Operation management device and operation management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12175236-B2
Application number	US-202318153551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2023
Priority date	Feb 15, 2022
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

An operation management device for managing operation of a plurality of electronic control devices installed on a vehicle includes: an update management unit configured to: receive a download instruction to download updated data from an external device; and deliver the received updated data to an electronic control device and instruct the electronic control device to write the updated data, the updated data including an updated program for the electronic control device, the electronic control device being at least one of the electronic control devices, the electronic control device being a target device for downloading the updated data; and a failure diagnosis unit configured to execute failure diagnosis for the electronic control devices, wherein when the update management unit instructs any of the electronic control devices to write the updated data, the update management unit prohibits the failure diagnosis unit from executing the failure diagnosis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operation management device for managing operation of a plurality of electronic control devices installed on a vehicle, the operation management device comprising a processor that includes:
an update management unit configured to: receive a download instruction to download updated data from an external device outside the vehicle; and deliver the downloaded updated data to an electronic control device and instruct the electronic control device to write the updated data, the updated data including an updated program for the electronic control device, the electronic control device being at least one of the plurality of electronic control devices, the electronic control device being a target device for downloading the updated data; and
a failure diagnosis unit configured to execute failure diagnosis for the plurality of electronic control devices,
wherein when the update management unit instructs any of the plurality of electronic control devices to write the updated data, the update management unit prohibits the failure diagnosis unit from executing the failure diagnosis.

2. The operation management device according to claim 1 , each of the plurality of electronic control devices being connected to the operation management device either directly through a communication transmission line to be able to communicate with each other or being connected indirectly through the communication transmission line and to at least one of the plurality of electronic control devices other than the electronic control device to be able to communicate with each other, the processor of the operation management device further including:
an activation management unit configured to manage an activation configuration, the activation configuration being information indicating an activation order of the plurality of electronic control devices; and
an activation unit configured to activate the plurality of electronic control devices,
wherein the update management unit prohibits execution of diagnostic operation and then notifies the target device to the activation management unit based on the download instruction,
the activation management unit notifies an electronic control device and an update activation configuration to the activation unit, the electronic control device notified to the activation unit being at least one of the plurality of electronic control devices and needing to be activated to establish communication between the update management unit and the target device, the update activation configuration being the activation configuration indicating an activation order, and
the activation unit activates the electronic control device needing to be activated, according to the update activation configuration.

3. The operation management device according to claim 2 , wherein
the failure diagnosis unit executes failure diagnosis for an electronic control device indicated in the update activation configuration after the activation unit activates the electronic control device indicated in the update activation configuration according to the update activation configuration.

4. The operation management device according to claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of electronic control devices, the operation management device, and the communication transmission line configure a communication network, and the communication network includes at least one transmission line switch that switches connection in the communication transmission line,
the activation management unit manages a network configuration that indicates a state to be set for the transmission line switch in the communication network,
the activation management unit notifies an update network configuration to the activation unit, the update network configuration being a network configuration for establishing communication between the update management unit and the target device, and
the activation unit switches the transmission line switch according to the update network configuration, and then activates the electronic control device needing to be activated, according to the update activation configuration.

5. The operation management device according to claim 4 , wherein
when the target device ends writing of the updated data,
the update management unit prohibits the failure diagnosis unit from executing the failure diagnosis,
the activation management unit notifies, to the activation unit, a network configuration used before notifying the update network configuration to the activation unit, and
the activation unit switches the transmission line switch according to the update network configuration notified from the activation management unit.

6. An operation management method to be performed by a computer of an operation management device, the operation management device managing operation of a plurality of electronic control devices installed on a vehicle, the method comprising:
an update management step of receiving a download instruction to download updated data from an external device outside the vehicle,
and
delivering the downloaded updated data to the electronic control device and instructing the electronic control device to write the updated data, the updated data including an updated program for the electronic control device, the electronic control device being at least one of the plurality of electronic control devices, the electronic control device being a target device for downloading the updated data; and
a failure diagnosis step of, when not prohibited, executing failure diagnosis for the plurality of electronic control devices,
wherein when, in the update management step, any of the electronic control devices is instructed to write the updated data, the failure diagnosis step is prohibited from executing the failure diagnosis for the plurality of electronic control devices.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nomura Takumi

Classifications

• B60W50/0205

  Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• G05B2219/24065

  Real time diagnostics · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G05B23/0213 Primary

  Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols · CPC title