Patent ID: 8650003

Claim:
A method of validating an operating diagnosis of a device under test, comprising: performing a succession of elementary tests on the device under test, each elementary test producing a positive or negative result indicating normal or abnormal operation of the device under test, after each elementary test is performed, updating an occurrence counter (CRT), and simultaneously updating a result counter (FRCT), according to the result of the elementary tests, and validating the diagnosis when the occurrence counter reaches a first maximum value (CTRmax) or when the performance counter reaches a second maximum value (FCTRmax), wherein the updating the occurrence counter, for each elementary test, includes: determining the result of the elementary test, incrementing the occurrence counter in response to the result of the elementary test being a first logic state that is identical to the result of a preceding elementary test, and initializing the occurrence counter in response to the result of the elementary test being in a second logic state that is different from the result of the preceding elementary test, and wherein the updating the result counter, for each elementary test, includes: incrementing the result counter, if the result of the elementary test is in the first logic state, and decrementing the result counter, if the result of the elementary test is in the second logic state.