Method for ensuring or maintaining the function of a complex complete safety-critical system

• US 8,223,007 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kascha, Reinhold
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/516,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 340/459, 340/425.5, 340/426.32, 340/426.31, 340/825.22, 701/91
• US Class Current: 340/459
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/021 Means for detecting failure or malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0295 Inhibiting action of specific actuators or systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot

Abstract

A method, the use thereof and a computer program product for maintaining the operation of a safety-critical overall vehicle regulatory and/or control system in the event of the occurrence of errors, in which the overall system is divided into system components on the basis of the findings of an error source analysis, in which modes of operation are also defined for the individual system components, and also, in the event of the occurrence of errors in the overall system, the error sources including the signals are analyzed and those methods of operation which are affected by the errors or signals which have occurred are ascertained, wherein on the basis of the error source analysis, those modes of operation of the individual system components which are not affected by the errors are taken and those which ensure an optimum or prescribed response from the overall system are selected.

Claims

1. A method for safeguarding or maintaining an operation of a complex safety-critical overall vehicle regulatory and/or control system in the event of the occurrence of an error, malfunction or other event which influence the availability of subfunctions,

in which the overall vehicle system is divided into system components on the basis of the findings of an error source analysis, in which modes of operation are also defined for the individual system components, and also, in the event of the occurrence of errors or events in the overall system, the error sources are analyzed and those methods of operation which are affected by the errors or events which have occurred are ascertained, and

wherein, on the basis of the error source analysis and according to the stipulations of a selection system, those modes of operation of the individual system components which are not affected by the errors or events, are taken and those which, in view of the errors or events which have occurred, ensure an optimum or prescribed response from the overall system or at least the maintenance of the operation of the overall system are selected,

wherein the definition of the errors or events of system components involves at least classification into:

(i) only intermittently occurring errors or events which cause intermittent disconnection or restriction of the overall vehicle system and/or of a subfunction, and (ii) errors or events which cause ultimate disconnection or restriction of the overall vehicle system and/or of a subfunction,

wherein a first error analysis step involves final errors being taken into account in the system component selection, and a further error analysis step involves intermittently occurring errors being additionally taken into account.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modes of operation are evaluated in terms of their effect on the overall vehicle system once at the start of the method and every time an error or an event occurs.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein besides intermittently occurring and final errors, events which influence either component availabilities or the modes of operation selection system are also evaluated without restriction and with equal authorization.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein operating states of external controllers are treated as events, so that said events can also be taken into account in the error analysis.

5. The use of the method as claimed in claim 1 in electronic motor vehicle braking systems, electronic steering systems, driver assistance systems or in vehicle controllers.

6. A computer program product which comprises a computer readable storage medium and an algorithm which performs a method as claimed in claim 1.

7. A method for safeguarding or maintaining an operation of a complex safety-critical overall vehicle regulatory and/or control system in the event of the occurrence of an error, malfunction or other event which influence the availability of subfunctions,

in which the overall vehicle system is divided into system components on the basis of the findings of an error source analysis, in which modes of operation are also defined for the individual system components, and also, in the event of the occurrence of errors or events in the overall system, the error sources are analyzed and those methods of operation which are affected by the errors or events which have occurred are ascertained, and

wherein, on the basis of the error source analysis and according to the stipulations of a selection system, those modes of operation of the individual system components which are not affected by the errors or events, are taken and those which, in view of the errors or events which have occurred, ensure an optimum or prescribed response from the overall system or at least the maintenance of the operation of the overall system are selected,

wherein the definition of the errors or events of system components involves at least classification into:

(i) only intermittently occurring errors or events which cause intermittent disconnection or restriction of the overall vehicle system and/or of a subfunction, and (ii) errors or events which cause ultimate disconnection or restriction of the overall vehicle system and/or of a subfunction,

wherein operating states of external controllers are treated as events, so that said events can also be taken into account in the error analysis.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a first error analysis step involves final errors being taken into account in the system component selection, and a further error analysis step involves intermittently occurring errors being additionally taken into account.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the modes of operation are evaluated in terms of their effect on the overall vehicle system once at the start of the method and every time an error or an event occurs.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein besides intermittently occurring and final errors, events which influence either component availabilities or the modes of operation selection system are also evaluated without restriction and with equal authorization.

11. The use of the method as claimed in claim 7 in electronic motor vehicle braking systems, electronic steering systems, driver assistance systems or in vehicle controllers.

12. A computer program product which comprises a computer readable storage medium and an algorithm which performs a method as claimed in claim 7.