Patent ID: 8676434

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a plurality of high-voltage electrical components arranged in an electrical circuit aboard the vehicle; a plurality of electrical current sensors each configured to determine a corresponding electrical current through a different one of the high-voltage electrical components; and a control system configured to enhance the robustness of a hybrid vehicle torque security diagnostic by calculating and recording a series of error index values over a calibrated sample interval using the corresponding electrical currents from the sensors, with the corresponding electrical currents being used by the control system to calculate values used in the torque security diagnostic; wherein the control system includes a first counter and a second counter, and is further configured to: increment the first counter with each error index value that is recorded during the calibrated sample interval; increment the second counter whenever a given one of the error index values that is recorded during the calibrated sample interval is greater than a calibrated fail high threshold corresponding to an electrical current level sufficient for generating a torque error corresponding to a predetermined amount of unintended acceleration of the vehicle; decrement the second counter whenever a given one of the error index values that is recorded during the calibrated sample interval is less than a calibrated fail low threshold corresponding to an electrical current level sufficient for generating another torque error corresponding to a predetermined amount of unintended deceleration of the vehicle; and execute a control action when either the absolute value of the second counter or the value of the first counter reaches a corresponding limit.