ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT CONFIGURATION TOOL

• US 20130090820A1
• Filed: 10/10/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Frashure, Timothy J., Stahl, Ron R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A tool for configuring a replacement electronic control unit for a vehicle is provided. The tool includes a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon which may be stored on an electronic module or installed on a computing device that connects to a communications bus in the vehicle. The program includes code for accessing a first memory associated with an original electronic control unit for the vehicle, retrieving a configuration for the original electronic control unit from the first memory, associating the configuration with a vehicle identification number associated with the vehicle in a second memory remote from the vehicle and downloading the configuration from the second memory to a third memory associated with the replacement electronic control unit for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A tool for configuring a replacement electronic control unit for a first vehicle, comprising:

a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon including code for;

accessing a first memory associated with an original electronic control unit for said first vehicle;

retrieving a configuration for said original electronic control unit from said first memory;

associating said configuration with a vehicle identification number associated with said first vehicle in a second memory remote from said first vehicle; and

,

downloading said configuration from said second memory to a third memory associated with said replacement electronic control unit for said first vehicle.

2. The tool of claim 1, further comprising an electronic module housing said computer storage medium, said module including a connector configured for connection to a communications bus of said vehicle.

3. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a computing device housing said computer storage medium, said computing device configured for connection to a communications bus of said vehicle.

4. The tool of claim 3, wherein said computing device is connected to said communications bus over a wire.

5. The tool of claim 3, wherein said computing device is connected to said communications bus over a wireless communications link.

6. The tool of claim 1, wherein said original and replacement electronic control units are configured for controlling braking of said vehicle.

7. The tool of claim 1, wherein said computer program further includes code for:

accessing a fourth memory associated with an original electronic control unit for a second vehicle;

retrieving a configuration for said original electronic control unit for said second vehicle from said fourth memory;

associating said configuration for said original electronic control unit for said second vehicle with a vehicle identification number associated with said second vehicle in said second memory remote from said second vehicle; and

,

downloading said configuration for said original electronic control unit for said second vehicle from said second memory to a fifth memory associated with said replacement electronic control unit for said second vehicle.

8. The tool of claim 1, wherein said computer program further includes code for comparing a vehicle information number in said third memory with said vehicle information number in a fourth memory associated with said first vehicle.

9. The tool of claim 1, wherein said computer program further includes code for downloading said configuration from said second memory to a server over a telecommunications network.

10. The tool of claim 1, wherein said computer program further includes code for indicating a status of execution of at least one of said retrieving and said downloading.

11. A method for configuring a replacement electronic control unit for a first vehicle, comprising the steps of:

accessing a first memory associated with an original electronic control unit for said first vehicle;

retrieving a configuration for said original electronic control unit from said first memory;

associating said configuration with a vehicle identification number associated with said first vehicle in a second memory remote from said first vehicle; and

,

downloading said configuration from said second memory to a third memory associated with said replacement electronic control unit for said first vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said original and replacement electronic control units are configured for controlling braking of said vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

accessing a fourth memory associated with an original electronic control unit for a second vehicle;

retrieving a configuration for said original electronic control unit for said second vehicle from said fourth memory;

associating said configuration for said original electronic control unit for said second vehicle with a vehicle identification number associated with said second vehicle in said second memory remote from said second vehicle; and

,

downloading said configuration for said original electronic control unit for said second vehicle from said second memory to a fifth memory associated with said replacement electronic control unit for said second vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of connecting to said first memory through a diagnostic connector on said first vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of downloading said configuration from said second memory to a server over a telecommunications network.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of indicating a status of execution of at least one of said retrieving and said downloading steps.

17. A tool for configuring a replacement electronic control unit for a first vehicle, comprising:

means for accessing a first memory associated with an original electronic control unit for said first vehicle;

means for retrieving a configuration for said original electronic control unit from said first memory;

means for associating said configuration with a vehicle identification number associated with said first vehicle in a second memory remote from said first vehicle; and

,

means for downloading said configuration from said second memory to a third memory associated with said replacement electronic control unit for said first vehicle.

18. The tool of claim 17, further comprising an electronic module housing said accessing means, said retrieving means, said associating means and said downloading means, said module including a connector configured for connection to a communications bus of said vehicle.

19. The tool of claim 17, further comprising a computing device housing accessing means, said retrieving means, said associating means and said downloading means, said computing device configured for connection to a communications bus of said vehicle.

20. The tool of claim 17, wherein said original and replacement electronic control units are configured for controlling braking of said vehicle.

21. The tool of claim 17, further comprising means for comparing a vehicle information number in said third memory with said vehicle information number in a fourth memory associated with said first vehicle.

22. The tool of claim 17, further comprising means for downloading said configuration from said second memory to a server over a telecommunications network.