Electronic system with first and second electronic units electrically communicable with each other

• US 7,865,672 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, HONG CHONG
• Application Number:
  US10/863,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154, 711/103, 711/5, 711/165, 713/1
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2208 Each processor controls a different function of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25157 Checksum CRC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor

Abstract

An electronic system has a first electronic unit for carrying out a first predetermined operation and a second electronic unit for carrying out a second predetermined operation. The first and second electronic units are electrically communicable with each other. In the system, the first electronic unit stores control data. The second control unit requires the control data for carrying out the second predetermined operation. The second electronic unit sends to the first electronic unit a request to send the control data when the second electronic unit is reset.

Claims

1. An electronic system having a first electronic unit for carrying out a first predetermined operation and a second electronic unit for carrying out a second predetermined operation, said first and second electronic units being electrically communicable with each other, said electronic system comprising:

a nonvolatile storage unit provided in the first electronic unit and configured to store therein control data, said second electronic unit requiring at least one of first and second pieces of the control data for carrying out the second predetermined operation on or after boot-up, the second electronic unit being configured to receive, on or after boot-up, at least one of the first and second pieces of the control data stored in the nonvolatile storage unit and sent from the first electronic unit; and

request sending means provided in the second electronic unit for sending to the first electronic unit a request to send at least one of the first and second pieces of the control data when the second electronic unit is reset.

2. An electronic system according to claim 1, wherein said second electronic unit is electrically connected to a target device and controls an operation of the target device as the second predetermined operation, and said control data includes at least one of calibration data representing one or more operation characteristics of the target device, and learned data representing one or more aging characteristics of the target device, further comprising:

request receiving means provided in the first electronic unit for receiving the request; and

control data sending means provided in the first electronic unit for sending to the second electronic unit the at least one of calibration data and the learned data.

3. An electronic system according to claim 2, wherein said control data is the calibration data.

4. An electronic system according to claim 2, wherein said calibration data includes a plurality of calibration parameters that represent the operation characteristics of the target device, respectively, said control data sending means is configured to extract at least one parameter from the plurality of calibration parameters to send the extracted at least one parameter to the second electronic unit.

5. An electronic system according to claim 2, wherein said control data sending means is configured to send packet data that is composed of the calibration data and identification data that allows the second electronic unit to identify the calibration data.

6. An electronic system according to claim 5, wherein said identification data includes a plurality of identification codes, further comprising packet data receiving means provided in the second electronic unit for receiving the packet data;

and determining means provided in the second electronic unit for determining whether the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes, wherein said determining means determines to receive the calibration data only if the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes.

7. An electronic system according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of identification codes include a first code indicating the calibration data and a second code that mirrors the first code, and wherein said determining means determines to receive the calibration data only if the first code in the received packet coincides with the second code.

8. An electronic system according to claim 3, further comprising:

default data storage means provided in the second electronic unit for storing therein default data for controlling the operation of the target device;

control means provided in the second electronic unit for controlling the operation of the target device according to the default data if no calibration data is transmitted to the second electronic unit, and said control means controlling the operation of the target device according to the calibration data if the calibration data is transmitted to the second electronic unit.

9. An electronic system according to claim 2, wherein said control data is the learned data.

10. An electronic system according to claim 9, wherein said control data sending means is configured to send packet data that is composed of the learned data and an identification data that allows the second electronic unit to identify the calibration data.

11. An electronic system according to claim 10, wherein said identification data includes a plurality of identification codes, further comprising packet data receiving means provided in the second electronic unit for receiving the packet data;

and determining means provided in the second electronic unit for determining whether the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes, wherein said determining means determines to receive the calibration data only if the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes.

12. An electronic system according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of identification codes include a first code indicating the learned data and a second code that mirrors the first code, and wherein said determining means determines to receive the learned data only if the first code in the received packet coincides with the second code.

13. An electronic system according to claim 9, further comprising:

default data storage means provided in the second electronic unit for storing therein default data for controlling the operation of the target device;

control means provided in the second electronic unit for controlling the operation of the target device according to the default data if no learned data is transmitted to the second electronic unit, and said control means controlling the operation of the target device if the learned data is transmitted to the second electronic unit.

14. An electronic system according to claim 2, wherein said control data includes both of the calibration data and the learned data.

15. An electronic system according to claim 2, further comprising:

first reset signal sending means provided in the first electronic unit for sending a reset signal to the second electronic unit during a startup of the electronic system, said request sending means receiving the sent reset signal and sending to the first electronic unit the request in response to the reception of the reset signal;

first request receiving means provided in the first electronic unit for receiving the request during the startup of the electronic system; and

first control data sending means provided in the first electronic unit for sending to the second electronic unit the at least one of calibration data and the learned data.

16. An electronic system according to claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring means provided in the first electronic unit for monitoring whether an abnormality occurs in the second electronic unit;

second reset signal sending means provided in the first electronic unit and operatively connected to the monitoring mean, said second reset signal sending means sending a reset signal to the second electronic unit if the monitoring means determines that the abnormality occurs in the second electronic unit;

second request receiving means provided in the first electronic unit for receiving the request during the occurrence of the abnormality in the second electronic unit; and

second control data sending means provided in the first electronic unit for sending to the second electronic unit the at least one of calibration data and the learned data.

17. An electronic system having a first electronic unit for carrying out a first predetermined operation and a second electronic unit for carrying out a second predetermined operation, said first and second electronic units being electrically communicable with each other, said electronic system comprising:

a nonvolatile storage unit provided in the first electronic unit and configured to store therein control data, said second electronic unit requiring pieces of the control data for carrying out the second predetermined operation on or after boot-up, the second electronic unit being configured to receive, on or after boot-up, the pieces of the control data stored in the nonvolatile storage unit and sent from the first electronic unit; and

request sending means provided in the second electronic unit for sending to the first electronic unit a request to send a minimal piece of the pieces of control data when the second electronic unit is reset.

18. An electronic system according to claim 17, wherein said second electronic unit is electrically connected to a target device and controls an operation of the target device as the second predetermined operation, and said control data includes one of calibration data and learned data, the calibration data representing one or more operation characteristics of the target device, the learned data representing one or more aging characteristics of the target device, further comprising control data sending means provided in the first electronic unit and configured to extract pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data to send the extracted pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data to the second electronic unit, said pieces of one of the calibration data and the leaned data being minimally required for controlling the operation of the target device.

19. An electronic system according to claim 17, wherein said second electronic unit is electrically connected to a target device and controls an operation of the target device as the second predetermined operation, and said control data includes both of calibration data and learned data, the calibration data representing one or more operation characteristics of the target device, the learned data representing one or more aging characteristics of the target device, further comprising control data sending means provided in the first electronic unit and configured to extract one of the calibration data and the learned data to send the extracted pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data to the second electronic unit, said pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data being minimally required for controlling the operation of the target device.

20. An electronic system according to claim 17, wherein said second electronic unit is electrically connected to a target device and controls an operation of the target device as the second predetermined operation, and said control data includes the calibration data and learned data, the calibration data representing one or more operation characteristics of the target device, the learned data representing one or more aging characteristics of the target device, further comprising control data sending means provided in the first electronic unit and configured to extract pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data to send the extracted pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data to the second electronic unit, said pieces of one of the calibration data and the learned data being minimally required for controlling the operation of the target device.

21. A method of conducting communications in an electronic system having a first electronic unit for carrying out a first predetermined operation and a second electronic unit for carrying out a second predetermined operation, the first and second electronic units being electrically communicable with each other, the method comprising:

storing control data in a nonvolatile storage unit provided in the first electronic unit, at least one of first and second pieces of the stored control data being required for the second electronic unit to carry out the second predetermined operation on or after boot-up;

receiving, in the second electronic unit, on or after boot-up, at least one of the first and second pieces of the control data stored in the nonvolatile storage unit and sent from the first electronic unit; and

sending, from the second electronic unit to the first electronic unit, a request to send at least one of the first and second pieces of the control data when the second electronic unit is reset.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the second electronic unit is electrically connected to a target device and controls an operation of the target device as the second predetermined operation, and said control data includes at least one of calibration data representing one or more operation characteristics of the target device, and learned data representing one or more aging characteristics of the target device, the method further comprising:

receiving the request in the first electronic unit; and

sending, from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit, the at least one of calibration data and the learned data.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the control data is the calibration data.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the calibration data includes a plurality of calibration parameters that represent the operation characteristics of the target device, respectively, the first electronic unit extracts at least one parameter from the plurality of calibration parameters to send the extracted at least one parameter to the second electronic unit.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein said first electronic unit sends packet data that is composed of the calibration data and identification data that allows the second electronic unit to identify the calibration data.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said identification data includes a plurality of identification codes, the second electronic unit receives packet data and determines whether the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes, and wherein the second electronic unit determines to receive the calibration data only if the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein said plurality of identification codes include a first code indicating the calibration data and a second code that mirrors the first code, and wherein second electronic unit determines to receive the calibration data only if the first code in the received packet coincides with the second code.

28. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

storing default data storage in the second electronic unit, the default data controlling the operation of the target device;

controlling the operation of the target device by the second electronic unit according to the default data if no calibration data is transmitted to the second electronic unit, and the second electronic unit controlling the operation of the target device according to the calibration data if the calibration data is transmitted to the second electronic unit.

29. A method according to claim 22, wherein said control data is the learned data.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the first electronic unit is configured to send packet data that is composed of the learned data and an identification data that allows the second electronic unit to identify the calibration data.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said identification data includes a plurality of identification codes, the second electronic unit receives packet data and determines whether the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes, wherein the second electronic unit determines to receive the calibration data only if the received packet includes all of the plurality of identification codes.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein said plurality of identification codes include a first code indicating the learned data and a second code that mirrors the first code, and wherein the second electronic unit determines to receive the learned data only if the first code in the received packet coincides with the second code.

33. A method according to claim 29, further comprising:

storing default data in the second electronic unit, the default data controlling the operation of the target device;

controlling the operation of the target device by the second electronic unit according to the default data if no learned data is transmitted to the second electronic unit, and said the second electronic unit controlling the operation of the target device if the learned data is transmitted to the second electronic unit.

34. A method according to claim 22, wherein said control data includes both of the calibration data and the learned data.

35. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

sending a reset signal from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit during a startup of the electronic system, said the second electronic unit receiving the sent reset signal and sending to the first electronic unit the request in response to the reception of the reset signal;

receiving, in the first electronic system, the request during the startup of the electronic system; and

sending, from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit the at least one of calibration data and the learned data.

36. A method according to claim 35, further comprising:

monitoring in the first electronic unit whether an abnormality occurs in the second electronic unit;

sending a second reset signal from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit if the monitoring determines that the abnormality occurs in the second electronic unit;

receiving in the first electronic unit the request during the occurrence of the abnormality in the second electronic unit; and

sending, from the first electronic unit to the second electronic unit, the at least one of calibration data and the learned data.