ACCUMULATED ERROR TIME MONITORING DIAGNOSTIC CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090327821A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Bauerle, Paul A., Stempnik, Joseph M., Costin, Mark H., Yu, Mingguang
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/704
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/107 Safety-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1002 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0237 based on parallel systems, e.g. comparing signals produced at the same time by same type systems and detect faulty ones by noticing differences among their responses

Abstract

A diagnostic system includes N dedicated diagnostic modules that each correspond with a respective one of multiple control systems. The N dedicated diagnostic modules each generate status signals indicating results of respective diagnostic tests. A diagnostic error time monitor determines an accumulated error time value between error events for each of the control systems based on the status signals. The diagnostic error time monitor selectively reports a fault to a respective one of the N dedicated diagnostic modules based on the accumulated error time value.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system comprising:

N dedicated diagnostic modules that each correspond with a respective one of a plurality of control systems and that each generate status signals indicating results of respective diagnostic tests, where N is an integer value; and

a diagnostic error time monitor that determines a first accumulated error time value corresponding to time between error events for each of said plurality of control systems based on said status signals and that selectively reports a fault to a respective one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules based on said first accumulated error time value.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor comprises:

a differential error timer that determines a time difference between a current error time and a previous error time for one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules; and

an accumulated error timer that sums said time difference with said first accumulated error time value of said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules to generate a second accumulated error time value.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 2 wherein said differential error timer limits said time difference to a predetermined value.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 2 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor indicates said fault when a current accumulated error time value of said accumulated error timer is greater than a predetermined value.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 2 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor multiplies said time difference by a predetermined value to generate a decrementing factor when a status signal of said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules indicates a passed test, and

wherein said diagnostic error time monitor decreases a current accumulated error time value of said accumulated error timer and for said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules based on said decrementing factor.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 1 further comprising memory comprising:

a timestamp array that stores a timestamp for each of said N dedicated diagnostic modules; and

accumulated error time counters that correspond with a plurality of said N dedicated diagnostic modules.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor clears at least one of a timestamp array value of said timestamp array and one of said accumulated error time counters when a status signal indicates a passed test.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor creates an accumulated error time counter for one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules when a status signal from said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules indicates an error.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 8 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor increases said accumulated error time counter for each error indication received by said one of said dedicated diagnostic modules.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 8 wherein said diagnostic error time monitor decreases said accumulated error time counter for each pass indication received by said one of said dedicated diagnostic modules.

11. A coordinated torque control system comprising the diagnostic system of claim 1 and further comprising:

an axle torque request module; and

a propulsion torque request module,

wherein said diagnostic error time monitor determines accumulated error time values between error events based on status signals from said axle torque request module and said propulsion torque request module and reports a fault based on said accumulated error time values.

12. A coordinated torque control system comprising the diagnostic system of claim 1 and further comprising:

axle torque request modules that generate respective axle torque requests;

an axle torque arbitration module that generates a net axle torque request based on said axle torque requests;

propulsion torque request modules that generate respective propulsion torque requests;

a propulsion torque arbitration module that determines a net engine torque request based on said net axle torque request and said propulsion torque requests; and

a propulsion torque control module that controls actuators based on said net engine torque request to produce an engine output torque,

wherein said diagnostic error time monitor determines accumulated error time values between error events based on status signals from said axle torque request modules and said propulsion torque request modules and reports a fault based on said accumulated error time values.

13. A diagnostic method comprising:

generating status signals that indicate results of diagnostic tests that each correspond with a respective one of N dedicated diagnostic modules and a respective one of a plurality of control systems;

transmitting said status signals to a diagnostic error time monitor;

determining a first accumulated error time value corresponding to time between error events for each of said plurality of control systems based on said status signals; and

selectively reporting a fault to a respective one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules based on said first accumulated error time value, where N is an integer value.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining a time difference between a current error time and a previous error time for one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules; and

summing said time difference with said first accumulated error time value of said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules to generate a second accumulated error time value.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising limiting said time difference to a predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising indicating said fault when a current accumulated error time value corresponding to said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules is greater than a predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

multiplying said time difference by a predetermined value to generate a decrementing factor when a status signal of said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules indicates a passed test; and

decreasing a current accumulated error time value and for said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules based on said decrementing factor.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

storing a timestamp for each of said N dedicated diagnostic modules in a timestamp array; and

storing accumulated error time values for each of said N dedicated diagnostic modules in an accumulated error time array.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising clearing at least one of a timestamp array value of said timestamp array and one of said accumulated error time values when a status signal indicates a passed test.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

creating an accumulated error time counter for one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules when a status signal from said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules indicates an error;

increasing said accumulated error time counter for each error indication received by said one of said dedicated diagnostic modules; and

decreasing said accumulated error time counter for each pass indication received by said one of said N dedicated diagnostic modules.