Electronic controller having excellent control program and control data overwriting capabilities
First Claim
1. An electronic controller for performing control operations based on control codes, said electronic controller comprising a first microprocessor unit that includes:
- a first nonvolatile programmable memory for storing a first control code;
first detection means for detecting a control code overwrite command and a new control code from outside of said first microprocessor unit, said new control code including a new control code identification code;
first transmission means for transmitting said control code overwrite command to outside of said first microprocessor unit;
first identification code setting means for setting a first identification code of said first microprocessor unit when said first detection means detects said control code overwrite command;
first determination means for determining if said new control code identification code of said new control code detected by said first detection means matches said first identification code set by said first identification code setting means; and
first overwriting means for overwriting said first control code stored in said first nonvolatile programmable memory with said new control code in response to a result of a determination by said first determination means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ECU is equipped with multiple microprocessors. Each microprocessor has an erasable ROM. A communication port of a first microprocessor is connected via an external communication line to a memory overwriter while another communication port of the same microprocessor and a communication port of a second microprocessor are connected to each other via an internal communication line. Before overwriting the contents of the ROM, each microprocessor stores its own identification number whose value is obtained by incrementing the identification number received from the memory overwriter and sending the incremented identification number to the next stage microprocessor. In this way, there is no need to store the identification numbers beforehand in nonerasable memory regions inside the microprocessors.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An electronic controller for performing control operations based on control codes, said electronic controller comprising a first microprocessor unit that includes:
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a first nonvolatile programmable memory for storing a first control code; first detection means for detecting a control code overwrite command and a new control code from outside of said first microprocessor unit, said new control code including a new control code identification code; first transmission means for transmitting said control code overwrite command to outside of said first microprocessor unit; first identification code setting means for setting a first identification code of said first microprocessor unit when said first detection means detects said control code overwrite command; first determination means for determining if said new control code identification code of said new control code detected by said first detection means matches said first identification code set by said first identification code setting means; and first overwriting means for overwriting said first control code stored in said first nonvolatile programmable memory with said new control code in response to a result of a determination by said first determination means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for overwriting control codes of an electronic controller that includes a plurality of microprocessor units that store said control codes, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a control code overwrite command from outside said electronic controller; assigning an identification code to respective microprocessor units when said control code overwrite command is received; receiving a new control code, which includes a new control code identification code, from outside said electronic controller; and subsequently overwriting a control code of a microprocessor unit among said plurality of microprocessor units whose identification code matches said new control code identification code of said new control code. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for overwriting control codes in a microprocessor unit of an electronic controller, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a control code overwrite command from outside said microprocessor unit; setting an identification code of said microprocessor unit when said control code overwrite command is received; receiving a new control code, which includes a new control code identification code, from outside said microprocessor unit; and subsequently overwriting a control code when said identification code matches said new control code identification code of said new control code. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. An electronic controller for performing control operations based on control codes, said electronic controller comprising:
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a plurality of microprocessor units, each of said microprocessor units including nonvolatile memory for storing said control codes; and a common communication line for connecting said plurality of microprocessor units in series to form a sequence; wherein; each microprocessor unit includes first processing means for executing a first process when an overwrite command is received from outside said microprocessor unit and second processing means for executing a second process when a new control code is received from outside said microprocessor unit, said new control code including a new control code identification code; each first processing means is for executing said first process which involves receiving an overwrite identification code from outside its corresponding microprocessor unit, performing a predetermined operation on said overwrite identification code to obtain a processed code, setting said processed code as a self identification code of said corresponding microprocessor unit and sending said processed code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence, each first processing means, except a first processing means of a last microprocessor unit in said sequence, being for sending said processed code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence; and each second processing means is for executing said second process which involves sending said new control code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence, determining if said new identification control code matches said self identification code of its corresponding microprocessor unit and overwriting said control code stored in said nonvolatile memory of said corresponding microprocessor unit when said new identification control code matches said self identification code, each second processing means, except a second processing means of a last microprocessor unit in said sequence, being for sending said new control code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. An electronic controller for performing control operations based on control codes, said electronic controller comprising:
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a plurality of microprocessor units, each of said microprocessor units including nonvolatile memory for storing said control codes; and a common communication line for connecting said plurality of microprocessor units in series to form a sequence; wherein; each microprocessor unit includes first processing means for executing a first process when an overwrite command is received from outside said microprocessor unit and second processing means for executing a second process when a new control code is received from outside said microprocessor unit, said new control code including a new identification control code, each first processing means is for executing said first process which involves receiving an overwrite identification code from outside its corresponding microprocessor unit, setting said overwrite identification code as a self identification code of said corresponding microprocessor unit, performing a predetermined operation on said overwrite identification code to obtain a processed code and sending said processed code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence, each first processing means, except a first processing means of a last microprocessor unit in said sequence, being for sending said processed code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence; and each second processing means is for executing said second process which involves sending said new control code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence, determining if said new identification control code matches said self identification code of its corresponding microprocessor unit and overwriting said control code stored in said nonvolatile memory of said corresponding microprocessor unit when said new identification control code matches said self identification code, each second processing means, except a second processing means of a last microprocessor unit in said sequence, being for sending said new control code to a next microprocessor unit in said sequence. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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Specification