Automobile control unit having different program modules

• US 6,343,249 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Minoru, Sakai, Hirotaka, Goto, Masahiro, Shibata, Hiroshi, Iwai, Akihito, Suganuma, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US09/512,460
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 701/48, 701/102, 701/115, 701/36, 709/201, 709/202, 709/236, 709/237, 709/230, 709/246, 712/28, 712/29, 712/38, 710/105, 710/106
• US Class Current: 701/48
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An ECU is provided with a microcomputer for performing arithmetic operation for controlling a control target by executing a program stored in a ROM and for performing the process to transmit the control data calculated by means of the arithmetic operation to a communication target. The program comprises independent program modules, that is, a program (application unit) for performing the arithmetic operation, a program (communication conversion unit) for extracting the control data to be transmitted from among the control data calculated by the application unit and for performing the process to convert the extracted control data to the communication data string corresponding to the communication protocol of the communication target, and a program (communication driver unit) for performing the process to transmit the data string according to the communication protocol.

Claims

1. An automobile control unit comprising a microcomputer for performing arithmetic operation for controlling a control target mounted on an automobile by executing a program stored in a memory medium and for performing a process for transmitting any one of control data calculated by means of the arithmetic operation to a plurality of communication targets respectively using a plurality of communication protocols;

wherein the program in the memory medium includes;

an application program for performing the arithmetic operation irrespective of the types of said communication protocols;

a data conversion program, which is provided in addition to the application program, for extracting the control data to be transmitted to a specific communication target of said plurality of communication targets from among the control data calculated by means of the application program and for performing the process for converting extracted control data to a communication data string corresponding to a specified communication protocol of the plurality of said communication protocols that is determined by the specific communication target of said plurality of communication targets;

a communication driver program, which is provided in addition to the data conversion program and the application program, for performing the process for transmitting the communication data string converted by means of the data conversion program to the specific communication target of said plurality of communication targets according to the specified communication protocol; and

said application program, said data conversion program and said communication driver program are stored independently of each other in said memory medium.

2. An automobile control unit of claim 1, wherein the data conversion program includes:

a common packet data generation program module for extracting the control data to be transmitted to the specific communication target from among the control data calculated by means of the application program and for performing a process for generating a common packet data that is a data string not dependent on any of the communication protocols by arranging the extracted control data in the order predetermined by the communication protocol of the specific communication target; and

a communication data conversion program module for performing a process for converting the common packet data generated by means of the common packet data generation program module to the communication data string corresponding to the specified communication protocol.

3. An automobile control unit of claim 2, wherein:

the control target includes a first control target and a second control target;

the application program includes a first application program for performing the arithmetic operation for controlling the first control target and a second application program for performing the arithmetic operation for controlling the second control target; and

the common packet data generation program module is structured so as to generate the common packet data by means of the process in which the control data to be transmitted to the specific communication target is extracted from among the control data calculated by means of the first application program, other control data to be transmitted to the specific communication target is extracted from among the control data calculated by means of the second application program, and the extracted control data is arranged in the order predetermined by the specific communication target.

4. An automobile control unit of claim 2, wherein:

the data conversion program is additionally provided with a physical value conversion program module for converting data length of the control data extracted by means of the common packet data generation program module to the data length that is handled by a specific communication target side; and

the common packet data generation program module is structured so as to generate the common packet data by arranging the control data having the data length that has been converted by the physical value conversion program module in the order determined previously by the specific communication target.

5. An automobile control unit of claim 2, wherein:

the unit is provided with a common packet data information memory means for correspondingly storing storage place information of the control data that is a component of the common packet data and location position information for indicating a place where the control data is located in the common packet data; and

the common packet data generation program module is structured so as to extract the control data to be transmitted to the specific communication target based on the storage place information stored in the common packet data information memory means and to generate the common packet data based on the location position information stored in the common packet data information memory means.

6. An automobile control unit of claim 2, wherein:

the automobile control unit is provided with a conversion information memory means that stores conversion information for converting the common packet data to the communication data string corresponding to the specified communication protocol; and

the communication data conversion program module is structured so as to convert the common packet data generated by means of the common packet data generation program module to the communication data string corresponding to the specified communication protocol based on the conversion information stored in the conversion information memory means.

7. An automobile control unit of claim 1, wherein:

the control target comprises a first control target and a second control target;

the application program comprises a first application program for performing an arithmetic operation for controlling the first control target and a second application program for performing the arithmetic operation for controlling the second control target;

the unit is provided with a common memory, which is provided in addition to memory means, for storing the control data used commonly for the first application program and the second application program and for storing all the control data used for controlling the control target of the first and second application programs by the first and second application programs;

the first and second application programs are structured so that an application program that calculates and provides the control data to be used commonly writes the control data in the common memory, and another application program that is provided with the control data reads out the control data from the common memory; and

the data conversion program includes a common packet data generation program module for performing the process for generating the common packet data that is not dependent on any of the communication protocols by means of the process in which the control data to be transmitted to the specific communication target is extracted from among the control data stored in the common memory and the extracted control data is arranged in the order determined previously by the specific communication target, and the communication data conversion program module for converting the common packet data generated by the common packet data generation program module to the communication data string corresponding to the specific communication protocol.

8. An automobile control unit of claim 1, wherein the data conversion program arranges the extracted control data in an order determined by the communication protocol of the specific target.

9. An automobile control unit of claim 1, wherein the data conversion program is revisable to accommodate changes in the communication protocols without revising the application program.

10. An automobile control unit comprising a microcomputer for performing a process for receiving a communication data string transmitted from a specific communication target of a plurality of communication targets by executing a program stored in a memory medium and for performing arithmetic operation for controlling a control target mounted on an automobile by using control data included in the communication data string received by the process,

wherein the program in the memory medium includes:

a communication driver program for performing a process for receiving and acquiring a communication data string transmitted from the specific communication target of said plurality of communication targets according to a specified communication protocol of a plurality of communication protocols determined by the specific communication target;

a data conversion program, which is provided in addition to the communication driver program, for performing a process for extracting the control data from among the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program based on the specified communication protocol of said plurality of communication protocols, and for writing extracted control data in the predetermined memory area prepared for storing the control data;

an application program, which is provided in addition to the data conversion program and the communication driver program, for reading out the control data stored in a predetermined memory area and for performing the arithmetic operation by read out control data irrespective of the types of said communication protocols; and

said application program, said data conversion program and said communication driver program are stored independently of each other in said memory medium.

11. An automobile control unit of claim 10, wherein:

a plurality of types of control data is included in the communication data string transmitted from the specific communication target in the predetermined order; and

the data conversion program includes a first program module for performing a process for converting the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program to common packet data that is a data string in which a plurality of types of control data is arranged in the order of transmission from first transmitted control data based on the specified communication protocol, and a second program module for performing a process for decomposing the common packet data converted by the first program module into a plurality of types of control data and for writing the decomposed control data on respective memory areas prepared for storing the control data.

12. An automobile control unit of claim 11, wherein:

the data conversion program is additionally provided with a physical value conversion program module for converting data length of the control data decomposed from the common packet data by the second program module to the data length handled by the application program; and

the second program module is structured so as to write the control data having the data length that has been converted by the physical value conversion program module in respective corresponding memory areas.

13. An automobile control unit of claim 11, wherein:

the automobile control unit is provided with a common packet data information memory means that correspondingly stores location position information for indicating a location position in the common packet data and storage place information of the control data; and

the second program module is structured so as to decompose the common packet data to the control data based on the location position information stored in the common packet data information memory means and so as to write the control data in the respective memory areas based on the storage place information stored in the common packet data information memory means.

14. An automobile control unit of claim 11, wherein:

the automobile control unit is provided with a conversion information memory means that stores conversion information for converting the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program to the common packet data; and

the first program module is structured so as to convert the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program to the common packet data based on the conversion information stored in the conversion information memory means.

15. An automobile control unit of claim 10, wherein the data conversion program is revisable to accommodate changes in the communication protocols without revising the application program.

16. An automobile control unit comprising a microcomputer for performing arithmetic operation for controlling control target mounted on an automobile by executing a program stored in a memory medium and for transmitting any one of control data calculated by means of the arithmetic operation to a plurality of communication targets respectively using a plurality of communication protocols,

wherein the program in the memory medium includes a software structure which has:

an application unit that stores an application program for performing arithmetic operation irrespective of the types of said communication protocols;

a common packet data unit for extracting control data to be transmitted to a specific communication target of said plurality of communication targets for among the control data calculated by the application program and for storing a process program for generating common packet data that is a data string that is not dependent on a communication protocol by arranging extracted control data in the order previously determined by the communication protocol of the specific communication target;

a communication data conversion unit that stores a process program for converting the common packet data to the communication data string corresponding to a specified communication protocol of the plurality of said communication protocols determined by the specific communication target;

a communication driver unit that stores a process program for transmitting the communication data string converted by the communication data conversion unit to the specific communication target; and

said application program, said process program for generating common packet data, and said process program for transmitting the communication data string are stored independently of each other on said memory medium.

17. The automobile control unit of claim 16, wherein the process programs for generating common packet data and converting the common packet data are revisable to accommodate changes in the communication protocols without revising the application program.

18. An automobile control unit comprising a microcomputer for performing arithmetic operation for controlling a control target mounted on an automobile by executing a program stored in a memory medium and for performing a process for transmitting any one of control data calculated by means of the arithmetic operation to a communication target;

wherein the program in the memory medium includes;

an application program for performing the arithmetic operation;

a data conversion program, which is provided in addition to the application program, for extracting the control data to be transmitted to the communication target from among the control data calculated by means of the application program and for performing the process for converting extracted control data to a communication data string corresponding to a specified communication protocol determined by the communication target;

a communication driver program, which is provided in addition to the data conversion program and the application program, for performing the process for transmitting the communication data string converted by means of the data conversion program to the communication target according to the specified communication protocol;

the data conversion program includes a common packet data generation program module for extracting the control data to be transmitted to the communication target from among the control data calculated by means of the application program and for performing a process for generating a common packet data that is a data string not dependent on the communication protocol by arranging the extracted control data in the order predetermined by the communication target;

the data conversion program also includes a communication data conversion program module for performing a process for converting the common packet data generated by means of the common packet data generation program module to the communication data string corresponding to the specified communication protocol;

the control target includes a first control target and a second control target;

the application program includes a first application program for performing the arithmetic operation for controlling the first control target and a second application program for performing the arithmetic operation for controlling the second control target; and

the common packet data generation program module is structured so as to generate the common packet data by means of the process in which the control data to be transmitted to the communication target is extracted from among the control data calculated by means of the first application program, other control data to be transmitted to the communication target is extracted from among the control data calculated by means of the second application program, and the extracted control data is arranged in the order predetermined by the communication target.

19. An automobile control unit comprising a microcomputer for performing arithmetic operation for controlling a control target mounted on an automobile by executing a program stored in a memory medium and for performing a process for transmitting any one of control data calculated by means of the arithmetic operation to a communication target;

wherein the program in the memory medium includes;

an application program for performing the arithmetic operation;

a data conversion program, which is provided in addition to the application program, for extracting the control data to be transmitted to the communication target from among the control data calculated by means of the application program and for performing the process for converting extracted control data to a communication data string corresponding to a specified communication protocol determined by the communication target;

a communication driver program, which is provided in addition to the data conversion program and the application program, for performing the process for transmitting the communication data string converted by means of the data conversion program to the communication target according to the specified communication protocol;

the control target comprises a first control target and a second control target;

the application program comprises a first application program for performing an arithmetic operation for controlling the first control target and a second application program for performing the arithmetic operation for controlling the second control target;

the unit is provided with a common memory, which is provided in addition to memory means, for storing the control data used commonly for the first application program and the second application program and for storing all the control data used for controlling the control target of the first and second application programs by the first and second application programs;

the first and second application programs are structured so that an application program that calculates and provides the control data to be used commonly writes the control data in the common memory, and another application program that is provided with the control data reads out the control data from the common memory; and

the data conversion program includes a common packet data generation program module for performing the process for generating the common packet data that is not dependent on the communication protocol by means of the process in which the control data to be transmitted to the communication target is extracted from among the control data stored in the common memory and the extracted control data is arranged in the order determined previously by the communication target, and the communication data conversion program module for converting the common packet data generated by the common packet data generation program module to the communication data string corresponding to the specific communication protocol.

20. An automobile control unit comprising a microcomputer for performing a process for receiving a communication data string transmitted from a communication target by executing a program stored in a memory medium and for performing arithmetic operation for controlling a control target mounted on a automobile by using control data included in the communication data string received by the process,

wherein the program in the memory medium includes:

a communication driver program for performing a process for receiving and acquiring a communication data string transmitted from the communication target according to a specified communication protocol determined by the communication target;

a data conversion program, which is provided in addition to the communication driver program, for performing a process for extracting the control data from among the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program based on the specified communication protocol, and for writing extracted control data in the predetermined memory area prepared for storing the control data;

an application program, which is provided in addition to the data conversion program and the communication driver program, for reading out the control data stored in a predetermined memory area and for performing the arithmetic operation by read out control data;

a plurality of types of control data is included in the communication data string transmitted from the communication target in the predetermined order; and

the data conversion program includes a first program module for performing a process for converting the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program to common packet data that is a data string in which a plurality of types of control data is arranged in the order of transmission from first transmitted control data based on the specified communication protocol, and a second program module for performing a process for decomposing the common packet data converted by the first program module into a plurality of types of control data and for writing the decomposed control data on respective memory areas prepared for storing the control data.

21. An automobile control unit of claim 20, wherein:

the data conversion program is additionally provided with a physical value conversion program module for converting data length of the control data decomposed from the common packet data by the second program module to the data length handled by the application program; and

the second program module is structured so as to write the control data having the data length that has been converted by the physical value conversion program module in respective corresponding memory areas.

22. An automobile control unit of claim 20, wherein:

the automobile control unit is provided with a common packet data information memory means that correspondingly stores location position information for indicating a location position in the common packet data and storage place information of the control data; and

the second program module is structured so as to decompose the common packet data to the control data based on the location position information stored in the common packet data information memory means and so as to write the control data in the respective memory areas based on the storage place information stored in the common packet data information memory means.

23. An automobile control unit of claim 20, wherein:

the automobile control unit is provided with a conversion information memory means that stores conversion information for converting the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program to the common packet data; and

the first program module is structured so as to convert the communication data string acquired by the communication driver program to the common packet data based on the conversion information stored in the conversion information memory means.