INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20140337829A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Masuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,223,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

A configuration information generation section 11 uses configuration information of an ECU 2 and configuration information of a new device 5 which is to be newly connected to the ECU 2, generates and outputs to the ECU 2, new configuration information after the new device 5 is connected to the ECU 2. An executable file generation section 12 links an object file of a control program implemented on the ECU 2, and an object file of a control program to control the new device 5, and generates and outputs to the ECU 2 an executable file of a new control program after the new device 5 is connected to the ECU 2.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a configuration information generation section that generates, using configuration information of an electronic control unit installed on a vehicle, and configuration information of a newly connected device which is to be newly connected to the electronic control unit, new configuration information of the electronic control unit after the newly connected device is connected;

an executable file generation section that generates, by linking an object file of a control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and an object file of a control program to control the newly connected device, an executable file of a new control program the electronic control unit executes after the newly connected device is connected; and

an output section that outputs to the electronic control unit, the new configuration information generated by the configuration information generation section, and the executable file of the new control program generated by the executable file generation section.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a communication section that receives, from a first management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the electronic control unit and the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, the configuration information of the electronic control unit and the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and from a second management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the newly connected device and the object file of the control program to control the newly connected device, the configuration information of the newly connected device and the object file of the control program to control the newly connected device, wherein

the configuration information generation section generates, using the configuration information of the electronic control unit received by the communication section from the first management apparatus, and the configuration information of the newly connected device received by the communication section from the second management apparatus, the new configuration information, and

the executable file generation section generates, by linking the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit received by the communication section from the first management apparatus, and the object file of the control program that controls the newly connected device received by the communication section from the second management apparatus, the executable file of the new control program.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the communication section sends to the first management apparatus, after the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are outputted to the electronic control unit by the output section, and the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are stored in the electronic control unit,

at least either of the new configuration information and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the new configuration information from the configuration information managed in the first management apparatus, and

at least either of the object file of the new control program and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the object file of the new control program from the object file managed in the first management apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a communication section that receives, from a first management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the electronic control unit and source code of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, the configuration information of the electronic control unit and the source code of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and from a second management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the newly connected device and source code of the control program to control the newly connected device, the configuration information of the newly connected device and the source code of the control program to control the newly connected device, wherein

the configuration information generation section generates, using the configuration information of the electronic control unit received by the communication section from the first management apparatus, and the configuration information of the newly connected device received by the communication section from the second management apparatus, the new configuration information, and

the executable file generation section generates an object file by compiling the source code of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit received by the communication section from the first management apparatus, generates an object file by compiling the source code of the control program to control the newly connected device received by the communication section from the second management apparatus, and generates the executable file of the new control program by linking the two generated object files.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the communication section sends to the first management apparatus, after the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are outputted to the electronic control unit by the output section, and the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are stored in the electronic control unit,

at least either of the new configuration information and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the new configuration information from the configuration information managed in the first management apparatus, and

at least either of the source code of the new control program and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the source code of the new control program from the source code managed in the first management apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the configuration information generation section determines whether or not allotting a resource in the electronic control unit to the newly connected device is possible, and if allotting the resource in the electronic control unit to the newly connected device is possible, generates the new configuration information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the executable file generation section determines whether or not the executable file of the new control program is capable of being accommodated in a predetermined storage area in the electronic control unit, and if the executable file of the new control program is capable of being accommodated in the storage area, generates the executable file of the new control program.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit, being connected by a device attachment port including a first memory via a network, includes a second memory that sends and receives data of a device to be attached to the device attachment port between the first memory via the network, and

the configuration information generation section generates the new configuration information including information to manage the first memory and the second memory.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the configuration information generation section generates, using the configuration information of the electronic control unit and configuration information of a detach-device to be detached from the electronic control unit, new configuration information of the electronic control unit after the detach-device is detached, and

the executable file generation section deletes an object file of a control program that controls the detach-device from the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and generates the executable file of a new control program that the electronic control unit executes after the detach-device is detached.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus receives the configuration information of the electronic control unit from the electronic control unit.

11. An electronic control unit comprising a storage apparatus, wherein

the storage apparatus includes a configuration data area to store configuration information and an application code area to store code of an application program to be executed in the electronic control unit.

12. The electronic control unit according to claim 11, wherein

the electronic control unit receives updated configuration information and code of an updated application program, and writes the received updated configuration information into the configuration data area of the storage apparatus, and writes the received code of the updated application program into the application code area of the storage apparatus.

13. An information processing method comprising:

generating, by a computer, using configuration information of an electronic control unit installed on a vehicle, and configuration information of a newly connected device which is to be newly connected to the electronic control unit, new configuration information of the electronic control unit after the newly connected device is connected;

generating, by the computer, by linking an object file of a control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and an object file of a control program to control the newly connected device, generates an executable file of a new control program the electronic control unit executes after the newly connected device is connected; and

outputs, with the computer, to the electronic control unit, the new configuration information, and the executable file of the new control program.

14. A program that makes a computer execute:

a configuration information generation process that generates, using configuration information of an electronic control unit installed on a vehicle, and configuration information of a newly connected device which is to be newly connected to the electronic control unit, new configuration information of the electronic control unit after the newly connected device is connected;

an executable file generation process that generates, by linking an object file of a control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and an object file of a control program to control the newly connected device, an executable file of a new control program the electronic control unit executes after the newly connected device is connected; and

an output process that outputs to the electronic control unit, the new configuration information generated by the configuration information generation process, and the executable file of the new control program generated by the executable file generation process.