Device for operating an electronic system of a vehicle

Abstract

The invention describes a device for operating an electronic system, in particular for a vehicle. The device according to the invention comprises a power supply unit (10) to which a battery voltage (Vbatt) is supplied during operation at a first supply potential input terminal (11), and which provides a supply voltage (Vss) at a supply potential output terminal (13). The power supply unit (10) has an enable input (12) and a trigger signal input (15) for receiving a trigger signal (TRG), via which the supply voltage (Vss) at the supply potential output terminal (13) can be activated and deactivated by means of an enable signal (EN), wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to provide the supply voltage (Vss) at the supply potential output terminal (13) even without the application of the enable signal (EN) upon receipt of the trigger signal during a follow-up phase (PWL) of the electronic system, in which no enable signal (EN) is applied. Furthermore, the device according to the invention comprises a microcontroller (20) to which the supply voltage (Vss) is supplied at a second supply potential input terminal (21) if the enable signal (EN) is applied at the enable input (12) or if the microcontroller (20) generates a trigger signal (TRG) during the follow-up phase and transmits it to the trigger signal input (16). The power supply unit (10) is furthermore configured to suppress the deactivation of the supply voltage (Vss) for supplying the microcontroller (20) upon receipt of a control command (CMD).

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for operating an electronic system. In particular, the present invention relates to a device for operating an electronic system of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In particular, the electronic system of a vehicle typically includes a microcontroller that provides control signals for loads. The microcontroller is powered by a power supply unit of the electronic system. During operation, the battery voltage is supplied to the power supply unit at the supply potential terminal, and the power supply unit provides a supply voltage for the microcontroller at the supply potential output terminal. The electronic system can be turned on and off via a so-called enable input. More precisely, the supply voltage at the supply potential output terminal is activated or deactivated by means of an enable signal.

[0003] The so-called follow-up phase (Nachlaufphase) of the electronic system starts when the enable signal is deactivated. The follow-up phase is often used by the microcontroller to perform diagnostics. For this purpose, the power supply unit is prompted by a periodically transmitted trigger signal to allow the supply voltage to be applied to the supply potential output terminal until the trigger signal no longer occurs. The trigger signal is a pulse generated periodically by the microcontroller. This scheme is also known by the term "Power-Latch-Konzept".

[0004] A reset during the follow-up phase directly results in the supply voltage at the supply potential output terminal being cut off, on the one hand because the state machine uses this as a cut-off condition, and on the other hand because the trigger signal can no longer be generated. In order to be able to perform a fault response test during the follow-up phase, a change in the scheme is required, and the fault response test finally triggers a reset. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to describe a device for operating an electronic system, in particular of a vehicle, which allows functionally improved possibilities for performing a fault response test during the follow-up phase of the electronic system. In particular, the undesired cut-off of the supply voltage of the microcontroller during the follow-up phase of the electronic system should be suppressed.

[0006] These tasks are solved by a device for operating an electronic system. Advantageous design solutions result from other embodiments.

[0007] A device for operating an electronic system is described. The electronic system can be any technical system, in particular of a vehicle.

[0008] The device includes a power supply unit, to which a battery voltage is supplied at a first supply potential input terminal during operation, and the power supply unit provides a supply voltage at a supply potential output terminal. The battery voltage and the supply voltage may have the same voltage level. However, the power supply unit may also include one or more voltage regulators such that a smaller supply voltage is generated from the battery voltage.

[0009] The power supply unit has an enable input, via which the supply voltage at the supply potential output terminal can be activated and deactivated. For this purpose, the enable signal has two signal states, wherein in a first signal state, for example logic "H", the supply voltage at the supply potential output terminal is activated, and logic "L", wherein the supply potential at the supply voltage output terminal is deactivated. Depending on the implementation of the power supply unit, activation or deactivation of the supply voltage at the supply potential output terminal can also be achieved in the case of swapped signal states.

[0010] The power supply unit furthermore includes a trigger signal input for receiving a trigger signal. The power supply unit is configured to provide a supply voltage at the supply potential output terminal even without the application of an enable signal when receiving the trigger signal during a follow-up phase of the electronic system, in which the enable signal is not applied. Currently, a "trigger signal" is understood to be a signal having periodically generated signal pulses. The term "when receiving the trigger signal" can be understood as "as long as the trigger signal is received".

[0011] The device furthermore includes a microcontroller. In a known manner, the microcontroller is used to generate at least one control signal, which is provided at a control output of the microcontroller for processing a load. The load can be a switching element, a safety-related or non-safety-related control function, other control devices, etc. A supply voltage is supplied to the microcontroller at a second supply potential input terminal. On the one hand, the supply voltage is supplied when an enable signal is applied at the enable input. On the other hand, if the microcontroller generates a trigger signal during a follow-up phase and transmits it to the trigger signal input of the power supply unit, the supply voltage is supplied to the microcontroller.

[0012] In order to be able to perform, for example, a fault response test during a follow-up phase, which also causes a reset of the microcontroller and thus the power supply unit and thereby an interruption of the transmission of the trigger signal during the follow-up phase, the power supply unit is furthermore configured to suppress the deactivation of the supply voltage for supplying the microcontroller when receiving a pre-given control command.

[0013] This device enables the targeted suppression of the interruption of the supply voltage at the output terminal of the supply potential by means of a pre-given control command and thus maintains the supply to the microcontroller. It thus becomes possible, for example, to perform a fault response test which also causes a reset of the microcontroller so that the microcontroller can perform a restart after completion of the reset. If the microcontroller re-generates a trigger signal after its restart, the microcontroller can automatically cause the maintenance of the supply independently of the pre-given control command.

[0014] This enables the electronic system to be run in slave mode most of the time. Due to the increasing complexity of the software routines running on the microcontroller and the more complex architecture of the microcontroller, an increased reset probability can be considered at this stage.

[0015] According to a suitable design, the microcontroller is configured to issue a control command. In particular, when the microcontroller has received a release signal from the power supply unit, the control command is issued by the microcontroller, and the deactivation of the enable signal is announced using the release signal.

[0016] Another suitable design provides that the power supply unit is configured to suppress the deactivation of the supply voltage for a pre-given duration starting from the reception of the control command. For this purpose, for example, the power supply unit can start a timer from the reception of the control command. The duration can be pre-given fixedly in the power supply unit, and the timer expires after this duration. For example, the pre-given duration can be from a few hundred milliseconds to several seconds, where the actual duration depends on the fault response test and / or other tasks to be performed by the microcontroller.

[0017] Another suitable design provides that the power supply unit is configured to restart the pre-given duration starting from the reception of each control command. This enables the microcontroller to restart the timer, for example, by invoking a new fault response test. This ensures the supply to the microcontroller even in the case of a large number of tests to be performed.

[0018] In another suitable design, the power supply unit is configured to suppress the deactivation of the supply voltage for supplying the microcontroller independently of the non-occurrence of the trigger signal after receiving the control command. In other words, the response caused by the control command takes precedence over the received trigger signal.

[0019] Another design provides that the power supply unit is configured to suppress the deactivation of the supply voltage for supplying the microcontroller even if no enable signal is applied at the enable input after receiving the control command. The control command also takes precedence over this state of the electronic system / power supply unit, so that the supply to the microcontroller is ensured in any case.

[0020] Another design provides that the power supply unit is configured to suppress deactivation of the supply voltage for supplying the microcontroller even if the power supply unit undergoes a reset after receiving a control command.

[0021] Another design of the device provides that the microcontroller is configured to start from a pre-given counter start value and increment or decrement the counter by 1 with each invocation of the control command, and if the counter has reached the pre-given counter end value, no further control command is sent. This can rule out, for example, improper use or incorrect behavior of a fault response test, because the frequency of command invocations can be restricted to ensure the power supply of the microcontroller. The counter start value can be, for example, 0, where the counter is incremented by 1 with each invocation until the counter end value greater than 0. For example, the counter start value can also be decremented by 1 from a positive initial value until, for example, 0 as the counter end value.

[0022] An alternative design provides that the microcontroller is configured to invoke the control command once, periodically, or without limitation. Which of the mentioned variants is ultimately selected depends on the implementation of the routine running on the microcontroller during the follow-up phase.

[0023] Another alternative provides that the restricted frequency of command invocations is monitored not in the microcontroller but in the power supply unit. According to this design, the power supply unit is configured to start from a pre-given counter start value and increment or decrement the counter by 1 with each reception of the control command, and if the counter has reached the pre-given counter end value, it does not suppress deactivation of the supply voltage for supplying the microcontroller.

[0024] Another suitable design provides that the power supply unit includes a control unit configured to generate a control signal for a controllable switching unit when receiving the control command, and the controllable switching unit is connected to a first supply potential input terminal for switching the battery voltage. The switching unit can be, for example, a main relay, and the battery voltage is guided to the first supply potential input terminal using the main relay. The control unit keeps the control signal output terminal active during a reset, so that the switching unit remains switched on. Description of the Drawings

[0025] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments in the drawings. Among them:

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an electronic system is shown, in which the power supply unit can specifically suppress the cut-off of functional components in accordance with the present invention; and

[0027] Figure 2A timing diagram showing the mode of operation of the device according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Description

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a part of an electronic system, where only the components necessary for understanding the present invention are shown. The electronic system can be, for example, an electronic system of a vehicle for semi-autonomous, highly autonomous or fully autonomous driving functions for lateral and / or longitudinal movement of the vehicle. The technical system can also be in other technical fields.

[0029] Such an electronic system includes a power supply unit 10 for supplying the components present in the electronic system, a microcontroller 20 for controlling and / or monitoring the loads to be controlled, and one or more (not shown) loads. In Figure 2 the timing diagram, this is represented by PWR = ON, i.e., the supply device (Power PWR) is activated. The battery voltage Vbatt is supplied to the power supply unit 10 via the first supply potential input terminal 11. The battery voltage Vbatt can be fed directly or via an optional switching unit 19, such as a relay or a contactor, to the first supply potential terminal 11. If such an optional switching unit 19 is provided, the first main terminal 19E is connected to the supply voltage terminal (not shown) and the second main terminal 19A is connected to the first supply potential input terminal 11. The control signal AS is applied to the optional switching unit 19 via the control terminal 19S, and this control signal switches the switching element 19 to the conducting or non-conducting state. The corresponding control signal is provided at the control signal output terminal 18 of the power supply unit 10 and is generated by the control unit 17 of the power supply unit 10.

[0030] The power supply unit 10 provides a supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal 13, and this supply voltage is used to supply voltage to the microcontroller 20 and, if necessary, other electrical components present. The supply voltage Vss can correspond to the battery voltage Vbatt. One or more voltage regulators are often provided in the power supply unit 10, and these voltage regulators convert the battery voltage Vbatt into a smaller supply voltage Vss. The voltage regulator can be configured as a linear regulator or an SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) regulator.

[0031] The enable signal EN is fed to the power supply unit 10 via the enable input terminal 12. The supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal 13 can be activated and deactivated with the aid of the enable signal EN. In a motor vehicle, the enable signal EN is derived, for example, from the terminal 15 (ignition system on or off (an oder aus)). If the enable signal EN has, for example, the logic "H", the power supply unit 10 provides the supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal 13, thereby supplying the supply voltage to the microcontroller 20. Additionally, the microcontroller 20 is signaled via the release signal RES that the supply voltage Vss has stabilized. For this purpose, the power supply unit 10 has a release output terminal 14, which is communicatively connected to the release input terminal 22 of the microcontroller 20. If the enable signal EN has the logic "L", the supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal 13 is deactivated. The deactivation of the enable signal EN starts the so-called follow-up phase (PWR = PWL, see Figure 2 ).

[0032] To prevent an immediate cut-off of the power supply unit 10 or the microcontroller 20, the microcontroller 20 is configured to generate a trigger signal TRG and transmit the trigger signal to the power supply unit 10. For this purpose, the microcontroller 20 has a trigger signal output terminal 23, which is communicatively connected to the trigger signal input terminal 15 of the power supply unit 10. The "trigger signal" is currently understood to be a signal having periodically generated signal pulses.

[0033] As long as the power supply unit 10 receives the trigger signal TRG even when the enable signal EN is not applied (i.e., EN = "L"), the power supply unit 10 continues to provide the supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal.

[0034] If the electronic system is in the follow-up phase, i.e., PWR = PWL, that is, even if the enable signal EN is logic "L", whether the supply voltage Vss continues to be supplied to the microcontroller 20 depends on the presence or absence of the trigger signal TRG. Since the microcontroller performs a so-called fault response test during the follow-up phase, and the fault response test causes an interruption of the trigger signal TRG at the end of the performed reset due to the reset of the microcontroller 20, a restart of the microcontroller 20 can no longer be performed because the power supply unit 10 deactivates the supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal 13 when the trigger signal TRG does not occur.

[0035] To prevent this regulation, the power supply unit 10 suppresses the deactivation of the supply voltage Vss for supplying the microcontroller 20 when receiving the control command CMD sent by the microcontroller 20, and this also occurs even when the trigger signal TRG is no longer received at the trigger signal input terminal 15. The control command CMD is transmitted between the command signal output terminal 24 of the microcontroller 20 and the command signal input terminal 16 of the power supply unit 10.

[0036] Although in the described embodiment the release signal RES, the trigger signal TRG, and the control command CMD are transmitted via different signal lines, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the release signal RES, the trigger signal TRG, and the control command CMD can also be transmitted via a common input / output interface of the power supply unit 10 or the microcontroller 20 and via a single (bus) line.

[0037] When receiving the control command CMD, the power supply unit 10 starts a timer timer with a duration of t Figure 2 : TIMER), and the duration can be stored in the power supply unit according to the fault response test to be performed by the microcontroller 20. For example, a duration between a few hundred milliseconds and a few seconds can be set. If the power supply unit 10 receives another control command CMD before the timer t timer expires, the timer starts running again. If no other control command CMD is received by the power supply unit 10 after the timer expires or until the (last) timer t timer expires, the power supply unit 10 (assuming the trigger signal TRG is not received) deactivates the supply voltage Vss at the supply potential output terminal 13. At this time point, the state of the electronic system changes from the state ACT (representing activated) to the state PD (representing power down). After another pre-given duration expires, the state can then change again to SD (representing shut down) by shutting down the electronic system (PWR = OFF).

[0038] The reception of the control command CMD can also be used by the control unit 17 to issue or suppress the control signal AS for deactivating the switch unit 19 at the control signal output terminal 18.

[0039] Figure 2 The actions described above are shown in a timing diagram. In Figure 2The figure shows the states of the electronic system PWR, enable signal EN, timer TIMER, control command CMD, release signal RES, and the state of the electronic system from top to bottom. If the enable signal EN is at logic "H", voltage is supplied to the components of the electronic system, i.e., PWR = ON, where the state = ACT (activated). When the enable signal changes from logic "H" to logic "L", it switches to the follow-up phase PWL. Therefore, the microcontroller 20 transmits a periodic trigger signal TRG. In order to be able to perform a fault response test, the microcontroller 20 additionally transmits a control command CMD, which causes the timer TIMER to run. The fault response test FRT ends with a reset RES = reset, which results in a restart of the microcontroller 20. Due to the reset, the trigger signal TRG is no longer sent. Since the timer has not expired, the microcontroller 20 is still supplied with the supply voltage Vss. Before the first timer expires, another fault response test FRT is performed with the last reset RES = reset. With the start of the new fault response test, the timer starts running again. Due to the reset, the trigger signal TRG does not occur at the time of the reset until the microcontroller has completely restarted again (μC restart). After the timer expires, the follow-up phase PWL continues. When the microcontroller 20 stops the TRG signal, the electronic system changes its state from "activated" (ACT) to switched off (PD). After a specific time has expired, the electronic system is switched off (PWR = OFF). The state is now "shutdown" (SD).

[0040] List of reference numerals

[0041] 10 Power supply unit

[0042] 11 Supply potential input terminal

[0043] 12 Enable input terminal

[0044] 13 Supply potential output terminal

[0045] 14 Release output terminal

[0046] 15 Trigger signal input terminal

[0047] 16 Command signal input terminal

[0048] 17 Control unit

[0049] 18 Control signal output terminal

[0050] 19 Switching unit

[0051] 19E First main terminal (V. potential input terminal)

[0052] 19A Second main terminal (V. potential output terminal)

[0053] 19S Control Terminal (Control Signal Terminal)

[0054] 20 Microcontroller

[0055] 21 Power Supply Potential Input Terminal

[0056] 22 Release Input Terminal

[0057] 23 Trigger Signal Output Terminal

[0058] 24 Command Signal Output Terminal

[0059] 25 Control Output Terminal

[0060] CMD Command

[0061] TRG Trigger Signal

[0062] RES Release Signal

[0063] Vss Power Supply Voltage

[0064] Vbatt Battery Voltage

[0065] EN Enable Signal

[0066] CTRL Manipulation Signal

[0067] PWR Power Supply

[0068] PWL Power Supply Keeps Running (Power-Latch)

[0069] ON Power On

[0070] OFF Power Off

[0071] FRT Fault Response Test

[0072] STAT Status (ACT or PD or SD).

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating an electronic system, the apparatus comprising: - A power supply unit (10) that, during operation, receives a battery voltage (Vbatt) at a first supply potential input terminal (11) for the power supply unit and provides a supply voltage (Vss) at a supply potential output terminal (13), wherein the power supply unit (10) has an enable input (12) and a trigger signal input (15) for receiving a trigger signal (TRG), and the supply voltage (Vss) at the supply potential output terminal (13) can be activated and deactivated via the enable input (12) by means of an enable signal (EN), wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to provide the supply voltage (Vss) at the supply potential output terminal (13) even without the application of the enable signal (EN) when receiving the trigger signal during a follow-up phase (PWL) of the electronic system, and the enable signal (EN) is not applied during the follow-up phase; - A microcontroller (20) to which the supply voltage (Vss) is supplied at a second supply potential input terminal (21) if the enable signal (EN) is applied at the enable input (12) or if the microcontroller (20) generates the trigger signal (TRG) and transmits it to the trigger signal input (15) during the follow-up phase, wherein the power supply unit (10) is further configured to suppress deactivation of the supply voltage (Vss) for supplying the microcontroller (20) when receiving a control command (CMD).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller (20) is configured to issue the control command (CMD).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to suppress deactivation of the supply voltage (Vss) for a pre-given duration starting from the receipt of the control command (CMD).

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to restart the pre-given duration starting from the receipt of each control command (CMD).

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to suppress deactivation of the supply voltage (Vss) for supplying the microcontroller (20) independently of the non-occurrence of the trigger signal (TRG) and / or independently of the received reset after receiving the control command (CMD).

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to suppress deactivation of the supply voltage (Vss) for supplying the microcontroller (20) even without the application of the enable signal (EN) at the enable input (12) after receiving the control command (CMD).

7. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microcontroller (20) is configured to start from a pre-given counter start value and increment or decrement the counter by 1 with each invocation of the control command (CMD), and wherein if the counter has reached a pre-given counter end value, the control command (CMD) is no longer sent.

8. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microcontroller (20) is configured to invoke the control command (CMD) once, periodically, or without limitation.

9. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to start from a pre-given counter start value and increment or decrement the counter by 1 with each reception of the control command (CMD), and wherein if the counter has reached a pre-given counter end value, deactivation of the supply voltage (Vss) for supplying the microcontroller (20) is not inhibited.

10. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power supply unit (10) comprises a control unit (17) configured to generate a manipulation signal for a controllable switching unit (19) upon reception of the control command (CMD), the controllable switching unit being wired to the first supply potential input terminal (11) for switching the battery voltage (Vbatt).

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is for operating an electronic system of a vehicle.

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