Method for monitoring an electronic control unit and control unit for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10691117-B2
Application number	US-201715791121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2017
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A method is specified for monitoring an electronic control unit for a motor vehicle. An electronic control unit with a monitoring circuit, which contains at least one sensor component, is provided. A measured value is recorded by means of the at least one sensor component, on the basis of which an actual value of a characteristic value representative for the thermal, mechanical and/or chemical loading of the control unit is determined and compared with a predetermined set-point value. A signal is emitted as a function of the result of the comparison. A device and a control unit are additionally specified.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring an electronic control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:
providing the electronic control unit, wherein the control unit has a control circuit which is constructed for controlling an operating function of the motor vehicle, and a monitoring circuit which contains at least one sensor component,
measuring a parameter by the at least one sensor component,
determining an actual value of a characteristic value representative of at least one of thermal, mechanical and chemical loading of the control unit by the monitoring circuit on the basis of the measured parameter, and comparing the actual value with a predetermined set-point value of the characteristic value, and
emitting a signal by the monitoring circuit as a function of a result of the comparison,

wherein
the characteristic value is representative of at least one of the thermal, mechanical and chemical loading of the at least one sensor component,
the control circuit is different from the monitoring circuit,
the at least one sensor component comprises at least one electric or electronic component, and
the control circuit has at least one electric or electronic component which is of the same structure of electric or electronic component as the at least one electric or electronic component of the at least one sensor component and which is less sensitive with respect to the at least one of the thermal, mechanical and chemical loading than the at least one electric or electronic component of the at least one sensor component.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor component contains at least one component from the following group: temperature sensor, acceleration sensor, vibration sensor, moisture sensor, sulfur sensor, and corrosion sensor.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein determining the actual value comprises evaluating at least one of the following parameters on the basis of the measured parameter: temperature, at least one of a number and a size of temperature fluctuations, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, a number of temperature cycles, at least one of a number and a strength of mechanical impacts, at least one of a duration and an intensity of mechanical vibrations, corrosion, sulfur concentration, and air humidity, and
wherein the method further comprises determining the predetermined set-point value on the basis of a lifespan model of the at least one evaluated parameter.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
saving the actual value,
measuring a further parameter by the at least one sensor component following the comparison of the actual value with the set-point value,
determining a new actual value of the characteristic value, different from the saved actual value, by the monitoring circuit on the basis of the further measured parameter and the saved actual value and comparing the new actual value with the set-point value, and
emitting a further signal by the monitoring circuit as a function of the result of the comparison of the new actual value with the set-point value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the signal is emitted during a start-up ignition phase of operation of the control unit for controlling the operating function of the motor vehicle by the control circuit.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the emitted signal is a warning signal and is at least one of represented by at least one of an acoustic and an optical indicating element, and is saved in a fault memory of the motor vehicle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit having the control circuit, the monitoring circuit and the at least one sensor component are part of a device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor component comprises a plurality of electric or electronic components which are connected in series with each other.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the emitted signal indicates a prediction of failure of the electronic control unit and reduces a possibility of unforeseen failure thereof.

10. A method for monitoring an electronic control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:
providing the electronic control unit, wherein the control unit has a control circuit which is constructed for controlling an operating function of the motor vehicle, and a monitoring circuit which contains at least one sensor component,
measuring a parameter by the at least one sensor component,
determining an actual value of a characteristic value representative of at least one of thermal, mechanical and chemical loading of the control unit by the monitoring circuit on the basis of the measured parameter, and comparing the actual value with a predetermined set-point value of the characteristic value, and
emitting a signal by the monitoring circuit as a function of a result of the comparison, wherein the emitted signal is at least one of a warning signal to a driver of the motor vehicle that is represented by at least one of an acoustic and an optical indicating element, and saved in a fault memory of the motor vehicle to indicate an occurrence of a detection of a fault,

wherein
the characteristic value is representative of the at least one of the thermal, mechanical and chemical loading of the at least one sensor component,
the control circuit contains a plurality of electric or electronic components of the same type which together contribute to controlling the operating function of the motor vehicle and are connected to one another in such a manner that a failure of an individual component of the plurality of electric or electronic components does not impair the functionality of the control circuit for controlling the operating function, and
the plurality of electric or electronic components constitute the at least one sensor component and the failure of an individual component of the plurality of electric or electronic components or a failure of a portion of the plurality of electric or electronic components is detected for determining the actual value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of electric or electronic components of the same type are connected in parallel with each other.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the emitted signal indicates a time for replacing or performing maintenance of the electronic control unit.

13. An electronic control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a control circuit which is constructed for controlling an operating function of the motor vehicle; and
a monitoring circuit which contains at least one sensor component,
wherein the control unit is constructed and configured for:
acquiring a measured parameter by the at least one sensor component,
determining an actual value of a characteristic value representative of at least one of thermal, mechanical and chemical loading of the control unit on the basis of the acquired measured parameter,
comparing the actual value with a predetermined set-point value of the characteristic value, and
emitting a signal as a function of the result of the comparison, the emitted signal is at least one of a warning signal to an occupant of the motor vehicle that is represented by at least one of an acoustic and an optical indicating element, and saved in a fault memory of the motor vehicle to indicate an occurrence of a detection of a fault,
wherein the control circuit contains a plurality of electric or electronic components of the same type which are connected to one another in such a manner that together the plurality of electric or electronic components contribute to

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh
• Vitesco Tech Gmbh

Inventors

• Riepl Thomas
• Peck Stefan

Classifications

• G05B2219/32226

  Computer assisted repair, maintenance of system components · CPC title

• G05B23/0283

  Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06) · CPC title

• G05B23/0235 Primary

  based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold · CPC title

• B60W50/0205

  Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models · CPC title

• G05B2219/2637

  Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair · CPC title