Vehicle Data Processing Circuit Segmentation for Safety Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing concepts for executing safety-critical and non-safety-critical functions in vehicle systems face challenges such as high development and qualification costs, lack of scalability for complex systems, and undesirable trade-offs between resources and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The method involves executing non-safety-critical functions using dedicated software and hardware resources and safety-critical functions using separate dedicated resources, thereby avoiding interferences and reducing qualification efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If safety-critical and non-safety-critical functions are executed using shared resources, then resource utilization is improved, but interference between functions and system reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into multiple execution environments: a first execution environment for non-safety-critical functions and a second execution environment for safety-critical functions. This segmentation isolates the functions spatially and temporally, preventing interference while allowing resource sharing at the hardware level. The patent implements this through virtualization techniques that create distinct execution contexts with separate memory spaces, processor states, and resource access controls.
Solution Approach 2:
A resource manager or virtualization layer acts as an intermediary between the safety-critical and non-safety-critical functions and the shared hardware resources. This intermediary controls resource allocation, manages buffer access, and ensures that non-safety-critical functions do not interfere with safety-critical operations. The patent describes this as a management entity that coordinates resource usage and enforces isolation policies.
2Reliability
If entire functions are qualified as safety-critical to ensure safety, then safety coverage is improved, but development cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments functions into safety-critical and non-safety-critical portions, allowing only the essential safety-critical parts to undergo extensive qualification processes. By identifying and isolating the minimal safety-critical sub-functions, the qualification effort is concentrated where needed rather than applied uniformly to entire functions. This reduces overall complexity while maintaining adequate safety coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels and qualification standards are applied to different parts of the system based on their safety requirements. Safety-critical sub-functions receive high-level qualification (e.g., ISO 26262 ASIL D), while non-safety-critical functions use standard quality management. This localized quality approach optimizes resource allocation for qualification activities and reduces unnecessary complexity in non-critical areas.
3Reliability
If dedicated resources are allocated to safety-critical functions to avoid interference, then reliability is improved, but resource consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges safety-critical and non-safety-critical functions into a single integrated system that shares underlying hardware resources through virtualization. Instead of physically separating all components, the system combines resources at the hardware level and uses software-based isolation mechanisms to ensure safety. This approach reduces overall system complexity compared to full physical separation while maintaining reliability through logical isolation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle, an apparatus, a data carrier, a computer program, and a method for executing a safety-critical function and a non-safety-critical function by a data processing circuit. The method comprises executing the non-safety-critical function using dedicated first software resources and/or dedicated first hardware resources and executing the safety-critical-function using dedicated second software resources and/or dedicated second hardware resources.