Method and device for monitoring an actuator system

• US 20130325421A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: WAGNER, Alexandre, Buehrle, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 9,792,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0254 based on a quantitative model, e.g. mathematical relationships between inputs and outputs; functions: observer, Kalman filter, residual calculation, Neural Networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/13 Differential equations using digital differential analysers G06F7/64

Abstract

A method for monitoring an actuator in a physical system, including: providing a computer model that describes the actuator, the behavior of the actuator being represented by a computer model function and by one or more parameters (α, μ, κ, β, γ, δ, η) of the computer model function; determining or adapting the values of the parameters (α, μ, κ, β, γ, δ, η) of the computer model with the aid of one or more particular system quantities; determining an error when a specified error condition is fulfilled, the error condition defining when at least one of the parameters (α, μ, κ, β, γ, δ, η), and/or at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters (α, μ, κ, β, γ, δ, η), lies outside a corresponding specified target deviation range (S+/−Δ) for the relevant parameter (α, μ, κ, β, γ, δ, η) or the relevant quantity.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an actuator in a physical system, the method comprising:

providing a computer model that describes the actuator, the behavior of the actuator being represented by a computer model function and one or more parameters of the computer model function;

determining or adapting the values of the parameters of the computer model with the aid of one or more particular system quantities;

determining an error when a specified error condition is fulfilled, the error condition defining when at least one of the parameters, and/or at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, lies outside a corresponding specified target deviation range for the relevant parameter or the relevant quantity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, as a function of that at least one parameter, and/or as a function of that at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, whose values lie outside the target deviation range specified for the relevant parameter or for the relevant quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, a particular component of the actuator allocated to the parameter or to the quantity is recognized as faulty.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system quantities are measured.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer model is determined through discretization of a differential equation system that describes the actuator system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the computer model is determined through discretization of the linear portion of the differential equation system that describes the actuator system, and through discretization of linear segments of the non-linear portion of the differential equation system that describes the actuator system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer model is solved through an iterative method, in real time, so as to obtain the parameters.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuator includes an electromechanical throttle valve actuator for a throttle valve in an engine system having an internal combustion engine, the position of the throttle valve and/or an electric voltage applied to the electromechanical throttle valve actuator being specified as the system quantities.

8. A device for monitoring an actuator in a physical system, which includes a control device for operating the actuator system, comprising:

a monitoring arrangement having a computer model that describes the actuator, the behavior of the actuator being represented by a computer model function and one or more parameters of the computer model function, and being configured to determine or adapt the values of the parameters of the computer model with the aid of one or more particular system quantities, and to recognize an error when a specified error condition is fulfilled, the error condition defining when at least one of the parameters, and/or at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, lies outside a corresponding specified target deviation range for the relevant parameter or for the relevant quantity.

9. An actuator system, comprising:

an actuator; and

a device for monitoring an actuator in a physical system, which includes a control device for operating the actuator system, including;

a monitoring arrangement having a computer model that describes the actuator, the behavior of the actuator being represented by a computer model function and one or more parameters of the computer model function, and being configured to determine or adapt the values of the parameters of the computer model with the aid of one or more particular system quantities, and to recognize an error when a specified error condition is fulfilled, the error condition defining when at least one of the parameters, and/or at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, lies outside a corresponding specified target deviation range for the relevant parameter or for the relevant quantity.

10. A computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for monitoring an actuator in a physical system, by performing the following;

providing a computer model that describes the actuator, the behavior of the actuator being represented by a computer model function and one or more parameters of the computer model function;

determining or adapting the values of the parameters of the computer model with the aid of one or more particular system quantities;

determining an error when a specified error condition is fulfilled, the error condition defining when at least one of the parameters, and/or at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, lies outside a corresponding specified target deviation range for the relevant parameter or the relevant quantity.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein, as a function of that at least one parameter, and/or as a function of that at least one quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, whose values lie outside the target deviation range specified for the relevant parameter or for the relevant quantity determined from a plurality of the parameters, a particular component of the actuator allocated to the parameter or to the quantity is recognized as faulty.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the system quantities are measured.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer model is determined through discretization of a differential equation system that describes the actuator system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer model is determined through discretization of the linear portion of the differential equation system that describes the actuator system, and through discretization of linear segments of the non-linear portion of the differential equation system that describes the actuator system.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer model is solved through an iterative method, in real time, so as to obtain the parameters.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the actuator includes an electromechanical throttle valve actuator for a throttle valve in an engine system having an internal combustion engine, the position of the throttle valve and/or an electric voltage applied to the electromechanical throttle valve actuator being specified as the system quantities.