Method and computer program for testing a technical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11734164-B2
Application number	US-202117354888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	Jun 29, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A method for testing a, in particular safety-relevant, technical system, in particular encompassing software. The system is represented by a model encompassing at least two or more components. An assumption of a respective component regarding the safety-relevant system, and a guarantee of a respective component to the safety-relevant technical system, are specified by a safety contract. Executable program code is generated based on at least one assumption and based on at least one guarantee. The safety-relevant technical system is tested by executing the program code.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for testing a safety-relevant technical system encompassing software components and/or hardware components, the safety-relevant technical system being represented by a model encompassing (a) representations of at least some of the components and (b) at least one safety contract, each of the at least one safety contract specifying (a) an assumption of a respective component of the at least some of the components regarding at least one further component of the at least some of the components, and (b) a guarantee of the respective component to at least one further component of the at least some of the components, the method comprising the following steps:
generating executable program code by:
converting, automatically by a processor, natural language of the assumption and the guarantee into logical expressions using text recognition;
converting, automatically by the processor, the logical expressions into the executable program code; and

testing the safety-relevant technical system by executing the program code.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the executable program code, when executed, tests at least one function of the respective component of the safety contract so as to check whether the guarantee of the respective component of the safety contract is being complied with.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein executable program code, when executed, monitors an input of the respective component of the safety contract so as to check whether the assumption of the respective component of the safety contract is being complied with.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the testing includes executing the executable program code in order to monitor respective component of the safety contract at a runtime of the safety-relevant system during operation of the safety-relevant technical system.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the executable program code, when executed, tests at least one function of the safety-relevant technical system and/or monitors the safety-relevant technical system on a system level.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the generating of the executable program code is based on at least one of the following system requirements: safety, comfort, and homologation aspects.

7. An apparatus for testing a safety-relevant technical system encompassing software components and/or hardware components, the safety-relevant technical system being represented by a model encompassing (a) representations of at least some of the components and (b) at least one safety contract, each of the at least one safety contract specifying (a) an assumption of a respective component of the at least some of the components regarding at least one further component of the at least some of the components, and (b) a guarantee of the respective component to at least one further component of the at least some of the components, the apparatus comprising:
a programmed processor, wherein the programmed processor is configured to:
generate executable program code by:
automatically converting natural language of the assumption and the guarantee into logical expressions using text recognition;
automatically converting the logical expressions into the executable program code; and

test the safety-relevant technical system by executing the program code.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions that are executable by a processor and that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method for testing a safety-relevant technical system encompassing software components and/or hardware components, the safety-relevant technical system being represented by a model encompassing (a) representations of at least some of the components and (b) at least one safety contract, each of the at least one safety contract specifying (a) an assumption of a respective component of the at least some of the components regarding at least one further component of the at least some of the components, and (b) a guarantee of the respective component to at least one further component of the at least some of the components, the method comprising the following steps:
generating executable program code by:
automatically converting natural language of the assumption and the guarantee into logical expressions using text recognition;
automatically converting the logical expressions into the executable program code; and

testing the safety-relevant technical system by executing the program code.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Nordmann Arne
• Munk Peter
• Rohatschek Andreas-Juergen
• Thaden Eike Martin
• Gauerhof Lydia
• Schweizer Markus

Classifications

• G06F11/3688 Primary

  for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites · CPC title

• G06F11/3684

  for test design, e.g. generating new test cases · CPC title

• G06F11/2273 Primary

  Test methods · CPC title

• G06F11/0739 Primary

  in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems · CPC title

• G06F11/26 Primary

  Functional testing · CPC title