Patent ID: 7328369
Filing Date: 2008-02-05
Classification: B61L,G06F

Abstract:
1. An Inherently Fail Safe processing or control apparatus comprising a first processing unit with a first processor and a memory containing a predetermined data processing and/or control program; at least one input port for input data received from at least one remote unit; at least one output port for output data to be transmitted to at least one remote unit under the control of said first processing unit; wherein the first processing unit further comprises a generator for generating unique codes checkwords for functional checks of the processing and/or receiving and/or transmitting steps being performed and a port for the transmission of the checkwords generated at each step; a functional checker and protection unit is further provided, which further comprises a fail-safe second processing unit, with a memory containing a program for checking the functional steps of the first processing unit and a program for checking the correctness of functional control codes checkwords and the time sequence thereof; which functional checker and protection unit communicates, by a transmit and/or receive port, with the first processing unit, and generates enabling signals for the first processing unit when the checkwords are correct; while the functional checker and protection unit generates signals for disabling the activity of the first processing unit and/or for forcing the first processing unit to the transmission of predetermined output data for fail-safe remote unit control, or the said functional checker and protection unit generates itself predetermined output data for fail-safe remote unit control and/or signals for enabling/disabling vital functions of the remote unit and/or of the first processing unit which are transmitted to the remote unit and/or to the first processing unit, wherein the functional checker and protection unit has two separate units with two separate processors and is composed of a checker subunit, which performs functional check functions on the first processing unit, by running a checking program, and a protection subunit which only performs verification functions on checkwords and on the sequence thereof, and which controls the units for enabling/disabling the vital functions of the remote unit.