The electronic control apparatus includes a microcomputer having a control function of controlling an actuator mounted on a vehicle in accordance with an input signal indicative of a running state of the vehicle, and a self-monitoring function of monitoring whether or not the control function is fun
The electronic control apparatus includes a microcomputer having a control function of controlling an actuator mounted on a vehicle in accordance with an input signal indicative of a running state of the vehicle, and a self-monitoring function of monitoring whether or not the control function is functioning properly on the basis of the input signal, and a monitor module communicably connected to the microcomputer and having a digital circuit for monitoring whether or not the self-monitoring function is functioning properly. The monitor module includes a reference counter counting up a clock serving as operation reference of the digital circuit. The microcomputer includes a module monitoring section configured to take in a count value of the reference counter and to monitor whether or not the monitor module is functioning properly on the basis of a changing state of the count value taken in.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. An electronic control apparatus comprising: a microcomputer control configured to control an actuator mounted on a vehicle in accordance with an input signal indicative of a vehicle running state, and to self-monitor whether or not said control is functioning properly based o
What is claimed is: 1. An electronic control apparatus comprising: a microcomputer control configured to control an actuator mounted on a vehicle in accordance with an input signal indicative of a vehicle running state, and to self-monitor whether or not said control is functioning properly based on said input signal; a monitor module separate from said microcomputer and communicably connected to said microcomputer and having a digital circuit configured to monitor whether or not said self-monitoring is functioning properly; said monitor module including a reference counter counting up a clock serving as an operation reference of said digital circuit; and said microcomputer including a module monitoring section configured to take in a count value of said reference counter at regular time intervals and to monitor whether or not said monitor module is functioning properly by judging that said monitoring module is not functioning properly when count values taken in at successive time intervals do not change during a predetermined time period. 2. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said microcomputer is configured to transmit, while monitoring said control by use of said self-monitoring function, a data set produced by said self-monitoring function to said monitor module, said data set including a computation result depending on content of a monitoring object and an expected value to which said computation result is expected to be equal. 3. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: said monitor module is configured to judge that said self-monitoring function is not functioning properly when a disparity between said computation result and said expected value lasts for more than a predetermined time period. 4. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: said digital circuit of said monitor module includes a comparator performing comparison between said computation result and said expected value, and a data abnormality counter configured to count up said clock and to be cleared when it is determined that said computation result and said expected value are matched through said comparison, and said monitor module is configured to judge that said self-monitoring function is not functioning properly when a count value of said data abnormality counter exceeds a predetermined value. 5. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: said monitor module is configured to judge that communication between said microcomputer and said monitor module is not functioning properly when said data set is not received by said monitor module for more than a predetermined time period. 6. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: said digital circuit of said monitor module includes a communication abnormality counter configured to count up said clock and to be cleared when said data set is received, and said monitor module is configured to judge that communication between said microcomputer and said monitor module is not functioning properly when a count value of said communication abnormality counter exceeds a predetermined value. 7. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said self-monitoring function monitors a plurality of monitoring objects to ensure proper functioning of said control, and said microcomputer is configured to transmit data sets produced by said self-monitoring function to said monitor module together with identifiers indicating to which of said monitoring objects each of said data sets is related, each of said data sets including a computation result depending on a content of one of said monitoring objects and an expected value to which said computation result is expected to be equal, and said digital circuit of said monitor module includes a plurality of digital circuit blocks corresponding to said plurality of said monitoring objects, and a block selecting section, each of said digital circuit blocks having a comparator for performing comparison between said computation result and said expected value, said block selecting section being configured to select, on the basis of said identifiers, one of said plurality of said digital circuit blocks to which a corresponding one of said data sets should be supplied. 8. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: said digital circuit of said monitor module includes a first digital circuit block having a comparator for performing comparison for a match between said computation result and said expected value, and a second digital circuit block having a comparator for performing a comparison of relative values between said computation result and said expected value. 9. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said self-monitoring function monitors a plurality of monitoring objects to ensure proper functioning of said control, and said microcomputer is configured to transmit data sets produced by said self-monitoring function to said monitor module together with identifiers indicating whether a comparison for matched values or relative values is needed for each of said data sets, each of said data sets including a computation result depending on a content of one of said monitoring objects and an expected value to which said computation result is expected to be equal, and said digital circuit of said monitor module includes a first digital circuit block having a comparator for comparing said computation result and said expected value for a match, and a second digital circuit block having a comparator for comparing relative values of said computation result and said expected value, said monitor module being configured to said monitoring objects the same of comparison by use of corresponding one of said first digital circuit block and said second digital circuit block in common. 10. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: said microcomputer is configured to compute a summation of computation results depending on contents of said monitoring objects needing comparison for matched values, and to transmit, as a data set, said summation and an expected value to which said summation is expected to be equal to said monitor module, said monitor module is configured to collectively monitor said monitoring objects using comparison for matched values by use of said first digital circuit block. 11. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: said plurality of said monitoring objects to be monitored by said self-monitoring function includes at least two of: properness of a control program stored in a ROM included in said microcomputer and executed by said control, properness of data stored in a data RAM included in said microcomputer as a computation result produced by said control, properness of a computed value of fixed simulating data produced by said control, properness of call order of functions called by said control, and properness of a computed value of said input signal produced by said control. 12. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said self-monitoring function is configured to monitor a plurality of monitoring objects to ensure proper functioning of said control, and said microcomputer is configured to transmit data sets produced by said self-monitoring function to said monitor module together with identifiers indicating which of a relatively short computation cycle and a relatively long computation cycle is used by each of said data sets, each of said data sets including a computation result depending on a content of one of said monitoring objects and an expected value to which said computation result is expected to be equal, and wherein said digital circuit of said monitor module includes a high speed digital circuit block having a comparator for performing comparison between said computation result and said expected value at said relatively short computation cycle, and a low speed digital circuit block having a comparator for performing comparison between said computation result and said expected value at said relatively long computation cycle, and said monitor module is configured to monitor said monitoring objects by sharing a common circuit for those monitoring objects having one of said relatively short computation cycle, and said relatively long computation cycle by common use of a corresponding one of said high speed digital circuit block and said low speed digital circuit block. 13. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: said microcomputer is configured to compute a summation of computation results depending on contents of said monitoring objects needing said relatively short computation cycle, and to transmit to said monitor module, as a data set, said summation and an expected value to which said summation is expected to be equal, and said monitor module is configured to collectively monitor said monitoring objects using said relatively short computation cycle through comparison for a match by use of said high speed digital circuit block. 14. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: said plurality of said monitoring objects to be monitored by said self-monitoring function includes at least two of: properness of a control program stored in a ROM included in said microcomputer and executed by said control, properness of data stored in a data RAM included in said microcomputer as a computation result produced by said control, properness of a computed value of fixed simulating data produced by said control, properness of call order of functions called by said control, and properness of a computed value of said input signal produced by said control. 15. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said actuator is an electric motor for opening and closing a throttle valve, and said electronic control apparatus further comprises: a drive circuit driving said motor on the basis of a drive command outputted from said control section, and means for interrupting a power supply to said electric motor when it is determined that there is an abnormality in at least one of said self-monitoring function, and said monitor module. 16. A method of monitoring operation of computerized vehicular control functions, the method comprising: directing a signal indicative of a vehicle running state to a microprocessor configured to receive said signal; controlling a vehicle mounted actuator in accordance with a received input signal; commanding a self-monitor disposed within the microcomputer to determine whether or not said microcomputer is functioning properly based an said received input signal; monitoring the self-monitor using a digital circuit to determine whether or not said self-monitor is functioning properly, the digital circuit disposed within a monitor module device separate from said microcomputer and in communication with said microcomputer; counting up a clock using a reference counter disposed within said monitor module device, said clock serving as an operation reference of said digital circuit; monitoring said monitor module device using a module monitoring section, the module monitoring section configured to determine whether or not said monitor module device is functioning properly by taking in a count value of said reference counter at regular time intervals and judging that said monitor module device is not functioning properly when count values taken in at regular successive time intervals do not change during a predetermined time period.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (9)
Ohashi Hideyuki,JPX ; Kato Kuraji,JPX ; Shibata Hiroshi,JPX, Electronic control system and method having monitor program.
Gerstung Ulrich (Vaihingen/Enz DEX) Hall Dieter (Schwieberdingen DEX) Kirschner Michael (Ludwigsburg DEX) Zimmerman Werner (Stuttgart DEX) Berger Joachim (Winterbach DEX) Grosser Martin (Stuttgart DE, System for controlling a motor vehicle.
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