Process for determining operating conditions of a motor vehicle from the output signals of a sensor for a relevant operating variable

Claim 1

A process for determining operating conditions of a motor vehicle from information contained in a frequency spectrum of variable, alternating output signals of a sensor for a relevant variable of the vehicle indicative of operating conditions of the vehicle, said output signals being supplied directly to a pattern generator for generating a specific pattern representative of the operating condition of the vehicle from the information contained in the frequency spectrum of said output signal and parallel to this direct supply, the output signal being supplied to said pattern generator via an analyzer for analyzing a first relevant parameter of the information indicative of the operating conditions of the vehicle contained in the frequency spectrum of said output signals to provide an analyzed signal, said process comprising the steps of: analyzing via at least one additional analyzer an additional parameter of the information indicative of the operating conditions of the vehicle contained in the frequency spectrum of said output signals; supplying said additionally analyzed signal to said pattern generator in parallel to said directly supplied output signal and said analyzed signal; generating, in said pattern generator, an at least two-dimensional pattern characteristic of the operating conditions of the vehicle, a shape of said at least two-dimensional pattern being determined by a correlation of the information contained in the frequency spectrum of said output signals of said sensor and said analyzers; comparing said at least two-dimensional pattern with preset patterns representative of specific operating conditions of the vehicle, said preset patterns including patterns representative of the approach of a critical operating condition of the vehicle; and providing an indicating measure when preset patterns representative of a critical operating condition of the vehicle are approached by said at least two-dimensional pattern.