Patent ID: 7493702

Claim:
A method of automatically controlling tilt (α) of a tilt device ( 1 ), comprising the steps of: providing at least one electronic tilt sensor ( 2 ) based on a gravitational force (G); providing a tilt control device ( 5 ) for controlling the tilt (α); carrying out an automatic tilt control step ( 7 ) of the tilt (α) with the tilt control device ( 5 ) in accordance with signals generated by the electronic tilt sensor ( 2 ); carrying out a sensor test step ( 8 ) in response to a test initiation signal ( 15 ); performing a linearity test step in which the tilt of the tilt device ( 1 ) is changed infinitesimally in a measurement step ( 10 ) by the tilt control device ( 5 ); performing a subsequent comparison step ( 11 ) for determining and comparing the associated measured value change (δFα) of the tilt measurement value (Fα); and preventing the automatic tilt control step ( 7 ) from being carried out in response to an error signal (Θ) generated upon detecting a malfunction during the sensor test step.