Electronic control unit for vehicle having reduced circuit scale

• US 6,356,821 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/644,654
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31, 701/33, 701/34, 701/39, 701/43, 701/45, 701/115, 714/22, 714/55, 714/34, 303/115.4, 371/61
• US Class Current: 701/31
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0227 Qualitative history assessment, whereby the type of data acted upon, e.g. waveforms, images or patterns, is not relevant, e.g. rule based assessment; if-then decisions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0291 Switching into safety or degraded mode, e.g. protection and supervision after failure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric

Abstract

An electronic control unit for a vehicle which receives a sensor signal as an input signal and provides an output signal for controlling operation of the vehicle. The electronic control unit comprising: a microcomputer having a first operating portion and a second operating portion both receiving the input signal commonly, and a self check portion which compares operation result of the first operating portion and the second operating portion and outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when the operation result do not coincide with each other or when the first operating portion outputs abnormal output signal for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time. The electronic control unit also comprises a safety control means which switches an output signal thereof from an output signal of the microcomputer to a safe side signal when the signal indicating abnormal condition from the self check portion continues for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit which receives an input signal from outside and performs data processing on said input signal to produce an output signal, said electronic control unit comprising:

a microcomputer including a first operating portion and a second operating portion both receiving said input signal commonly, and a self check portion for comparing operation result of said first operating portion and said second operating portion and outputting a signal indicating abnormal condition when said operation result do not coincide with each other; and

a safety control means which switches an output signal thereof from an output signal of said microcomputer to a safe side signal when said signal indicating abnormal condition from said self check portion continues for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

2. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said self check portion monitors an output signal from said first operating portion and outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when said first operating portion outputs abnormal output signal for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

3. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said self check portion comprises:

a comparing portion which compares operation result of said first operating portion and said second operating portion;

a monitoring portion which monitors said output of said first operating portion; and

an output portion which outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when said monitoring portion indicates that said first operating portion outputs abnormal output signal value for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time, or when said comparing portion indicates that an error rate of operation result between said first operating portion and said second operating portion is higher than or equal to a predetermined value.

4. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein said safety control means comprises:

a fail-safe unit which receives an output signal of said first operating portion as an input thereof; and

a measuring unit which measures a duration said signal indicating abnormal condition is outputted from said output portion, and which, when said signal indicating abnormal condition is outputted from said output portion for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time, outputs a switching control signal for switching an output signal of said fail-safe signal from an output of said microcomputer to a safe side output signal.

5. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein both said first operating portion and said second operating portion receive an output signal from a common wheel speed sensor.

6. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a watchdog pulse monitoring circuit which monitors a watchdog pulse signal outputted from said microcomputer and which generates a reset signal for resetting said microcomputer when periods of said watchdog pulse signal become abnormal for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

7. An electronic control unit for a vehicle which receives a sensor signal as an input signal and provides an output signal for controlling operation of said vehicle, said electronic control unit comprising:

a microcomputer having a first operating portion and a second operating portion both receiving said input signal commonly, and a self check portion which compares operation result of said first operating portion and said second operating portion and outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when said operation result to not coincide with each other; and

a safety control means which switches an output signal thereof from an output signal of said microcomputer to a safe side signal when said signal indicating abnormal condition from said self check portion continues for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

8. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein said self check portion monitors an output signal from said first operating portion and outputs said signal indicating abnormal condition when said first operating portion outputs abnormal output signal for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

9. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein said self check portion comprises:

a comparing portion which compares operation result of said first operating portion and said second operating portion;

a monitoring portion which monitors said output of said first operating portion; and

an output portion which outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when said monitoring portion indicates that said first operating portion outputs abnormal output signal value for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time, or when said comparing portion indicates that an error rate of operation result between said first operating portion and said second operating portion is higher than or equal to a predetermined value.

10. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 9, wherein said safety control means comprises:

a fail-safe unit which receives an output signal of said first operating portion as an input thereof; and

a measuring unit which measures a duration said signal indicating abnormal condition is outputted from said output portion, and which, when said signal indicating abnormal condition is outputted from said output portion for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time, outputs a switching control signal for switching an output signal of said fail-safe signal from an output of said microcomputer to a safe side output signal.

11. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a watchdog pulse monitoring circuit which monitors a watchdog pulse signal outputted from said microcomputer and which generates a reset signal for resetting said microcomputer when periods of said watchdog pulse signal become abnormal for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

12. An electronic control unit in a safety control system for a vehicle comprising:

(a) a microcomputer having;

a first operating portion and a second operating portion both receiving a signal inputted from a common sensor of said vehicle;

a comparing portion which compares operation result of said first operating portion and said second operating portion;

a monitoring portion which monitors an output signal outputted to an output port from said first operating portion and which outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when said output signal from said output port has abnormal value for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time; and

an output portion which outputs a signal indicating abnormal condition when said monitoring portion outputs said signal indicating abnormal condition, or when said comparing portion indicates that an error rate of operation result between said first operating portion and said second operating portion is higher than or equal to a predetermined value;

(b) a measuring unit which monitors said signal indicating abnormal condition outputted from said output portion of said microcomputer, and which, when said signal indicating abnormal condition is outputted from said output portion for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time, outputs a switching control signal; and

(c) a fail-safe unit which receives an output signal of said output port of said microcomputer as an input thereof, and which, when said switching control signal is outputted from said measuring unit, switches an output signal of said fail-safe unit from an output of said microcomputer to a safe side output signal.

13. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein said monitoring portion comprises a counter for counting a time during which an output signal from said output port has an abnormal value, said monitoring portion outputting a signal indicating abnormal condition when a count value of said counter has exceeded a predetermined value.

14. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein said measuring unit comprises a counter for counting a time during which a signal indicating abnormal condition outputted from said output portion of said microcomputer is active, said measuring unit outputting said switching control signal when a count value of said counter has reached a value equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

15. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a watchdog pulse monitoring circuit which monitors a watchdog pulse signal outputted from said microcomputer and which generates a reset signal for resetting said microcomputer when periods of said watchdog pulse signal become abnormal for a time equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

16. An electronic control unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein said sensor comprises a wheel speed sensor, an output signal of said wheel speed sensor being wave-shaped by a wave-shaping circuit and inputted to said microcomputer,

wherein said first operating portion comprises a first pulse width measuring portion which receives said wave-shaped output signal from said wheel speed sensor, and a first arithmetic logic unit for calculating a wheel speed from an output of said first pulse width measuring portion, and

wherein said second operating portion comprises a second pulse width measuring portion which receives said wave-shaped output signal from said wheel speed sensor, and a second arithmetic logic unit for calculating a wheel speed from an output of said second pulse width measuring portion.