ECU Function Grouping for Temporal Safety Test Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing control devices, particularly in safety-critical systems like vehicles and aircraft, are inadequate in assessing time-related interdependencies and relationships between functions, making it difficult to ensure comprehensive safety and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves dividing functions into groups, determining connections and time-related relationships between them, and combining results to provide a comprehensive analysis of safety features' initiation and failure over time, allowing for the identification of security gaps and optimization opportunities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standard testing procedures are used to test control units, then testing can be performed with established methods, but temporal interdependencies and relationships between functions cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The testing procedure segments functions into at least two groups: a first group comprising safety-relevant functions and a second group comprising non-safety-relevant functions. This segmentation enables targeted analysis of temporal relationships between different function types, improving measurement precision while managing complexity through structured organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The method introduces a temporal dimension to the testing procedure by analyzing time information of functions and determining temporal relationships between tested functions and other tested functions. This dimensional addition allows precise determination of temporal interdependencies that were not achievable with standard testing procedures.
2Productivity
If all functions are tested individually without grouping, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but analysis of temporal relationships and safety interdependencies becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Functions are segmented into safety-relevant and non-safety-relevant groups, enabling efficient testing by focusing temporal relationship analysis on critical interactions between safety functions and other functions. This segmentation improves productivity while maintaining reliability through targeted validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The method uses log files as an intermediary to capture time information and relationships between functions during operation. By analyzing log files, the system can determine temporal relationships without requiring direct manipulation of all function interactions, thereby improving testing efficiency while maintaining comprehensive safety validation.
3Reliability
If temporal relationships between functions are not analyzed, then testing procedures remain simple, but safety feature failures and security gaps cannot be identified
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary grouping of functions into safety-relevant and non-safety-relevant categories before conducting temporal relationship analysis. This preliminary organization enables systematic identification of safety feature failures and security gaps by pre-establishing the analytical framework, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing testing time.
Solution Approach 2:
Log files serve as an intermediary that captures temporal relationships during normal operation, allowing safety validation to be performed using existing operational data rather than requiring additional specialized testing. This approach improves reliability while minimizing time loss by leveraging already-collected information.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for testing electronic control units (ECUs), a computer program, and a computer program product. A test circuit and a corresponding test device are also presented. The method for testing ECUs involves dividing the functions to be tested into different groups. After each of these functions has been tested individually, the respective functions are combined with other related functions, taking into account general relationships and temporal relationships, so that ultimately a higher-level result is provided.