METHOD FOR OPERATING AT LEAST TWO DATA PROCESSING UNITS WITH HIGH AVAILABILITY, IN PARTICULAR IN A VEHICLE, AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A MACHINE

• US 20150033054A1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Armbruster, Michael, Fehling, Marcus, Fiege, Ludger, Freitag, Gunter, Klein, Cornel
• Granted Patent: US 9,891,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/023 Avoiding failures by using redundant parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for operating at least two data processing units with high availability, in particular in a vehicle, is provided. A first data processing unit and a second data processing unit can each provide the same function to an extent of at least 60 percent or at least 90 percent. The second data processing unit removes automatically at least one entry for a process to be executed from a memory unit or automatically places itself into a standby mode.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating at least two data processing units with high availability, in particular in a vehicle,

in which a first data processing unit and a second data processing unit can each provide the same function to an extent of at least 60% or at least 90%,

in which the second data processing unit removes automatically at least one entry for a process to be executed from a memory unit or automatically places itself into a standby mode, wherein the removal of the at least one entry or the placing into the standby mode occurs in dependence on the operating state of a machine for the operation of which the data processing units are used.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the machine is a transport machine.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the operating state is detected with the aid of at least one sensor unit, especially a motion sensor, a speed sensor or a tachometer.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the operating state is the state stopping, charging of a battery or the state traveling.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the data processing units are operated on a data transmission network using a data transmission protocol which enables processors or network units to be switched on, especially on an Ethernet.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the entry removed is entered again automatically by the second data processing unit, preferably in dependence on the current operating state of the machine.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the standby mode is a state in which the power supply of the second data processing unit is switched off or in which the second data processing unit is isolated from its power supply.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the standby mode is ended by the first data processing unit, particularly by initiating the switching-on of a power supply of the second data processing unit or by initiating the connecting of the power supply of the second data processing unit to the second data processing unit.

24. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein each data processing unit contains in each case at least two processors.

25. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the two data processing units are connected in each case to two redundant data transmission links or data processing networks.

26. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the two data processing units provide at least one core function for controlling the machine.

27. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the two data processing units provide at least one function in at least one peripheral subsystem of the machine.

28. A device for operating a machine, with a first data processing unit, and with a second data processing unit, wherein the first data processing unit and the second data processing unit can provide the same functions to an extent of at least 60 percent or to an extent of at least 90 percent,

and with a first control unit in the second data processing unit,

wherein the first control unit removes at least one entry for a process to be executed from a memory unit or places the second data processing unit automatically into a standby mode, and with a first memory unit in the first data processing unit, wherein it is entered in the memory unit that the first data processing unit is higher-ranking than the second data processing unit with respect to providing functions or with respect to the redundancy.

29. The device as claimed in claim 28, with a first data transmission link or a first data processing network and with a second data transmission link or a second data transmission network, at which the first data processing unit and the second data processing unit are connected,

wherein at least 60 percent of the data to be transmitted or at least 90 percent of the data to be transmitted are transmitted via both data transmission links or via both data transmission networks.