Patent ID: 6012147
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: G01D,G05B

Abstract:
A method of determining a reliability variable of a responsive system for signal processing, wherein the system includes a plurality of data processing units communicating with one another via data transmission units, the method which comprises:implementing in the data processing units computer programs constructed modularly from a number of function components;processing with the data processing units input signals of an input signal state, in accordance with a given sequence of steps specified by an integral processing specification, and generating an unambiguous output signal state;providing a reliability module and processing therewith the given sequence of steps in reverse order, for determining combinations of error functions and/or failures of the data processing units and/or data transmission units which lead to a valid output signal state; andlinking the results of the determining step with respective reliability parameters of each data processing unit and of each data transmission unit, and determining therefrom the reliability variable of the responsive system.