Electronic control device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide an electronic control device for a vehicle which enables easy understanding of an execution status of diagnosis.SOLUTION: An electronic control device (100) for a vehicle comprises: a failure code storage part (101) in which a failure code corresponding to abnormality detected by diagnosis is stored; a storage processing part (103) which stores diagnostic information that is made to correspond to the failure code and indicates the presence or absence of execution of the diagnosis in a diagnostic information storage part (102); an erasure processing part (104) which erases, according to an erasure request of the failure code, the failure code related to the erasure request stored in the failure code storage part (101), and initializes the diagnostic information corresponding to the failure code stored in the diagnostic information storage part (102); and a display processing part (105) which displays, according to a display request, the diagnostic information stored in the diagnostic information storage part (102) on a display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic control device for a vehicle that stores, in a fault code storage unit, a fault code corresponding to an abnormality detected by a diagnosis. [Background technology]

[0002] One of the functions of electronic control units for vehicles is a self-diagnosis function called OBD (On-board Diagnostics). If OBD detects that an abnormality has occurred in a sensor or actuator, for example, it stores a fault code (Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC)) corresponding to that abnormality in a storage medium. In the near future, vehicle inspections (automobile inspection and registration systems) that utilize OBD are scheduled to be introduced. Automobile manufacturers will submit information on fault codes related to safety and the environment in advance, and if these fault codes are detected during vehicle inspection, the vehicle will fail the inspection as it does not comply with the standards. These fault codes are called specific fault codes (specific DTCs). Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which all DTCs are stored, and when an erasure request is received that is a request to erase a specific DTC, if it is determined that the erasure conditions are satisfied, the specific DTCs for which the erasure conditions are satisfied are erased from among the stored specific DTCs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-142642 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] OBD includes continuous diagnosis, which is performed at all times, and non-continuous diagnosis, which is performed only when certain conditions are met. In non-continuous diagnosis, when referring to the DTCs stored in the storage medium, there is a problem in that it is not easy to determine whether the DTCs have not been stored because there is no abnormality or because the vehicle has not been diagnosed. Some diagnostic items do not disclose detailed diagnostic conditions (e.g., the condition is that acceleration and deceleration are repeated a set number of times or more within a set range of vehicle speed), making it difficult for the user to know whether the vehicle has not been diagnosed.

[0005] In addition, if the DTCs stored in the storage medium are erased after maintenance, the following situations may occur: (A) through (D). In this case, there will be no DTCs for (A), (B), and (D), so it is not possible to distinguish between the diagnosed (A) and the undiagnosed (B) and (D). (A) If proper maintenance is performed and diagnosis is performed → No DTC (B) If proper maintenance has been performed and diagnosis has not been performed → No DTC (C) If incorrect maintenance is performed and a diagnosis is performed → DTC is found (D) If incorrect maintenance is performed and diagnosis is not performed → No DTC

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to make it easier to grasp the implementation status of diagnosis. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electronic control device for a vehicle of the present invention is an electronic control device for a vehicle that stores a fault code corresponding to an abnormality detected by diagnosis in a fault code memory unit, and is characterized in that it has a memory processing unit that stores diagnostic information indicating whether or not a diagnosis has been performed in the diagnostic information memory unit, corresponding to the fault code. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the implementation status of diagnosis can be easily grasped. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automobile according to an embodiment and a functional configuration of a vehicle electronic control device; [Diagram 2] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by a vehicle electronic control device according to the embodiment; [Diagram 3] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by a vehicle electronic control device according to the embodiment; [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by a vehicle electronic control device according to the embodiment; [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of diagnostic information stored in a diagnostic information storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The vehicle electronic control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an electronic control device for a vehicle (100) that stores a fault code corresponding to an abnormality detected by a diagnosis in a fault code memory unit (101), and is equipped with a memory processing unit (103) that stores diagnostic information indicating whether or not a diagnosis has been performed in a diagnostic information memory unit (102) corresponding to the fault code. This makes it easier to understand the status of diagnosis implementation. EXAMPLES

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an automobile 1 which is a vehicle according to the embodiment. The automobile 1 is equipped with a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 2-4, a power source 5, a gateway 6, and a communication connector 7. The ECUs 2-4 can exchange information with each other via a communication line 9. In addition, any one or more of the ECUs 2-4 can communicate with a scan tool 8 via the communication connector 7. The ECU 2 includes a CPU 2a, a primary storage medium 2b such as a RAM, and a non-volatile memory 2c such as an EEPROM or a data flash. Although not shown, the other ECUs 3 and 4 also have the same configuration.

[0012] 2 shows a functional configuration of the vehicle electronic control device 100 according to the embodiment. Any one of the ECUs 2 to 4, or a plurality of ECUs working together, functions as the vehicle electronic control device 100 shown in FIG. The vehicle electronic control device 100 includes a fault code storage unit 101 , a diagnostic information storage unit 102 , a storage processing unit 103 , an erasure processing unit 104 , and a display processing unit 105 .

[0013] The storage processing unit 103 stores specific fault codes (specific DCTs) corresponding to abnormalities called specific faults detected by OBD diagnosis in the fault code storage unit 101. A specific fault code is a fault code that, when detected, results in a non-compliance with standards and a failure in vehicle inspection. The storage processing unit 103 also stores diagnostic information indicating whether or not a diagnosis has been performed in the diagnostic information storage unit 102 in association with the specific fault code. In this embodiment, the diagnostic information is a counter value corresponding to the execution of a diagnosis of a specific fault. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of diagnostic information stored in the diagnostic information storage unit 102. As shown in FIG. 5, the diagnostic information storage unit 102 stores a counter value for each specific fault code. The vehicle electronic control unit 100 has a counter function for each specific fault code, and increments the counter by one in accordance with the execution of a diagnosis of each specific fault, and stores the counter value in the diagnostic information storage unit 102. In the continuous diagnosis, since a diagnosis is always performed during a driving cycle, the counter value is increased by one in one driving cycle. In the non-continuous diagnosis, the counter value may be increased by one each time a diagnosis is performed, or may be increased by a maximum of one in one driving cycle.

[0014] In response to a request to erase a specific fault code from the scan tool 8, the erasure processing unit 104 erases the specific fault code related to the erasure request stored in the fault code storage unit 101, and initializes a counter corresponding to the specific fault code stored in the diagnostic information storage unit 102, i.e., sets the counter value to 0.

[0015] In response to a display request from the scan tool 8, the display processing unit 105 displays the counter value stored in the diagnosis information storage unit 102 on the display unit of the scan tool 8.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the vehicle electronic control device 100. The flowchart in Fig. 2 starts when a driving cycle is started and ends when the driving cycle ends. Note that Fig. 2 targets one specific fault, and the flowchart in Fig. 2 is executed as many times as the number of types of specific faults. In step S1, the vehicle electronic control unit 100 initializes a count-up flag. The count-up flag is a flag that indicates whether or not a count-up has occurred.

[0017] In step S2, the vehicle electronic control device 100 waits until a specific fault diagnosis is performed, and when the specific fault diagnosis is performed, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the vehicle electronic control device 100 determines whether or not a specific malfunction has been detected by the diagnosis in step S2. If a specific malfunction has been detected, the process proceeds to step S4, and if a specific malfunction has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S4, the storage processing unit 103 of the vehicle electronic control unit 100 stores in the failure code storage unit 101 a specific failure code corresponding to the specific failure.

[0018] In step S5, it is determined whether the count-up flag is not yet set. If the count-up flag is not yet set, the process proceeds to step S6, and if the count-up flag is not yet set, the process returns to step S2. In step S6, the storage processing unit 103 of the vehicle electronic control unit 100 increments the counter assigned to the specific fault code stored in step S4 by one, and stores the counter value in the diagnosis information storage unit 102. In step S7, the vehicle electronic control unit 100 sets a count-up flag, and then returns to step S2.

[0019] In the example of FIG. 2, in both the continuous diagnosis and the non-continuous diagnosis, the counter value is increased by a maximum of 1 in one driving cycle. For non-continuous diagnosis, the count-up flag may not be used, but may be incremented each time a diagnosis is performed. Specifically, in the flowchart of FIG. 2, steps S1, S5, and S7 may be eliminated, and only steps S2, S3, S4, and S6 may be performed.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the vehicle electronic control unit 100. The flowchart in Fig. 3 is executed in a state where the scan tool 8 is connected. In step S11, the vehicle electronic control device 100 determines whether or not there is a request to erase the specific fault code from the scan tool 8. If there is a request to erase the specific fault code, the process proceeds to step S12, and if there is no request to erase the specific fault code, the process exits from this flowchart. In step S12, the erasure processing unit 104 of the vehicle electronic control unit 100 erases from the fault code storage unit 101 the specific fault code related to the erasure request in step S11. In step S13, the erasure processing unit 104 of the vehicle electronic control unit 100 initializes the counter value stored in the diagnosis information storage unit 102 and corresponding to the specific fault code.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the vehicle electronic control unit 100. The flowchart in Fig. 4 is executed in a state where the scan tool 8 is connected. In step S21, the vehicle electronic control unit 100 determines whether or not there is a display request from the scan tool 8. If there is a display request, the process proceeds to step S22, and if there is no display request, the process exits from this flowchart. In step S22, the display processing unit 105 of the vehicle electronic control unit 100 displays the counter value stored in the diagnosis information storage unit 102 on the display unit of the scan tool 8 in response to the display request in step S21.

[0022] As described above, the diagnosis information (counter value) indicating whether or not a diagnosis has been performed is stored in the diagnosis information storage unit 102 in association with a specific fault code, so that the implementation status of the diagnosis can be easily grasped. This makes it easy to distinguish whether a specific fault code has not been stored because there is no abnormality, or because the vehicle has not been diagnosed. In this way, it is possible to distinguish between a state in which no maintenance is required and a state in which the necessity for maintenance is uncertain, thereby reducing maintenance time and reducing maintenance costs.

[0023] In addition, in the states (A) to (D) described in the [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] section of this specification, a counter value is assigned to (A), but no counter value is assigned to (B) and (D). This makes it possible to distinguish between the diagnosed (A) and the undiagnosed (B) and (D), and to confirm that proper maintenance has been performed and the malfunction has been corrected.

[0024] Also, by checking the counter value for each specific fault code, it becomes easier to find vehicles in which a specific fault code has been illegally erased after a specific fault was detected. For example, if the counter value for a specific fault code is 0 and the counter value for another specific fault code is large, it is possible that there is a possibility of fraud. After maintenance such as part replacement, the counter value shows 0, so it is necessary to refer to the part replacement history.

[0025] In this embodiment, a counter value according to the execution of a diagnosis is used as the diagnosis information, but for example, a flag indicating whether or not a diagnosis has been completed may be used. In addition, in the present embodiment, diagnostic information is assigned to each specific fault code, but multiple specific fault codes may be divided into groups, and diagnostic information may be assigned to each group. This can reduce the number of counters provided in the vehicle electronic control unit 100. Also, a counter function for counting the number of driving cycles may be provided so that the relationship between the driving cycles and the frequency of execution of each diagnosis can be obtained.

[0026] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, each embodiment merely shows a specific example of the implementation of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to each embodiment. Various modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1: automobile, 2 to 4: ECU, 5: power supply, 6: gateway, 7: communication connector, 8: scan tool, 9: communication line, 100: vehicle electronic control device, 101: fault code storage unit, 102: diagnostic information storage unit, 103: storage processing unit, 104: erasure processing unit, 105: display processing unit

Claims

1. A vehicle electronic control device that stores a fault code corresponding to an abnormality detected by a diagnosis in a fault code storage unit, 1. A vehicle electronic control device comprising: a storage processing unit that stores, in a diagnostic information storage unit, diagnostic information indicating whether or not a diagnosis has been performed, in association with a fault code.

2. 2. The electronic control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an erasure processing unit that, in response to a request to erase a fault code, erases the fault code related to the erasure request stored in the fault code storage unit and initializes the diagnostic information corresponding to the fault code stored in the diagnostic information storage unit.

3. 3. The electronic control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a display processing unit that displays the diagnostic information stored in the diagnostic information storage unit on a display unit in response to a display request.

4. 3. The electronic control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic information is a counter value according to the execution of the diagnosis.

5. 3. The electronic control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein diagnostic information is assigned to each fault code.

6. 3. The electronic control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fault codes are divided into groups, and diagnostic information is assigned to each group.

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