US Patent 7136729 Supervisory diagnostics for integrated vehicle stability system

A supervisory diagnostics system and related method for providing vehicle diagnostics for an integrated vehicle stability system that monitors the state of health of sensors, actuators, vehicle sub-system and communication sub-systems that are used in the stability control system. The diagnostics system employs an algorithm to determine whether the various sensors, actuators and sub-systems are operating properly. The algorithm determines whether the components and sub-systems are outputting valid signals at a component level. The algorithm also determines whether a bias of the sensors is below a predetermined limit. The algorithm further determines whether a comparison between the outputs of redundant sensors is below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time. The system also performs a state of health analytical comparison of all the system signals. The system will go in to a fail-safe mode if a fault is detected.