# US 8,786,424 B2 · Error signal handling unit, device and method for outputting an error condition signal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,424 B2 - Document ID: US8786424B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/397,035 - Filed: 2012-02-15 - Published: 2013-08-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-15 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Antonio Vilela; Andre Roger - Inventors: Antonio Vilela; Andre Roger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786424B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/0225: {Failure correction strategy} - B60W 50/0205: {Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models} - B60W 2050/0006: {Digital architecture hierarchy} - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract An Error signal handling comprises a circuitry configured to receive an error signal from an external device indicating an error condition in the external device. The circuitry is further configured to receive a recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible. Furthermore, the circuitry is further configured to output an error condition signal based on the error signal in response to a reception of the error signal if within a given delay time from the reception of the error signal, the circuitry does not receive the recovery signal and otherwise to omit outputting the error condition signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Error signal handling unit comprising: a circuitry configured to receive an error signal from an external device indicating an error condition in the external device; wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible; and wherein the circuitry is further configured to output an error condition signal based on the error signal in response to a reception of the error signal if within a given delay time from the reception of the error signal, the circuitry does not receive the recovery signal and otherwise to omit outputting the error condition signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to forward the error signal if within the given delay time the circuitry does not receive the recovery signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to decode the error signal and to generate the error condition signal based on the decoded error signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to decode the recovery signal according to a given communication protocol decoding rule. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) Error signal handling unit according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further configured to decode the error signal according to a further communication protocol decoding rule which is different to the communication protocol decoding rule. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises: a first input terminal for connecting the external device and for receiving the error signal; and a second input terminal for connecting the external device and for receiving the recovery signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate a fail safe mode request signal based on the error signal indicating a request to a further external device to enter a fail safe mode and to output the fail safe mode request signal as the error condition signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured such that the given delay time is configurable by a user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the given delay time comprises a fixed part which is not adjustable and an adjustable part which is adjustable by a user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a further error signal indicating a further error condition in the external device and to receive a further recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the further error condition or indicating that a mitigation of the further error condition in the external device is possible; and wherein the circuitry is further configured to output a further error condition signal based on the further error signal in response to a reception of the further error signal if within a further given delay time from the reception of the further error signal, the circuitry does not receive the further recovery signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) Error signal handling unit according to claim 10, wherein the further given delay time is different from the given delay time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) Error signal handling unit according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the error condition signal and the further error condition signal such that the error condition signal is equal to the further error condition signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Error signal handling unit according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises: an error signal decoding stage to decode the error signal and to generate a decoded error signal; a recovery signal protocol detection stage configured to decode the recovery signal according to a given communication protocol decoding rule and to generate a decoded recovery signal; an error condition signal generation stage configured to generate the error condition signal based on the decoded error signal and to output the error condition signal if within the given delay time, the error condition signal generation stage does not receive the decoded recovery signal and otherwise to omit outputting the error condition signal. ### Claim 14 Device configured to output in response to an error condition in the device an error signal indicating the error condition and to output in response to a mitigation of the error condition or if a mitigation of the error condition is possible a recovery signal indicating the mitigation or the possibility of mitigation of the error condition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Device according to claim 14, further configured to output the error signal according to a first communication protocol and the recovery signal according to a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different. ### Claim 16 Error signal handling system comprising: a device configured to output in response to an error condition in the device an error signal indicating the error condition and to output in response to a mitigation of the error condition or if a mitigation of the error condition is possible a recovery signal indicating the mitigation or the possibility of mitigation of the error condition; and an error signal handling unit comprising a circuitry configured to receive the error signal and the recovery signal from the device; and wherein the circuitry is further configured to output an error condition signal based on the error signal in response to a reception of the error signal if within a given delay time from the reception of the error signal, the circuitry does not receive the recovery signal and otherwise to omit outputting the error condition signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Error signal handling system according to claim 16, wherein the device comprises a first substrate which is spaced apart from a second substrate of the error signal handling unit. ### Claim 18 Error signal handling unit comprising: a first input terminal; a second input terminal; an output terminal; and an error signal delay stage coupled between the first input terminal, the second input terminal and the output terminal; and wherein the error signal delay stage is configured to provide, in response to a reception of an error signal from an external device at the first input terminal indicating an error condition in the external device, an error condition signal based on the error signal at the output terminal if within a given delay time, the error signal delay stage does not receive a recovery signal from the external device at the second input terminal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible and otherwise to omit outputting the error condition signal. ### Claim 19 Means for outputting an error condition signal, wherein the means is configured to receive an error signal from an external device indicating an error condition in the external device; and wherein the means is further configured to receive a recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible; and wherein the means is further configured to output an error condition signal based on the error signal in response to a reception of the error signal if within a given delay time from the reception of the error signal, the means does not receive the recovery signal and otherwise to omit outputting the error condition signal. ### Claim 20 Error signal handling unit comprising: an error signal decoding stage configured to receive an error signal from an external device indicating an error condition in the external device, to decode the error signal and to generate a decoded error signal; a recovery signal protocol detection stage configured to receive a recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible, to decode the recovery signal according to a given communication protocol decoding rule and to generate a decoded recovery signal; and an error condition signal generation stage configured to generate a fail safe mode request signal based on the decoded error signal, the fail safe mode request signal indicating a request to a further external device to enter a fail safe mode, and to output the fail safe mode request signal as an error condition signal if within a given delay time from a reception of the decoded error signal, the error condition signal generation stage does not receive the decoded recovery signal and otherwise to omit outputting the fail safe mode request signal. ### Claim 21 Method for outputting an error condition signal, the method comprising: receiving an error signal from an external device indicating an error condition in the external device; and outputting an error condition signal based on the error signal in response to a reception of the error signal if within a given delay time from the reception of the error signal no recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible is received, and otherwise omitting outputting the error condition signal. ### Claim 22 Non transitory storage medium having stored thereon a computer program having a program code for performing, when running on a computer, a method for outputting an error condition signal, the method comprising: receiving an error signal from an external device indicating an error condition in the external device; and outputting an error condition signal based on the error signal in response to a reception of the error signal if within a given delay time from the reception of the error signal no recovery signal indicating a mitigation of the error condition in the external device or indicating that a mitigation of the error condition in the external device is possible is received and otherwise omitting outputting the error condition signal.