Vehicle control system and unit for preventing power supply cutoff during re-programming mode
First Claim
1. A vehicle control unit comprising:
- an electronic control unit (ECU) having a re-programmable nonvolatile memory and powered by a vehicle battery, the ECU normally carrying out vehicle control processing in accordance with a control program stored in the nonvolatile memory, and carrying out re-program processing for overwriting data in the nonvolatile memory with re-program data upon receiving a re-program command; and
a power supply regulator located between the ECU and the vehicle battery for supplying power to the ECU from the battery when a designated vehicle switch is closed;
the power supply regulator continuing to supply power to the ECU from the battery until the power supply receives a cutoff command, even if the switch is open;
the ECU detecting the state of the switch after finishing the re-program processing, and outputting the cutoff command to the power supply regulator if the switch is open.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) prevents its power supply from being cut off while it is in the process of re-programming data in a re-programmable nonvolatile memory. An ECU includes a microcomputer which, after receiving a re-program request from a re-programming device, determines if an identification code in a flash memory and an identification code from the re-programming device match. If the codes do match, the microcomputer executes re-program processing for overwriting all the data in the flash memory, including a control program. The ECU is supplied with power from a battery by way of a main relay whose contacts are closed when a vehicle ignition switch (IGSW) is turned on or when a drive signal is applied to the relay. When the IGSW starts to operate, the microcomputer outputs the drive signal to the main relay and, when it completes re-program processing and the IGSW is off, the microcomputer stops outputting the drive signal. Thus even if the IGSW is switched off during execution of re-program processing, power to the microcomputer is maintained so that the re-program processing is not interrupted.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A vehicle control unit comprising:
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an electronic control unit (ECU) having a re-programmable nonvolatile memory and powered by a vehicle battery, the ECU normally carrying out vehicle control processing in accordance with a control program stored in the nonvolatile memory, and carrying out re-program processing for overwriting data in the nonvolatile memory with re-program data upon receiving a re-program command; and a power supply regulator located between the ECU and the vehicle battery for supplying power to the ECU from the battery when a designated vehicle switch is closed; the power supply regulator continuing to supply power to the ECU from the battery until the power supply receives a cutoff command, even if the switch is open; the ECU detecting the state of the switch after finishing the re-program processing, and outputting the cutoff command to the power supply regulator if the switch is open. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A first vehicle control unit powered by a battery controlled by a second control unit, comprising:
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an ECU, including a re-programmable nonvolatile memory, for controlling vehicle devices, and for carrying out re-program processing for overwriting data in the nonvolatile memory with new externally-provided data upon receiving a re-program command, wherein the ECU outputs to the second control unit a prohibition signal for prohibiting the power supply to the first control unit from being cut off before executing the re-program processing and after receiving the re-program command, and after completing the execution of the re-program processing, outputting to the second control unit a permission signal for permitting the power supply to the first control unit to be cut off. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A vehicle control system comprising:
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a power supply relay for connecting a vehicle battery to a vehicle power supply line based on a received drive signal; and a plurality of control units powered through the supply line by the battery; a designated control unit among the plurality of control units outputting the drive signal to the power supply relay after a vehicle ignition switch is turned on and until a predetermined power cutoff condition is established; and at least one control unit other than the designated control unit comprising an ECU having a re-programmable nonvolatile memory and operating on power from the battery, the ECU controlling processing in accordance with a control program stored in the nonvolatile memory; the ECU carrying out re-program processing for overwriting data in the nonvolatile memory with new externally-provided data upon receiving an external re-program command and, prior to executing the re-program processing, outputting a prohibition signal to the designated control unit for prohibiting cutting off of the power to the at least one control unit; the ECU, after completing the re-program processing, outputting to the designated control unit a permission signal for permitting cutting off of the power to the at least one control unit, the designated control unit continuing to output the drive signal to the power supply relay until the permission signal is received.
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12. A method of controlling data re-programming at an electronic control unit (ECU), comprising the steps of:
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receiving a data re-program request; determining if a received identification code matches a stored identification code; generating a power supply cutoff prohibition request if the received identification code matches the stored identification code; storing re-program data; transmitting a power supply cutoff command if system operation has been terminated and after completion of the step of storing; and controlling a system object based on the stored re-program data if the system operation has not been terminated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification