Patent ID: 7966527

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting an incorrect watchdog trigger in a normal mode; entering from the normal mode into a first state of a first escalation level of a plurality of escalation levels upon detection of the watchdog fault; entering from the first state of the first escalation level to a second state of the first escalation level if a correct watchdog trigger is detected; returning to the first state of the first escalation level from the second state of the first escalation level if the incorrect watchdog trigger is detected; entering from the first escalation level into a second escalation level of the plurality of escalation levels if: a number of detections of the watchdog fault while at the first escalation level exceeds a predetermined maximum; or the watchdog fault is not corrected within a predetermined period; and returning from the second state of the first escalation level to the normal mode if consecutive detections of the correct watchdog trigger exceeds a predetermined threshold.