Device for detecting the failure of an electrical power supply for a logic unit

• US 8,154,302 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies France SAS
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Rochard, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Huy Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Son
• Application Number:
  US12/523,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 324/418, 324/511, 324/512, 324/537, 307/10.1, 713/321
• US Class Current: 324/512
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators

Abstract

An electrical power supply device for a logic unit (1), includes a control member (7) that can transmit a control voltage (6), a power relay (3), transmitting a power voltage (2) when it is controlled, an electronic stage (8) controlling the power relay (3) when the electronic stage (8) receives a control voltage (6, 22) from the control member (7) or from the logic unit (1), a voltage regulator (12) transmitting a power supply voltage (20) to the logic unit (1) when it receives the power voltage (2) from the power relay (3) and a control voltage (6, 23) and a wake-up element (17) capable of transmitting an additional control voltage (24) to the voltage regulator (12) when the power relay (3) transmits the power voltage (2). The power supply is applicable to motor vehicle computers and to the detection of failure of the relay stage (3, 8).

Claims

1. An electrical power supply device for a logic unit, comprising:

a control member for transmitting a control voltage,

a power relay, transmitting a power voltage when the power relay is controlled,

an electronic stage controlling the power relay i) when the electronic stage receives the control voltage from the control member or ii) when the receiving a control voltage from the logic unit,

a voltage regulator transmitting a power supply voltage to the logic unit when the voltage regulator receives the power voltage from the power relay and one of the control voltages, and

a wake-up means transmitting an additional control voltage to the voltage regulator when the power relay transmits the power voltage,

wherein the wake-up means is such that it transmits the additional control voltage to the voltage regulator

i) when the wake-up means receives the control voltage from the control member and

ii) when the wake-up means receives the power voltage from the power relay, and

wherein the wake-up means comprises a logic “

OR”

between the control voltage obtained from the control member and the power voltage obtained from the power relay to transmit the additional control voltage to the voltage regulator.

2. A method, for a power supply device for a logic unit comprising 1) a control member for transmitting a control voltage, 2) a power relay, transmitting a power voltage when the power relay is controlled, 3) an electronic stage controlling the power relay i) when the electronic stage receives the control voltage from the control member or ii) when the receiving a control voltage from the logic unit, 4) a voltage regulator transmitting a power supply voltage to the logic unit when the voltage regulator receives the power voltage from the power relay and one of the control voltages, and 5) a wake-up means transmitting an additional control voltage to the voltage regulator when the power relay transmits the power voltage, of detecting a failure such that the power relay transmits the power voltage independently of the reception of the control voltage, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

on start-up or following an inability to complete a putting-to-sleep of the logic unit, measurement by the logic unit of the state of the control voltage obtained from the control member, and

identification of a failure in the event of absence of control voltage.

3. An electrical power supply device detecting a power supply failure for a logic unit, comprising:

a logic unit transmitting control voltages;

a control member transmitting a control voltage;

a power relay transmitting a power voltage when the power relay is controlled;

an electronic stage controlling the power relay i) when receiving the control voltage from the logic unit, and ii) when receiving the control voltage from the control member;

a voltage regulator transmitting a power supply voltage to the logic unit when the voltage regulator receives the power voltage from the power relay and the control voltage from the control member or from the logic unit; and

a wake-up part transmitting an additional control voltage to the voltage regulator i) when the wake-up part receives the control voltage from the control member and ii) when the wake-up part receives the power voltage from the power relay.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the wake-up part comprises a logic “

OR”

between the control voltage obtained from the control member and the power voltage obtained from the power relay to transmit the control voltage to the voltage regulator.