Dynamic service tool for an engine control module
First Claim
1. A method for modifying an engine control module (ECM) having a plurality of calibratable or upgradable software features, comprising the steps of:
- assigning a globally unique identifier (GUID) to software features of the ECM;
providing a calibration tool that maintains information for calibrating/upgrading certain of the software features;
maintaining, within the ECM, a table of GUIDs for software features stored within the ECM;
maintaining, within the calibration tool, a table of GUIDs for software features for which the tool has associated calibration or upgrade information;
comparing GUIDs in the ECM table with GUIDs in the calibration tool table; and
providing the associated calibration or upgrade information to the ECM if a match occurs.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for calibrating a ECM relies upon the taxonomic principles of generalization. Each calibratable feature of an ECM is assigned a globally unique identifier (GUID). A table of GUIDs for a particular ECM is maintained in a memory, such as a non-volatile flash memory. A list of GUIDs is also maintained in a memory of a service/calibration tool corresponding to calibratable features for which the calibration tool includes dynamically loadable calibration code. When a data link between calibration tool and ECM is established, the tool queries the ECM GUID table and compares each GUID with the GUID table for the calibration tool. If a match is found, the corresponding calibration code is dynamically loaded in the tool and the ECM calibration function is performed for that feature. In another aspect of the invention, a specific calibratable feature may also have GUID for an associated general calibratable features. In the event that no match is found for a specific GUID in the ECM, the associated general GUID is queried by the calibration tool. If a match is found between the general GUID and the GUIDs maintained by the tool, the corresponding general feature calibration code is dynamically loaded into the calibration tool.
38 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method for modifying an engine control module (ECM) having a plurality of calibratable or upgradable software features, comprising the steps of:
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assigning a globally unique identifier (GUID) to software features of the ECM;
providing a calibration tool that maintains information for calibrating/upgrading certain of the software features;
maintaining, within the ECM, a table of GUIDs for software features stored within the ECM;
maintaining, within the calibration tool, a table of GUIDs for software features for which the tool has associated calibration or upgrade information;
comparing GUIDs in the ECM table with GUIDs in the calibration tool table; and
providing the associated calibration or upgrade information to the ECM if a match occurs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
dynamically loading the information within the calibration tool; and
operating the calibration tool using the dynamically loaded calibration/upgrade information to calibrate/upgrade the ECM.
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3. The method for modifying an engine control module according to claim 1, wherein:
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the step of assigning a GUID includes;
identifying specific and general calibratable/upgradable software features; and
assigning a unique GUID to each specific and general feature; and
the step of comparing GUIDs includes;
first comparing the GUID corresponding to a specific software feature;
if no match arises, next comparing the GUID corresponding to a general software feature; and
providing the associated calibration/upgrade information for the general feature to the ECM if a match occurs.
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4. The method for modifying an engine control module according to claim 1, the step of assigning a GUID includes:
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defining an inheritance relationship between general and successively more specific software features; and
assigning GUIDs indicative of this inheritance relationship.
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Specification