Method and apparatus for reprogramming engine controllers
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method for upgrading software in an engine controller, the method comprising:
- placing an engine controller reprogramming apparatus in data communication with the engine controller and, at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus;
determining a version of current software in the engine controller and requesting from the engine controller and storing in the engine controller reprogramming apparatus a first identification number from the engine controller;
identifying one or more data blocks of upgraded software associated with the version of current software, the one or more data blocks constituting less than all of the version of current software; and
replacing one or more data blocks of the current software with the one or more data blocks of upgraded software;
wherein replacing the one or more data blocks of current software comprises;
uploading from the engine controller to the engine controller reprogramming apparatus an image of the current software and storing the image of the current software in a memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus;
at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus, creating a modified version of the current software at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus by replacing one or more data blocks of the image with the one or more data blocks of upgraded software and retaining at least some data blocks of the image in the modified version of the current software while retaining the uploaded image of the current software in the memory for restoration and downloading a data stream from the engine controller reprogramming apparatus into the engine controller, the data stream comprising the modified version of the current software including the one or more data blocks of upgraded software; and
monitoring status information and, if an interruption occurs, using the status information to resume replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for altering the software of engine controllers. The method comprises determining a version of the current software in the engine controller, identifying one or more data blocks of upgraded software associated with the current software and replacing portions of the current software with the data blocks of upgraded software. The apparatus comprises an interface, a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to determine the version of the current software in the engine controller and replace one or more data blocks of the current software with one or more data blocks of upgraded software stored in the memory.
-
Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A method for upgrading software in an engine controller, the method comprising:
-
placing an engine controller reprogramming apparatus in data communication with the engine controller and, at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus; determining a version of current software in the engine controller and requesting from the engine controller and storing in the engine controller reprogramming apparatus a first identification number from the engine controller; identifying one or more data blocks of upgraded software associated with the version of current software, the one or more data blocks constituting less than all of the version of current software; and replacing one or more data blocks of the current software with the one or more data blocks of upgraded software; wherein replacing the one or more data blocks of current software comprises; uploading from the engine controller to the engine controller reprogramming apparatus an image of the current software and storing the image of the current software in a memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus; at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus, creating a modified version of the current software at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus by replacing one or more data blocks of the image with the one or more data blocks of upgraded software and retaining at least some data blocks of the image in the modified version of the current software while retaining the uploaded image of the current software in the memory for restoration and downloading a data stream from the engine controller reprogramming apparatus into the engine controller, the data stream comprising the modified version of the current software including the one or more data blocks of upgraded software; and monitoring status information and, if an interruption occurs, using the status information to resume replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method of upgrading software in an engine controller, the method comprising:
-
providing in an engine controller reprogramming apparatus information identifying a plurality of software versions and one or more blocks of upgraded software associated with each of the plurality of software versions; at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus determining a version of current software in the engine controller and requesting from the engine controller and storing in the engine controller reprogramming apparatus a first identification number from the engine controller; identifying, from within the information, one or more blocks of upgraded software associated with the version of the current software; replacing one or more blocks of the current software with the one or more blocks of upgraded software associated with the version of the current software to create at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus a modified version of the current software, the one or more blocks of upgraded software constituting less than all of the version of current software by; uploading from the engine controller to the engine controller reprogramming apparatus an image of the current software and storing the image of the current software in a memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus; and downloading from the engine controller reprogramming apparatus to the engine controller a data stream comprising the modified version of the current software the data stream obtained by modifying the image of the current software at the engine controller by replacing the one or more data blocks of the image with the one or more blocks of upgraded software according to the information while retaining as part of the modified version at least some data from the image while retaining the uploaded image of the current software in the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus for restoration; and at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus monitoring status information while replacing the one or more blocks of the current software and, if an interruption occurs, using the status information to resume replacing the one or more blocks of the current software. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. An apparatus for upgrading software in an engine controller, the apparatus comprising:
-
an interface configured to communicate data to and from the engine controller; a memory, which stores information identifying a plurality of software versions and one or more data blocks of upgraded software associated with each of the plurality of software versions; and a processor in communication with the memory and the interface, the processor configured to; determine a version of current software in the engine controller and request from the engine controller and store in the memory a first identification number from the engine controller; identify one or more data blocks of upgraded software associated with the version of the current software; and replace one or more data blocks of the current software with the one or more data blocks of upgraded software to create at the apparatus a modified version of the current software, the one or more data blocks constituting less than all of the modified version of current software by; obtaining an image of the current software from the engine controller and storing that image in the memory; while retaining the obtained image of the current software in the memory for restoration, forming a data stream and downloading the data stream into the engine controller in order to replace the current software with the modified version of the current software, the data stream comprising the modified version of the current software, the data stream obtained by modifying the image of the current software at the apparatus by replacing one or more data blocks of the image with the one or more data blocks of upgraded software the data stream including at least some unmodified data blocks of the image; and monitor status information while replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software and, if an interruption occurs, use the status information to resume replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
Specification