive applications are still driving new MEMS development for new applications. Pressure monitoring application is one of the very dynamic one in particular. This article highlights the evolution of the pressure monitoring sensors both at the component and module level. New product announcements have recently fragmented the product offer in two kinds: Hybrid modules vs. single die packaged modules. This change will strongly affect current player position. This paper will present market needs, status, and trends, to discuss which players will win the race. Starting with an historical reminder of TPM application, current OEM needs will be described followed by 2006 - 2010 market estimation. In particular, we will focus the discussion on the evolution of the s functions: which level of integration will s support. The final part of the presentation will highlight how the new TPM product offering will impact the industrial chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a High Temperature Floating Gate MOSFET Driver ASIC for on-the-engine Injector Control. The circuit was specifically designed for this harsh environment and has been realized using Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Technology. The first section describes the operation of the system sub-blocks: low- and high-side drivers, the current sense and the fault detector. In the second section, measurements show the proper operation of the circuit up to 225°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility to assess active safety measures for pedestrian protection is a prerequisite for the definition of reasonable driver assistance systems and their sensor need. The Verps+-index combines In-Depth accident data, driver models and vehicle tests in a new way. As an example, different brake assist strategies are analysed regarding their safety benefit for pedestrian protection. Additionally, requirements for the sensor system will be defined. Different sensing principles can be rated regarding their compliance to these requirements. It can be shown that by use of environmental sensors a brake assist strategy which keeps the driver in the loop already obtains remarkable safety benefits for pedestrians, while more advanced autonomous emergency braking strategies retrieve only limited additional performance. This means that mayor benefits in pedestrian protection can already be obtained by using "simpler" environmental sensors with reduced pedestrian recognition capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far Infrared (FIR) technology was originated a few decades ago in the military domain for its ability to detect any dissipation of heat, as this reveals not only the presence of moving threats or vehicles, but also of living creatures, including human beings, in a passive way, by daytime or night time, even in adverse conditions. More recently, FIR was found a valuable sensor to detect Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) in the automotive safety domain. After a first adaptation to VRU detection of typical FIR detection techniques used in the military domain, where most applications tend to rather concentrate on small objects at a great distance, we have also investigated more recent theoretical schemes, applying them to Far Infrared images. Candidate schemes include various learning methods, such as neural networks, support vector machine, boosting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the SAFELANE project is to develop a situation-adaptive system for enhanced lane keeping support. A prerequisite for lane keeping is reliable information of the vehicle environment. Especially the vehicle position within the lane and the course of the road ahead is important. This information is provided by the lane detection component. The lane tracker is mainly vision based but it is also supplemented by map, positioning and vehicle data. A high dynamic range camera provides the processing unit with image data. Measurement points of lane borders, calculated by a robust edge detection algorithm, are used to estimate a 3D clothoid model of the lane. A new approach for getting an initial lane model is introduced which can be dynamically adapted from map and positioning data. The detection is extended to the neighbour lanes and a lane markings type classifying component is added. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automotive safety functions are divided, on one hand, into passive and active safety according to a time factor before an accident or a critical situation could occur; on the other hand, they focus on single slices around the intelligent vehicle, even if more and more sensors are added to improve system accuracy. The paper proposes new integrated functions under INSAFES sub-project of PReVENT merging and harmonizing lateral and longitudinal support functions, collision mitigation protective functions and road users' protection systems. The advantage of INSAFES that is shown in the paper is that all functions share the same system resources — sensors and perception units — and trigger a given set of actuators and HMI controllers in order to communicate with the driver or intervene. The proposed system will be integrated and demonstrated in a passenger car and a truck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This publication focuses on a modular architecture for sensor data fusion regarding to research work of common interest related to sensors and sensor data fusion. This architecture will be based on an extended environment model and representation, consisting of a set of common data structures for sensor, object and situation refinement data and algorithms as well as the corresponding models. The aim of such research is to contribute to a measurable enhancement of the output performance provided by multi-sensor systems in terms of actual availability, reliability, accuracy and precision of the perception results. In this connection, investigations towards fusion concepts and paradigms, such as ‘redundant' and ‘complementary', as well as ‘early' and track-based sensor data fusion approaches, are conducted, in order to significantly enhance the overall performance of the perception system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 6th Framework Program of the European Commission, the Integrated Project PReVENT includes Intersection Safety. The INTERSAFE project was created to generate a European Approach to increase the safety at intersections. The project started on the 1st of February 2004 and will end in January 2007. The main objective of the INTERSAFE project is to improve safety and to reduce (in the long term avoid) fatal collisions at Intersections In order to identify the most relevant scenarios for accident prevention, a detailed accident analysis was carried out. Based on the scenarios and the driver mistakes derived from the accident analysis a basic functionality is described. It considers for example the time budget, which is available in order to warn the driver. The importance of these accidents leads to a deeper analysis of the scenarios. An in depth analysis of available data from reconstructed accidents in France and Germany show the central position of especially two accident types: Collisions with oncoming traffic while turning left andCollisions with crossing traffic while turning into or straight crossing an intersection. Additionally the importance of the actual right of way regulati0References leads to the consideration of traffic light controlled intersections. The specification of the key technology components like sensors and communication technologies will be derived from the given requirements. Altogether, about 60% — 72% of all accidents in intersections are covered directly by the selection of these three scenarios. The possible coverage of other comparable accidents needs further investigations. This paper will describe the INTERSAFE approach of intersection safety and discuss the functionality to avoid fatal accidents at intersections for the chosen scenarios in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces the ADAS Horizon concept and the first results from MAPS&ADAS project (PReVENT IP) of a standardized interface between ADAS applications and digital map data. As a predictive sensor called ADAS Horizon, in-vehicle digital maps are an important source of information providing look-ahead capability for ADAS applications and providing further information for on-board sensors to enhance environment perception. Therefore digital maps have large potential for road safety to enhance or enable preventive and active safety applications by extending driver horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PReVENT takes a first comprehensive step towards realising the vision of a safety zone around vehicles by means of complementary safety functions. The most critical accident scenarios are covered by the applications developed. The integration aspects of the project demonstrate a number of different applications on one platform and making a seamless time to collision horizon from tens of seconds down to zero. Due to the multi-causal nature of accidents and a certain randomness, safety systems with continuous alert and early warning are needed. The foundation for requirements are laid in the analysis of driver behaviour and accidents, followed by a definition of functions needed from a vehicle to prevent the accident from happening or mitigating its consequences. The requirements database was created and requirements were classified into six main categories. A common PReVENT architecture is presented and highlighted with a detailed description of a sub-project focusing on lateral safety applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIDE is an integrated project funded by the EC in the 6th Framework Programme. The project, which involves 30 partners including all major European vehicle manufacturers, deals with behavioural and technical issues related to automotive human-machine interface (HMI) design, with a particular focus on HMI integration and adaptation. The project involves tightly integrated empirical research, driver behaviour modelling and methodological- as well technological development. This paper provides an overview of the mid-term results achieved about half-way through the four-year project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MID (molded interconnect devices) technology provides selective metallization in three dimensions on injection molded thermoplastic substrates and housings. Different technologies can be used to metallize plastic parts. Automotive applications for MID technology are pressure and flow sensors for engine management, air conditioning and crash detection. MR (magnetoresistive) sensors precisely positioned in MID packages are used for motion and position detection. MID provides 3D-positioning of laser diodes and LED's (light emitting diodes) for applications varying from lighting to "adaptive cruise control". Tip switches e.g. for steering wheel can be realized on 3D-MID structures. They require reduced space and allow therefore the integration of more electronic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative packaging technologies and power aware design enable system shrinking considering automotive requirements. During the design process the coupling of very narrow positioned components and the interdependence of hardware, software, and packaging have to be considered. The relevant miniaturisation aspects are discussed on the exemplary application of a tire pressure monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]