Patent ID: 8423836

Claim:
In a method for detecting a failure in an error correcting unit ( 2 ), wherein the error correcting unit ( 2 ) receives output data from a data source ( 20 ) and determines whether the received data are incorrect, and wherein if the received data are incorrect, the error correcting unit ( 2 ) is expected to correct at least one error within the received data, output the corrected data, and manipulate an error vector ( 4 ), wherein the error vector ( 4 ) at least indicates whether an error was corrected or whether an error was identified but could not be corrected, the improvement comprises the steps of a. comparing the output data of the error correcting unit ( 2 ) with at least one reference data, wherein the at least one reference data originate at least indirectly from the data source ( 20 ), b. testing plausibility based on the result of the comparison and the error vector ( 4 ) including indicating plausibility if the comparing step indicates a match and the error vector ( 4 ) either indicates that no error was identified or that an error was identified that could not be corrected, or if the comparing step indicates not a match and the error vector ( 4 ) indicates an error was identified and corrected, and indicating non-plausibility if the comparing step indicates a match and the error vector ( 4 ) indicates an error was identified and corrected, or if the comparing step indicates not a match and the error vector ( 4 ) indicates either that no error was identified or that an error was identified that could not be corrected, c. manipulating a failure vector ( 7 ) upon the result of the plausibility test, wherein the failure vector ( 7 ) indicates a failure in the error correcting unit ( 2 ) if the result of the plausibility test is non-plausible and indicates not a failure in the error correcting unit ( 2 ) if the result of the plausibility test is plausible.