Electronic control apparatus having first microcomputer which forwards externally supplied updating data to a second microcomputer having a lower data receiving performance than the first microcomputer
First Claim
1. An electronic control apparatus comprising a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer, each of said first microcomputer and second microcomputer comprising an internally disposed rewritable type of non-volatile memory and internally disposed communication circuit means coupled to communication line means, and each of said first microcomputer and second microcomputer performing processing based upon data stored in said non-volatile memory thereof and being responsive to write-in data that are directed thereto, received via said communication circuit means thereof, for writing said write-in data into said non-volatile memory thereof, to update said data stored in said non-volatile memory thereof;
- wherein;
said communication circuit means of said first microcomputer comprises a first communication circuit coupled via a first communication line to an external apparatus and a second communication circuit coupled via a second communication line to said second microcomputer, and said communication circuit means of said second microcomputer comprises a communication circuit coupled to said second communication line;
said first microcomputer further comprises a volatile memory and storage control means for storing, in said volatile memory, data that are directed to said second microcomputer and are received from said external apparatus via said first communication circuit and second communication circuit, and data forwarding means for reading out said data from said volatile memory and transmitting said data to said second microcomputer via said second communication line at a rate determined in accordance with a data receiving performance of said second microcomputer; and
said second microcomputer receives said data transmitted by said data forwarding means as write-in data, to be written into said non-volatile memory of said second microcomputer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic control apparatus such as an ECU of a motor vehicle contains first and second microcomputers, with the first microcomputer having a substantially higher data receiving performance than the second microcomputer. Data for updating a ROM of the second microcomputer, transmitted to the first microcomputer from an external apparatus at a relatively high data rate, are temporarily stored in RAM by the first microcomputer and then transmitted to the second microcomputer at a rate which is appropriate for the receiving performance of the second microcomputer.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. An electronic control apparatus comprising a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer, each of said first microcomputer and second microcomputer comprising an internally disposed rewritable type of non-volatile memory and internally disposed communication circuit means coupled to communication line means, and each of said first microcomputer and second microcomputer performing processing based upon data stored in said non-volatile memory thereof and being responsive to write-in data that are directed thereto, received via said communication circuit means thereof, for writing said write-in data into said non-volatile memory thereof, to update said data stored in said non-volatile memory thereof;
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wherein;
said communication circuit means of said first microcomputer comprises a first communication circuit coupled via a first communication line to an external apparatus and a second communication circuit coupled via a second communication line to said second microcomputer, and said communication circuit means of said second microcomputer comprises a communication circuit coupled to said second communication line;
said first microcomputer further comprises a volatile memory and storage control means for storing, in said volatile memory, data that are directed to said second microcomputer and are received from said external apparatus via said first communication circuit and second communication circuit, and data forwarding means for reading out said data from said volatile memory and transmitting said data to said second microcomputer via said second communication line at a rate determined in accordance with a data receiving performance of said second microcomputer; and
said second microcomputer receives said data transmitted by said data forwarding means as write-in data, to be written into said non-volatile memory of said second microcomputer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification