Method and device for monitoring the functioning of a system

• US 20030023405A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Loehr, Diethard, Strommer, Axel
• Granted Patent: US 6,856,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 with electrical assistance or drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A method of monitoring the functioning of a system by checking input signals, output signals, and functions of the system is provided. The system may have lower-level subsystems or may be a component of a higher-level system. The system has hardware components, including sensors, actuators, and/or function computers. A flexible structure, applicable to various systems to be monitored, is provided for the monitoring method. This monitoring method is structured into multiple decentralized monitoring functions provided in the individual functions of the system for monitoring the functioning of the individual functions, and structured into at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance for coordinating the monitoring functions.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a functioning of a system, the system one of including a lower-level subsystem and being a component of a higher-level system, the system further including hardware components, including at least one of sensors, actuators and function computers, the method comprising:

checking input signals, output signals, and functions of the system;

providing a plurality of decentralized monitoring functions in individual ones of the functions of the system for monitoring a functioning of the individual ones of the functions of the system; and

providing at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance for coordinating the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions are organized into hierarchical structures.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a higher-level monitoring function of the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions queries the status of the input signals in a lower-level monitoring function of the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing substitute measures if the functioning of the system is faulty, the substitute measures being freely configurable for a respective faulty function.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing substitute measures if the functioning of the system is faulty, the substitute measures being performed in closest possible proximity to a respective one of the functions of the system that has been determined to be faulty by an assigned one of the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance coordinates an administration of a fault memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance one of requests and queries a status of monitoring in individual ones of the multiple decentralized monitoring functions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance relays a status of monitoring of individual ones of the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions to a diagnostic tester unit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance makes available an interface for connecting a diagnostic testing unit for targeted triggering of individual components of the system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions locally detect relevant local ambient data for individual ones of the functions of the system, and the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions relay the relevant local ambient data to the at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance centrally detects global ambient data and stores the global ambient data and a detected fault in a fault memory.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein administration of the fault memory includes writing and reading entries into the fault memory.

12. A method of monitoring a functioning of a system, the system one of including a lower-level subsystem and being a component of a higher-level system, the system further including hardware components, including at least one of sensors, actuators and function computers, the method comprising:

checking input signals, output signals, and functions of the system;

monitoring a functioning of individual ones of the functions of the system in a plurality of decentralized monitoring functions, the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions being provided in the individual ones of the functions of the system; and

coordinating the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions in at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance.

13. A memory element for a device for monitoring a functioning of a system, the system one of including a lower-level subsystem and being a component of a higher-level system, the system further including hardware components, including at least one of sensors, actuators and function computers, the memory element comprising:

a memory storage arrangement to store a computer program executable on a computer, the computer program operable to perform the following steps;

checking input signals, output signals, and functions of the system,

providing a plurality of decentralized monitoring functions in individual ones of the functions of the system for monitoring a functioning of the individual ones of the functions of the system, and

providing at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance for coordinating the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions.

18. The memory element of claim 13, wherein the memory storage arrangement includes at least one of a read-only memory, a random access memory, and a flash memory.

19. The memory element of claim 13, wherein the computer includes a microprocessor.

14. A computer program for execution on a computer, comprising:

a program fragment operable to perform the following steps when executed on the computer;

checking input signals, output signals, and functions of a system, the system one of including a lower-level subsystem and being a component of a higher-level system, the system further including hardware components, including at least one of sensors, actuators and function computers,

providing a plurality of decentralized monitoring functions in individual ones of the functions of the system for monitoring a functioning of the individual ones of the functions of the system, and

providing at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance for coordinating the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the computer program is stored at a memory element.

20. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the computer includes a microprocessor.

16. A device for monitoring the functioning of a system, the system one of including a lower-level subsystem and being a component of a higher-level system, the system further including hardware components, including at least one of sensors, actuators and function computers, the device comprising:

a checking arrangement to check input signals, output signals, and functions of the system;

a monitoring arrangement for providing a plurality of decentralized monitoring functions in individual ones of the functions of the system for monitoring a functioning of the individual ones of the functions of the system; and

at least one higher-level, functions-overreaching monitoring instance arrangement for coordinating the plurality of decentralized monitoring functions.