Electronic control device and electronic control method

Abstract

An electronic control device is provided with: a main ECU (2); an ECU electrically connected to the main ECU (2) via a first bus; and a sub-ECU (3) electrically connected to the main ECU (2) via a second bus, in which the main ECU (2) has: an application program (21) including a program that transmits a reception signal between the sub-ECU (3) and the ECU; and a signal transmission unit (22) that transmits the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU (3), the application program (21) transmitting the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU (3) when the program is in a readable state, and the signal transmission unit (22) transmitting the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU (3) during update of the program.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic control device and an electronic control method. Background Art

[0002] In the past, a technology for updating a computer program included in an on-board computer system is known. For example, the on-board computer system described in Patent Document 1 includes a master unit and a slave unit connected via an in-vehicle network, the master unit having a plurality of master control units for forming a hierarchical structure, and the slave unit having a plurality of slave control units for forming a hierarchical structure. The master unit controls the update order so as to give priority to updating the computer program executed by the slave control unit of the lower layer in the hierarchical structure of the slave control unit, and after the update, the computer program of the slave control unit of the layer higher than the lower layer is updated. Furthermore, after the computer program of the slave unit to be updated is updated, the master unit controls the update order so as to give priority to updating the computer program executed by the master control unit of the lower layer in the hierarchical structure of the master control unit, and after the update, the computer program of the master control unit of the layer higher than the lower layer is updated.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-195111 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted computer system, when a signal is used to perform cooperative control between a master microcomputer of a lower layer in a hierarchical structure and a slave microcomputer of a lower layer in a hierarchical structure, the slave microcomputer of the lower layer sends a control signal to the microcomputer of the upper layer, and the application included in the microcomputer of the upper layer sends the control signal to the master microcomputer of the lower layer. During the update of the program included in the application, the transmission of the signal using the application cannot be performed. Therefore, when the application included in the microcomputer of the upper layer cannot transmit the signal due to the update of the program, the transmission and reception of the signal between the microcomputers of the lower layer is interrupted. As described above, in the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted computer system, there is the following problem: during the update of the program included in the ECU, it is impossible to send and receive signals between other ECUs via the ECU including the program.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control device and an electronic control method capable of transmitting and receiving signals between other ECUs via an ECU including the program during update of the program included in the ECU.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] In the present invention, when the program included in the application of the main ECU is in a readable state, the application is used to send the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU, and during the update of the program, the signal transmission unit included in the main ECU is used to send the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] The present invention can transmit and receive signals between other ECUs via the ECU including the program during the update of the program included in the ECU. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a vehicle network system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is the block diagram of the main ECU. Figure 2 (a) is a schematic diagram for explaining a signal transmission path when the program is not updated. Figure 2 (b) is a schematic diagram for explaining a signal transmission path during the update procedure.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing a modified example of the main ECU.

[0016] Figure 4 It is a block diagram showing a modified example of the main ECU.

[0017] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing a modified example of the main ECU. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Hereinafter, one embodiment of an electronic control device and an electronic control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a vehicle network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle network system 100 includes a central gateway ECU 1, a plurality of main ECUs 2, a plurality of sub-ECUs 3, an onboard device 4, a diagnostic connector 5, a diagnostic device 6, and buses 7 and 8. The vehicle network system 100 is provided in a vehicle and includes: a communication network for sending control signals to onboard devices such as a battery, a motor, and a fan; and a control unit for controlling the onboard devices. In addition, a device including the central gateway ECU 1, the main ECU 2, and a plurality of ECUs in the sub-ECU 3 is equivalent to the "electronic control device" of the present invention, and the control processing performed by the central gateway ECU 1 and / or the main ECU 2 is equivalent to the "electronic control method" of the present invention.

[0019] The communication network included in the vehicle network system 100 is a multi-layered structure to cope with the increase in the number of ECUs, the increase in the number of signals sent and received between ECUs, and the increase in speed. Figure 1 As shown, the communication network included in the vehicle network system 100 is a tree-shaped network, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) is connected to the vertex part, the node part (branch part), and the end of the tree side. ECU is a controller for controlling vehicle-mounted equipment, and the ECU sends control signals to the vehicle-mounted equipment. In addition, the ECU sends and receives signals with other ECUs. For example, in automatic driving systems such as lane keeping systems and driving distance keeping systems, multiple vehicle-mounted equipment is controlled cooperatively. Moreover, when the ECU controls multiple vehicle-mounted equipment, the ECU as the backbone of the control sends control signals to the vehicle-mounted equipment that is the control object via other ECUs. The ECU has a memory that stores programs for controlling vehicle-mounted equipment, a processor that executes the programs stored in the memory, and a communication module that communicates with vehicle-mounted equipment and / or other ECUs. In addition, the above-mentioned ECUs are equivalent to the central gateway ECU 1, the main ECU 2, and the sub-ECU 3 connected in each layer.

[0020] Figure 1 The communication network shown in the figure has three buses 7 extending from the central gateway ECU 1 to connect to the main ECU 2, and buses 8 further branching from the three main ECUs 2 to connect to the sub-ECUs 3. The sub-ECUs 3 are connected to the in-vehicle devices 4 that are the control targets of the sub-ECUs 3. Figure 1 In the example, the main ECU and sub-ECU belonging to the first tree in the tree obtained by dividing the central gateway ECU 1 into three from the starting point are expressed as main ECU-1 and sub-ECU-1, and the main ECU 2 and sub-ECU 3 belonging to the second or third tree are expressed as main ECU-2, 3 and sub-ECU-2, 3. In addition, the number of trees is not limited to three, and it can also be two or four or more. In addition, Figure 1 In the example, the ECU is connected to three layers, but the layers are not limited to three, and may be two or more than four.

[0021] like Figure 1As shown, the central gateway ECU 1 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) located at the top layer (layer 1) of the multi-layer structure. The central gateway ECU 1 is a control unit for controlling the entire vehicle, and the central gateway ECU 1 sends signals to multiple sub-ECUs 3 via the main ECU 2. In addition, the central gateway ECU 1 sends control signals received from the main ECU 2 or the sub-ECU 3 to other ECUs. In other words, the central gateway ECU 1 has a function of transmitting control signals between ECUs in the lower layer. The central gateway ECU 1 manages the IDs assigned to the ECUs and / or the vehicle-mounted devices 4 in the lower layer. When the central gateway ECU 1 receives a control signal from the main ECU 2 or the sub-ECU 3, it determines the ECU as the destination based on the ID included in the control signal. After determining the ID, the central gateway ECU 1 sends the control signal to the tree including the ECU indicated by the determined ID. In this way, the central gateway ECU 1 is connected to the nodes on the network and has a function as a hub.

[0022] The main ECU 2 is an ECU located in the middle layer (layer 2). The main ECU 2 is a control unit for controlling the vehicle-mounted device 4 connected to the sub-ECU 3 of the lowest layer, and the main ECU 2 sends a signal to the sub-ECU 3. In addition, the main ECU 2 sends a control signal received from the sub-ECU 3 to other ECUs via the central gateway ECU 1. The main ECU 2 corresponds to a module such as a battery control module (BCM) and an engine control module (ECM). The main ECU 2 is connected to the central gateway ECU 2 via a bus 7, and is connected to the sub-ECU 3 via a bus 8. In addition, the main ECU 8 is connected to buses 7 and 8 with different communication speeds, and the main ECU 3 adjusts the transmission rate when transmitting a signal between the central gateway 1 and the sub-ECU 3. The transmission rate is adjusted by storing the received data in a buffer and transmitting the data in a manner that matches the communication speed of the destination. Alternatively, when the communication specifications are different between the bus 7 and the bus 8, the main ECU 3 only needs to change the data structure of the received data to be in a format that conforms to the communication specification of the destination.

[0023] In addition, Figure 1 Different from the example, when the communication network has an n-layer structure (n is a natural number greater than 4), the main ECU 2 is electrically connected to the central gateway ECU 1 via the ECU of the n-2 layer and the buses 7 and 8 when it is connected to the node of the n-2 layer. In addition, when the main ECU 2 is electrically connected to the sub-ECU 3 via the ECU of the n-1 layer and the buses 7 and 8 when it is connected to the node of the n-2 layer.

[0024] The sub-ECU 3 is an ECU located at the lowest layer (layer 3). The sub-ECU 3 is a control unit for controlling the vehicle-mounted device 4. The sub-ECU 3 controls the vehicle-mounted device 4 directly connected via a signal line. The sub-ECU 3 can also control other sub-ECUs 3 connected via the central gateway ECU 1 and the main ECU 2.

[0025] The in-vehicle device 4 is a component mounted on the vehicle, such as a battery, a motor, or a cooling fan, and operates based on a control signal from the ECU.

[0026] The diagnostic connector 5 is an electronic component for connecting the diagnostic device 6 to the vehicle network system 100 from the outside of the vehicle. The diagnostic device 6 is a computer for diagnosing abnormalities of the ECU or the vehicle-mounted device 4, etc. The diagnostic device 6 has a control program for diagnosis, and executes the program to perform abnormality diagnosis. The diagnostic device 6 sends a diagnostic signal to the vehicle network system 100, and receives a response signal from the ECU or the vehicle-mounted device as the diagnostic object. The diagnostic device 6 analyzes the response signal to determine whether an abnormality has occurred. In addition, the diagnostic device 6 updates the program (software) included in the ECU. When updating the program, for example, the diagnostic device 6 sends update data containing the program for updating to the ECU as the update object. Then, the ECU as the update object downloads the update data and saves the update data in the memory. Then, the ECU as the update object updates the program by deleting the data of the program before the update and rewriting it with the update data. In addition, the connection between the diagnostic device 6 and the vehicle network system 100 is not limited to wired, but can also be wireless.

[0027] The bus 7 is a signal line connecting the central gateway ECU 1 and the main ECU 2. The bus 8 is a signal line connecting the main ECU 2 and the sub-ECU 3. The communication speed of the bus 7 is faster than the communication speed of the bus 8. The difference in communication speed is caused, for example, by a difference in communication specifications. In addition, the communication speeds of the bus 7 and the bus 8 may be the same, or the communication speed of the bus 8 may be faster than the communication speed of the bus 7.

[0028] Here, refer to Figure 1 The operating state of the vehicle-mounted device 4 during the update of the program of the main ECU 2 is explained. In addition, the vehicle-mounted device 4 connected to the sub-ECU-1 is set as a cooling fan. The cooling fan cools the vehicle-mounted battery, etc. In addition, the cooling fan operates according to the command signal of the main ECU-3 (hereinafter also referred to as the fan operation command signal). The main ECU-3 switches between the on command for turning on the cooling fan and the off command for turning off the cooling fan to output the fan operation command signal. Figure 1As shown by the dotted arrow, the fan operation command signal is transmitted from the main ECU-3 to the central gateway ECU 1, the main ECU-1 and the sub-ECU-1 in the order. The sub-ECU-1 switches the cooling fan on and off according to the fan operation command signal. In addition, the sub-ECU-1 drives the cooling fan through fault control. For example, in the case where the fan operation command signal does not reach the sub-ECU-1 for some reason, the fail-safe function of the sub-ECU-1 works, and the sub-ECU-1 outputs a command signal for turning on the cooling fan to drive the cooling fan.

[0029] For example, the diagnostic device 6 sends an update command for updating the program of the main ECU-1 to the vehicle network system 100. The central gateway ECU 1 outputs a command (software update command) for updating the program to the main ECU-1, which is the ECU to be updated. The main ECU-1 receives the command for updating the program and downloads the update program. After the download is completed, the main ECU-1 temporarily ends the processing performed by the program and rewrites the program. The period of rewriting the program is equivalent to the activation period.

[0030] Here, when the program to be updated includes a signal transmission program, the main ECU-1 cannot transmit a signal during the program update period (activation period). Therefore, the fan operation command signal does not reach the sub-ECU-1, and the sub-ECU-1 cannot receive the fan operation command signal, and determines that a part of the communication function in the vehicle network system 100 is in a failed state. The sub-ECU-1 drives the cooling fan through fault control.

[0031] Generally speaking, the program update of the ECU using the diagnostic device 6 is performed while the vehicle is parked. Therefore, when the program update starts while the vehicle is parked and the cooling fan is driven by fault control, the cooling fan that would not otherwise be driven is driven. In addition, when the cooling fan is driven, the voltage of the vehicle battery may drop due to the power consumption used to drive the fan. Then, in order to suppress the voltage drop of the battery, the program update of the ECU is interrupted. In order to charge the vehicle battery, there is also the possibility that an operation such as connecting a charger may be required. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a structure is provided so that the signal transmission function of the ECU is not invalidated during the update of the ECU program.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a block diagram for explaining the structure of the main ECU 2. In the following description, the structure of the main ECU-1 is described, but other main ECUs 2 may also have the same structure.

[0033] The main ECU-1 has an application 21 and a signal transmission unit 22. The application 21 includes a program for controlling the vehicle-mounted device 4, etc., and the application 21 has at least a function for sending and receiving signals between ECUs. The program included in the application 21 is, for example, data recording control instructions for controlling the driving source of the vehicle such as the engine, motor, and battery, control instructions for controlling auxiliary equipment such as the headlight (head light), navigation system, and air conditioning, and control instructions for controlling the automatic driving system such as the lane keeping system and the driving distance keeping system. The application 21 has a processor, and the processor controls the vehicle-mounted device 4 by executing processing based on the instructions recorded in the program. In addition, the application 21 can also control the vehicle-mounted device 4 in cooperation with the application 21 included in other ECUs. For example, in the automatic driving system, multiple ECUs that need to control a large number of vehicle-mounted devices 4, such as cameras, sonar sensors, steering wheels, accelerators, brakes, etc., use common signals in the vehicle network system 100 to control multiple vehicle-mounted devices 4.

[0034] The program of the application 21 contains control instructions for sending and receiving signals between ECUs. That is, the application 21 executes the function of sending and receiving signals between ECUs by executing the instructions recorded in the program. In addition, the program of the application 21 may also contain instructions for executing a self-diagnosis function. The self-diagnosis function is a function for diagnosing whether the processor of the application 21 is operating normally.

[0035] The signal transmission unit 22 transmits a signal received from one ECU connected to the main ECU-1 to another ECU connected to the main ECU-1. Figure 2 In the example, the main ECU-1 transmits a signal received from the main ECU-3 via the central gateway ECU 1 to the sub-ECU-1. The signal transmission unit 22 is not limited to transmitting signals, but also performs processing required for signal transmission between ECUs. For example, when the communication specifications of the bus receiving the signal are different from the bus sending the signal, or the communication speed within the bus is different, the signal transmission unit 22 performs signal processing on the received signal to adapt to the communication specifications and transmission rate of the bus of the destination. In addition, the signal transmission unit 22 can also manage the ID representing the destination. For example. In the case where the vehicle-mounted device 4 that is the control object of the main ECU-1 is replaced by component replacement, the signal transmission unit 22 stores the ID of the vehicle-mounted device 4 before the replacement and the ID of the vehicle-mounted device 4 after the replacement in the memory. Then, when the signal transmission unit 22 receives a signal assigned with the ID of the vehicle-mounted device 4 before the replacement, it sends the signal after changing it to the ID of the vehicle-mounted device 4 after the replacement.

[0036] As such, the main ECU-1 has multiple functions for transmitting signals between ECUs, and also distinguishes the program (software) and signal system (bus) for executing the transmission function in accordance with the signal transmission function. Moreover, the main ECU-1 switches the signal transmission function according to whether the update of the program included in the application 21 is in the update period, thereby selecting which of the application 21 and the signal transmission unit 22 performs the signal transmission processing. Specifically, when the program included in the application 21 is in a readable state (hereinafter also referred to as a readable state), the main ECU-1 uses the application 21 to transmit the signal between the ECUs. That is, the main ECU-1 transmits the signal between the ECUs by reading the instructions of the program recorded in the application 21 through the processor. On the other hand, when the main ECU-1 receives the update instruction of the program included in the application 21 from the diagnostic device 6, the main ECU-1 downloads the update program from the diagnostic device 6 and saves the update program in the memory. The program included in the application 21 is in a readable state until the download of the update program is completed, so the application 21 can also transmit the signal between the ECUs.

[0037] Then, after the download is completed, the main ECU-1 switches the program for executing the signal transmission processing from the application 21 to the signal transmission unit 22. In addition, when the program included in the application 21 is in operation (when the program is read), the main ECU-1 only needs to switch after the processing performed by the program is completed. In addition, when the main ECU-1 receives an update instruction for the program, it can also perform the diagnostic processing performed by the application 21 before updating the program. Then, the main ECU-1 can also perform the signal transmission processing using the signal transmission unit 22 after confirming the normal diagnostic result.

[0038] When transmitting signals between ECUs during the update of the program included in the application 21, the main ECU-1 uses the signal transmission unit 22 to transmit the signal between ECUs. During the update of the program included in the application 21, the program to be updated is in a state that cannot be read. In this way, when the program included in the application 21 is in a readable state, the application 21 sends a signal received from one ECU to another ECU. In addition, during the update of the program included in the application 21, the signal transmission unit 22 sends a signal received from one ECU to another ECU. In addition, the readable state of the program is equivalent to a state in which the functions of the application 21 can be used by using the processor of the main ECU-1 to read the program and make the processor process the instructions recorded in the program. On the other hand, the update period of the program is equivalent to a state in which the functions of the application 21 cannot be used.

[0039] exist Figure 2In the example of FIG. 1 , the main ECU-3 sends a command signal for controlling the vehicle-mounted device 4 connected to the sub-ECU-1. Figure 2 As shown in (a), when the program included in the application 21 is in a readable state and the main ECU-1 receives a signal from the main ECU-3, the application 21 sends the received signal to the sub-ECU-1. Figure 2 As shown in (b), when the main ECU-1 receives a signal from the main ECU-3 during the update of the program included in the application 21, the signal transmission unit 22 transmits the received signal to the sub-ECU-1. Thus, it is possible to send and receive signals between ECUs during the update of the program included in the application 21.

[0040] As described above, in the present embodiment, the main ECU 2 has: an application 21 including a program, the application 21 sending and receiving signals between the sub-ECU 3 and an ECU (equivalent to the central gateway ECU 1, the main ECU 2 and / or the sub-ECU 3); and a signal transmission unit 22 transmitting a signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU 1, and when the program is in a readable state, the application 21 sends the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU 3, and the signal transmission unit 22 sends the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU 3 during the update of the program. Thus, during the update of the program included in the main ECU 2, it is possible to send and receive signals between other ECUs via the main ECU 2 including the program.

[0041] In addition, in the present embodiment, the main ECU 2 performs a signal transmission process in which a signal from an ECU is received through buses 7 and 8 (equivalent to the "first bus" of the present invention) connected between the main ECU 2 and an ECU (equivalent to the central gateway ECU 1, the main ECU 2 and / or the sub-ECU 3), and a signal is sent to the sub-ECU 3 through a bus 8 (equivalent to the "second bus" of the present invention) connected between the main ECU 2 and the sub-ECU 3. In addition, the main ECU 2 updates a program included in an application 21 for executing the signal transmission process. Moreover, the signal transmission process includes the following processes: when the program is in a readable state, a signal received from the ECU is sent to the sub-ECU 3 using the application 21; and during the update of the program, a signal received from the ECU is sent to the sub-ECU 3 using the signal transmission unit 22 included in the main ECU 2. As a result, it is possible to send and receive signals between other ECUs via the main ECU 2 during the update of the program included in the main ECU 2.

[0042] In addition, in the present embodiment, the application 21 receives a control signal for controlling the in-vehicle device 4 (equivalent to the "electronic device" of the present invention) connected to the sub-ECU 3 from the ECU, and sends the control signal to the sub-ECU 3. Thus, the control signal of the in-vehicle device 4 can be sent from the ECU to the main ECU 2 via the main ECU 2 during the update of the program included in the main ECU 2.

[0043] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the main ECU 2 receives an update command for updating the program, it executes a diagnostic process by the application 21, and after confirming a normal diagnostic result, it executes a signal transmission process by the signal transmission unit 22. Thus, it is possible to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the main ECU 2 before updating the program.

[0044] In addition, in the present embodiment, the sub-ECU 3 drives the vehicle-mounted device 4 by fault control when the sub-ECU 3 does not receive the control signal of the vehicle-mounted device 4 connected to the sub-ECU 3 from the ECU, and the signal transmission unit 22 transmits the control signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU 3 during the program update. Thus, it is possible to prevent the vehicle-mounted device 4 from being driven by fault control during the program update.

[0045] In addition, as a modification of the main ECU 2, the main ECU 2 may be composed of a plurality of memory banks. Figure 3 1 is a block diagram of a main ECU-1 according to a modified example. The main ECU-1 has a plurality of memory banks divided into application areas. Figure 3 In the example, the multiple storage bodies are set as two storage bodies, namely the first storage body 23 and the second storage body 24, but the storage bodies may be more than three. The first storage body 23 includes the application 21, and the second storage body 24 includes the signal transmission unit 22. When the main ECU-1 receives the update signal of the program included in the application 21 from the diagnostic device 6, it starts to download the update program. During the download of the update program, or before the download, the main ECU-1 switches the signal transmission function from the application 21 to the signal transmission unit 22. When the download of the update program is completed, the main ECU-1 switches the application area of ​​the first storage body to a new area by rewriting the program stored in the first storage body with the update program. After that, the main ECU-1 switches the signal transmission function from the signal transmission unit 22 to the application 21. In addition, it may also be a so-called mirroring structure in which the programs or applications stored in the first storage body 23 and the second storage body 24 are made identical.

[0046] As a modification of the main ECU 2 , the main ECU 2 may include a plurality of memories, with the first memory storing the application program 21 and the second memory storing a processing program for causing the signal transmission unit 22 to execute the signal transmission process. Figure 4 1 is a block diagram of a main ECU-1 according to a modification. The main ECU-1 has a plurality of memories. Figure 4 In the example, the plurality of memories are set to two memories, the first memory 25 and the second memory 26, but the memory may be three or more. The first memory 25 includes the application 21, and the second memory 26 includes the signal transmission unit 22. The second memory 26 is equivalent to a chip for signal transmission (data transmission) between ECUs. When updating the program included in the application 21, the above Figure 3 Similarly, during or before downloading the update program, the signal transmission function is switched from the application 21 to the signal transmission unit 22. Thus, the signal transmission path between the ECUs is switched. In addition, the program update and the switching of the signal transmission path can be explained by replacing the first storage body 23 with the first memory 25 and the second storage body 24 with the second memory 26 in the description of the above-mentioned modification. In addition, Figure 4 In the modified example, the application area of ​​the main ECU-1 can be either a single storage body or multiple storage bodies.

[0047] In addition, as a modification of the main ECU 2 , the main ECU 2 may include a signal generating unit 27 that generates an abnormality diagnosis command for diagnosing abnormality of another main ECU 2 or sub-ECU 3 . Figure 5 It is a block diagram of the main ECU-1 involved in the modified example. The main ECU-1 has a first storage body 23 and a second storage body 24, the first storage body 23 includes an application 21, and the second storage body 24 includes a signal transmission unit 22 and a signal generation unit 27. The signal generation unit 27 sends an abnormal diagnosis instruction to the main ECU-3 during the update of the program included in the application 21. When receiving the abnormal diagnosis instruction, the main ECU-3 performs abnormal diagnosis through the self-diagnosis function. In addition, the signal generation unit 27 only needs to assign the ID of the sub-ECU 3 to the abnormal diagnosis instruction and send the instruction to the sub-ECU 3 when performing abnormal diagnosis of the sub-ECU 3. As a result, during the update of the application, the main ECU-1 can send abnormal diagnosis instructions to other ECUs. In addition, during Figure 5 In the modification of the main ECU 2 shown, the application area of ​​the main ECU-1 may also be a single memory bank. In addition, the main ECU-1 may divide a single memory into a plurality of application areas as a plurality of memory banks, or may allocate application areas to a plurality of memories.

[0048] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the application 21 and the signal transmission unit 22 may transmit signals between the sub-ECU 3 and the central gateway ECU 1 , between the sub-ECU 3 and the main ECU 2 , and / or between a plurality of sub-ECUs 3 .

[0049] In addition, the embodiments described above are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, the gist of each element disclosed in the above embodiments is to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0050] Description of Reference Numerals

[0051] 1: Central gateway ECU; 2: Main ECU; 3: Sub-ECU; 4: On-board equipment; 5: Diagnostic connector; 6: Diagnostic device; 7: Bus; 8: Bus; 21: Application; 22: Signal transmission unit; 23: First storage body; 24: Second storage body; 25: First memory; 26: Second memory; 27: Signal generation unit; 100: Vehicle network system.

Claims

1. An electronic control device comprising: The main electronic control unit is the main ECU; an electronic control unit, ECU, electrically connected to the master ECU via a first bus; and The sub-electronic control unit is a sub-ECU, which is electrically connected to the main ECU via a second bus. in, The main ECU has: An application program, comprising a program, wherein the application program sends and receives signals between the sub-ECU and the ECU; as well as a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU, When the program is in a readable state, the application program sends a signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU, The signal transmission section transmits a signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU during updating of the program.

2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein: The application receives a control signal for controlling an electronic device connected to the sub-ECU from the ECU, and transmits the control signal to the sub-ECU.

3. The electronic control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The main ECU has a plurality of storage bodies obtained by dividing the application area. A first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks includes the application program, A second memory bank among the plurality of memory banks includes the signal transmitting section.

4. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The main ECU has a plurality of memories. A first memory among the plurality of memories stores the application program, A second memory among the plurality of memories stores a processing program for causing the signal transmission unit to execute a signal transmission process.

5. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The main ECU includes a signal generating unit that generates an abnormality diagnosis instruction for diagnosing an abnormality of the ECU. The signal generation unit transmits the abnormality diagnosis instruction to the sub-ECU during the updating of the program.

6. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The main ECU executes a diagnostic process by the application program when receiving an update command for updating the program, and executes a signal transmission process by the signal transmission unit after confirming a normal diagnostic result.

7. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The ECU sends a control signal to the main ECU for controlling an electronic device connected to the sub-ECU, When the program is in a readable state, the application program sends the control signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU, The sub-ECU drives the electronic device through fault control when not receiving the control signal, The signal transmission section transmits the control signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU during the updating of the program.

8. An electronic control method is a method for controlling an electronic device executed by a controller included in a main electronic control unit (i.e., a main ECU), wherein: The controller performs a signal transmission process in which a signal from the main ECU is received via a first bus connected between the main ECU and an electronic control unit (ECU), and the signal is sent to the sub-ECU via a second bus connected between the main ECU and a sub-electronic control unit (sub-ECU). the controller updates a program included in an application program for executing the signal transmission process, The signal transmission process includes the following processes: When the program is in a readable state, sending the signal received from the ECU to the sub-ECU using the application program; and During the updating of the program, the signal received from the ECU is transmitted to the sub-ECU using a signal transmission unit included in the main ECU.

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