Information processing apparatus, electronic control unit, information processing method, and program

• US 9,223,559 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Masuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US14/364,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 717/106, 717/140, 717/175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

A configuration information generation section 11 uses configuration information of an ECU 2 and configuration information of a new device 5 which is to be newly connected to the ECU 2, generates and outputs to the ECU 2, new configuration information after the new device 5 is connected to the ECU 2. An executable file generation section 12 links an object file of a control program implemented on the ECU 2, and an object file of a control program to control the new device 5, and generates and outputs to the ECU 2 an executable file of a new control program after the new device 5 is connected to the ECU 2.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor to execute a program; and

a memory to store the program which, when executed by the processor, results in performance of steps comprising,

generating a new configuration information of an electronic control unit installed on a vehicle after connecting a newly connected device to the electronic control unit, using configuration information of the electronic control unit and configuration information of the newly connected device, the electronic control unit being separate from the information processing apparatus;

generating an executable file of a new control program which the electronic control unit is to execute after the newly connected device is connected by linking an object file of a control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and an object file of a control program from the information processing apparatus to control the newly connected device; and

uploading the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program from the information processing apparatus to the electronic control unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program stored in the memory which, when executed by the processor further results in performing the step of:

communicating, from a first management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the electronic control unit and the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, the configuration information of the electronic control unit and the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and from a second management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the newly connected device and the object file of the control program to control the newly connected device, the configuration information of the newly connected device and the object file of the control program to control the newly connected device,

wherein the generating of the new configuration information generates, using the configuration information of the electronic control unit received by the communicating from the first management apparatus, and the configuration information of the newly connected device received by the communicating from the second management apparatus, the new configuration information, and

wherein the generating of the executable file generates, by linking the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit received by the communicating from the first management apparatus, and the object file of the control program that controls the newly connected device received by the communicating from the second management apparatus, the executable file of the new control program.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the communicating sends to the first management apparatus, after the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are uploaded to the electronic control unit, and the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are stored in the electronic control unit,

at least either of the new configuration information and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the new configuration information from the configuration information managed in the first management apparatus, and

at least either of the object file of the new control program and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the object file of the new control program from the object file managed in the first management apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program stored in the memory which, when executed by the processor further results in performing the step of:

communicating, from a first management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the electronic control unit and source code of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, the configuration information of the electronic control unit and the source code of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and from a second management apparatus that manages the configuration information of the newly connected device and source code of the control program to control the newly connected device, the configuration information of the newly connected device and the source code of the control program to control the newly connected device, wherein

the generating of the new configuration information generates, using the configuration information of the electronic control unit received from the first management apparatus, and the configuration information of the newly connected device received from the second management apparatus, the new configuration information, and

the generating of the executable file generates an object file by compiling the source code of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit received by the communicating from the first management apparatus, generates an object file by compiling the source code of the control program to control the newly connected device received by the communicating from the second management apparatus, and generates the executable file of the new control program by linking the two generated object files.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the communicating sends to the first management apparatus, after the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are uploaded to the electronic control unit, and the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program are stored in the electronic control unit,

at least either of the new configuration information and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the new configuration information from the configuration information managed in the first management apparatus, and

at least either of the source code of the new control program and the data that enables the first management apparatus to generate the source code of the new control program from the source code managed in the first management apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the generating of configuration information determines whether or not allotting a resource in the electronic control unit to the newly connected device is possible, and if allotting the resource in the electronic control unit to the newly connected device is possible, generates the new configuration information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the generating of the executable file determines whether or not the executable file of the new control program is capable of being accommodated in a predetermined storage area in the electronic control unit, and if the executable file of the new control program is capable of being accommodated in the storage area, generates the executable file of the new control program.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit, being connected by a device attachment port including a first memory via a network, includes a second memory that sends and receives data of a device to be attached to the device attachment port between the first memory via the network, and

the generating of the configuration information generates the new configuration information including information to manage the first memory and the second memory.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the generating of the configuration information generates, using the configuration information of the electronic control unit and configuration information of a detach-device to be detached from the electronic control unit, new configuration information of the electronic control unit after the detach-device is detached, and

the generating of the executable file deletes an object file of a control program that controls the detach-device from the object file of the control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and generates the executable file of a new control program that the electronic control unit executes after the detach-device is detached.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus receives the configuration information of the electronic control unit from the electronic control unit.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a program that includes computer executable instructions which cause computer execute:

a configuration information generation process to be executed on an information processing apparatus that generates, a new configuration information of an electronic control unit installed on a vehicle after connecting a newly connected device to the electronic control unit, using configuration information of the electronic control unit and configuration information of the newly connected device the electronic control unit being separate from the information processing apparatus;

an executable file generation process that generates an executable file of a new control program which the electronic control unit executes after the newly connected device is connected by linking an object file of a control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and an object file of a control program from the information processing apparatus to control the newly connected device; and

an upload process that uploads the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program from the information processing apparatus to the electronic control unit.

12. An information processing method, comprising:

generating a new configuration information of an electronic control unit installed on a vehicle after connecting a newly connected device to the electronic control unit, using configuration information of the electronic control unit and configuration information of the newly connected device, the electronic control unit being separate from an information processing apparatus;

generating an executable file of a new control program which the electronic control unit is to execute after the newly connected device is connected by linking an object file of a control program implemented on the electronic control unit, and an object file of a control program from the information processing apparatus to control the newly connected device; and

uploading the new configuration information and the executable file of the new control program from the information processing apparatus to the electronic control unit.