Method and apparatus for reprogramming engine controllers

• US 8,458,689 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8689, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jr., James Edward Conforti, Roderick A. Barman
• Inventors: Barman, Roderick A., Conforti, Jr., James Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/112,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,085 Days
• Field of Search: 717/170, 717/173, 717/168, 715/783, 701/26, 701/29, 701/35, 701/55
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

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.

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.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more data blocks of upgraded software comprises selecting the one or more data blocks of upgraded software based on information stored in a memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus, the information identifying a plurality of software versions including the version of current software in the engine controller and identifying one or more data blocks of upgraded software associated with each of the plurality of software versions.

3. A method according to claim 2, comprising, prior to identifying the one or more data blocks of upgraded software, verifying that the version of the current software corresponds with one of the plurality of software versions.

4. A method according to claim 3, comprising upgrading the information, such that the upgraded information identifies one or more additional software versions.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein verifying that the version of the current software corresponds with one of the plurality of software versions comprises recording a version identifier, the version identifier identifying a version of the current software that is not identified in the information.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein verifying that the version of the current software corresponds with one of the plurality of software versions comprises recording the current software into memory in circumstances where a version of the current software is not identified in the information.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein for each of the plurality of versions, the information comprises locations for insertion of the one or more data blocks of upgraded software.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising forming the data stream in the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus prior to downloading the data stream into the engine controller.

9. A method according to claim 1, comprising forming the data stream dynamically at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus while downloading the data stream from the engine controller reprogramming apparatus into the engine controller.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein forming the data stream dynamically comprises:

downloading the image of the current software from the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus until reaching a first memory location;

downloading a block of upgraded software from the engine controller reprogramming apparatus into the engine controller; and

resuming downloading the image from the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus commencing at a second memory location that is spaced apart from the first memory location by a size of the block of upgraded software.

11. A method according to claim 1, comprising, prior to replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software, verifying that the image of the current software in the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus matches the current software in the engine controller.

12. A method according to claim 1, comprising, subsequent to replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software, restoring the current software by downloading the unaltered image of the current software from the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus back into the engine controller.

13. A method according to claim 11, comprising, prior to restoring the current software, verifying that software in the engine controller is an upgraded version of the unaltered image of the current software.

14. A method according to claim 12, comprising requesting from the engine controller a subsequent identification number and at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus performing at least one of:

verifying that the subsequent identification number matches the first identification number prior to replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software for a subsequent time; and

verifying that the subsequent identification number matches the first identification number prior to restoring the current software.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the first identification number comprises a vehicle identification number.

16. A method according to claim 12 comprising maintaining at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus status information during restoring the current software.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the status information comprises a marker.

18. A method according to claim 1, comprising maintaining at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus status information during replacing the one or more data blocks of the current software.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the status information comprises a marker.

20. A method according to claim 1 comprising, at the engine controller reprogramming apparatus, outputting an indication to users of an occurrence of one or more of:

an error in communication between the engine controller reprogramming apparatus and the engine controller;

a low operating voltage;

a failure to recognize hardware associated with the engine controller;

an error erasing data from the engine controller;

an error storing data to the engine controller; and

an attempt to upgrade software that has already been upgraded.

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.

22. A method according to claim 21, comprising, prior to identifying the one or more blocks of upgraded software, verifying that the version of the current software corresponds with one of the plurality of software versions.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein, for each of the plurality of versions, the information comprises locations for insertion of one or more blocks of upgraded software.

24. A method according to claim 21, comprising forming the data stream in the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus prior to downloading the data stream into the engine controller.

25. A method according to claim 21, comprising forming the data stream dynamically in the engine controller reprogramming apparatus while downloading the data stream into the engine controller.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein forming the data stream dynamically comprises:

downloading the image of the current software from the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus until reaching a first memory location;

downloading a block of upgraded software from the engine controller reprogramming apparatus to the engine controller; and

resuming downloading the image from the memory of the engine controller reprogramming apparatus commencing at a second memory location that is spaced apart from the first memory location by a size of the block of upgraded software.

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.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the memory also stores information about a location for insertion of each data block of upgraded software into its associated software version.

29. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to form the data stream in the memory prior to the download of the data stream into the engine controller.

30. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to form the data stream dynamically during the download of the data stream into the engine controller.

31. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to restore the current software by downloading the unaltered image of the current software from the memory of the apparatus into the engine controller.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31, which comprises a user interface having at least one of:

(a) an output for indicating whether the version of the current software in the engine controller corresponds with one of the plurality of software versions identified in the information;

(b) an output for indicating whether the image of the current software stored in memory matches the current software in the engine controller;

(c) an output for indicating an error in communication with the engine controller;

(d) an output for indicating a low operating voltage;

(e) an output for indicating a failure to recognize hardware associated with the engine controller;

(f) an output for indicating an error erasing data from the engine controller; and

(g) an output for indicating an attempt to upgrade software that has already been upgraded.

33. An apparatus according to claim 31 comprising a user interface, wherein the user interface comprises a light configured to flash in a manner representing a code of a codification scheme, the code indicating a status of the apparatus.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the one or more data blocks of upgraded software are stored in at least one of:

the data processor;

the machine readable medium; and

a memory in communication with the data processor.