Method for error recognition in a communication system

Abstract

A method for error recognition in a communication system. The invention relates to a method (100) for error detection in a communication system (1) in the form of an LIN bus system, comprising the following steps: initiating (101) transmission of at least one data packet from a master device (2) of the communication system (1) to at least one slave device (3) of the communication system (1), -receiving (102) at least one status message of a transceiver (5) of the communication system (1),-evaluating (103) the received at least one status message with respect to an error when receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet,-identifying (104) an error on the basis of the evaluation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for error detection in a communication system. The invention also relates to a communication system, a computer program, a device and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] It is known that in communication systems such as LIN bus systems, an open circuit (open load in English) may occur when a wire in the bus system is interrupted. This has the effect that the data communication between the networked units may be affected. In addition, a short circuit to ground occurs, for example, in the bus system of a vehicle, when a data wire or a power supply line is accidentally connected to the ground potential of the vehicle. This can lead to an impact on the data communication and possible damage to the participating control devices. A short circuit to the supply voltage occurs when a data wire is in direct contact with a supply voltage line. This can lead to an increase in the current in the network, which activates the integrated protection mechanism and, in the worst case, leads to damage to the control device.

[0003] With conventional solutions, errors such as open circuits or short circuits in LIN systems cannot be identified. Therefore, the master, i.e. the host of the LIN bus, has no event to which it can respond. This results in the master continuing to operate in normal operation, despite the fact that an error actually exists. This makes it particularly difficult to infer the actual cause of the error. Summary of the invention

[0004] The subject matter of the invention is a method having the features of claim 1, a communication system having the features of claim 6, a computer program having the features of claim 8, an apparatus having the features of claim 9 and a computer-readable storage medium having the features of claim 10. Further features and details of the invention can be derived from the respective dependent claims, the description and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the method according to the invention naturally also apply to the communication system according to the invention, the computer program according to the invention, the apparatus according to the invention and the computer-readable storage medium according to the invention and vice versa, so that reference can always be made to each other with regard to the disclosure of the respective inventive aspects.

[0005] The subject of the invention is in particular a method for error detection in a communication system, wherein the communication system is preferably provided in the form of a LIN bus system. The communication system, ie in particular the LIN bus system, can be a bus system of a vehicle, ie can be integrated into the vehicle, for example.

[0006] A Local Interconnect Network, LIN bus or LIN for short, is understood to be a communication system that can be used for data exchange between devices, such as control devices in automotive applications. The communication system can be a serial communication system, in particular for networking sensors and actuators. A typical example of application is networking in doors or seats of motor vehicles.

[0007] The method according to the present invention may comprise the following steps, which are preferably performed repeatedly and / or sequentially:

[0008] - initiating the transmission of at least one data packet, preferably a digital data packet, by a master device, preferably a master unit, of the communication system to at least one slave device, preferably a slave unit, in particular a plurality of slave devices,

[0009] - receiving at least one status message of a transceiver, in particular a transceiver, of the communication system, preferably of a master device, wherein the status message is preferably received in digital form,

[0010] - evaluating at least one received status message with respect to an error in receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet - in other words, an error indicating a problem or an unexpected event in receiving a response data packet, wherein the response data packet is expected as a response to the transmitted data packet -, wherein for this purpose preferably a status code of the status message is evaluated,

[0011] - Based on the evaluation, preferably the error is detected by determining the cause of the error.

[0012] The invention has the advantage that errors according to error classes such as "open load", "short circuit to ground" or "short circuit to supply voltage" can be reliably detected. This makes it possible to provide events to which the master device can react in the event of an error. By precisely "localizing" the actual cause of the error, it is also possible to simplify workshop diagnostics and / or targeted alternative reactions and error handling in the vehicle.

[0013] The transceiver is in particular a transceiver, preferably a LIN transceiver, and can be responsible for the physical signal transmission and reception on a bus, preferably a LIN bus. To this end, the transceiver can, for example, convert digital data of a master or slave into electrical signals to transmit them via the bus line, and vice versa, and can also receive signals and convert them into data.

[0014] Furthermore, it is advantageous that a plurality of slave devices are provided and that the transmission of at least one data packet to a plurality of slave devices is initiated. In this case, it is advantageous that the status message is specific to a single slave device and / or a source identifier of the slave device. The source identifier comprises, for example, a unique identifier of the slave device and / or an indication of which slave device (e.g. for the current frame) a response data packet is expected.

[0015] In addition, the method step of identifying can also include: identifying the slave device causing the error among the plurality of slave devices based on the status message. The communication system comprises, for example, up to 16 slave devices at a master device. The cause of the error can be determined, for example, based on the status message and in particular based on a source identifier, which for this purpose comprises, for example, an indication of which slave device a response is to be obtained or expected. Thus, it can be distinguished whether no response data packet is continuously obtained by all slave devices of the communication system or only by individual slave devices in the communication system.

[0016] Preferably, within the scope of the present invention, it can be proposed that the identification further comprises: associating the error with one of at least two or at least three error categories. Here, the error category may include at least one of the following:

[0017] a short-circuit error, in which a transmission (for example a response data packet) by at least one of the slaves is prevented by connecting a transmission line (bus line) of the communication system to an electrical ground, for example the ground of the vehicle,

[0018] an error caused by an open circuit, in the case of which a transmission (for example a response data packet) by at least one of the slaves is prevented by the transmission line of the communication system being interrupted,

[0019] - An operational error in one of the slave devices.

[0020] This enables further differentiation of the cause of the error.

[0021] In another possibility, it can be provided that the evaluation is carried out based on predefined system specifications of the communication system, wherein the identification also includes:

[0022] - Identifying a cause of the error based on a comparison of at least one received status message with system specifications.

[0023] In this case, the master, in particular also called a LIN master, can use the status messages as feedback from the transmitter and receiver due to the system specifications combined with additional system knowledge for error diagnosis. Thus, the cause of the error can be inferred based on the existing knowledge about the communication system.

[0024] It is also possible that, during the evaluation, at least one received status message is evaluated with respect to the reception of no response data packets. Thus, it is also possible to recognize when reception or transmission is completely blocked by a slave device.

[0025] The subject matter of the invention is also a communication system, preferably in the form of a LIN bus system, having:

[0026] - Master control device,

[0027] - at least one or more slave devices,

[0028] A device for detecting errors in a communication system, wherein the device is preferably provided in the form of an electronic data processing device and / or a data processing system and / or a device according to the invention.

[0029] The device, such as a data processing device or a data processing system, may further include:

[0030] - a start mechanism, for starting the transmission of at least one data packet to at least one slave device or to a plurality of slave devices via the master device,

[0031] a receiving device for receiving at least one status message of a transceiver of the communication system, preferably of a master device,

[0032] an evaluation unit for evaluating at least one received status message with respect to an error when receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet, wherein preferably a response from at least one of the slaves is expected,

[0033] - Identification mechanism for identifying errors based on the evaluation.

[0034] Thus, the communication system according to the invention brings the same advantages as described in detail about the method according to the invention. In addition, the communication system and in particular the device can be suitable for executing the method according to the invention. The individual mechanisms can be part of one or more computer programs, for example.

[0035] It is also optionally proposed that the device and / or the transceiver is part of a master device, wherein at least one or more other transceivers of slave devices can be arranged. In addition, the master device can be arranged as the commander of the communication system (master unit), and the corresponding slave device can be arranged as the responder of the communication system (slave unit). This enables reliable communication between different vehicle components, for example in a vehicle. LIN can, for example, include a single master unit as a master device and a plurality of slave units as slave devices for data exchange between control units and / or devices in automotive applications. LIN can be arranged in different vehicle components, including but not limited to dashboards, center consoles and door modules, to enable targeted communication between specific control devices, such as air conditioning control, window lifting and seat adjustment.

[0036] The subject of the present invention is also a computer program, in particular a computer program product, which comprises instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the invention. Thus, the computer program according to the invention brings the same advantages as those described in detail with reference to the method according to the invention.

[0037] The subject of the invention is also a device for data processing, which is set up to carry out the method according to the invention. As such a device, for example, a computer can be provided, which executes a computer program according to the invention. The computer can have at least one processor for executing the computer program. A non-volatile data memory can also be provided, in which the computer program is stored and from which the processor can read the computer program for execution. The device can also be designed as a distributed computer system if necessary.

[0038] The subject matter of the present invention may also be a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program according to the present invention and / or comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the present invention. The storage medium is designed, for example, as a data memory, such as a hard disk and / or a non-volatile memory and / or a memory card. The storage medium may be integrated in a computer, for example.

[0039] Furthermore, the method according to the present invention may also be performed as a computer-implemented method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Further advantages, features and details of the invention can be gathered from the following description, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. In the drawings:

[0041] Figure 1Schematic visualizations of methods, apparatus, storage media and computer programs according to embodiments of the invention are shown.

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0043] Figure 3 Another diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] exist Figure 1 Schematically shows a method 100, an apparatus 10, a storage medium 15 and a computer program 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the method 100 can be configured for Figure 2 , which is in the form of a LIN bus system. According to a first method step 101, the transmission of at least one data packet by a master device 2 of the communication system 1 to at least one slave device 3 of the communication system 1 can be initiated. According to a second method step 102, it can be provided that at least one status message of a transceiver 5 is received. According to a third method step 103, at least one received status message can be evaluated with respect to an error when receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet. Then, according to a fourth method step 104, an error can be detected according to the evaluation.

[0045] exist Figure 2 , it is shown that multiple slave devices 3 can also be set up to start transmitting at least one data packet to the slave devices. Here, the status message can be specific to a single slave device and / or a source identifier of the slave device 3. By identifying 104, the slave device 3' that caused the error can be determined based on the status message.

[0046] Identification 104 may also include associating the error with one of at least two or at least three error categories. For example, in this case it may be a short circuit error, wherein the transmission by at least one of the slave devices 3 is blocked by the following means: the transmission line 7 of the communication system 1 is electrically connected to the ground. In order to carry out this error association, the status message can be evaluated as follows, that is, the transceiver (transceiver) provides a "frame header error". This may occur, for example, in the case of a LIN short circuit to ground, in which all bits of the slave device are set to zero (low level), and may also occur in the case of a LIN short circuit to the supply voltage, in which all bits of the slave device are set to one (high level). By evaluating this "frame header error", a short circuit error is thus diagnosed.

[0047] Furthermore, there may also be errors due to open circuits, in which the transmission by at least one of the slave devices 3 is blocked by interruption of the transmission line 7 of the communication system 1. As soon as no response is received from the slave device(s), the transceiver (transceiver) can provide a so-called "no response" status via a status message. This "no response" status can be used to diagnose an "open circuit" error.

[0048] In the case of both of the above-mentioned diagnostics, various system states can be taken into account before an error is reported. This includes, in particular, frequency detection of error states, for example. During frequency detection, a counter is incremented, in particular each time a "no response" state occurs. The counter can then be checked against an applicable threshold value. If this threshold value is exceeded, an "open circuit" error can be diagnosed and reported as a reaction. If a valid response from the slave is received in the master during the frequency detection, there is probably no "open circuit" error and the counter is therefore reset to the value zero. In this way, system specifications and / or system knowledge can be used in the evaluation and / or identification.

[0049] The device 10 and / or the transceiver 5 can be part of a master device 2, wherein at least one or more further transceivers 5' of a slave device 3 are optionally provided (see Figure 2 ). It can be provided that the communication system in the form of a LIN bus operates on the basis of time slots according to the query response principle (master-slave) with the aid of a schedule (transmission scheme). The schedule can involve a predefined frame sequence that controls the time sequence of the communication between the master and the slaves. The transmission scheme can specify when and in which order specific frames are sent via the LIN bus in order to ensure a coordinated and efficient data exchange. The actual communication between the master and the slave is divided into two main components of a data packet and / or a response data packet: the frame header and the useful data.

[0050] In conjunction with the Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a data packet, also called a frame, may include a frame header and associated valid data. The frame header contains information such as an identifier and frame length. The valid data carries the actual information payload and may include control instructions or measurement values ​​exchanged between control devices.

[0051] Unconditional frames may refer to data frames that are transmitted between a master and a slave according to a specified transmission scheme (schedule). These frames may contain valid data such as control instructions or measured values ​​and may be sent independently of specific conditions or events in the system. The frames may form the basis for regular and scheduled communication within a LIN bus system.

[0052] Conventionally, only the valid data of the slaves are processed. According to an embodiment variant of the invention, the frame header can also be evaluated based on the LIN transceiver feedback (ie the status message) and then a transition to the error state can be made.

[0053] According to another embodiment of the invention, the method may not be based on so-called unconditional frames (i.e. standard data frames), but rather on sending special so-called event-triggered frames at specific intervals, which address all slave devices on the bus. As a result, all slave devices can be queried as "simultaneously" as possible, and the debounce process can be simplified for error detection. Since the master device in the LIN bus can resolve possible collisions by definition with the help of a special transmission scheme (collision resolution), the query of all slave devices is also guaranteed.

[0054] exist Figure 3 1 shows in more detail an apparatus 10 of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment variant of the invention. In this case, a starter 11 can be provided for starting the transmission of at least one data packet by the master 2 to at least one slave 3. A receiving device 12 for receiving 102 at least one status message of a transceiver of the communication system 1 and an evaluation device 13 for evaluating 103 at least one received status message with respect to errors when receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet can also be present as part of the apparatus 10. In addition, a recognition device 14 can also be used to recognize 104 errors based on the evaluation.

[0055] The above description of the embodiment only describes the present invention within the scope of examples. Of course, the individual features of the embodiment can be freely combined with each other as long as it is technically reasonable, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method (100) for error detection in a communication system (1) in the form of a LIN bus system, comprising the following steps: - initiating (101) the transmission of at least one data packet from a master device (2) of the communication system (1) to at least one slave device (3) of the communication system (1), - receiving (102) at least one status message of a transceiver (5) of the communication system (1), - evaluating (103) the at least one received status message with respect to errors in receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet, - Identifying (104) errors based on said evaluation.

2. The method (100) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A plurality of slave devices (3) are provided, transmission of the at least one data packet is initiated at the slave devices, wherein the status message is specific to a single slave device (3) and / or a source identifier of the slave device (3), wherein the identifying (104) further comprises: - identifying a slave device (3') causing an error among the slave devices (3) based on the status message.

3. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The identifying (104) further comprises: - associating the error with one of at least two or at least three error categories, The error category includes at least one of the following: a short-circuit error, in the event of which transmission by at least one of the slaves (3) is prevented by the transmission line (7) of the communication system (1) being electrically connected to ground, an error caused by an open circuit, in the case of which the transmission by at least one of the slaves (3) is prevented by interruption of the transmission line (7) of the communication system (1), - an operating error in one of the slave devices (3).

4. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, Features performing an evaluation (103) based on predefined system specifications of the communication system (1), The identifying (104) further comprises: - Identifying the cause of the error based on a comparison of the status message with the system specification.

5. The method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, Features In the evaluation (103), at least one received status message is evaluated with respect to the absence of reception of a response data packet.

6. A communication system (1) in the form of a LIN bus system, comprising: - a master control device (2), - at least one slave device (3), - a device (10) for detecting errors in the communication system (1), The device (10) further comprises: - a starting mechanism (11) for starting (101) the transmission of at least one data packet from the master device (2) to at least one slave device (3), - a receiving device (12) for receiving (102) at least one status message of a transceiver (5) of the communication system (1), - an evaluation unit (13) for evaluating (103) the at least one status message received with respect to errors when receiving a response data packet as a response to at least one transmitted data packet, - a recognition unit (14) for recognizing an error (104) based on the evaluation.

7. The communication system (1) according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The device (10) and / or the transceiver (5) is part of a master device (2), wherein at least one or more other transceivers (5′) of slave devices (3) are arranged, wherein the master device (2) is arranged as the commander of the communication system (1) and the slave device (3) is arranged as the responder of the communication system (1).

8. A computer program (20) comprising instructions which, when the computer program (20) is executed by a computer (10), cause the computer (10) to perform the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. A device (10) for data processing, which is configured to carry out the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. A computer-readable storage medium (15) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer (10), cause the computer to perform the steps of the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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