Vehicle communication apparatus, program product and communication system

• US 10,296,420 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishihara, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q
• Application Number:
  US15/758,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20180253356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data

Abstract

A vehicle communication apparatus includes a reset object portion, a reset portion, a power source determination portion, and a reset execution portion. The reset object portion executes a software in both an on state and an off state of a vehicle power source. The reset portion resets an operation of the software executed by the reset object portion. The power source determination portion determines whether the vehicle power source is in the on state or the off state. The reset execution portion controls the reset portion to reset the operation of the software executed by the reset object portion at a reset time point that is preliminary determined in the off state of the vehicle power source. The reset portion resets the operation of the software when the power source determination portion determines that the vehicle power source is in the off state.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication apparatus comprising:

a reset object portion that executes a software in both an on state and an off state of a vehicle power source;

a reset portion that resets an operation of the software executed by the reset object portion;

a power source determination portion that determines whether the vehicle power source is in the on state or the off state; and

a reset execution portion that controls the reset portion to reset the operation of the software executed by the reset object portion at a reset time point that is preliminary determined in the off state of the vehicle power source, wherein the reset portion resets the operation of the software when the power source determination portion determines that the vehicle power source is in the off state.

2. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a time point determination portion that determines, as the reset time point, a time point at which a predetermined duration does not conflict with a reset duration, wherein the predetermined duration is a duration related to a service provided by the software executed in the off state of the vehicle power source, and

wherein the reset execution portion controls the reset portion to reset the operation of the software executed by the reset object portion at the reset time point that is determined by the time point determination portion.

3. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the time point determination portion determines, as the reset time point, the time point at which the predetermined duration does not conflict with the reset duration, and

the predetermined duration is a duration related to a service that is triggered when the vehicle power source switches from the on state to the off state.

4. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the time point determination portion determines, as the reset time point, the time point at which the predetermined duration does not conflict with the reset duration, and

the predetermined duration is a duration related to a service that is triggered when a specific time point that is previously set arrives.

5. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

after the reset time point is set, when the time point determination portion determines that the reset time point that has been set needs to be changed in response to a request for a service to be newly executed by the software, the time point determination portion changes the reset time point that has been set.

6. The vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the reset object portion includes at least one of a control portion or a wireless communication portion,

the control portion executes a software related to a control of the vehicle communication apparatus, and

the wireless communication portion executes a software related to a wireless communication.

7. A program product stored in a non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium, the program product comprising instructions executed by a microcomputer of a vehicle communication apparatus, wherein the vehicle communication apparatus comprises a reset object portion and a reset portion, the reset object portion executes a software in both an on state and an off state of a vehicle power source, and the reset portion resets an operation of the software executed by the reset object portion,

the instructions comprising:

determining a duration in which the vehicle power source is in the off state;

determining a reset time point; and

controlling the reset portion to reset the operation of the software executed by the reset object portion at the reset time point that is determined in the off state of the vehicle power source when the off state of the vehicle power source is determined.

8. The program product according to claim 7, wherein

in the determining the reset time point, a time point at which a predetermined duration does not conflict with a rest duration is set as the reset time point, and

the predetermined duration is a duration related to a service that is provided by the software executed in the off state of the vehicle power source.

9. The program product according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for:

determining whether a service to be newly executed by the software is required after the reset time point is determined;

determining whether the reset time point that has been set needs to be changed in response to a request for the service to be newly executed by the software; and

changing the reset time point that has been set when the determination that the reset time point needs to be changed is made.

10. A non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium that stores the program product according to claim 7.

11. A communication system comprising:

a vehicle communication apparatus that controls a reset portion to reset an operation of a software executed by a reset object portion at a reset time point that is preliminary determined in an off state of a vehicle power source; and

an external apparatus that transmits an operation instruction signal to the vehicle communication apparatus,

wherein, when the external apparatus retries to transmit the operation instruction signal to the vehicle communication apparatus in the off state of the vehicle power source, a duration of retry cycle for transmitting the operation instruction signal to the vehicle communication apparatus is set to be longer than a reset duration.

12. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein

the external apparatus includes a server, and

the server transmits, as the operation instruction signal, a remote operation instruction signal to the vehicle communication apparatus.

13. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein

the external apparatus includes an electronic control unit, and

the electronic control unit transmits, as the operation instruction signal, a control instruction signal to the vehicle communication apparatus.