ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT AND VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090271063A1
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazunori, Shimizu, Kokichi, Yasue, Motohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor

Abstract

When an electronic control unit receives a rewriting request of vehicle identification information, the electronic control unit writes state information indicating a rewriting state in a memory and rewrites the vehicle identification information into new vehicle identification information. The electronic control unit sends an erasing order to a peripheral electronic unit for erasing failure information stored in the peripheral electronic unit and determines whether the peripheral electronic control unit sends an erasing completion signal indicating that the erasing of the failure information is completed. The electronic control unit erases the state information indicating the rewriting state when the rewriting of the vehicle identification information is completed and the peripheral electronic control unit sends the erasing completion signal.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit provided in a vehicle and configured to be coupled with a peripheral electronic control unit for storing failure information of the vehicle, comprising:

storing means for storing vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle;

rewriting means for rewriting the vehicle identification information into new vehicle identification information when the rewriting means receive a rewriting request of the vehicle identification information;

a memory configured to store data regardless of an on-off state of a power source of the electronic control unit;

state information control means for writing state information in the memory, the state information indicating a state of rewriting the vehicle identification information;

erasing order sending means for sending an erasing order to the peripheral electronic control unit when the state information stored in the memory indicates a rewriting state so as to control the peripheral electronic control unit to erase the failure information;

determining means for determining whether the peripheral electronic control unit sends an erasing completion signal indicating that the erasing of the failure information in the peripheral electronic control unit is completed, wherein;

the state information control means writes the state information indicating the rewriting state in the memory when the rewriting means receives the rewriting request; and

the state information control means includes determination erasing means for erasing the state information indicating the rewriting state when the rewriting means completes the rewriting of the vehicle identification information and the determining means determines that the peripheral electronic control unit sends the erasing completion signal.

2. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, further comprising

failure information storing means for storing the failure information, the failure information storing means erasing the failure information stored therein when the state information stored in the memory indicates the rewriting state, wherein:

the determining means further determines whether the failure information stored in the failure information storing means is erased when the state information stored in the memory indicates the rewriting state; and

the determination erasing means erases the state information indicating the rewriting state when the determining means determines that the peripheral electronic control unit sends the erasing completion signal and the failure information stored in the failure information storing means is erased in a state where the rewriting means completes the rewriting of the vehicle identification information.

3. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein

the state information control means further includes completion erasing means for erasing the state information indicating the rewriting state when the rewriting means completes the rewriting of the vehicle identification information regardless of a determination result of the determining means.

4. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

history storing means for storing a history of the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means;

history determining means for determining whether vehicle identification information same as the new vehicle identification information is stored in the history storing means; and

prohibiting means for prohibiting the rewriting means from rewriting the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means into the new vehicle identification information when the history determining means determines that vehicle identification information same as the new vehicle identification information is stored in the history storing means.

5. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein

the rewriting means is capable of rewriting the vehicle identification information a predetermined number of times,

the electronic control unit further comprising:

failure information storing means including a plurality of storage areas for storing the failure information, the number of the storage areas being same as the predetermined number;

storage area selecting means for selecting one of the storage areas in order each time the rewriting means rewrites the vehicle identification information; and

failure information storage control means for writing the failure information in the storage area selected by the storage area selecting means.

6. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

code information generating means for generating code information unique to the vehicle identification information from the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means by a predetermined calculating process;

input means for inputting information based on an operation by a user;

verification means for determining whether the code information generated from the vehicle identification information corresponds to the information input by the user through the input means; and

rewriting prohibiting means for prohibiting the rewriting means from rewriting the vehicle identification information into the new vehicle identification information when the verification means determines that the code information generated from the vehicle identification information is different from the information input through the input means.

7. A vehicle control system provided in a vehicle, comprising:

a first electronic control unit; and

a second electronic control unit configured to store failure information of the vehicle and coupled with the first electronic control unit, wherein

the first electronic control unit includes;

storing means for storing vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle;

rewriting means for rewriting the vehicle identification information into new vehicle identification information when the rewriting means receive a rewriting request of the vehicle identification information;

a memory configured to store data regardless of an on-off state of a power source of the first electronic control unit;

state information control means for writing state information in the memory, the state information indicating a state of rewriting the vehicle identification information;

erasing order sending means for sending an erasing order to the second electronic control unit when the state information stored in the memory indicates a rewriting state so as to control the second electronic control unit to erase the failure information; and

determining means for determining whether the second electronic control unit sends an erasing completion signal indicating that the erasing of the failure information in the second electronic control unit is completed,

the state information control means writes the state information indicating the rewriting state in the memory when the rewriting means receives the rewriting request, and

the state information control means includes determination erasing means for erasing the state information indicating the rewriting state when the rewriting means completes the rewriting of the vehicle identification information and the determining means determines that the second electronic control unit sends the erasing completion signal.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein:

the first electronic control unit further includes failure information storing means for storing the failure information;

the failure information storing means configured to erase the failure information when the state information stored in the memory indicates the rewriting state;

the determining means further determines whether the failure information stored in the failure information storing means is erased when the state information stored in the memory indicates the rewriting state; and

the determination erasing means erases the state information indicating the rewriting state when the determining means determines that the second electronic control unit sends the erasing completion signal and the failure information stored in the failure information storing means is erased in a state where the rewriting means completes the rewriting of the vehicle identification information.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the first electronic control unit further includes:

history storing means for storing a history of the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means;

history determining means for determining whether vehicle identification information same as the new vehicle identification information is stored in the history storing means; and

prohibiting means for prohibiting the rewriting means from rewriting the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means into the new vehicle identification information when the history determining means determines that vehicle identification information same as the new vehicle identification information is stored in the history storing means.

11. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein

the rewriting means is capable of rewriting the vehicle identification information a predetermined number of times, and

the first electronic control unit further includes:

failure information storing means including a plurality of storage areas for storing the failure information, the number of the storage areas being same as the predetermined number;

storage area selecting means for selecting one of the storage areas in order each time the rewriting means rewrites the vehicle identification information; and

failure information storage control means for writing the failure information in the storage area selected by the storage area selecting means.

12. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, wherein the first electronic control unit further includes:

code information generating means for generating code information unique to the vehicle identification information from the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means by a predetermined calculating process;

input means for inputting information based on an operation by a user;

verification means for determining whether the code information generated from the vehicle identification information corresponds to the information input by the user through the input means; and

rewriting prohibiting means for prohibiting the rewriting means from rewriting the vehicle identification information into the new vehicle identification information when the verification means determines that the code information generated from the vehicle identification information is different from the information input through the input means.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 71 wherein

the state information control means further includes completion erasing means for erasing the state information indicating the rewriting state when the rewriting means completes the rewriting of the vehicle identification information regardless of a determination result of the determining means.

13. An electronic control unit provided in a vehicle, comprising:

storing means for storing vehicle identification information unique to the vehicle;

failure information storing means for storing failure information of the vehicle;

rewriting means for rewriting the vehicle identification information into new vehicle identification information when the rewriting means receives a rewriting request of the vehicle identification information;

erasing means for erasing the failure information in the failure information storing means when the rewriting means rewrites the vehicle identification information;

history storing means for storing a history of the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means;

history determining means for determining whether vehicle identification information same as the new vehicle identification information is stored in the history storing means; and

prohibiting means for prohibiting the rewriting means from rewriting the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means into the new vehicle identification information when the history determining means determines that vehicle identification information same as the new vehicle identification information is stored in the history storing means.

14. The electronic control unit according to claim 13 coupled with a peripheral electronic control unit for storing the failure information, the electronic control unit further comprising

erasing order sending means for sending an erasing order to the peripheral electronic control unit when the rewriting means rewrites the vehicle identification information so as to control the peripheral electronic control unit to erase the failure information.

15. The electronic control unit according to claim 13, wherein:

the rewriting means is capable of rewriting the vehicle identification information a predetermined number of times;

the failure information storing means includes a plurality of storage areas for storing the failure information; and

the number of the storage areas is same as the predetermined number,

the electronic control unit further comprising;

storage area selecting means for selecting one of the storage areas in order each time the rewriting means rewrites the vehicle identification information; and

failure information storage control means for writing the failure information in the storage area selected by the storage area selecting means.

16. The electronic control unit according to claim 13, further comprising:

code information generating means for generating code information to the vehicle identification information from the vehicle identification information stored in the storing means by a predetermined calculating process;

input means for inputting information based on an operation by a user;

verification means for determining whether the code information generated from the vehicle identification information corresponds to the information input by the user through the input means; and

rewriting prohibiting means for prohibiting the rewriting means from rewriting the vehicle identification information into the new vehicle identification information when the verification means determines that the code information generated from the vehicle identification information is different from the information input through the input means.