System and method for the monitoring of a measurement and control device

• US 20030154762A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Frank, Andreas, Meier, Thomas, Haas, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 6,850,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.01
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety

Abstract

Described is a system and a method to monitor measuring and control equipment. The occurrence of a malfunction does not immediately lead to the monitoring system entering a secure state, but rather increases the count of a counter. If the count exceeds a certain value, then the monitoring system enters a secure state.

Claims

1. A system to monitor equipment (2) for measuring, controlling, and regulating, the system having a monitoring device, which monitors the method of functioning of the equipment (2), and in so doing, detects malfunctions of the equipment (2) and may control the operating state of the equipment (2), at least one counter (4, 14, 24) being provided and the detection of a malfunction increasing the count of the at least one counter, and a first count of the at least one counter (4, 14, 24) being provided, where a reset and/or a fault reaction may be triggered in response to the first count being reached or exceeded,

wherein the difference between the count and the first count is reduced by an artificially generated malfunction, which causes an increase in the count and is input into the system.

2. The system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the monitoring device (3) checks the method of functioning of the equipment (2), using communications operations carried out between the monitoring device (3) and the equipment (2) in regular intervals, and each communications operation reveals a malfunction or correct functioning.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 or 2,

wherein the detection of correct functioning causes the count of the counter (4) to decrease.

4. The system as recited in one of claims 1 through 3,

wherein the count is to be controlled independently of the occurrence of malfunctions.

5. The system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first count may be compared to a threshold value, and a second counter level lying below the threshold value may be defined, the count of the at least one counter (4, 14, 24) not being allowed to fall below the second counter level, and the artificially generated malfunction that increases the count being input into the system in response to the second counter level being reached.

6. The system as recited in claim 5,

wherein the second counter level and/or the threshold value is variable.

7. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims,

characterized by a first fault counter (4) assigned to the monitoring device (3) and a second fault counter (14) assigned to the equipment (2) to be monitored, the first and second fault counters being able to be periodically checked and/or compared to each other, in order to monitor the system.

8. The system as recited in claim 7,

wherein the first fault counter (14) may be used to count a representation of the count of the second fault counter (4).

9. The system as recited in claim 8,

characterized by a third fault counter (24), which is used to compare the counts of the first and second fault counters (4, 14).

10. A method to monitor equipment for measuring, controlling, and regulating, where the method of functioning of the monitored equipment is checked by a monitoring device, malfunctions that occur are detected, and the operating state of the monitored equipment is controllable, at least one counter (4, 14, 24) being used, whose count is increased in response to malfunctions being detected, and a first count being provided, where a reset and/or a fault reaction is triggered in response to the first count being reached or exceeded,

wherein the difference between the count and the first count is reduced by an artificially generated malfunction, which causes an increase in the count.

11. The method as recited in claim 10,

wherein the method of functioning of the equipment (2) for measuring, controlling, and regulating is implemented, using communications operations carried out in regular intervals between the monitoring device (3) and the equipment (2), each communications operation signaling a malfunction or correct functioning.

12. The method according to one of claims 10 or 11,

wherein correct functioning is registered by reducing the count of the counter (4, 14, 24).

13. The method as recited in one of claims 10 through 12,

wherein the count is controllable independently of the occurrence of malfunctions.

14. The method as recited in claim 10,

wherein the count of the least one counter (4, 14, 24) is compared to a threshold value, and a second counter level lying below the threshold value is defined, the count of the at least one counter (4, 14, 24) not being allowed to fall below the second counter level, and an artificially generated malfunction that increases the count being generated in response to the second counter level being reached.

15. The method as recited in claim 14,

wherein the second counter level and/or the threshold value is varied in order to set a desired availability or reaction time.