Rewriting system for vehicle controller

• US 20010049765A1
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Masanori, Yashiki, Tetsuya, Mizuo, Naohiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,876,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

The rewriting system for rewriting data stored in a memory of a vehicle controller with new data is provided. The rewriting device is capable of communicating with the vehicle controller. The rewriting device enters a waiting state in which there is no exchange of message between the vehicle controller and the rewriting device. The rewriting device is in a waiting state until a predetermined waiting time has elapsed from the time at which a signal for requesting the vehicle controller to delete the data or write the new data is sent, or from the time at which a signal indicative of start of deleting operation of the data or writing operation of the new data is received. Thus, an erroneous determination of offline due to a busy state of the vehicle controller caused by deleting or writing operation is avoided. It is preferable that the predetermined waiting time for deleting operation is the time necessary to delete the data stored in the memory and the predetermined waiting time for writing operation is the time necessary to write the new data into the memory. This enables the waiting time to be optimized in accordance with the specification of the memory.

Claims

1. A rewriting device for rewriting data stored in a memory of a vehicle controller:

the rewriting device capable of communicating with the vehicle controller and configured to wait without communicating with the vehicle controller until a predetermined waiting time elapses from the time at which a signal for requesting deletion of the data is sent to the vehicle controller or from the time at which a signal indicative of start of deleting operation of the data is received from the vehicle controller.

2. The rewriting device of

claim 1

, wherein the predetermined waiting time is the time necessary to delete the data stored in the memory.

3. The rewriting device of

claim 2

, further configured to acquire from the vehicle controller the deleting time prior to requesting deletion of the data, and to set the acquired deleting time in the predetermined waiting time.

4. The rewriting device of

claim 2

, wherein the deleting time is calculated based on the size of the data and the specification of the memory.

5. A rewriting device for rewriting data stored in a memory of a vehicle controller with new data,

the rewriting device capable of communicating with the vehicle controller and configured to wait without communicating with the vehicle controller until a predetermined waiting time elapses from the time at which a signal for requesting the vehicle controller to write the new data is sent to the vehicle controller or from the time at which a signal indicative of start of writing operation of the new data is received from the vehicle controller.

6. The rewriting device of

claim 5

, wherein the predetermined waiting time is the time necessary to write the new data into the memory.

7. The rewriting device of

claim 6

, further configured to acquire from the vehicle controller the writing time prior to requesting the writing operation of the new data, and to set the acquired writing time in the predetermined waiting time.

8. The rewriting device of

claim 6

, wherein the writing time is calculated based on the size of the new data and the specification of the memory.

9. A rewriting system for rewriting data stored in a memory of a vehicle controller with new data, the system comprising:

a rewriting device capable of communicating with the vehicle controller, the rewriting device configured to wait without communicating with the vehicle controller until a predetermined waiting time elapses from the time at which a signal for requesting the vehicle controller to delete the data or write the new data is sent, or from the time at which a signal indicative of start of deleting operation of the data or writing operation of the new data is received.

10. The rewriting system of

claim 9

, wherein the predetermined waiting time for the deleting operation is the time necessary to delete the data stored in the memory and the predetermined waiting time for the writing operation is the time necessary to write the new data into the memory.

11. The rewriting system of

claim 10

, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to calculate the deleting time necessary to delete the data in the memory;

and

wherein the deleting time is sent from the vehicle controller to the rewriting device.

12. The rewriting system of

claim 10

, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to calculate the writing time necessary to write the new data into the memory;

and

wherein the writing time is sent from the vehicle controller to the rewriting device.

13. The rewriting system of

claim 10

, wherein the deleting time and writing time are calculated in accordance with the specification of the memory, respectively.

14. The rewriting system of

claim 9

, wherein the memory includes a non-volatile memory.

15. A method for rewriting data stored in a memory of a vehicle controller via a rewriting device capable of communicating with the vehicle controller, the method comprising:

sending a request asking the vehicle controller to delete the data in the memory; and

at the rewriting device, waiting until a predetermined waiting time elapses from the time at which the request is sent;

wherein, during the waiting time, there is no exchange of message between the vehicle controller and the rewriting device.

16. The method of

claim 15

, further comprising:

when the waiting time has elapsed, sending a request for the result of the deleting operation to the vehicle controller.

17. The method of

claim 15

, further comprising:

calculating the time necessary to delete the data stored in the memory; and

setting the deleting time in the waiting time.

18. A method for rewriting data stored in a memory of a vehicle controller with new data via a rewriting device capable of communicating with the vehicle controller, the method comprising:

sending a request asking the vehicle controller to write the new data into the memory; and

at the rewriting device, waiting until a predetermined waiting time elapses from the time at which the request is sent;

wherein, during the waiting time, there is no exchange of message between the vehicle controller and the rewriting device.

19. The method of

claim 18

, further comprising:

when the waiting time has elapsed, sending a request for the result of the writing operation to the vehicle controller.

20. The method of

claim 18

, further comprising:

calculating the time necessary to write the new data into the memory; and

setting the writing time in the waiting time.