Method and device for monitoring the functioning of a system

• US 6,901,350 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Loehr, Diethard, Strommer, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US10/183,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 706/47, 706/49, 702/186, 702/122, 702/123, 702182-185, 702/187, 702/188, 702/116, 702/FOR.103, 702/FOR.104, 702/FOR.123, 702/FOR.129, 702/FOR.134, 702/FOR.135, 702/FOR.155, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 714/25, 714/47, 303/122, 30312201-12204, 303/122.05, 303/122.08, 303/176, 303/20, 303/22.1, 303/22.4, 303/25, 701/1, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 701/39, 701/43, 701/48, 701/62, 701/70, 701/71, 701/76, 701/92, 701/97, 340/3.1, 340/3.43, 340/286.01, 700 1- 3, 700/9, 700/19, 700/20, 700/21, 700/79, 700/275, 700/277
• US Class Current: 702/186
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0251 Abstraction hierarchy, e.g. "complex systems", i.e. system is divided in subsystems, subsystems are monitored and results are combined to decide on status of whole system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method and a device for monitoring the functioning of a system by checking input signals, output signals and at least one function unit of the system. The system includes at least one lower-level subsystem and/or is a component of a higher-level system. The system includes components implemented in the form of hardware, including sensors, actuators and/or function computers. An intended function of the system is subdivided hierarchically as a function of the complexity of the function into at least one subsystem function which is in turn subdivided into at least one function unit, and the method is structured hierarchically into multiple monitoring layers.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a functioning of a system, the system including at least one lower-level subsystem, and the system being a component of a higher-level system, the system including components implemented as hardware, including at least one of at least one sensor, at least one actuator, and at least one function computer, the method comprising:

checking at least one input signal, at least one output signal and at least one function unit of the system; and

subdividing hierarchically an intended function of the system as a function of the complexity of the intended function, the intended function being subdivided into at least one subsystem function that is subdivided into at least one function unit;

wherein;

in a first monitoring layer, the at least one function unit of the system is checked on the basis of at least one of at least one input signal and at least one output signal of the at least one function unit;

in a second monitoring layer, at a higher level than the first monitoring layer, the at least one function unit is checked on the basis of at least one of at least one input signal and at least one output signal of at least one subsystem assigned to the at least one function unit; and

in at least one additional monitoring layer, at a higher level than the second monitoring layer, the at least one function unit is checked on the basis of at least one of the at least one input signal and the at least one output signal of the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one function unit is checked by at least one of checking whether at least one of the at least one input signal of the at least one function unit, the at least one output signal of the at least one function unit, the at least one input signal of the at least one subsystem, the at least one output signal of the at least one subsystem, the at least one input signal of the system and the at least one output signal of the system one of exceed a corresponding predetermined maximum value and fall below a corresponding predetermined minimum value and checking whether a gradient of at least one of the at least one input signal of the at least one function unit, the at least one output signal of the at least one function unit, the at least one input signal of the at least one subsystem, the at least one output signal of the at least one subsystem, the at least one input signal of the system and the at least one output signal of the system one of exceeds the corresponding predetermined maximum value and falls below the corresponding predetermined minimum value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one function unit of the system to be monitored is subdivided into at least one safety-relevant function network whose faulty functioning constitutes a safety risk that is above a preselectable limiting risk, and into an additional function network whose faulty functioning constitutes a safety risk that is no greater than the preselectable limiting risk.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein in the case of a faulty functioning of at least one of the at least one safety-relevant function network and the additional function network, substitute measures are selected as a function of whether one of a function unit of the at least one safety-relevant function network and the additional function network has faulty functioning.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the substitute measures include at least one of emergency operation and emergency shutdown.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein proper functioning of the system is ascertained when all function units of the system are functioning properly.

7. A computer-readable medium for storing a computer program executable by a computer, the computer program including program code for performing a method for monitoring a system, the system including at least one lower-level subsystem, and the system being a component of a higher-level system, the system including components implemented as hardware, including at least one of at least one sensor, at least one actuator, and at least one function computer, the computer program being operable to perform the method, the method including:

checking at least one input signal, at least one output signal and at least one function unit of the system; and

subdividing hierarchically an intended function of the system as a function of the complexity of the intended function, the intended function being subdivided into at least one subsystem function that is subdivided into at least one function unit;

wherein;

in a first monitoring layer the at least one function unit of the system is checked on the basis of at least one of at least one input signal and at least one output signal of the at least one function unit;

in a second monitoring layer, at a higher level than the first monitoring layer, the at least one function unit is checked on the basis of at least one of at least one input signal and at least one output signal of at least one subsystem assigned to the at least one function unit; and

in at least one additional monitoring layer, at a higher level than the second monitoring layer, the at least one function unit is checked on the basis of at least one of the at least one input signal and the at least one output signal of the system.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of the computer.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the memory of the computer is one of a read-only memory, a random access memory and a flash memory.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer is a microprocessor.

11. A device for monitoring a system, the system including at least one lower-level subsystem, and the system being a component of a higher-level system, the system including components implemented as hardware, including at least one of at least one sensor, at least one actuator and at least one function computer, the device comprising:

a checking arrangement to check at least one input signal, at least one output signal and at least one function unit of the system;

a first monitoring layer arrangement to check the at least one function unit of the system the basis of at least one of at least one input signal and at least one output signal of the at least one function unit;

a second monitoring layer arrangement, at a higher level than the first monitoring layer, to check the at least one function unit on the basis of at least one of at least one input signal and at least one output signal of at least one subsystem assigned to the at least one function unit; and

at least one additional monitoring layer arrangement, at a higher level than the second monitoring layer, to check the at least one function unit on the basis of at least one of the at least one input signal and the at least one output signal of the system; and

a subdividing arrangement to subdivide hierarchically an intended function of the system as a function of the complexity of the intended function, the intended function being subdivided into at least one subsystem function that is subdivided into the at least one function unit.