Self-diagnosis device and self-diagnosis method

• US 10,031,824 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Ouchi, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Loan L. T.
• Application Number:
  US14/638,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20150261637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/27 Built-in tests

Abstract

A detailed execution schedule of self-diagnosis processing is set according to various requests.

A self-diagnosis device includes a plurality of functional blocks, a storage unit that stores a plurality of processing units, each of which is an aggregate of some functional blocks selected from the plurality of functional blocks, and a start condition of self-diagnosis processing of each processing unit, and a self-diagnosis unit that selects the processing unit where the self-diagnosis processing is started based on the start condition of each processing unit and executes the self-diagnosis processing of each functional block in the selected processing unit.

Claims

1. A self-diagnosis device, comprising:

a plurality of functional blocks;

a storage unit that stores a plurality of processing units, each of which includes an aggregate of some functional blocks selected from the functional blocks, and a start condition of self-diagnosis processing of each processing unit; and

a self-diagnosis unit that selects the processing unit where the self-diagnosis processing is started based on the start condition of each processing unit and executes the self-diagnosis processing of each functional block in the selected processing unit,

wherein a first functional block of the functional blocks in which the execution of the self-diagnosis processing takes a first time duration is included in a first processing unit of the processing units to which a first number of functional blocks belongs, and a second functional block of the functional blocks in which the execution of self-diagnosis processing takes a second time duration, which is less than the first time duration, is included in a second processing unit of the processing units to which a second number of functional blocks belongs, the second number of functional blocks being larger than the first number of functional blocks wherein the self-diagnosis device is built in a microcomputer.

2. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis unit changes scheduling of a functional block where the self-diagnosis processing and an other processing other than the self-diagnosis processing are to be executed according to an execution status of the other processing other than the self-diagnosis processing.

3. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein, when the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of a functional block in the selected processing unit, if the functional block is being executed by the other processing, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block instead of the functional block.

4. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 3, wherein each of the functional blocks includes execution state information that indicates an execution state of the functional block,

wherein the self-diagnosis unit refers to the execution state information of the functional block in the selected processing unit before starting the self-diagnosis processing of the functional block, and

wherein, when the execution state information indicates that the functional block is being executed by the other processing, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block instead of the functional block.

5. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 3, wherein each of the functional blocks includes permission information that indicates permission or non-permission of the self-diagnosis processing,

wherein the self-diagnosis unit refers to the permission information of the functional block in the selected processing unit before starting the self-diagnosis processing of the functional block, and

wherein, when the permission information indicates that the self-diagnosis processing of the functional block is not permitted, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block instead of the functional block.

6. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the start condition includes an execution order of the self-diagnosis processing of the functional blocks in each processing unit and a priority between the processing units, and

wherein the self-diagnosis unit selects the processing unit where the self-diagnosis processing is started based on the priority and executes the self-diagnosis processing of each functional block in the selected processing unit based on the execution order.

7. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein, when the self-diagnosis unit changes the scheduling of a functional block where the self-diagnosis processing is to be executed, the self-diagnosis unit notifies that the functional block where the self-diagnosis processing is to be executed is changed as a self-diagnosis result.

8. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein when an interrupt processing occurs before the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of a functional block in the selected processing unit, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing in another processing unit instead of the functional block.

9. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein, when the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of a functional block in the selected processing unit, if a load of an entire self-diagnosis device by the other processing is lower than a predetermined value, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block along with the self-diagnosis processing of the functional block.

10. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein, when there are two or more processing units whose start conditions are the same, the self-diagnosis unit adjusts a start timing of the self-diagnosis processing of the functional blocks between the processing units.

14. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis processing and an other processing, other than the self-diagnosis processing, are executed in parallel in the functional blocks.

15. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 14, wherein, while the self-diagnosis processing is being executed, the self-diagnosis unit changes scheduling of a functional block of the functional blocks where the self-diagnosis processing is to be executed according to an execution status of an other processing, other than the self-diagnosis processing.

16. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis processing and an other processing, other than the self-diagnosis processing, are executed in a functional block of the functional blocks, and

wherein, when the functional block of the functional blocks is to be executed based on the other processing, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block instead of the functional block.

17. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein, while the self-diagnosis processing is being executed, the self-diagnosis unit changes scheduling of a functional block of the functional blocks where the self-diagnosis processing is to be executed according to an execution status of an other processing, other than the self-diagnosis processing.

19. The self-diagnosis method according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis processing and an other processing, other than the self-diagnosis processing, are executed in a functional block of the functional blocks, and

wherein, when the functional block of the functional blocks is to be executed based on the other processing, the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block, instead of the functional block, is started.

20. The self-diagnosis method according to claim 1, wherein, while the self-diagnosis processing is being executed, a functional block of the functional blocks where the sells-diagnosis processing is to be executed is changed according to an execution status of other processing, other than the self-diagnosis processing.

11. A self-diagnosis device, comprising:

a plurality of functional blocks;

a storage unit that stores an execution schedule of self-diagnosis processing of the functional blocks; and

a self-diagnosis unit that executes the self-diagnosis processing of the functional blocks based on the execution schedule,

wherein, while executing the self-diagnosis processing, the self-diagnosis unit changes scheduling of a functional block where the self-diagnosis processing is to be executed in the execution schedule according to an execution status of other processing other than the self-diagnosis processing, and

wherein a first functional block of the functional blocks in which the execution of the self-diagnosis processing takes a first time duration is included in a first processing unit of the processing units to which a first number of functional blocks belongs, and a second functional block of the functional blocks in which the execution of self-diagnosis processing takes a second time duration, which is less than the first time duration, is included in a second processing unit of the processing units to which a second number of functional blocks belongs, the second number of functional blocks being larger than the first number of functional blocks wherein the self-diagnosis device is built in a microcomputer.

12. The self-diagnosis device according to claim 11, wherein the self-diagnosis unit executes the self-diagnosis processing in parallel with the other processing, and

wherein, when a functional block where the self-diagnosis processing is to be executed based on the execution schedule is being executed by the other processing, the self-diagnosis unit starts the self-diagnosis processing of another unexecuted functional block instead of the functional block.

13. A self-diagnosis method using a semiconductor device that executes a self-diagnosis processing of functional blocks, the self-diagnosis method comprising:

setting processing units, each of which includes an aggregate of some functional blocks selected from the functional blocks, and a start condition of self-diagnosis processing of each processing unit;

selecting the processing unit where the self-diagnosis processing is started based on the start condition of each processing unit; and

executing the self-diagnosis processing of each functional block in the selected processing unit,

wherein a first functional block of the functional blocks in which the execution of the self-diagnosis processing takes a first time duration is included in a first processing unit of the processing units to which a first number of functional blocks belongs, and a second functional block of the functional blocks in which the execution of self-diagnosis processing takes a second time duration, which is less than the first time duration, is included in a second processing unit of the processing units to which a second number of functional blocks belongs, the second number of functional blocks being larger than the first number of functional blocks wherein the self-diagnosis device is built in a microcomputer.

18. The self-diagnosis method according to claim 13, wherein the self-diagnosis processing and an other processing other than the self-diagnosis processing are executed in parallel in the functional blocks.