Vehicle control system having a computer integrated with a rewritable and nonvolatile memory

• US 20070106430A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Goto, Takahiro, Komori, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators

Abstract

A vehicle control system is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle control system includes a computer integrated with a first nonvolatile memory that is rewritable. The vehicle control system includes a second nonvolatile memory. The second nonvolatile memory stores therein software. The software allows the computer to execute an at least part of vehicle control. The vehicle control system also includes a writing unit accessible to the first and second nonvolatile memories. The writing unit reads out the software stored in the second nonvolatile memory at a given time. The writing unit writes the readout software into the first nonvolatile memory.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system installed in a vehicle and including a computer integrated with a first nonvolatile memory that is rewritable, the vehicle control system comprising:

a second nonvolatile memory storing therein software, the software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of vehicle control, and

a writing unit accessible to the first and second nonvolatile memories and configured to;

read out the software from the second nonvolatile memory at a given time; and

write the readout software into the first nonvolatile memory.

2. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the second nonvolatile memory is external from the computer and electrically connected thereto.

3. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the first nonvolatile memory has a first storage capacity, and the second nonvolatile memory has a second storage capacity larger than the first storage capacity.

4. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the second nonvolatile memory is designed to be writable.

5. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the first nonvolatile memory is a NOR flash memory, and the second nonvolatile memory is a NAND flash memory.

6. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, when receiving an instruction from an external device, the writing unit is configured to read out the software from the second nonvolatile memory, and to write the readout software into the first nonvolatile memory.

7. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the software includes a plurality of types of software so that the types of software are stored in the second nonvolatile memory, each of the types of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control,

when receiving an instruction designating one of the types of software from an external device, the writing unit being configured to read out one of the types of software designated by the instruction from the second nonvolatile memory, and to write the readout one of the types of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

8. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the software includes a plurality of pieces of software so that the pieces of software are stored in the second nonvolatile memory, the pieces of software respectively meeting a plurality of types of vehicles, each of the pieces of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, one of the pieces of software being stored in the first nonvolatile memory, further comprising:

an identifying unit configured to identify a type of the vehicle in which the vehicle control system is installed; and

a determining unit configured to determine whether the one of the pieces of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory meets the type of the vehicle identified by the identifying unit,

the writing unit being configured to;

if it is determined that the one of the pieces of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory does not meet the type of the vehicle identified by the identifying unit, read out another one of the pieces of software from the second nonvolatile memory, another one of the pieces of software meeting the type of the vehicle identified by the identifying unit, and

write another one of the pieces of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

9. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the software includes a plurality of pieces of software so that the pieces of software are stored in the second nonvolatile memory, the pieces of software respectively meeting a plurality of types of vehicles, each of the pieces of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, further comprising:

an identifying unit configured to identify a type of the vehicle in which the vehicle control system is installed; and

a determining unit configured to determine whether one of the pieces of software is stored in the first nonvolatile memory,

the writing unit being configured to;

if it is determined that no pieces of software are stored in the first nonvolatile memory by the determining unit, read out one of the pieces of software from the second nonvolatile memory, the readout one of the pieces of software meeting the type of the vehicle identified by the identifying unit, and

write the readout one of the pieces of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

10. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the computer has an interface to which at least one in-vehicle device is electrically connectable, the software includes a plurality of pieces of software so that the pieces of software are stored in the second nonvolatile memory, one of the pieces of software allowing the computer to use the at least one in-vehicle device thereby to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, further comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine whether the at least one in-vehicle device is connected to the interface,

the writing unit being configured to;

if it is determined that the at least one in-vehicle device is connected to the interface, read out the one of the pieces of software from the second nonvolatile memory, and

write the readout one of the pieces of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

11. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the software includes a first piece of software so that the first piece of software is stored in the second nonvolatile memory, and a second piece of software is stored in the first nonvolatile memory, the first piece of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, the second piece of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, further comprising:

a first checking unit configured to check whether there is a fault in a storing condition of the second piece of software in the first nonvolatile memory,

the writing unit being configured to;

if it is determined that there is a fault in the storing condition of the second piece of software in the first nonvolatile memory by the first checking unit, read out the first piece of software from the second nonvolatile memory, and

write the readout first piece of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

12. A vehicle control system according to claim 11, wherein the first piece of software stored in the second nonvolatile memory is identical in type to the second piece of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory so that the first and second pieces of software allow the computer to execute at least a same part of the vehicle control, and the first checking unit is configured to:

compare the second piece of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory with the first piece of software stored in the second nonvolatile memory; and

determine whether there is a fault in the storing condition of the second piece of software in the first nonvolatile memory based on the compared result.

13. A vehicle control system according to claim 11, wherein the software includes a plurality of pieces of software containing the first piece of software so that the plurality of pieces of software are stored in the second nonvolatile memory, the first piece of software stored in the second nonvolatile memory is identical in type to the second piece of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory so that the first and second pieces of software allow the computer to execute at least a same part of the vehicle control, the plurality of pieces of software containing a third piece of software being alternative to the second piece of software so that the third piece of software allows the computer to execute a part of the vehicle control alternative the part of the vehicle control corresponding to the first piece of software, further comprising:

a second checking unit configured to check whether there is a fault in a storing condition of the first piece of software in the second nonvolatile memory,

the writing unit being configured to;

if it is determined that there is a fault in the storing condition of the second piece of software in the first nonvolatile memory by the first checking unit and that there is not a fault in the storing condition of the first piece of software in the second nonvolatile memory by the second checking unit, read out the first piece of software from the second nonvolatile memory;

write the readout first piece of software into the first nonvolatile memory;

if it is determined that there is a fault in the storing condition of the second piece of software in the first nonvolatile memory by the first checking unit and that there is a fault in the storing condition of the first piece of software in the second nonvolatile memory by the second checking unit, read out the third piece of software from the second nonvolatile memory; and

write the readout third piece of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

14. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a hardware-failure detecting unit configured to determine whether a hardware fault arises in the first nonvolatile memory,

the writing unit being configured to;

if it is determined that a hardware fault arises in the first nonvolatile memory, directly access the software stored in the second nonvolatile memory to run the software on the second nonvolatile memory.

15. A vehicle control system according to claim 4, wherein, when receiving an instruction and a writing-target piece of additional software from an external device, the writing-target piece of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of vehicle control, the writing unit is configured to:

write the writing-target piece of additional software into the second nonvolatile memory as a piece of the software stored beforehand therein;

determine whether the writing of the writing-target piece of additional software into the second nonvolatile memory is normally completed;

read out the writing-target piece of additional software stored in the second nonvolatile memory therefrom after when it is determined that the writing of the writing-target piece of additional software into the second nonvolatile memory is normally completed; and

write the readout writing-target piece of additional software into the first nonvolatile memory.

16. A vehicle control system according to claim 15, wherein a piece of software is stored in the first nonvolatile memory so that the piece of software allows the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, and, if it is determined that the writing of the writing-target piece of additional software into the second nonvolatile memory is abnormally completed, the writing unit is configured to:

determine whether the writing-target piece of additional software is identical in type to the piece of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory;

read out the piece of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory therefrom if it is determined that the writing-target piece of additional software is identical in type to the piece of software stored in the first nonvolatile memory; and

write the readout piece of software into the second nonvolatile memory.

17. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the software includes a plurality of pieces of software so that the pieces of software are stored in the second nonvolatile memory, each of the pieces of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control, one of the pieces of software being stored in the first nonvolatile memory so that the computer runs the one of the pieces of software to execute the corresponding at least part of the vehicle control,

when receiving a rewriting instruction designating one of the pieces of software to be rewritten from an external device during running of the one piece of software while the vehicle is running, the writing unit being configured to ignore the rewriting instruction to keep the running of the one of the pieces of software.

18. A vehicle control system according to claim 17, wherein, when receiving a rewriting instruction designating one of the pieces of software to be rewritten from the external device during running of the one piece of software while the vehicle is parked, the writing unit is configured to:

shut down the corresponding at least part of the vehicle control;

read out one of the pieces of software designated by the instruction from the second nonvolatile memory; and

write the readout one of the pieces of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

19. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the writing unit is installed in the computer so that the computer is programmed to serve as the writing unit.

20. A vehicle control system according to claim 10, wherein first and second electrical connection patterns between the interface and the at least one in-vehicle device are established, the first electrical connection pattern representing that the at least one in-vehicle device is connected to the interface, the second electrical connection pattern representing that the at least one in-vehicle device is unconnected to the interface, the plurality of pieces of software include first and second pieces of software each as the one of the pieces of software, the first piece of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control in the first electrical connection pattern, the second piece of software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of the vehicle control in the second electrical connection pattern, the determining unit is configured to determine whether the established connection pattern is the first electrical connection pattern or the second electrical connection pattern, and the writing unit is configured to:

if it is determined that the established connection pattern is the first electrical connection pattern, read out the first piece of software stored in the nonvolatile memory therefrom;

write the readout first piece of software into the first nonvolatile memory;

if it is determined that the established connection pattern is the second electrical connection pattern, read out the second piece of software stored in the nonvolatile memory therefrom; and

write the readout second piece of software into the first nonvolatile memory.

21. A program product embedded in a media accessible by a computer installed in a vehicle and integrated with a first nonvolatile memory that is rewritable, in which a second nonvolatile memory accessible by the computer stores therein software, the software allowing the computer to execute an at least part of vehicle control, the program product comprising:

first means for instructing a computer accessible to the second nonvolatile memory to read out the software therefrom at a given time; and

second means for instructing a computer accessible to the first nonvolatile memory to write the readout software into the first nonvolatile memory.