Memory rewriting system for vehicle controller

• US 6,480,928 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Kabushiki Kaisah Atsumitec
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Masanori, Yashiki, Tetsuya, Mizuo, Naohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THAN VINH
• Application Number:
  US09/802,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 365/185.33, 711/103, 711/154, 711/155, 711/200, 711/202, 701/115
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators

Abstract

A memory rewriting system for a vehicle controller is provided. The memory rewriting system transfers a first program from a rewriting device to the vehicle to rewrite a second program stored in a memory of the vehicle controller with the first program. The first program is transferred as data blocks. Each of the data blocks includes a program code field, a first address field and a second address field. The program code field contains a partial program code of the first program. The first address field contains a leading address of the memory in which the partial program code is stored. The second address field contains a leading address of the memory in which a following partial program code transferred by another block is to be stored. The data blocks are assembled in the rewriting device. Each data block is may be a fixed length or a variable length. When the data block is transferred to the vehicle controller, a first address in the first address field of the current transferred data block is compared with a second address in the second address field of the preceding transferred data block. If the first address included in the current data block is not equal to the second address included in the preceding data block, it is determined that the current transferred data block is not correct. The vehicle controller requests the rewriting device to retransfer a correct data block that has said second address in the first address field.

Claims

1. A rewriting device for transferring a first program to a vehicle controller to rewrite a second program stored in a memory of the vehicle controller with the first program;

wherein the first program is transferred as data blocks, each of the data blocks comprising a program code field for a partial program code of the first program, a first address field for a leading address of the memory in which the partial program code is stored, and a second address field for a leading address of the memory in which a following partial program code to be transferred by another data block is to be stored.

2. The rewriting device of claim 1, further comprising a controller for assembling the data blocks from the first program.

3. The rewriting device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to assemble the data block having a fixed length.

4. The rewriting device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to assemble the data block having a variable length.

5. The rewriting device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to assemble the data block so as not to include free space.

6. The rewriting device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to assemble the data block such that the length of the data block is determined based on the size of free space between partial program codes.

7. A vehicle controller for receiving a first program from a rewriting device to rewrite a second program stored in a memory mounted therein with the first program;

and

wherein the first program is transferred as data blocks, each of the data blocks comprising a program code field for a partial program code of the first program, a first address field for a leading address of the memory in which the partial program code is stored, and a second address field for a leading address of the memory in which a following partial program code to be transferred by another data block is to be stored.

8. The vehicle controller of claim 7, is further configured to compare a first address in the first address field of a current transferred data block with a second address in the second address field of a preceding transferred data block, and to determine the current transferred data block is correct if the first address included in the current transferred data block is equal to the second address included in the preceding transferred data block.

9. The vehicle controller of claim 8, is further configured to transfer the second address included in the preceding transferred data block to the rewriting device if it is determined that the current transferred data block is not correct, for requesting the rewriting device to retransfer a correct data block that has said second address in the first address field.

10. A memory rewriting system for a vehicle controller for transferring a first program from a rewriting device to a vehicle to rewrite a second program stored in a memory of the vehicle controller with the first program;

and

wherein the first program is transferred as data blocks, each of the data blocks comprising a program code field for a partial program code of the first program, a first address field for a leading address of the memory in which the partial program code is stored, and a second address field for a leading address of the memory in which a following partial program code to be transferred by another data block is to be stored.

11. The memory rewriting system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to compare a first address in the first address field of a current transferred data block with a second address in the second address field of a preceding transferred data block, and to determine the current transferred data block is correct if the first address included in the current transferred data block is equal to the second address included in the preceding transferred data block.

12. The memory rewriting system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to transfer the second address included in the preceding transferred data block to the rewriting device if it is determined that the current transferred data block is not correct, for requesting the rewriting device to retransfer a correct data block that has said second address in the first address field.

13. The memory rewriting system of claim 12, wherein the rewriting device is configured to retransfer the correct data block requested from the vehicle controller if the second address transferred from the vehicle controller is within a predetermined range.

14. The memory rewriting system of claim 13, the predetermined range includes an address value in the first address field of a data block transferred immediately before the retransfer request, an address value in the first address field of the data block preceding such data block, and an address value in the first address field of the data block that was to be transferred following such data block.

15. The memory rewriting system of claim 12, wherein the rewriting device is configured to retransfer data blocks of the first program from the beginning if a difference between the second address transferred from the vehicle controller and an address value in the first address field of the data block transferred immediately before the retransfer request is greater than a predetermined value.

16. The memory rewriting system of claim 12, wherein the rewriting device is configured to attempt the retransfer a predetermined times until the retransfer is performed successfully.

17. The memory rewriting system of claim 10, wherein the transfer of the data blocks is carried out via serial communication.

18. A method for transferring a first program from a rewriting device to a vehicle controller to rewrite a second program stored in a memory of the vehicle controller with the first program, the method comprising:

at the rewriting device, assembling data blocks from program code of the first program, each of the data blocks including a program code field for a partial program code of the first program, a first address field for a leading address of the memory in which the partial program code is stored, and a second address field for a leading address of the memory in which a following partial program code transferred by another data block is t o be stored; and

transferring the data blocks from the rewriting device to the vehicle controller.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

at the vehicle controller, comparing a first address in the first address field of a current transferred data block with a second address in the second address field of a preceding transferred data block; and

at the vehicle controller, determining the current transferred data block is correct if the first address included in the current transferred data block is equal to the second address included in the preceding transferred data block in the vehicle controller.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising

transferring the second address included in the preceding transferred data block from the vehicle controller to the rewriting device if it is determined that the current transferred data block is not correct, for requesting the rewriting device to retransfer a correct data block that has said second address in the first address field;

and

retransferring the correct data block from the rewriting device to the vehicle controller.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the retransfer of the correct data block is performed if the second address transferred from the vehicle controller is within a predetermined range.

22. The memory rewriting system of claim 21, the predetermined range includes an address value in the first address field of a data block transferred immediately before the retransfer request, an address value in the first address field of the data block preceding such data block, and an address value in the first address field of the data block that was to be transferred following such data block.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprises retransferring data blocks of the first program from the beginning if a difference between the second address transferred from the vehicle controller and an address in the first address field of the data block transferred immediately before the retransfer request is greater than a predetermined value.