METHOD FOR OPERATING A CONTROL UNIT

• US 20130158844A1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: GRAHLE, Torsten
• Application Number:
  US13/711,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/114
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/227 Limping Home, i.e. taking specific engine control measures at abnormal conditions
• 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: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 45/00 Electrical control not provided for in groups F02D41/00 - F02D43/00

Abstract

A method for operating a control unit for an internal combustion engine is described, the control unit together with at least one additional control unit actuating the internal combustion engine in a first operating mode, wherein the control unit monitors the at least one additional control unit for a malfunction and/or failure, and in the event of a malfunction and/or failure of the at least one additional control unit, the control unit switches from the first operating mode to a second operating mode, in which the control unit is able to maintain an operation of the internal combustion engine independently of the at least one additional control unit.

Claims

1. A method for operating a control unit for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

actuating the internal combustion engine in a first operating mode via the control unit together with at least one additional control unit;

monitoring, by the control unit, the at least one additional control unit for at least one of malfunction and failure; and

in an event of the at least one of malfunction and failure of the at least one additional control unit, switching, by the control unit, from the first operating mode to a second operating mode in which the control unit maintains an operation of the internal combustion engine independently of the at least one additional control unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit cooperates with the at least one additional control unit in a control unit system according to a master-slave principle in the first operating mode, the control unit operating as a slave control unit or a master control unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the switching of the control unit from the first operating mode to the second operating mode takes place in that the control unit triggers a software reset.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein prior to triggering the software reset, the control unit defines a state variable that characterizes an intended switch of the control unit from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, and in an initialization phase following the software reset, the control unit analyzes the state variable.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the control unit operates as the master control unit in the second operating mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the second operating mode, the control unit blocks a function of the at least one additional control unit by deactivating an electrical energy supply of the at least one additional control unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit signals the switching to the second operating mode at least one of acoustically and optically.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the first operating mode, the control unit actuates a first cylinder row, which has at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine, and the additional control unit actuates a second cylinder row, which differs from the first cylinder row and has at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine, during the first operating mode.

9. A control unit for an internal combustion engine, the control unit being configured to actuate the internal combustion engine together with at least one additional control unit in a first operating mode;

wherein the control unit is configured to monitor the at least one additional control unit for at least one of malfunction and failure, and in an event of the at least one of malfunction and failure of the at least one additional control unit, to switch from the first operating mode to a second operating mode in which the control unit maintains an operation of the internal combustion engine independently of the at least one further control unit.

10. The control unit according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to cooperate with the at least one additional control unit in a control unit system according to a master-slave principle in the first operating mode, the control unit operating as a slave control unit or a master control unit.

11. The control unit according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to initiate the switch of the control unit from the first operating mode to the second operating mode by triggering a software reset.

12. The control unit according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to define a state variable that characterizes an intended switch of the control unit from the first operating mode to the second operating mode prior to triggering the software reset, and to analyze the state variable in an initialization phase following the software reset.

13. The control unit according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to block a function of the at least one additional control unit in the second operating mode by deactivating an electrical energy supply of the at least one additional control unit.

14. The control unit according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to signal the switch to the second operating mode at least one of acoustically and optically.