In-vehicle device, program, and information processing method

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted device is mounted on a vehicle and includes a drive section, wherein the vehicle-mounted device has a control section that controls the drive section and a communication section that communicates with a vehicle-mounted ECU mounted on the vehicle, and the control section, when an obstruction event that obstructs a diagnosis process of the drive section is detected, notifies a detection result that indicates the detection of the obstruction event to the vehicle-mounted ECU via the communication section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to vehicle-mounted devices, programs, and information processing methods.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2021-066074, filed on April 8, 2021, and invokes all the contents recorded in the aforementioned Japanese application. Background Technology

[0003] In vehicles, for example, there is a vehicle ECU (e.g., Patent Document 1) that includes a windshield wiper drive unit and a vehicle ECU that provides unified control over the vehicle's interior and exterior lighting, door locks, power windows, and other body systems. The windshield wiper drive unit in Patent Document 1 includes a vehicle ECU (body ECU) and is driven by a control program applied to the vehicle ECU.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-224926 Summary of the Invention

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and including a drive unit, wherein the in-vehicle device includes: a control unit for controlling the drive unit; and a communication unit for communicating with an in-vehicle ECU mounted on the vehicle, wherein if the control unit detects an obstruction event that hinders the diagnostic processing during diagnostic processing of the drive unit, it outputs a detection result indicating that the obstruction event was detected to the in-vehicle ECU via the communication unit. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a vehicle system including the vehicle-mounted device according to Embodiment 1.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the internal structure of an onboard device.

[0010] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the vehicle-mounted device and the processing sequence performed by the vehicle-mounted ECU.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit of an onboard device.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit of the vehicle-mounted device involved in Embodiment 2 (communication failure). Detailed Implementation

[0013] [The problem this disclosure aims to solve]

[0014] In the drive device of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that considerations related to diagnostic processing of the drive components included in this device have not been performed.

[0015] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an on-board device, etc., capable of effectively performing diagnostic processing based on the device.

[0016] [The Effects of This Disclosure]

[0017] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an on-board device or the like can be provided that can effectively perform diagnostic processing based on the device.

[0018] [Description of embodiments of this disclosure]

[0019] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be described by way of example. Additionally, at least a portion of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0020] (1) One aspect of the present disclosure involves an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and including a drive unit, wherein the in-vehicle device includes: a control unit for controlling the drive unit; and a communication unit for communicating with an in-vehicle ECU mounted on the vehicle, wherein when the control unit detects an obstruction event that hinders the diagnostic processing during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit, it outputs a detection result indicating that the obstruction event was detected to the in-vehicle ECU via the communication unit.

[0021] In this method, the vehicle-mounted device includes a drive unit, a control unit, and a communication unit, and communicates with the vehicle-mounted ECU via the communication unit. The control unit performs diagnostic processing on the drive unit, and the drive unit outputs (sends) diagnostic results, such as normal or abnormal, to the vehicle-mounted ECU via the communication unit. Furthermore, if the control unit detects an obstruction event during diagnostic processing, it outputs a detection result indicating the detection of the obstruction event to the vehicle-mounted ECU via the communication unit. Therefore, even if an obstruction event occurs for various reasons, and the diagnostic processing of the drive unit equipped with this device is interrupted or cannot be started, the control unit can still output a detection result indicating the detection of the obstruction event to the vehicle-mounted ECU. Thus, even if a state of not performing diagnostic processing on the drive unit occurs or continues, the vehicle-mounted device (control unit) can effectively respond to the diagnostic processing based on this device by outputting a detection result indicating that an obstruction event has been detected to the vehicle-mounted ECU.

[0022] (2) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the obstruction event includes an event in which the diagnostic process is interrupted.

[0023] In this method, since the obstruction events detected by the control unit include events where the diagnostic process is interrupted, even if the diagnostic process is interrupted after it has started, the device can effectively respond to the diagnostic process by outputting a detection result indicating that the process was interrupted to the vehicle ECU.

[0024] (3) In one aspect of the vehicle-mounted device disclosed herein, the control unit outputs a detection result notification indicating that the obstruction event has been detected to the vehicle-mounted ECU when the diagnostic process is interrupted a predetermined number of times.

[0025] In this method, when diagnostic processing is interrupted, the control unit counts the number of consecutive interruptions by incrementing a counter value indicating the interruption by 1, and stores this count (counter value) in a storage area accessible by the device's storage unit. When the count (counter value) reaches a predetermined number, such as 100, the control unit outputs a detection result notification to the vehicle ECU indicating that an obstruction event has been detected. Alternatively, if the diagnostic processing is completed without interruption while counting the number of consecutive interruptions, the control unit can reset the counter value, which increments with each interruption, for example, returning it to an initial value of 0. Even if diagnostic processing is continuously interrupted and diagnostic processing for the drive unit is not performed, a detection result notification indicating an obstruction event is detected will still be output to the vehicle ECU when the number of consecutive interruptions reaches the predetermined number, thereby enabling effective response to diagnostic processing based on this device. Furthermore, even in the event of consecutive interruptions in the diagnostic process, the control unit will not output the detection result notification to the vehicle ECU until the number of consecutive interruptions reaches a predetermined number, i.e., less than the predetermined number, thus suppressing the excessive output of the detection result notification.

[0026] (4) In one aspect of the vehicle-mounted device disclosed herein, the control unit performs diagnostic processing of the drive unit when the ignition power of the vehicle is disconnected, and the control unit interrupts the diagnostic processing in progress when the ignition power is turned on.

[0027] In this method, the vehicle is equipped with an ignition switch (IG switch) for starting and stopping the vehicle. By pressing the IG switch, the vehicle's ignition power is switched from off to on or from on to off. When the vehicle's ignition power is off, the control unit obtains a disconnection signal (sleep signal) indicating this disconnection status from the vehicle ECU via the communication unit, and starts the drive unit's diagnostic processing based on this disconnection signal. If, during the execution of the drive unit's diagnostic processing, the ignition power is turned on by the vehicle operator pressing the IG switch, and an on signal (wake-up signal) indicating this on status is obtained from the vehicle ECU via the communication unit, the control unit interrupts the drive unit's diagnostic processing based on this on-time signal. Therefore, the control unit executes and interrupts the diagnostic processing based on the operation of the IG switch for starting and stopping the vehicle. In the case of interruption, a detection result indicating that an obstruction event has been detected is output to the vehicle ECU, thereby enabling effective response to the diagnostic processing based on this device.

[0028] (5) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the obstruction event includes an event in which communication between the control unit and the vehicle ECU is interrupted for a specified period of time.

[0029] In this method, the diagnostic sequence of the drive unit performed by the control unit includes diagnostic processing of the drive unit in this device and transmission processing of outputting (sending) the result of the diagnostic processing (diagnostic processing result) to the vehicle ECU. For example, when the diagnostic processing is output (sent) to the vehicle ECU, sometimes a state where communication with the vehicle ECU is impossible (disconnection state) persists. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that when the vehicle ECU outputs a signal indicating the start of diagnostic processing to the vehicle device, communication between the vehicle ECU and the vehicle device becomes unavailable, and the vehicle device cannot obtain (receive) the signal. Therefore, even in the case of this disconnection state, by including the event (the event of disconnection) in the obstruction event and outputting a detection result indicating the detection of an obstruction event to the vehicle ECU via the communication unit, it is possible to effectively respond to the diagnostic processing based on this device.

[0030] (6) In one aspect of the vehicle-mounted device disclosed herein, the control unit outputs a detection result notification indicating that the obstruction event has been detected to the vehicle-mounted ECU as a fault notification of the drive unit.

[0031] In this method, the control unit performs diagnostic processing on the drive unit included in the device based on a predetermined trigger, such as when the IG switch is open. As a result of this diagnostic processing, if the drive unit is diagnosed as abnormal, for example, due to a connection failure, a fault notification is output (sent) to the vehicle ECU via the communication unit. The control unit also outputs a detection result notification indicating that an obstruction event was detected during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit as a fault notification for the drive unit to the vehicle ECU. Thus, similar to the fault notification based on diagnostic processing that is stably implemented based on triggers such as the opening of the IG switch, a detection result notification indicating that an obstruction event was detected during the diagnostic processing can be output to the vehicle ECU, simplifying the communication method between the vehicle device and the vehicle ECU and enabling efficient communication processing.

[0032] (7) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle-mounted device includes an error code in the fault notification output to the vehicle-mounted ECU, and the control unit makes the error code detected when the obstruction event that hinders the diagnostic process is detected different from the error code detected when the diagnostic process is completed without being obstructed.

[0033] In this method, the control unit may, for example, differentiate the error codes included in the fault notification when a detection result notification indicates an obstruction to the diagnostic process or when an actual fault indicates a failure to connect the drive unit. By differentiating the error codes included in the fault notification based on the reason for outputting the fault notification (detection result notification), the vehicle ECU can be notified of the fault state corresponding to the vehicle's on-board unit.

[0034] (8) In one aspect of this disclosure, the program causes a computer controlling the drive unit to perform the following process: when a hindering event is detected during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit, a detection result notification indicating that the hindering event was detected is output to an on-board ECU, the on-board ECU being connected to the computer in a communicable manner.

[0035] In this method, the computer can operate as an on-board device capable of effectively performing diagnostic processing based on the device.

[0036] (9) In one aspect of this disclosure, the information processing method is executed by a computer controlling the drive unit, wherein the information processing method causes the computer to perform the following processing: when a hindering event is detected during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit, a detection result notification indicating that the hindering event was detected is output to the vehicle ECU, the vehicle ECU being connected to the computer in a communicable manner.

[0037] In this approach, an information processing method is provided that enables a computer to operate as an in-vehicle device capable of effectively performing diagnostic processing based on the device.

[0038] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure]

[0039] Hereinafter, specific examples of the vehicle-mounted device 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, as shown in the claims, and is intended to include all modifications equivalent to and within the scope of the claims.

[0040] (Implementation Method 1)

[0041] The embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a vehicle system S, including the vehicle-mounted device 1 as described in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the internal structure of the vehicle-mounted device 1. The vehicle-mounted system S includes the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, which are connected to each other via a communication line 5. The vehicle-mounted device 1 is connected to the power supply unit 4 and the vehicle-mounted load 3 via a power line 41. For example, based on control signals output (sent) from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, the vehicle-mounted device 1 controls the drive unit 14 included in the device to be turned on or off, and supplies or cuts off the power output from the power supply unit 4 to the vehicle-mounted load 3 connected to the device.

[0042] The vehicle ECU2 is communicatively connected to the IG switch 21 (ignition switch) that starts or stops the vehicle C. Based on the signal output from the IG switch 21, it outputs (sends) a signal to the vehicle device 1 indicating the start or interruption of diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 included in the vehicle device 1 (start: sleep signal, interrupt: wakeup signal). In this vehicle system S, the vehicle ECU2 can also be equivalent to the master ECU, and the vehicle device 1 can also be equivalent to the slave ECU.

[0043] The power supply unit 4 is a secondary battery such as a lead-acid battery, an alternator, or a lithium battery, which is the power source for the on-board load 3 mounted on the vehicle C. The on-board load 3 is an actuator such as a lamp or an electric motor, which is driven by the power supplied from the power supply unit 4 via the drive unit 14 of the on-board unit 1.

[0044] The vehicle-mounted device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a drive unit 14. The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc., and reads and executes programs and data stored in the storage unit 12 to perform various control processes, including controlling the on / off state of the drive unit 14 and performing diagnostic processing on the drive unit 14. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may also be composed of an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a SoC (System-on-a-Chip), or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0045] The storage unit 12 is composed of volatile storage elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or non-volatile storage elements such as ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Memory), or flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores programs and data for executing those programs. These programs can also be programs read from a recording medium that can be read from the vehicle ECU 2. Additionally, these programs can be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 also stores counter values, which will be described later.

[0046] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface corresponding to protocols such as LIN (Local Interconnect Network), CAN (Controller Area Network), or Ethernet. The control unit 11 communicates with the vehicle ECU 2 via this communication unit 13 using protocols such as LIN.

[0047] The drive unit 14 is, for example, a semiconductor switch such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor) or an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), and is set to be turned on or off based on a drive signal from the control unit 11. When the drive unit 14 is on, power output from the power supply unit 4 is supplied to the vehicle load 3. When the drive unit 14 is off, power output from the power supply unit 4 is cut off, and power is not supplied to the vehicle load 3. The drive unit 14 is a semiconductor switch such as an FET, but it is not limited to this; it can also be a mechanical relay, a drive circuit, or a motor mechanism. In the illustrations of this embodiment, the drive unit 14, i.e., a semiconductor switch (FET), is described as an example.

[0048] The control unit 11 functions as a diagnostic processing unit that performs diagnostic processing (diagnostic processing) on ​​the drive unit 14 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12. As a diagnostic processing unit, the control unit 11 initiates diagnostic processing on the drive unit 14, for example, based on a sleep signal sent from the vehicle ECU 2. This diagnostic processing detects, for example, connection faults (short circuit faults) or disconnection faults (open circuit faults) in the drive unit 14, and determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the drive unit 14 based on the detection results. If the control unit 11 determines that the drive unit 14 is abnormal based on the results of the diagnostic processing, it outputs a fault notification to the vehicle ECU 2. Furthermore, if the control unit 11 detects an obstruction event that hinders the diagnostic processing due to some reason, such as an interruption, it outputs a detection result notification indicating that an obstruction event has been detected to the vehicle ECU 2 via the communication unit 13. Details of the processing related to this detection result notification will be described later.

[0049] Like the vehicle-mounted device 1, the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 includes a control unit (not shown), a storage unit (not shown), and a communication unit (not shown), and the structure of these hardware functional units is the same as that of the vehicle-mounted device 1. The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 may be, for example, a body ECU that controls the entire vehicle C, or an engine ECU that controls actuators such as the engine or electric motor.

[0050] The vehicle ECU2 is communicatively connected to the IG switch 21. When the IG switch 21 is pressed and the ignition power of the vehicle C changes from off to on, the ECU2 outputs a wake-up signal to the vehicle device 1, causing the vehicle device 1 to change from sleep mode to start mode. When the IG switch 21 is pressed and the ignition power of the vehicle C changes from on to off, the ECU2 outputs a sleep signal to the vehicle device 1, causing the vehicle device 1 to change from start mode to sleep mode.

[0051] The vehicle ECU2 and the vehicle device 1 periodically poll each other to determine the communication status between the vehicle ECU2 and the vehicle device 1, i.e., whether the communication is normal or abnormal.

[0052] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the processing sequence performed by the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2. In this embodiment, the processing of the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is triggered, for example, by the on or off state of the IG switch 21.

[0053] The vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 may periodically perform polling communication. Based on the response from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 to this polling communication, the vehicle-mounted device 1 detects whether the communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is normal or abnormal, indicating a breakdown. For example, if the vehicle-mounted device 1 is unable to communicate with the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 for a specified period such as 1 second, it may determine that the communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is down.

[0054] The vehicle ECU2 receives a disconnect signal (ignition power disconnection) output from the IG switch 21 (S01). Based on the received disconnect signal, the vehicle ECU2 outputs (sends) a sleep signal to the vehicle device 1 (S02). The vehicle ECU2 receives a disconnect signal, i.e., a signal disconnecting the ignition power, output from the IG switch 21, which is connected to the ECU in a manner that enables direct or indirect communication, and outputs (sends) a sleep signal generated based on the disconnect signal to the vehicle device 1.

[0055] Based on the acquired sleep signal, the vehicle-mounted device 1 begins diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 (S03). Based on the sleep signal acquired from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 via the communication unit 13, the vehicle-mounted device 1 begins diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 included in this device. If the diagnostic processing is completed normally, the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs (sends) the result of the diagnostic processing (diagnostic processing result) to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 (S04). The series of processes from the start of the diagnostic processing to the output of the result of the diagnostic processing (diagnostic processing result) to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is performed by the vehicle-mounted device 1 as a diagnostic processing sequence.

[0056] When the vehicle-mounted device 1 has successfully completed the diagnostic processing and output the diagnostic processing results to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 (diagnostic processing sequence), it sets (initializes) the counter value for counting (incremental processing) when an obstruction event is detected to 0 (S05). This counter value is, for example, a value that is stored in a storage area accessible from the control unit 11, such as the storage unit 12 mounted on the vehicle-mounted device 1, and increases by counting (incremental processing) when an obstruction event is detected. However, as described above, when the diagnostic processing sequence is successfully completed, it is initialized (reset) to a value of 0. By performing such incremental processing and initialization processing on the counter value, the counter value represents the number of consecutive interruptions in the diagnostic processing (number of consecutive interruptions), that is, the number of consecutive obstruction events that hinder the diagnostic processing are detected (number of consecutive occurrences of obstruction events).

[0057] Processing steps S01 to S05 indicate that the diagnostic process has been completed normally. Processing steps S06 and onwards indicate that the diagnostic process has been interrupted.

[0058] The vehicle ECU2 receives a disconnect signal (disconnection of ignition power) output from the IG switch 21 (S06). Based on the received disconnect signal, the vehicle ECU2 outputs (sends) a sleep signal to the vehicle device 1 (S07). Based on the received sleep signal, the vehicle device 1 begins diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 (S08). The processing in S06 to S08 is the same as that in S01 to S03.

[0059] The vehicle ECU2 receives the ignition signal (ignition power on) output from the IG switch 21 (S09). Based on the received ignition signal, the vehicle ECU2 outputs (sends) a wake-up signal to the vehicle device 1 (S10). The vehicle ECU2 receives the ignition signal (ignition power on) output from the IG switch 21, which is connected to the ECU in a manner that enables direct or indirect communication, and outputs (sends) a wake-up signal generated based on the ignition signal to the vehicle device 1.

[0060] Based on the acquired wake-up signal, the vehicle-mounted device 1 interrupts the diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 (S11). During the execution of the diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14, if the vehicle-mounted device 1 acquires (receives) the wake-up signal output from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, it interrupts the diagnostic processing that is being executed.

[0061] If the diagnostic process is interrupted, the on-board unit 1 increments a counter value indicating the number of consecutive occurrences of the obstruction event by 1 (incremental processing) (S12). The execution of this incrementing process (incremental processing) is not limited to the case of diagnostic process interruption; it can also be performed if it is determined that communication between the on-board unit 1 and the on-board ECU 2 is disrupted. That is, obstruction events hindering diagnostic processing can include both diagnostic process interruption and communication disruption between the on-board unit 1 and the on-board ECU 2.

[0062] When the counter value reaches a predetermined number of times, the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs a detection result notification indicating that an obstruction event has been continuously detected as a fault notification of the drive unit 14 to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 (S13). The predetermined number of times, which is a threshold for the counter value, is, for example, set to 100 times, and is stored in the storage unit 12 of the vehicle-mounted device 1. When the counter value reaches a predetermined number of times, that is, when the counter value exceeds the predetermined number of times, the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs a detection result notification indicating that an obstruction event has been continuously detected to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2. The vehicle-mounted device 1 may also output this detection result notification to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 as a fault notification of the drive unit 14.

[0063] The fault notification can also differ in the error code included in the detection result notification (fault notification) depending on whether it indicates a detection result notification indicating an obstruction event such as a continuous interruption of the diagnostic process or an actual fault such as a failure to connect the drive unit 14. For example, when the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 starts diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 and completes the diagnostic process without obstruction, the error code is set to, for example, 01 if an actual fault such as a failure to connect the drive unit 14 is detected as a diagnostic result. The control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 sets the error code to, for example, 99 if an obstruction event such as a continuous interruption of the started diagnostic process is detected. Thus, by differentiating the error codes included in the detection result notification (fault notification) based on the reason for its output, the vehicle ECU 2 can perform appropriate actions corresponding to the error codes.

[0064] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 performs the following processing, for example, based on the signal output from the vehicle-mounted ECU2 for the operation of the IG switch 21 (ignition switch) for starting or stopping the vehicle C.

[0065] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether a signal indicating the start of diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 has been received (S101). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether a signal indicating the start of diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14, such as a sleep signal output from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, has been received. If no signal indicating the start of diagnostic processing (sleep signal) has been received (S101: No), the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 performs loop processing in order to execute the processing of S101 again, thereby continuing the waiting processing of signals output from the vehicle-mounted device 1.

[0066] Upon receiving a signal indicating the start of diagnostic processing (sleep signal) (S101: Yes), the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 executes the diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 (S102). When the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs a signal indicating the start of diagnostic processing, such as a sleep signal, from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, it starts the diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 based on the sleep signal. Thus, the vehicle-mounted device 1 enters a state where the diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 is being executed.

[0067] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether an event hindering the diagnostic process has occurred (S103). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether an event hindering the diagnostic process has occurred while the diagnostic process of the drive unit 14 is being executed. An event hindering the diagnostic process may be, for example, an interruption of the diagnostic process based on a wake-up signal output from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2.

[0068] If no obstruction event occurs (S103: No), the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether the diagnostic processing is complete (S1031). The diagnostic processing includes, for example, a predetermined processing sequence for diagnosing the presence or absence of on / off faults of the drive unit 14, such as the FET. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines that the diagnostic processing is complete when the processing sequence is executed to the end. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 may also monitor the progress of the processing sequence at a predetermined period, detect the completion signal output when the processing sequence is executed to the end, and thus determine that the diagnostic processing is complete. If the diagnostic processing is not complete (S1031: No), the diagnostic processing is in progress, and the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 continues to execute the diagnostic processing (S102). That is, while the diagnostic processing of the drive unit 14 is in progress, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 continuously performs the processing of periodically determining whether to output a wake-up signal from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2.

[0069] In the illustrations of this embodiment, S103 and S1031 are performed sequentially. If no obstruction event occurs (S103: No) and the diagnostic process is not completed (S1031: No), the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 performs a loop process to re-execute the process of S102, but it is not limited to this. Alternatively, if the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 receives a signal indicating an interruption of the diagnostic process, such as a wake-up signal, from the vehicle ECU 2 during the execution of the diagnostic process (S102), it can generate an interruption signal based on that signal and output the interruption signal to the process currently performing the diagnostic process, thereby interrupting the diagnostic process.

[0070] If the diagnostic process is completed (S1031: Yes), the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 outputs the diagnostic process result to the vehicle ECU 2 (S1032). If the diagnostic process of the drive unit 14 is completed normally and the drive unit 14 is determined to be abnormal based on the result of the diagnostic process, the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 outputs a fault notification (diagnostic process result) to the vehicle ECU 2.

[0071] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 initializes the counter value representing the number of consecutive occurrences of the obstruction event (S1033). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 initializes the counter value stored in the storage unit 12 by setting it to "0" for example. That is, the counter value is reset when the diagnostic process is completed normally.

[0072] In the event of an obstruction event (S103: Yes), the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 interrupts the diagnostic process (S104). As described above, the obstruction event is, for example, the interruption of the diagnostic process based on a wake-up signal output from the vehicle ECU 2. When the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 receives the wake-up signal, it interrupts the diagnostic process in progress.

[0073] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 increments the counter value representing the number of consecutive occurrences of the obstruction event by 1 (incremental processing) (S105). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 increments the counter value stored in the storage unit 12 by 1 (incremental processing).

[0074] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether the counter value has reached a predetermined number of times (S106). The predetermined number of times, which is a threshold for the counter value, is set to, for example, 100 times and stored in the storage unit 12 of the vehicle-mounted device 1. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether the counter value has reached a predetermined number of times, that is, whether the counter value has reached a predetermined number of times.

[0075] If the counter value exceeds a predetermined number (S106: Yes), the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs a detection result notification to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, indicating that an obstruction event has been continuously detected (S107). If the counter value exceeds a predetermined number, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs a detection result notification to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, indicating that the diagnostic processing as an obstruction event has been interrupted a predetermined number of times. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 may also output this detection result notification to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 as a fault notification of the drive unit 14. Thus, even if the diagnostic processing interruption event is continuous and the state of not performing diagnostic processing on the drive unit 14 continues, if the number of consecutive interruptions in the diagnostic processing reaches a predetermined number, by outputting a fault notification to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, it is possible to effectively perform diagnostic processing based on this device.

[0076] If the counter value is not greater than a predetermined number of times (S106: No), the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 ends the series of processes in this flowchart after the execution of S107 or S1033. Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 may perform cyclic processing after the execution of these processes in order to execute the processing of S101 again.

[0077] (Implementation Method 2)

[0078] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 according to Embodiment 2 (communication not working). Similar to Embodiment 1, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 performs the following processing based on the signal output from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, for example, according to the operation of the IG switch 21 (ignition switch) for starting or stopping the vehicle C. Similarly to the processing of S101 to S106 or S1033 in Embodiment 1, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 performs the processing from S201 to S206 or S2033.

[0079] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether communication with the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is interrupted (S2011). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 communicates with the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 periodically via the communication unit 13, for example. Based on the response (acknowledgment) from the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 to this polling communication, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether the communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is normal or abnormal (interrupted). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 may also determine that communication between the vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is interrupted if the interrupted state persists for a predetermined period, such as more than 1 second. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 may, for example, generate a subprocess or execute the processing of S201 and S2011 as parallel processing through multithreading.

[0080] If communication with the vehicle ECU2 is not interrupted (S2011: No), that is, if communication between the vehicle device 1 and the vehicle ECU2 is normal, the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 performs loop processing in order to execute the processing of S2011 again. That is, the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 continues to determine the success or failure of communication between the vehicle device 1 and the vehicle ECU2 by using polling communication with the vehicle ECU2.

[0081] If communication with the vehicle ECU2 fails (S2011: Yes), the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 increments the counter value representing the number of consecutive occurrences of the obstruction event by 1 (incremental processing) (S2012). Similar to the processing S105 (S205) of Embodiment 1, the control unit 11 of the vehicle device 1 increments the counter value stored in the storage unit 12 by 1 (incremental processing). That is, the counter value incremented in S205 and the counter value incremented in S2012 are the same counter value (counter value defined by the same variable).

[0082] The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 determines whether the counter value has exceeded a predetermined number of times (S2013). The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 performs the processing of S2013 in the same way as the processing of S106 (S206) in Embodiment 1. If the counter value is not exceeded a predetermined number of times (S2013: No), that is, if the counter value is less than the predetermined number of times, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 performs cyclic processing in order to execute the processing of S2011 again.

[0083] If the counter value exceeds a predetermined number (S2013: Yes), or after the execution of S206, the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 outputs a detection result indicating that an obstruction event has been continuously detected to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 (S207). The control unit 11 performs the processing of S207 in the same way as the processing of S107 in Embodiment 1.

[0084] It is also envisioned that when the vehicle ECU2 outputs a signal (sleep signal) indicating the start of diagnostic processing to the vehicle device 1, communication between the vehicle ECU2 and the vehicle device 1 becomes interrupted, and the vehicle device 1 is unable to obtain (receive) the signal. In contrast, as an obstacle to incremental processing of the counter value, in addition to the interruption of diagnostic processing, the communication interruption between the vehicle ECU2 and the vehicle device 1 is also considered. A detection result notification (fault notification) indicating that this obstacle event has been continuously detected is output to the vehicle ECU2, thereby enabling effective response to diagnostic processing based on the vehicle device 1.

[0085] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative in all respects and not intended to be restrictive. The scope of the invention is not as described above, but is set forth in the claims and is intended to include all modifications equivalent to and within the scope of the claims.

[0086] Label Explanation

[0087] Vehicle C

[0088] S vehicle system

[0089] 1. Vehicle-mounted device

[0090] 11 Control Department

[0091] 12 Storage Department

[0092] 13 Ministry of Communications

[0093] 14 Drive Unit

[0094] 2. Vehicle ECU

[0095] 21 IG switch

[0096] 3. Vehicle-mounted load

[0097] 4 Power supply unit

[0098] 41 Power cord

[0099] 5. Communication lines.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted device, mounted on a vehicle, and including a drive unit, wherein, The vehicle-mounted device includes: Control unit, which controls the drive unit; and The communication unit is used to communicate with the onboard ECU installed in the vehicle. If the control unit detects an obstruction event hindering the diagnostic process during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit, it will output a detection result indicating that the obstruction event was detected to the vehicle ECU via the communication unit. The control unit outputs a detection result notification, indicating that the obstruction event has been detected, as a fault notification from the drive unit to the vehicle ECU. The fault notification output to the vehicle ECU includes an error code. The control unit ensures that the error code detected when an obstruction event hindering the diagnostic process is different from the error code detected when the diagnostic process is completed without obstruction. The control unit is configured to initiate the diagnostic processing of the drive unit based on signals obtained from the vehicle ECU. The obstruction event includes an event in which communication between the control unit and the vehicle ECU is interrupted for a specified period of time.

2. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein, The obstruction event includes an event in which the diagnostic process is interrupted.

3. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, wherein, If the diagnostic process is interrupted more than a predetermined number of times, the control unit will output a detection result notification indicating that the obstruction event has been detected to the vehicle ECU.

4. The vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The control unit performs diagnostic processing on the drive unit when the vehicle's ignition power is disconnected. The control unit interrupts the diagnostic processing in progress when the ignition power is turned on.

5. A program product comprising a program that causes a computer controlling a drive unit to perform the following processes: If an obstruction event is detected during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit, indicating that the obstruction event was detected, a detection result notification is output to the vehicle ECU, which is communicatively connected to the computer. The fault notification output to the vehicle ECU includes an error code. The error code detected when an obstruction event hindering the diagnostic process is detected is different from the error code detected when the diagnostic process is completed without obstruction. The diagnostic process for the drive unit begins based on signals obtained from the vehicle ECU. The obstruction event includes an event in which communication between the control unit and the vehicle ECU is interrupted for a specified period of time.

6. An information processing method, executed by a computer in a control and drive unit, wherein, The information processing method causes the computer to perform the following processes: If an obstruction event is detected during the diagnostic processing of the drive unit, indicating that the obstruction event was detected, a detection result notification is output to the vehicle ECU, which is communicatively connected to the computer. The fault notification output to the vehicle ECU includes an error code. The error code detected when an obstruction event hindering the diagnostic process is detected is different from the error code detected when the diagnostic process is completed without obstruction. The diagnostic process for the drive unit begins based on signals obtained from the vehicle ECU. The obstruction event includes an event in which communication between the control unit and the vehicle ECU is interrupted for a specified period of time.

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