SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REPROGRAMMING OF VEHICLE CONTROLLER

• US 20160107532A1
• Filed: 08/23/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Sung Joon
• Granted Patent: US 9,694,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A system for reprogramming a vehicle controller includes: a plurality of controllers equipped in a vehicle; a battery configured to provide operation power to the plurality of controllers; and a charging control device configured to sense a connection with a charger providing charging power from an external power source to the battery, request latest software version information corresponding to each of the plurality of controllers from the charger through power-line communication (PLC) while the charging power is provided from the charger to the battery, confirm the requested latest software version information, receive upgrade data from the charger, and transmit the received upgrade data to the plurality of controllers. The charging control device assigns different communication frequency bands to the plurality of controllers, respectively, for communicating with the plurality of controllers using PLC, and transmits the upgrade data using the respective communication frequency band assigned to the plurality of controllers.

Claims

1. A system for reprogramming a vehicle controller, comprising:

a plurality of controllers equipped in a vehicle;

a battery configured to provide operation power to the plurality of controllers; and

a charging control device configured to sense a connection with a charger providing charging power from an external power source to the battery, request latest software version information corresponding to each of the plurality of controllers from the charger through power-line communication (PLC) while the charging power is provided from the charger to the battery, confirm the requested latest software version information, receive upgrade data from the charger, and transmit the received upgrade data to the plurality of controllers,

wherein the charging control device assigns different communication frequency bands to the plurality of controllers, respectively, for communicating with the plurality of controllers using PLC, and transmits the upgrade data using the respective communication frequency band assigned to the plurality of controllers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the charging control device determines the software version which is installed in the plurality of controllers through the PLC when the connection with the charger is sensed, compares the confirmed the software version with the latest software version information provided from the charger, and requests the upgrade data from the charger for a controller of the plurality of controllers in which the latest version software is not installed according to the comparison.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the charging control device sends a request for a reprogramming mode conversion to the controller in which the latest version software is not installed and transmits the upgrade data provided from the charger to the controller converted into the reprogramming mode.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the latest software version information and the upgrade data are provided from a management server which communicates with the charger.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the charging control device transmits the upgrade data to the plurality of controllers through any one of a PLC line connected to a 12 V battery and a PLC line connected to a high-voltage battery.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the battery includes at least one of a 12 V battery and a high-voltage battery.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the charging control device performs frequency modulation into a communication frequency band assigned to the plurality of controllers, respectively, using any one of quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the charging control device is an on-board charger (OBC).

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of controllers includes at least one of:

a voltage DC-DC converter, a micro control unit (MCU), an inverter, a motor, a vehicle control unit (VCU), and a battery management system (BMS).

10. A method for reprogramming a vehicle controller, comprising:

determining a software version installed in each of a plurality of controllers equipped in a vehicle through PLC while charging power is provided from a charger to a battery, the charging power being provided from an external power source;

requesting latest software version information corresponding to the plurality of controllers from the charger through the PLC;

comparing the requested latest software version information to the software version installed in each of the plurality of controllers;

requesting upgrade data from the charger for a controller of the plurality of controllers in which the latest software version is not installed according to the comparison;

sending a request for a reprogramming mode conversion to the controller in which the latest software version is not installed;

transmitting the upgrade data provided from the charger to the controller converted into the reprogramming mode.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at a charging control device, latest software version information corresponding to each of the plurality of controllers provided from a management server communicating with the charger.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at a charging control device, upgrade data for each of the plurality of controllers in which the latest software version is not installed from a management server communicating with the charger.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

assigning different communication frequency bands to the plurality of controllers, respectively, for communicating with the plurality of controllers using PLC; and

transmitting upgrade data using the respective communication frequency band assigned to the plurality of controllers.