Method and device for determining a full error description for at least one part of a technical system, computer program element and computer-readable storage medium

• US 20040078736A1
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rothfelder, Martin, Lohner, Manfred, Mäckel, Oliver, Liggesmeyer, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis

Abstract

Disclosed is a full error description for a technical system which is described by means of a system description which can be processed by a computer and stored. The system description contains information on elements available in said system and information on the links therebetween. An element error description is determined for each element taken into consideration, using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element. At least one part of the reference elements is grouped into a reference element group and a group error description is determined for the reference elements of a reference element group using a stored group error description which is respectively associated with a reference element group, enabling possible errors of the reference elements of the reference element group to be described. A full error description is determined from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account information on element links.

Claims

1. Method for determining a full error description for at least one part of a technical system, by means of a computer,

where the system is described by means of a stored system description which can be processed by the computer,

where the system description contains information on elements available in the system and on the links between them,

where an element error description is determined for each element taken into consideration, using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element, by means of which possible errors of the respective element are described,

where possible errors of a respective reference element are described by means of an error description of the reference element,

where at least one part of the reference elements is grouped into a reference element group,

where a group error description is determined for the reference elements of a reference element group using a stored group error description which is respectively associated with a reference element group, by means of which possible errors of the reference elements of the reference element group are described, and

where a full error description is determined from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account information on element links.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1,

where the group error description describes at least one error which has an effect on several reference elements of the reference element group.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2,

where the grouping of the reference elements into a reference element group takes place according to at least one predefined grouping criterion.

4. Method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3,

where the system description is present in a hardware description language.

5. Method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4,

where the system description includes information on an information flow direction which indicates the direction in which information is propagated within the technical system,

where the full error description is effected taking account of the information flow direction.

6. Method as claimed in one of the previous claims,

where the error description is present in the form of a stored error tree,

where the element error description is determined as an element error tree, and

where the full error description is determined as a full error tree.

7. Method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5,

where the error description is present in the form of an equation which describes possible states of the reference element,

where the element error description is determined as an element equation, and

where the full error description is determined as a full error equation.

8. Method as claimed in claim 7,

where a full error tree is determined from the full error equation.

9. Method as claimed in one of the previous claims,

where at least one reference element describes an element of an electrical circuit.

10. Method as claimed in one of the previous claims,

which is employed for the purposes of error analysis of the technical system.

11. Method as claimed in one of the previous claims,

where the full error description is determined as a full error tree,

where the full error tree is changed in relation to predefinable framework conditions.

12. Method as claimed in claim 11,

where the change is effected by the addition of a supplementary error tree.

13. Method as claimed in claim 11 or 12,

where the framework condition is described by conditions in relation to electromagnetic compatibility.

14. Configuration for determining a full error description of at least one part of a technical system with a processor which is arranged in such a manner that the following steps can be carried out:

the system is described by means of a stored system description which can be processed by the configuration,

the system description includes information on elements available in the system and on the links between them,

an element error description is determined for each element taken into consideration, using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element, by means of which possible errors of the respective element are described,

possible errors of a respective reference element are described by means of an error description of the reference element,

at least one part of the reference elements is grouped into a reference element group,

a group error description is determined for the reference elements of a reference element group using a stored group error description which is respectively associated with a reference element group, by means of which possible errors of the reference elements of the reference element group are described, and

a full error description is determined from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account information on element links.

15. Configuration as claimed in claim 14,

where the group error description describes at least one error which has an effect on several reference elements of the reference element group.

16. Configuration as claimed in claim 14 or 15,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that the grouping of the reference elements into a reference element group takes place according to at least one predefined grouping criterion.

17. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 16,

where the system description is present in a hardware description language.

18. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 17,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that

the system description includes information on an information flow direction which indicates the direction in which information is propagated within the technical system,

the full error description is effected taking account of the information flow direction.

19. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 18,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that

the error description is present in the form of a stored error tree,

the element error description is determined as an element error tree, and

the full error description is determined as a full error tree.

20. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 19,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that

the error description is present in the form of an equation which describes possible states of the reference element,

the element error description is determined as an element equation, and

the full error description is determined as a full error equation.

21. Configuration as claimed in claim 20,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that a full error tree is determined from the full error equation.

22. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 21,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that at least one reference element describes an element of an electrical circuit.

23. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 22,

which is employed for the purposes of error analysis of the technical system.

24. Configuration as claimed in one of claims 14 to 23,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that

the full error description is determined as a full error tree,

the full error tree is changed in relation to predefinable framework conditions.

25. Configuration as claimed in claim 24,

where the processor is arranged in such a manner that the change is effected by the addition of a supplementary error tree.

26. Configuration as claimed in claim 24 or 25,

where the framework condition is described by conditions in relation to electromagnetic compatibility.

27. Computer program element which includes a computer-readable storage medium on which a program is stored which allows a computer, once it has been loaded into a memory of the computer, to carry out the following steps for the purposes of determining a full error description of at least one part of a technical system:

the system is described by means of a stored system description which can be processed by the configuration,

the system description includes information on elements available in the system and on the links between them,

an element error description is determined for each element taken into consideration, using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element, by means of which possible errors of the respective element are described,

possible errors of a respective reference element are described by means of an error description of the reference element,

at least one part of the reference elements is grouped into a reference element group,

a group error description is determined for the reference elements of a reference element group using a stored group error description which is respectively associated with a reference element group, by means of which possible errors of the reference elements of the reference element group are described,

a full error description is determined from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account information on element links.

28. Computer-readable storage medium on which a program is stored which allows a computer, once it has been loaded into a memory of the computer, to carry out the following steps for the purposes of determining a full error description of at least one part of a technical system:

the system is described by means of a stored system description which can be processed by the configuration,

the system description includes information on elements available in the system and on the links between them,

an element error description is determined for each element taken into consideration, using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element, by means of which possible errors of the respective element are described,

possible errors of a respective reference element are described by means of an error description of the reference element,

at least one part of the reference elements is grouped into a reference element group,

a group error description is determined for the reference elements of a reference element group using a stored group error description which is respectively associated with a reference element group, by means of which possible errors of the reference elements of the reference element group are described,

a full error description is determined from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account information on element links.