Refreshing platform and refreshing method of vehicle controller

Abstract

The invention discloses a refreshing platform and refreshing method for a vehicle controller, and the refreshing platform is provided with at least a part of vehicle-mounted environment of an off-vehicle, and comprises a refreshing interface. At least part of the vehicle-mounted environment comprises a gateway controller which is used for controlling data connection between the at least part of the vehicle-mounted environment and the refreshing interface; wherein the refreshing interface comprises a software interface and at least one controller interface, and is used for refreshing software by utilizing a controller from the software interface and refreshing a to-be-refreshed controller connected to the controller interface through at least part of the vehicle-mounted environment; wherein the gateway controller is used for forwarding interaction data between the software interface and the at least one controller interface. According to the method and the device, the refreshing software of each controller is uniformly stored through the storage equipment, the software interface connected with the storage equipment is constructed by utilizing the refreshing platform, and the different controller interfaces are connected with the corresponding controllers to be refreshed, so that the controllers are quickly and efficiently refreshed off the vehicle, and the universality and the practicability are very high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive technology, and more specifically, to a refresh platform and refresh method for a vehicle controller. Background Technology

[0002] During vehicle development and testing, it is often necessary to update the vehicle controller software. There are two well-known controller software update methods in this field:

[0003] The first approach is to update the corresponding controller on the entire vehicle. This approach requires that the vehicle's power supply and communication are normal. If the vehicle's power supply or communication system fails, it is impossible to update the controller software on the entire vehicle.

[0004] The second approach involves the supplier using specialized tools and dedicated wiring harnesses to perform off-vehicle updates on individual controllers. However, this approach requires the creation of different wiring harnesses for different controllers, and the update tools are not standardized. The software to be updated also requires special processing, thus limiting its versatility. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a vehicle controller refresh platform and refresh method. The refresh platform uniformly stores the refresh software of each controller through a storage device, constructs a software interface connected to the storage device, and connects to the corresponding controller to be refreshed through different controller interfaces to realize off-vehicle controller refresh. This refresh platform is not affected by whether the vehicle is malfunctioning, does not require special processing of the software to be refreshed, does not require additional special refresh tools, and does not require the creation of multiple sets of wiring harnesses for different controllers. Therefore, the refresh of the controller is fast and efficient, and has strong versatility and practicality.

[0006] This application provides a refresh platform for a vehicle controller, the refresh platform having at least a portion of the vehicle-mounted environment away from the vehicle, and including a refresh interface;

[0007] At least part of the in-vehicle environment includes a gateway controller for controlling data connections between at least part of the in-vehicle environment and the refresh interface;

[0008] The refresh interface includes a software interface and at least one controller interface, used to refresh the controller to be refreshed connected to the controller interface through at least part of the vehicle environment by utilizing controller refresh software from the software interface; wherein the gateway controller is used to forward the interaction data between the software interface and at least one controller interface.

[0009] Preferably, the software interface is an automatic diagnostic interface, and the controller interface is an external plug;

[0010] The first end of the software interface is connected to the gateway controller, and the second end of the software interface is used to connect to the first storage device, wherein the first storage device stores the controller refresh software;

[0011] For each of at least one controller interface, a first end of the controller interface is connected to a gateway controller, and a second end of the controller interface is used to connect to the controller to be refreshed.

[0012] Preferably, at least part of the vehicle environment also includes a power-on system, which includes a start switch, a keyless entry and start controller, and a power grid control unit;

[0013] Connect the start switch to the power supply;

[0014] The keyless entry and start controller is connected to the start switch. The keyless entry and start controller is equipped with an antenna, which is connected to the vehicle's key signal. The keyless entry and start controller is also connected to the gateway controller.

[0015] The power grid control unit is connected to the gateway controller.

[0016] Preferably, at least part of the vehicle environment also includes an electronic steering column lock, which is connected to a gateway controller, and the electronic steering column lock and the gateway controller together form an anti-theft system for the refresh platform.

[0017] Preferably, at least part of the in-vehicle environment also includes an infotainment control unit and a display screen, wherein the infotainment control unit is connected to the gateway controller, and the display screen is connected to the infotainment control unit via a CAN bus and a video data cable;

[0018] The infotainment control unit receives the refresh progress of the controller to be refreshed from the gateway controller, and the display screen shows the refresh progress.

[0019] Preferably, the infotainment control unit is connected to a USB interface via a data cable.

[0020] Preferably, the controller refresh software for each controller includes the latest software version, a software version diagnostic program, and an automatic diagnostic program.

[0021] Preferably, the power-on system also includes a relay, the coil of which forms a circuit with the power grid control unit, and the contact switch of the relay forms a circuit with the software interface.

[0022] This application also provides a method for refreshing a vehicle controller based on the aforementioned vehicle controller refresh platform, including:

[0023] Connect the first storage device to the software interface of the refresh platform, and connect at least one controller to be refreshed to the corresponding controller interface of the refresh platform.

[0024] The controller refresh software stored in the first storage device is used to refresh the controller to be refreshed.

[0025] Preferably, the vehicle controller refresh method further includes:

[0026] Connect the second storage device to the infotainment control unit of the refresh platform via a USB interface;

[0027] The infotainment control unit is refreshed using the controller refresh software in the second storage device.

[0028] Other features and advantages of this application will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0030] Figure 1 Architecture diagram of the vehicle controller refresh platform provided in this application;

[0031] Figure 2 An embodiment of the circuit control schematic diagram of the vehicle controller refresh platform provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application.

[0033] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the scope of this application and its application or use.

[0034] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0035] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0036] This application provides a vehicle controller refresh platform and refresh method. It uses a storage device to uniformly store the refresh software for various controllers, utilizes the refresh platform to construct a software interface connected to the storage device, and connects to the corresponding controller to be refreshed through different controller interfaces, enabling off-vehicle controller refresh. This refresh platform is unaffected by vehicle malfunctions, requires no special processing of the software to be refreshed, no additional special refresh tools, and no need to create multiple sets of wiring harnesses for different controllers. Therefore, it refreshes controllers quickly and efficiently, and has strong versatility and practicality. Furthermore, the refresh platform of this application also has the function of fault analysis and troubleshooting for controllers, realizing the integration of multiple functions.

[0037] It should be noted that the vehicle controller refresh platform of this application is a vehicle-independent platform. The refresh platform simulates at least part of the control process on the vehicle by simulating at least one related controller and components and their connection structure, thereby realizing off-vehicle refresh of at least one controller.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle controller refresh platform provided in this application has at least a partial off-vehicle environment and includes a refresh interface.

[0039] As one embodiment, at least part of the vehicle environment includes a gateway controller 110, which is used to control the data connection between at least part of the vehicle environment and the refresh interface, and also to coordinate information transmission, data exchange and fault diagnosis between various modules.

[0040] The refresh interface includes a software interface 120 and at least one controller interface 130. The second end of the software interface 120 is used to connect to a first storage device 200, which stores the controller refresh software for each controller. The second end of each controller interface 130 is used to connect to the corresponding controller 300 to be refreshed. The first ends of the software interface 120 and the controller interface 130 are respectively connected to a gateway controller 110, which forwards the interaction data between the software interface and at least one controller interface. The refresh interface is used to refresh the controller 300 to be refreshed via the gateway controller 110 using the controller refresh software.

[0041] The controllers to be refreshed may include door controllers, power seat controllers, battery management controllers, motor controllers, air conditioning controllers, radar controllers, multi-functional camera controllers, etc.

[0042] As one embodiment, software interface 120 is an automatic diagnostic interface, and controller interface 130 is an external connector. As one embodiment, such as... Figure 2As shown, the first end of the software interface (e.g., the automatic diagnostic interface) 120 is connected to the gateway controller 110 via a communication connection harness (including a CAN bus and an Ethernet harness), and the first end of the controller interface (e.g., an external plug) 130 is connected to the gateway controller 110 via a CAN bus. In one embodiment, the automatic diagnostic interface may be an OBD (OnBoarding Diagnostics) interface.

[0043] As an example, combined with Figure 1 and 2 As shown, at least part of the in-vehicle environment also includes a power-on system for performing the vehicle's power-on process. The power-on system includes a start switch 1130, a keyless entry and start controller 140, and a power grid control unit 150. The start switch 1130 is connected to a power supply 1120. The keyless entry and start controller 140 is connected to the start switch 1130 via a cable harness. The keyless entry and start controller 140 has an antenna 160, which is signal-connected to the vehicle's key 170. The keyless entry and start controller 140 is also connected to a gateway controller 110 via a CAN bus. The power grid control unit 150 is connected to the gateway controller 110 via a CAN bus.

[0044] The keyless entry and start controller 140 is used to identify the key 170 via the antenna 160 and send the key information to the gateway controller 110. It works in conjunction with the power grid control unit 150 to realize the keyless entry and start function and power on the vehicle.

[0045] Preferably, at least part of the vehicle environment also includes an electronic steering column lock 1110, which is connected to the gateway controller 110 via a CAN bus.

[0046] The gateway controller 110 and the electronic steering column lock 1110 constitute the anti-theft system of the refresh platform, used to simulate the vehicle's anti-theft system. Specifically, the gateway controller 110, as the main anti-theft control unit, verifies whether the vehicle information stored in the electronic steering column lock 1110 and the key 170 is consistent, thereby determining the legitimacy of the key 170. In this preferred embodiment, the legitimacy of the key 170 is a prerequisite for the system to power on.

[0047] As an embodiment, preferably, the power-on system further includes a relay 1140, the coil of the relay 1140 forming a circuit with the power grid control unit 150, and the contact switch of the relay 1140 forming a circuit with the software interface 120. This circuit is used by the power grid control unit 150 to send a status display signal to the software interface 120.

[0048] Specifically, after pressing the start switch 1130, the start switch 1130 transmits a signal to the keyless entry and start controller 140. The keyless entry and start controller 140 senses the key 170 information through the antenna 160, and then uploads the key 170 information to the CAN bus. The electronic steering column lock 1110 and the gateway controller 110 receive the key 170 information, and then the electronic steering column lock 1110 transmits the key information stored in it to the gateway controller 110 through the CAN bus. The gateway controller 110 determines whether the key information of the keyless entry and start controller 140 and the electronic steering column lock 1110 are consistent. If they are consistent, the key 170 is valid, and then the gateway controller 110 transmits the valid key information to the power grid control unit 150 through the CAN bus. The power grid control unit 150 sends a wake-up signal to the CAN bus to power on. At the same time, the power grid control unit 150 sends a status display signal to the software interface 120, energizing the coil of the relay 1140, causing the contact switch of the relay 1140 to close, and the circuit is connected. The software interface 120 sends a power-on success signal to the first storage device 200, after which the user can perform a refresh operation on the refresh controller 300 through the first storage device 200.

[0049] Preferably, at least part of the in-vehicle environment also includes an infotainment control unit 180 and a display screen 1100. The infotainment control unit 180 is connected to the gateway controller 110 via a communication wiring harness (Ethernet harness and CAN bus), and the display screen 1100 is connected to the infotainment control unit 180 via a CAN bus and a video data cable. The infotainment control unit 180 receives the refresh progress of the controller to be refreshed from the gateway controller 110, processes images related to the refresh progress, and the display screen 1100 displays the refresh progress.

[0050] Preferably, the infotainment control unit 180 is connected to a USB interface 190 (e.g., a Type-C interface) via a data cable. The infotainment control unit 180 is connected to a second storage device 400 (e.g., a USB flash drive) via the USB interface 190 for updating the infotainment control unit 180 itself using the controller update software in the second storage device 400.

[0051] As one embodiment, within the first storage device 200 and the second storage device 400, the controller refresh software for each controller includes the latest software version and a software version diagnostic program. The software version diagnostic program is used to identify the current version of the controller to be refreshed, determine whether the current version of the controller is the latest version, whether a refresh is needed, and whether the controller can be refreshed, and to check the refresh result after the refresh is completed.

[0052] Preferably, within the first storage device 200, the controller refresh software for each controller further includes an automatic diagnostic program used to analyze and troubleshoot controller faults. Specifically, if a controller malfunctions in the vehicle, but the vehicle cannot determine whether the fault lies with the controller itself, the connector, or the wiring harness, then if the controller can function on the refresh platform of this application, the fault of the controller itself can be ruled out.

[0053] Based on the above structure, this application also provides a method for refreshing a vehicle controller. First, a first storage device 200 is connected to the software interface 120 of a refresh platform, and the controller 300 to be refreshed is connected to the controller interface 130 of the refresh platform. Then, the controller refresh software stored in the first storage device 200 is used to refresh the controller 300. Specifically, a software version diagnostic program is used on the first storage device 200 to diagnose the version of the controller 300 to be refreshed. If a refresh is required, the latest software version is refreshed to the controller 300 to complete the refresh. The gateway controller is used to forward the interaction data between the software interface and the controller interface. During the refresh process, the display screen 1100 is used to display the refresh progress.

[0054] Preferably, before the refresh is performed, the power-on system and key of the refresh platform are used to execute the power-on program of the refresh platform, simulating the power-on program of the vehicle. After power-on, the refresh of the controller to be refreshed is then executed.

[0055] Preferably, after power-on and before refreshing, the validity of the controller 300 to be refreshed is first verified. If the verification is successful, the controller 300 to be refreshed is refreshed.

[0056] As an example, when verifying the legitimacy of the controller to be refreshed 300, the controller to be refreshed 300 sends its unique code to the gateway controller 110. The gateway controller 110 compares it with the unique code of the controller to be refreshed stored in its own memory. If the two are consistent, the controller to be refreshed 300 is legitimate.

[0057] Based on the above, this application can also utilize the controller refresh software in the second storage device 400 to refresh the infotainment control unit 180 itself. Specifically, the controller refresh software of the infotainment control unit 180 is copied to the root directory of the second storage device 400. The second storage device 400 is connected to the USB interface 190, connecting it to the infotainment control unit 180 of the refresh platform. By pressing and holding a designated button (e.g., the Home button) on the display screen 1100, the infotainment control unit 180 enters the software update mode. The infotainment control unit 180 recognizes the controller refresh software in the second storage device 400 and initiates an automatic refresh program for the infotainment control unit 180 itself.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as when a test vehicle experiences a power-on failure and cannot be powered on, at least one controller from the faulty vehicle can be detached from the vehicle body and connected to the refresh platform of this application to refresh the controller. Since the refresh platform of this application simulates at least a portion of the in-vehicle environment and has at least one controller interface, multiple controllers can be refreshed simultaneously in some embodiments. In other embodiments, for example, during the vehicle development stage (e.g., before an actual vehicle product exists and an in-vehicle environment is available) when the controller refresh software undergoes iterative updates, this platform can be used for off-vehicle refresh. Furthermore, if an aftermarket vehicle has a faulty controller that cannot be refreshed, the controller to be refreshed can also be detached and connected to this platform for refresh.

[0059] The refresh platform of this application simulates the vehicle's power-on, key and controller legitimacy verification, and display, etc., and can easily and quickly refresh the controller on the refresh platform. It has strong versatility and is not affected by vehicle communication or power supply failures.

[0060] While specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. The scope of this application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle controller refresh platform, characterized in that: The refresh platform has at least a partial vehicle-mounted environment off-vehicle, and includes a refresh interface; The at least part of the in-vehicle environment comprises a gateway controller for controlling a data connection between the at least part of the in-vehicle environment and the refresh interface; Wherein, the refresh interface includes a software interface and at least one controller interface, which is used to utilize the controller refresh software from the software interface to refresh the controller to be refreshed connected to the controller interface through at least part of the vehicle environment; wherein, the gateway controller is used to forward the interaction data between the software interface and the at least one controller interface.

2. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The software interface is an automatic diagnosis interface, and the controller interface is an external plug; The first end of the software interface is connected to the gateway controller, and the second end of the software interface is used to connect to a first storage device, wherein the controller refresh software is stored in the first storage device; For each of the at least one controller interface, a first end of the controller interface is connected to the gateway controller, and a second end of the controller interface is used to connect to the controller to be refreshed.

3. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least part of the vehicle environment also includes a power-on system, the power-on system including a start switch, a keyless entry and start controller, and a power grid control unit; The start switch is connected to a power source; The keyless entry and start controller is connected to the start switch, and an antenna is provided on the keyless entry and start controller, and the antenna is connected to the key signal of the vehicle; the keyless entry and start controller is connected to the gateway controller; The power grid control unit is connected to the gateway controller.

4. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least part of the vehicle-mounted environment also includes an electronic steering column lock, which is connected to the gateway controller. The electronic steering column lock and the gateway controller constitute an anti-theft system of the refresh platform.

5. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least part of the vehicle-mounted environment further includes an infotainment control unit and a display screen, wherein the infotainment control unit is connected to the gateway controller, and the display screen is connected to the infotainment control unit via a CAN bus and a video data cable; The infotainment control unit is used to receive the refresh progress of the controller to be refreshed from the gateway controller, and the display screen is used to display the refresh progress.

6. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 5, characterized in that: The infotainment control unit is connected to the USB interface via a data cable.

7. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller flash software for each controller includes the latest software version, software version diagnostics, and automatic diagnostics.

8. The vehicle controller refresh platform according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power-on system further includes a relay, a coil of the relay and the power grid control unit form a loop, and a contact switch of the relay and the software interface form a loop.

9. A vehicle controller refresh method based on the vehicle controller refresh platform according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: include: Connecting the first storage device to the software interface of the refresh platform, and connecting at least one controller to be refreshed to the corresponding controller interface of the refresh platform; The controller to be refreshed is refreshed using the controller refresh software stored in the first storage device.

10. The vehicle controller refresh method according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also includes: Connect the second storage device to the infotainment control unit of the refreshed platform via a USB interface; The infotainment control unit is refreshed using the controller refresh software in the second storage device.

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