Vehicular Electronic Control Apparatus and Control Specification Setting Method for Same

• US 20080161991A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: HATORI, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/06 Steering behaviour; Rolling behaviour

Abstract

In a vehicular electronic control apparatus of which the manufacturing process is finished under a condition such that at least a portion of control data is not specified, while permitting control data that corresponds to a specific specification to be set afterwards, and which includes self-diagnosing means and an associated means for transmitting a diagnosis result of the self-diagnosing means to the outside, a technical measure is provided in which a diagnosis result of self-diagnosis indicating an occurrence of any abnormality due to such a reason that the control data corresponding to the specific specification has not yet been set, is prevented from being transmitted to the outside.

Claims

1. A vehicular electronic control apparatus of which a manufacturing process is finished under a condition such that at least a portion of control data is not specified while permitting control data that correspond to a specific specification to be set afterwards, the vehicular electronic control apparatus comprising at least:

a self-diagnosing means for executing a self-diagnosis of an abnormality; and

an associated means for transmitting a result of the self-diagnosis obtained by the self-diagnosing means to an outside of the vehicular electronic control apparatus, wherein

the vehicular electronic control apparatus is provided with a configuration that the result of the self-diagnosis indicating the abnormality, and obtained from the self-diagnosing means due to a reason that the control data corresponding to the specific specification has not yet been set is prevented from being transmitted by the associated means to the outside.

2. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning means capable of being operated when the control data corresponding to the specific specification is left to be not set.

3. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a setting of the control data corresponding to the specific specification is achieved by performing taking-in of the control data that correspond to the specific specification from an outside of the vehicular electronic control apparatus.

4. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a setting of the control data that correspond to the specific specification is achieved by storing a plurality of control data sets that correspond to a plurality of specifications at the of production of the apparatus, and by performing specifying of a specification afterwards from the outside.

5. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein under the condition that the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set, a fixed time communication signal to be outputted to the outside is outputted with the same content as that under a condition that the control data corresponding to the specific specification is set.

6. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, under the condition that the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set, a return message with respect to the outside is outputted with the same content as that under a condition that the control data that correspond to the specific specification is set.

7. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein under the condition that the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set, a signal indicating that a self-diagnosis result is normal is outputted to the outside.

8. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein under the condition that the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set, control data which is outputted to the outside is set to a default value.

9. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a signal indicating that the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set is outputted to the outside.

10. The vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set, a control signal which is outputted to the outside is fixed to an OFF state.

11. A control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus including a self-diagnosing means for executing a self-diagnosis of an abnormality and an associated means for transmitting a result of diagnosis obtained by the self-diagnosis means to an outside of the vehicular electronic control apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

finishing manufacture of the vehicular electronic control apparatus under a condition that at least a portion of control data is not specified;

setting control data that correspond to a specific specification afterwards; and

preventing transmission of the result of self-diagnosis indicating an occurrence of an abnormality to the outside when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

12. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

outputting a warning operation signal for warning when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

13. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the step of setting the control data that correspond to the specific specification comprises the step of:

carrying out taking-in of the control data that correspond to the specific specification from an outside of the vehicular electronic control apparatus.

14. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the step of finishing the manufacture of the vehicular electronic control apparatus under the condition that at least a portion of control data has not yet been specified, comprises the step of:

storing beforehand a plurality of control data sets that correspond to a plurality of specifications, and

the step of setting the control data that correspond to the specific specification comprises the steps of;

performing taking-in of data for specifying a specification from the outside; and

selecting a control data set corresponding to a specific specification from the plurality of control data sets bated on the taken data which specifies the specification.

15. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

outputting a fixed time communication signal which is outputted to the outside with the same content as that under a condition that the control data that correspond to the specific specification is set, when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

16. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

outputting a return message with respect to the outside with the same content as that under a condition that the control date that correspond to the specific specification is set when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

17. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

outputting a signal indicating that a self-diagnosis result is normal to the outside, when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

18. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

setting control data which is outputted to the outside to a default value, when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

19. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

outputting, to the outside, a signal indicating that the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.

20. The control specification setting method of a vehicular electronic control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

fixing, to an OFF state, a control signal which is outputted to the outside, when the control data that correspond to the specific specification has not yet been set.