Patent ID: 7107488
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
1. An electronic control unit having a monitoring control circuit comprising: a non-volatile program memory, an operation processing RAM memory, an input interface circuit to which an input sensor group is connected, an output interface circuit to which an electrical load group is connected, and a microprocessor controlling the mentioned electrical load group responsive to a content of a control program that is stored in said non-volatile program memory, and an operation state of said input sensor group; wherein the electronic control unit further comprises: a monitoring control circuit section that is connected to said microprocessor via a pair of serial interface circuits, and includes inquiry packet transmission means for sequentially transmitting regularly question information to said microprocessor; correct answer information storage means to said question information; and error determination means for comparing answer information based on said question information with correct answer information that is stored in said correct answer information storage means to determine presence or absence of any error; and under-monitoring processing means that is an under-monitoring processing program stored in said non-volatile program memory in addition to the control program for input/output control, and includes: simulation-operation-execution processing means that is executed based on the question information having been transmitted by said inquiry packet transmission means; response packet transmission means for transmitting an execution result of said simulation-operation-execution processing means as an answer information to said monitoring control circuit section; and receiving interval error processing means that is reverse monitoring means for restarting, or alarming and stopping said monitoring control circuit section when a receiving interval of said inquiry packet is abnormal; and wherein, an under-test target program that is contained in said control program and a simulation-operation-execution processing program serving as simulation-operation-execution processing means and contained in said under-monitoring processing program include at least some common programs.