Method and Apparatus for Configuring a Control Device, and Corresponding Control Device

• US 20080270427A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Queisser, Frank, Niemetz, Michael, Warmuth, Michael, Franke, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23193 Memory stores lifetime, different settings, configurations of controlled device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for configuring a control device and to a corresponding control device. The control device comprises a main memory and a variant memory. A main data record is created in accordance with an identification from a base data record that is specific to said identification and a difference base data record that is likewise specific to said identification. The main data record is then transmitted to a main memory of the control device.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method of configuring a control device, comprising the following steps:

reading in an identification code;

creating a working data record from a basic data record specific to the identification code or from a basic data record specific to the identification code and at least one difference data record specific to the identification code, wherein the basic data record and the difference data record are stored in a variant memory; and

transferring the working data record to a main memory of the control device.

19. The method according to claim 18, which comprises erasing the main memory prior to the transferring step.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the basic data record and/or the difference data records are present in compressed form in the variant memory and the method further comprises decompressing the basic data record and/or the difference data records when the working data record is created.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the basic data record und the difference data record are recursively combined.

22. The method according to claim 18, which comprises creating the working data record in the control device.

23. The method according to claim 18, which comprises performing error correction when the working data record is transferred from the variant memory to the main memory.

24. The method according to claim 18, which comprises comparing a content of the main memory and/or of the variant memory with a predefined checksum.

31. A computer program with computer-executable instruction code for carrying out the method according to claim 18 when the program is executed on a computer or on a computer network.

32. The computer program with computer-executable instruction code according to claim 18 configured to be stored on a machine-readable data carrier.

33. A data carrier having stored thereon a data structure which, upon having been loaded to a main memory or a primary memory of a computer or a computer network, is configured to carry out the method according to claim 18.

34. A computer program product with computer-executable instruction code stored on a machine-readable carrier for executing the method steps according to claim 18 when the program is executed on a computer or on a computer network.

25. A control device, comprising:

a main memory for a working data record; and

a variant memory having a basic data record specific to a particular identification code and at least one difference data record specific to a particular identification code, a working data record being creatable from a basic data record and a difference data record.

26. The control device according to claim 25, wherein said main memory is an ECC flash memory.

27. The control device according to claim 25, wherein said main memory, in an initial state thereof, contains an initial data record enabling the control device to be operated in an as-supplied condition.

28. The control device according to claim 27, wherein a basic data record or a combination of a basic data record and at least one difference data record corresponds to the initial data record.

29. The control device according to claim 25, wherein the control device is configured to create the working data record.

30. An application-specific integrated circuit, comprising the main memory and the variant memory according to claim 25.