Method and apparatus for isolating a fault in a controller area network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9110951-B2
Application number	US-201314027549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2013
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A controller area network (CAN) on a mobile system has a plurality of CAN elements including a communication bus and nodes. A method for monitoring the CAN includes detecting inactive nodes of the CAN and employing an off-board controller to identify a candidate fault in the CAN based upon the inactive nodes of the CAN and a network topology for the CAN. A fault is isolated in the CAN based upon the candidate fault.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for monitoring a controller area network (CAN) on a mobile system including a plurality of CAN elements comprising a communication bus and a plurality of nodes, comprising:
detecting inactive nodes of the CAN;
employing an off-board controller to identify a candidate fault in the CAN based upon the inactive nodes of the CAN and a network topology for the CAN; and
isolating a fault in the CAN based upon the candidate fault.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein employing the off-board controller to identify a candidate fault in the CAN comprises:
comparing the inactive nodes of the CAN with a plurality of fault signature vectors associated with the network topology for the CAN;
identifying one of the fault signature vectors that correspond to the inactive node of the CAN;
determining a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector; and
identifying the candidate fault in the CAN based upon the fault symptom.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises employing a reachability analysis of the network topology of the CAN wherein communications are monitored to determine which of the nodes is inactive for the fault symptom.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises an open link between a power supply and a node.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises an open link between an electrical ground and a node.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises an open communications link between a first node and a second node.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises a fault in a node.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises a short in a communications link between a first node and a second node.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting inactive nodes of the CAN comprises employing an on-board controller to monitor communications from the nodes of the CAN and identifying as inactive any node of the CAN that fails to generate a message on the CAN within a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
employing an on-board monitoring routine to detect the inactive nodes of the CAN and capture a corresponding time stamp; and
in response to a query, communicating the inactive nodes of the CAN and the corresponding time stamp to the off-board controller.

11. Method for monitoring a controller area network (CAN) on a mobile system including a plurality of CAN elements comprising a plurality of controllers signally connected to a communication bus, comprising:
employing an on-board monitoring routine to identify each of the controllers of the CAN as either active or inactive;
in response to a query, communicating the identified active and inactive controllers of the CAN to an off-board controller;
employing the off-board controller to identify a candidate fault in the CAN based upon the inactive controllers of the CAN and a network topology for the CAN; and
isolating a specific fault in the CAN based upon the candidate fault.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein employing the off-board controller to identify a candidate fault in the CAN comprises:
comparing the inactive controllers of the CAN with a plurality of fault signature vectors associated with the network topology for the CAN;
identifying one of the fault signature vectors that correspond to the inactive controller of the CAN;
determining a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector; and
identifying the candidate fault in the CAN based upon the fault symptom.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises employing a reachability analysis of the network topology of the CAN wherein communications are monitored to determine which of the controllers is inactive for the fault symptom.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises an open link between a power supply and a controller.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises an open link between an electrical ground and a controller.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises an open communications link between a first controller and a second controller.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises a fault in a controller.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein a fault symptom associated with the identified fault signature vector comprises a short in a communications link between a first controller and a second controller.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein identifying each of the controllers of the CAN as either active or inactive comprises employing an on-board controller to monitor communications from the controllers of the CAN and identifying as inactive any controller of the CAN that fails to generate a message on the CAN within a predetermined period of time.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Jiang Shengbing

Classifications

• G06F11/0709 Primary

  in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems · CPC title

• G06F11/3006

  where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50) · CPC title

• G06F11/2205

  using arrangements specific to the hardware being tested · CPC title

• G06F11/0706

  the processing taking place on a specific hardware platform or in a specific software environment · CPC title

• G06F11/3048 Primary

  where the topology of the computing system or computing system component explicitly influences the monitoring activity, e.g. serial, hierarchical systems · CPC title