Vehicle controller, updated program, program updating system, and writing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12086582-B2
Application number	US-202017628506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Aug 5, 2019
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle controller with improved usability related to updating of a control program is provided. The vehicle controller is capable of updating a stored control program, based on update contents provided by a writing device. The control program includes a control code, and control data that is referred to when the control code is executed. The vehicle controller includes a nonvolatile memory that allows a first memory area and a second memory area to be switched and used alternately, the first memory area and the second memory area each storing both the control code and the control data, and an updating request determining unit that determines whether an updating request from the writing device requests updating of both the control code and the control data or requests updating of the control data only. When determining that updating of the control data only is requested, the updating request determining unit writes received control data to any given memory area in which a currently active control program is stored.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle controller that updates a stored control program, based on update contents provided by a writing device,
wherein the control program includes a control code and control data that is referred to when the control code is executed, the vehicle controller comprises:
a nonvolatile memory that allows a first memory area and a second memory area to be switched and used alternately, the first memory area and the second memory area each storing both the control code and the control data; and
an updating request determining function that determines whether an updating request from the writing device requests updating of both the control code and the control data or requests updating of the control data only, and
when determining that updating of the control data only is requested, the updating request determining function writes received control data to any given memory area in which a currently active control program associated with the control code of the given memory area is stored.

2. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein the nonvolatile memory includes a third memory area in which the received control data is to be temporarily stored, and when determining that updating the control data only is requested, the updating request determining function writes the received control data to the third memory area, confirms that the received control data has been normally written to the third memory area, and then writes the received control data from the third memory area to a memory area in which a currently active control program associated with the control code of the memory area is stored.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein the control code and the control data each have version information, and the updating request determining function compares version information on a control code received from the vehicle controller with version information on a control code of an updated program, and determines an updating target.

4. The vehicle controller according to claim 3 , wherein the updating request determining function compares the version information on the received control code of a currently active program of at least one memory area with the version information on the control code of the updated program, and updates only control data when versions of both control codes are identical, while updates both the received control code and the control data associated with the received control code when the versions of both the control codes are different from each other.

5. The vehicle controller according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case of updating control data only, the vehicle controller writes the control data of the updated program to the nonvolatile memory when an association between a control code included in a currently active control program stored in the nonvolatile memory and the control data of the updated program is valid.

6. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
a point of time of storing the control data in the any given memory area is at least either a point of time of detecting a vehicle's ignition being turned off or a point of time of the vehicle's being stopped.

7. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
at updating of the control program, the vehicle controller outputs at least either version information on the control code or version information on the control data to present the version information to a user.

8. A computer program product stored on and executed in a vehicle controller, the product comprising code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to update a stored control program, based on update contents provided by a writing device,
wherein the control program includes a control code, and control data that is referred to when the control code is executed,
the vehicle controller includes a nonvolatile memory that allows a first memory area and a second memory area to be switched and used alternately, the first memory area and the second memory area each storing both the control code and the control data, and
the updated control program causes the vehicle controller to execute:
a procedure of determining whether an updating request from the writing device requests updating of both the control code and the control data or requests updating of the control data only; and
a procedure of writing received control data, when determining that updating the control data only is requested, to any given memory area in which a currently active control program associated with the control code of the given memory area is stored.

9. A program updating system that updates a control program for controlling a vehicle, the program updating system comprising:
a vehicle controller incorporated in the vehicle, the vehicle controller updating a stored control program;
a writing device incorporated in the vehicle, the writing device controlling updating of the control program; and
an external device that delivers an update package to the writing device, the update package including difference data of the control program, wherein the control program includes a control code, and control data that is referred to when the control code is executed, the vehicle controller includes:
a nonvolatile memory that allows a first memory area and a second memory area to be switched and used alternately, the first memory area and the second memory area each storing both the control code and the control data; and
an updating request determining function that determines whether an updating request from the writing device requests updating of both the control code and the control data or requests updating of the control data only, and when determining that updating of the control data only is requested, the updating request determining function writes received control data to any given memory area in which a currently active control program associated with the control code of the given memory area is stored.

10. The program updating system according to claim 9 , comprising an input/output device that at least presents information to a user,
wherein at updating of the control program, the program updating system presents to the user at least either version information on the control code or version information on the control data.

11. A writing device that controls updating of a control program stored in a vehicle controller, wherein the control program includes a control code and control data that is referred to when the control code is executed, the writing device comprises:
a hardware processor;
a procedure that acquires version information on a control program from the vehicle controller; and
an updating request determining function that determines whether updating of the control program requires updating both the control code and the control data or requires updating the control data only, and
when determining that updating the control data only is required, the updating request determining function writes received control data to any given memory area in which a currently active control program associated with the control code of the given memory area is stored.

Assignees

• Hitachi Astemo Ltd

Inventors

• Nakahara Fumiharu
• Abe Yusuke
• Kogure Yusuke

Classifications

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G06F8/656 Primary

  while running · CPC title

• B60R16/02

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title