Method and system for program execution integrity for communication-based angle sensor

• US 20060061355A1
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Pacific Century Motors, Inc. (Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd.), GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Smith, Terrence D., Klass, Jeffrey T., Wendling, Scott M., Miyano, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,884,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.250
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24461 by redundancy or plausibility

Abstract

A method for implementing program execution integrity (PEI) for a communication-based sensor includes receiving an output communication message from the sensor, the output communication message including sensor output data internally processed within the sensor. The output communication message further includes raw data used by the sensor in internally processing the sensor output data. The raw data is independently processed, and the results thereof are compared with the internally processed sensor output data so as to verify the processing integrity of the sensor to a desired tolerance.

Claims

1. A method for implementing program execution integrity (PEI) for a communication-based sensor, the method comprising:

receiving an output communication message from the sensor, said output communication message including sensor output data internally processed within the sensor, said output communication message further including raw data used by the sensor in internally processing said sensor output data;

independently processing said raw data; and

comparing the results of said independently processed raw data with said internally processed sensor output data so as to verify the processing integrity of the sensor to a desired tolerance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor output data comprises a steering angle, and said raw data comprises sensor rotation information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said sensor rotation information comprises sine and cosine input values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said independently processing said raw data further comprises:

using said sine and cosine input values to determine an inverse tangent angle from a lookup table;

determining, from said inverse tangent angle, a rotation direction and a rotation angle; and

determining, from said rotation angle and said inverse tangent angle, a scaled, independently computed steering angle.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising an independently computed, differential steering angle with said sensor output data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the communication-based sensor to provide said raw data, in addition to said internally processed sensor output data, in said output communication message.

7. A system for implementing prograin execution integrity (PET) for a communication-based sensor, comprising:

a control unit in communication with the sensor and configured to receive an output communication message therefrom, said output communication message including sensor output data internally processed within the sensor, said output communication message further including raw data used by the sensor in internally processing said sensor output data;

said control unit further configured for independently processing said raw data; and

said control unit further configured for comparing the results of said independently processed raw data with said internally processed sensor output data so as to verify the processing integrity of the sensor to a desired tolerance.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said sensor output data comprises a steering angle, and said raw data comprises sensor rotation information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said sensor rotation information comprises sine and cosine input values.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said independently processing said raw data further comprises:

said control unit configured to use said sine and cosine input values to determine an inverse tangent angle from a lookup table;

said control unit configured to determine, from said inverse tangent angle, a rotation direction and a rotation angle; and

said control unit configured to determine, from said rotation angle and said inverse tangent angle, a scaled, independently computed steering angle.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an independently computed, differential steering angle with said sensor output data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication-based sensor is configured to provide said raw data, in addition to said internally processed sensor output data, in said output communication message.

13. A storage medium, comprising:

a machine readable computer program code for implementing program execution integrity (PEI) for a communication-based sensor; and

instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, the method further comprising;

receiving an output communication message from the sensor, said output communication message including sensor output data internally processed within the sensor, said output communication message further including raw data used by the sensor in internally processing said sensor output data;

independently processing said raw data; and

comparing the results of said independently processed raw data with said internally processed sensor output data so as to verify the processing integrity of the sensor to a desired tolerance.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein said sensor output data comprises a steering angle, and said raw data comprises sensor rotation information.

15. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein said sensor rotation information comprises sine and cosine input values.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said independently processing said raw data further comprises:

using said sine and cosine input values to determine an inverse tangent angle from a lookup table;

determining, from said inverse tangent angle, a rotation direction and a rotation angle; and

determining, from said rotation angle and said inverse tangent angle, a scaled, independently computed steering angle.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising an independently computed, differential steering angle with said sensor output data.

18. The storage medium of claim 13, further comprising configuring the communication-based sensor to provide said raw data, in addition to said internally processed sensor output data, in said output communication message.