Vehicle control apparatus and control method of same

• US 7,869,917 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Morozumi, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/028,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79, 713/2, 714/23, 701/34
• US Class Current: 701/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0065 using a personalised data carrier, e.g. magnetic card, memory card or electronic ignition key
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes a first storage area in which malfunction record information that is information on the record of a malfunction in a vehicle, and identifying information used to identify a program are stored in a nonvolatile manner; and a second storage area in which the program is stored in a rewritable and nonvolatile manner. If the identifying information stored in the first storage area does not match the identifying information corresponding to the rewritten program stored in the second storage area when rewriting of the program stored in the second storage area is completed, the control portion erases the malfunction record information in the first storage area, and rewrites the identifying information stored in the first storage area to the identifying information corresponding to the rewritten program.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a first storage area in which malfunction record information that is information on a record of a malfunction in a vehicle, and identifying information used to identify a program are stored in a nonvolatile manner;

a second storage area in which the program is stored in a rewritable and nonvolatile manner; and

a control portion that controls rewriting of data in the first storage area and the second storage area,

wherein;

if the control portion determines that the identifying information stored in the first storage area does not match identifying information corresponding to a second program after the control portion determines that rewriting of the program stored in the second storage area from a first program to the second program is completed, the control portion erases the malfunction record information in the first storage area, and rewrites the identifying information stored in the first storage area to the identifying information corresponding to the second program.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the identifying information corresponding to the second program is stored along with the second program in the second storage area; and

the control portion compares the identifying information stored in the second storage area with the identifying information stored in the first storage area.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control portion determines whether a malfunction occurs in a vehicle-mounted sensor; and

if the control portion determines that a malfunction occurs in the sensor, the control portion writes, in the first storage area, the malfunction record information corresponding to the malfunction that occurs.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third storage area in which the malfunction record information is stored in a volatile manner,

wherein;

the control portion reads out the malfunction record information stored in the third storage area, and makes an external terminal device indicate the malfunction record information stored in the third storage area, according to a command from the external terminal device; and

the control portion reads out the malfunction record information stored in the first storage area, and makes the external terminal device indicate the malfunction record information stored in the first storage area, according to a another command from the external terminal device.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the identifying information is not stored in the first storage area after the vehicle is started, the control portion writes, in the first storage area, the identifying information corresponding to the program that is currently stored in the second storage area.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control portion controls at least one of an internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission, and a hybrid system that are provided in the vehicle.

7. A control method of a vehicle control apparatus that includes a first storage area in which malfunction record information that is information on a record of a malfunction in a vehicle, and identifying information used to identify a program are stored in a nonvolatile manner;

a second storage area in which the program is stored in a rewritable and nonvolatile manner, the control method comprising;

determining whether the identifying information stored in the first storage area matches identifying information corresponding to a second program, after determining that rewriting of the program stored in the second storage area from a first program to the second program is completed; and

erasing the malfunction record information in the first storage area, and rewriting the identifying information stored in the first storage area to the identifying information corresponding to the second program, if the identifying information stored in the first storage area does not match the identifying information corresponding to the second program.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein:

the identifying information corresponding to the second program is stored along with the second program in the second storage area; and

the identifying information stored in the second storage area is compared with the identifying information stored in the first storage area.

9. The control method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether a malfunction occurs in a vehicle-mounted sensor; and

writing, in the first storage area, the malfunction record information corresponding to a malfunction that occurs, if the malfunction occurs in the sensor.

10. The control method according to claim 7, further comprising:

writing, in the first storage area, the identifying information corresponding to the program that is currently stored in the second storage area, when the identifying information is not stored in the first storage area after the vehicle is started.