Abnormality monitoring device for a vehicle control system

• US 6,321,150 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Nitta, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/441,908
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/48, 340/825.16, 340/825.5, 370/451
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/904 Component specially adapted for hev
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 Continuously variable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 Stepped shift

Abstract

A data field of a data frame which is sent from a HEV_ECU to a motor A controller and a motor B controller includes control data of 5 bytes and a number-of-sending-times counter of one byte, which is located following the control data. The contents of the number-of-sending-times counter is incremented (decremented) every time data is sent to the motor A controller and the motor B controller. A T/M_ECU constantly monitors the contents of the number-of-sending-times counter. When a count value of the number-of-sending-times counter is not normally incremented (decremented) consecutively two times, the T/M_ECU decides that the HEV_ECU is abnormal, and informs other ECUs that the HEV_ECU is abnormal.

Claims

1. An abnormality monitoring device for a vehicle control system, comprising:

a plurality of control units of which objects to be controlled are different from one another;

a multiplex communication line interconnecting said control units;

transmitting means provided in one specific control unit within said vehicle control system, said transmitting means for inserting a count value indicative of the number of sending times, which is independent of control data, into communication data; and

transmitting the resultant communication data; and

judging means provided in an other control unit within said vehicle control system, said judging means for monitoring said count value of said communication data transmitted from said specific control unit, and judging that said specific control unit is abnormal, when said count value is not consecutively updated.

2. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said other control unit comprises informing means for informing said control units that said specific control unit is abnormal.

3. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein a controller area network is used for the vehicle control system, and said communication data including said control data and said count value is stored in a data field of a data frame transmitted from said specific control unit to said other control unit.

4. An abnormality monitoring device for a vehicle control system, comprising:

a plurality of control units of which objects to be controlled are different from one another; and

a multiplex communication line interconnecting said control units;

transmitting means provided in a first control unit within said vehicle control system, said transmitting means for inserting a count value indicative of the number of sending times, which is independent of control data, into communication data, and transmitting the resultant communication data to a second control unit within said vehicle control system; and

judging means provided in a third control unit within said vehicle control system, said judging means for monitoring said count value of said communication data transmitted from said first control unit to said second control unit, and deciding that said first control is abnormal, when said count value is not consecutively updated.

5. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein said third control unit comprises informing means for informing said control units that said first control unit is abnormal.

6. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein a controller area network is used for the vehicle control system, and said communication data including said control data and said count value is stored in a data field of a data frame transmitted from said first control unit to said second control unit.

7. An abnormality monitoring device for a vehicle control system, comprising:

a plurality of control units of which objects to be controlled are different from one another;

a multiplex communication line interconnecting said control units;

a transmitting unit provided in one specific control unit within said d vehicle control system, said transmitting unit inserting a count value indicative of the number of sending times, which is independent of vehicle control data, into communication data for vehicle control, and transmitting the resultant communication data; and

a judging unit provided in an other control unit within said vehicle control system, said judging unit monitoring said count value of said communication data transmitted from said specific control unit, and judging that said specific control unit is abnormal, when said count value is not consecutively updated.

8. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein said other control unit comprises an informing unit informing said control units that said specific control unit is abnormal.

9. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein a controller area network is used for the vehicle control system, and said communication data including said vehicle control data and said count value is stored in a data field of a data frame transmitted from said specific control unit to said other control unit.

10. An abnormality monitoring device for a vehicle control system, the control system having

a plurality of control units mounted on a vehicle for controlling functions of respective portions of said vehicle control system, and a multiplex communication line interconnecting with said control units for communicating various control data among said control units to drive said vehicle at an optimum condition, the abnormality monitoring device comprising:

transmitting means provided in one of said control units for transmitting a count value of communication times irrespective of said control data by inserting said count value into said control data, and for producing a count value signal; and

monitoring means responsive to said count value signal for judging an abnormality of an individual one of said control units when said count value is not continuously updated so as to detect said abnormality.

11. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein said vehicle control system further comprises informing means for informing said control units with information from said abnormality monitoring device that at least one of said control units is abnormal.

12. The abnormality monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein a controller area network is used for the vehicle control system, and said control data and said count value are stored in a data field of a data frame transmitted from at least one of said control units to said monitoring means.