Process for monitoring the state of a safety facility

• US 6,671,599 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Brillon, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/061,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 701/48, 340/500, 340/505, 340/531, 340/532, 340/534, 340/5.1, 340/5.23, 340/5.33
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/021 restraining movement of the steering column or steering wheel hub, e.g. restraining means controlled by ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric

Abstract

A first computer (6) is linked to the safety facility (4) and a second computer (12) intended to control an actuator (2) interrogates prior to any command to turn on and/or turn off the actuator (2) the first computer (6) as to the state of the safety facility (4). The second computer (12) interrogates the state of the safety facility (4) directly by sending an encrypted message. The first computer (6) forwards in one direction the question of the second computer (12) to the safety facility (4) and in the opposite direction the response of the latter. The second computer (12) verifies the consistency of the response received. The encryption code is known to the second computer (12) and to the safety facility (4) but is unknown to the first computer (6). The process is applicable to the automobile field.

Claims

1. Process for monitoring the state of a safety facility via a computer in which a first computer is linked to the safety facility and in which a second computer intended to control an actuator interrogates, prior to any command to turn on and/or turn off the actuator, the first computer as to the state of the safety facility,

wherein the second computer interrogates the state of the safety facility directly by sending an encrypted message,

wherein the first computer forwards in one direction the question of the second computer to the safety facility and in the opposite direction the response of the safety facility,

wherein the second computer verifies the consistency of the response received, and

wherein the encryption code is known to the second computer and to the safety facility but is unknown to the first computer.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the second computer generates a random number,

wherein the transmission of this number to the safety facility via the first computer constitutes the question and

wherein the response sent depends on the number transmitted according to a predetermined algorithm corresponding to the encryption code.

3. Process according to claim 1, wherein the two computers are linked together by a bus.

4. Process according to claim 1, wherein the second computer is linked to the safety facility by a bus.

5. Process according to claim 1, wherein the safety facility is a steering column lock in an automobile and the actuator is a starter.

6. Process according to claim 2, wherein the two computers are linked together by a bus.

7. Process according to claim 2, wherein the second computer is linked to the safety facility by a bus.

8. Process according to claim 3, wherein the second computer is linked to the safety facility by a bus.

9. Process according to claim 2, wherein the safety facility is a steering column lock in an automobile and the actuator is a starter.

10. Process according to claim 3, wherein the safety facility is a steering column lock in an automobile and the actuator is a starter.

11. Process according to claim 4, wherein the safety facility is a steering column lock in an automobile and the actuator is a starter.

20. The process according to claim 4, wherein the bus is a CAN type bus.

12. A process for monitoring the state of a safety facility via first and second computers linked to the safety facility, comprising the steps of:

determining a state of the safety facility using the first computer;

determining the state of the safety facility using the second computer to directly interrogate the state of the safety facility,

wherein said determining the state of the safety facility using the second computer step comprises;

sending an encrypted message to the first computer;

forwarding the encrypted message from the first computer to the safety facility without decoding the encrypted message;

sending an encrypted response from the safety facility to the first computer;

forwarding the encrypted response from the first computer to the second computer without decoding the encrypted response;

decoding the encrypted response in the second computer to determine the state of the safety facility; and

sending a command from the second computer to an actuator to one of turn on and turn off the actuator based on the decoded response.

13. The process according to claim 12,

wherein the encrypted message is a random number generated by the second computer, and

wherein the encrypted response sent depends on the random number generated according to a predetermined algorithm corresponding to an encryption code.

14. The process according to claims 12 wherein the first and second computers are linked together by a bus.

15. The process according to claims 12, wherein the second computer is linked to the safety facility by a bus.

16. The process according to claim 12, wherein the safety facility is a steering column lock in an automobile and the actuator is a starter in the automobile.

17. The process according to claim 16, wherein the first and second computers are in the automobile.

18. The process according to claim 14, wherein the bus is a CAN type bus.

19. The process according to claim 15, wherein the bus is a CAN type bus.