ECU exchange diagnosis system

Abstract

To make an appropriate diagnosis to determine whether an ECU has been exchanged.SOLUTION: An ECU exchange diagnosis system 1 includes: an ECU 20 for storing identification information and sending the identification information; an exchange diagnosis machine 30 for receiving the identification information sent from the ECU20 and making a diagnosis to determine whether the ECU20 has been exchanged; and an external server 40 provided outside the vehicle, the external server being capable of communicating with the exchange diagnosis machine 30. The external server 40 stores the identification information on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis and sends the identification information to an exchange diagnosis machine 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ECU replacement diagnostic system. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, vehicles are equipped with ECUs for controlling various devices. Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic control device for a vehicle that automatically writes vehicle identification information to a new ECU after replacement when the ECU itself is replaced due to a malfunction or the like. As a measure against the installation of an unauthorized ECU, the electronic control device for a vehicle of Patent Document 1 transmits and receives vehicle identification information to each other, and determines whether the vehicle identification information held by the ECU itself is the same as the vehicle identification information transmitted from the other ECU, and if they are not the same, determines that an unauthorized ECU is installed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-255079 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when multiple ECUs are replaced in Patent Document 1, it may not be possible to properly determine which ECU is the replacement. If all ECUs except one are replaced and incorrect vehicle identification information is stored in all of the replaced ECUs, the ECU that was not replaced may be erroneously determined to be the replacement. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to appropriately diagnose whether or not any ECU has been replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The ECU replacement diagnostic system of the present invention comprises an ECU that stores identification information and is capable of transmitting the identification information, a replacement diagnostic machine that receives the identification information transmitted from the ECU and diagnoses whether the ECU has been replaced or not, and an external device that is provided outside the vehicle and is capable of communicating with the replacement diagnostic machine, wherein the external device stores identification information in association with each vehicle and transmits the identification information to the replacement diagnostic machine. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately diagnose whether or not any ECU has been replaced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an ECU replacement diagnosis system. [Diagram 2] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process performed by a replacement diagnostic machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An ECU replacement diagnostic system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ECU 20 that stores identification information and is capable of transmitting the identification information, a replacement diagnostic device 30 that receives the identification information transmitted from the ECU 20 and diagnoses whether the ECU 20 has been replaced, and an external server 40 that is provided outside the vehicle and is capable of communicating with the replacement diagnostic device 30. The external server 40 stores the identification information in association with each vehicle, and transmits the identification information to the replacement diagnostic device 30. Therefore, the replacement diagnostic device 30 can appropriately diagnose whether the ECU has been replaced by determining whether the identification information transmitted from the ECU 20 and the identification information transmitted from the external server 40 match. EXAMPLES

[0009] (First embodiment) An ECU replacement diagnostic system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ECU replacement diagnostic system 1. As shown in FIG.

[0010] The ECU replacement diagnostic system 1 according to the embodiment includes a vehicle 10 and an external server 40 serving as an external device. The vehicle 10 has an ECU 20 and a diagnostic replacement device 30. The vehicle 10 is equipped with devices that are included in a typical vehicle, and illustration and description of these devices will be omitted.

[0011] The ECU 20 is an electronic control unit. The ECU 20 includes a CPU and a memory, and functions as a so-called computer. The vehicle 10 has a plurality of ECUs, each of which can communicate with the diagnostic replacement device 30. Here, the ECU 20 that controls the power unit for driving the vehicle 10 out of the plurality of ECUs will be described. The ECU 20 may be an ECU that controls various devices provided in the vehicle 10, or the like.

[0012] Furthermore, the ECU 20 stores various types of information. Specifically, the memory of the ECU 20 stores a VIN as identification information unique to the vehicle, an ECU serial number as identification information of the ECU, and a lifetime value. VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a number used to identify a vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to uniquely identify a vehicle by the VIN. The VIN includes, for example, the manufacturer, type, serial number, etc., and is used as a so-called chassis number. The ECU serial number is a number for identifying an ECU, and therefore it is possible to uniquely identify an ECU by the ECU serial number.

[0013] The lifetime value is a value that is accumulated after the vehicle 10 is completed. Specifically, the lifetime value includes information on the total fuel consumption, the total distance traveled, and the like. Depending on the type of vehicle 10, the lifetime value may include information on the total external charging amount, the total fuel consumption during driver-selected charging and driving, the total distance traveled during driver-selected charging and the like. The CPU of the ECU 20 updates the lifetime value in memory as needed by acquiring information from various sensors and the like. Thus, the current lifetime value is stored in the memory of the ECU 20.

[0014] In addition, the memory of ECU 20 also stores programs executed by the CPU of ECU 20 and information required to execute the programs in order to control the power unit and to realize the processing of the flowcharts described below.

[0015] The replacement diagnostic device 30 is communicably connected to the ECU 20, for example, by CAN communication. The replacement diagnostic device 30 is also communicably connected to an external server 40, for example, via a network such as the Internet. The replacement diagnostic device 30 includes a CPU and a memory, and functions as a so-called computer.

[0016] The replacement diagnostic machine 30 also diagnoses whether the ECU 20 has been replaced. Specifically, the replacement diagnostic machine 30 receives the VIN and ECU serial number stored in the ECU 20 from the ECU 20. The replacement diagnostic machine 30 also receives the VIN and ECU serial number of the vehicle 10 stored in the external server 40 from the external server 40. If the information received from the ECU matches the information received from the external server 40, the replacement diagnostic machine 30 diagnoses that the ECU 20 has not been replaced, and if they do not match, the replacement diagnostic machine 30 diagnoses that the ECU 20 has been replaced.

[0017] Furthermore, the replacement diagnostic device 30 stores various types of information. Specifically, the replacement diagnostic device 30 receives the lifetime value stored in the ECU 20 and stores it in the memory of the replacement diagnostic device 30. Furthermore, when the replacement diagnostic device 30 diagnoses that the ECU 20 has been replaced, it transmits the lifetime value stored in the memory of the replacement diagnostic device 30 to the replaced ECU 20. The replaced ECU 20 stores the lifetime value transmitted from the replacement diagnostic device 30, so that it can inherit the lifetime value before the replacement.

[0018] The memory of the replacement diagnostic device 30 also stores programs executed by the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 and information necessary for executing the programs in order to realize the processing of the flowcharts described below.

[0019] The external server 40 is provided outside the vehicle and is managed by, for example, a system administrator such as a vehicle manufacturer or a company commissioned by the vehicle manufacturer. The external server 40 manages various information related to a large number (multiple) of vehicles 10 manufactured by the vehicle manufacturer by storing it in a storage device. Specifically, the storage of the external server 40 stores the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number in association with each vehicle 10. The memory of the external server 40 also stores the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number in association with each vehicle 10. The method by which the external server 40 stores the stored values ​​in association with each vehicle 10 is, for example, by associating the unique identification information of the replacement diagnostic device 30 (for example, the frequency transmitted by the replacement diagnostic device 30 and the MAC address of the replacement diagnostic device 30, etc.) with the VIN and the ECU serial number. The external server 40 can store the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number in association with each vehicle 10 by receiving information in advance from the vehicle manufacturer, etc. Alternatively, the external server 40 can store the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number in association with each vehicle 10 by receiving them from the replacement diagnostic device 30 when communicating with the replacement diagnostic device 30 for the first time.

[0020] Furthermore, in response to a request from the replacement diagnostic device 30, the external server 40 extracts the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number associated with the vehicle 10, and transmits the extracted stored values ​​to the replacement diagnostic device 30. When the replacement diagnostic device 30 diagnoses that the ECU 20 has been replaced, the external server 40 updates the stored value of the ECU serial number that has been stored up until now to the replaced ECU serial number, and stores the updated value.

[0021] Next, the processing by the ECU replacement diagnostic system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 2. The flowchart of Fig. 2 is started, for example, when the driver (passenger) turns on the ignition and the ECU 20 and the replacement diagnostic device 30 each execute a program.

[0022] In S1, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 requests the VIN, ECU serial number, and lifetime value from the ECU 20. In response to the request from the replacement diagnostic device 30, the ECU 20 reads out the VIN, ECU serial number, and lifetime value stored in memory and transmits them to the replacement diagnostic device 30.

[0023] In S2, the CPU of the diagnostic equipment 30 determines whether or not the VIN, ECU serial number, and lifetime value have been received from the ECU 20. If they have been received, the process proceeds to S3, and if they have not been received, the process waits in S2 until they are received.

[0024] In S3, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 requests the external server 40 to transmit the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number associated with the vehicle 10. At this time, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 also transmits the unique identification information of the replacement diagnostic device 30 to the external server 40. In response to the request from the replacement diagnostic device 30, the CPU of the external server 40 extracts the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number associated with the vehicle that meets the request from the stored values ​​associated with each vehicle. Specifically, the CPU of the external server 40 extracts the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number associated with the vehicle that meets the request by extracting the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number associated with the unique identification information of the replacement diagnostic device 30. The CPU of the external server 40 transmits the extracted stored value to the replacement diagnostic device 30.

[0025] In S4, the CPU of the diagnostic equipment 30 determines whether or not it has received the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number from the external server 40. If it has received them, it proceeds to S5, and if it has not received them, it waits in S4 until they are received.

[0026] In S5, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic machine 30 judges whether the VIN information and the ECU serial number information received from the ECU 20 match the stored value of the VIN and the stored value of the ECU serial number received from the external server 40, respectively, in order to diagnose whether the ECU 20 has been replaced. Note that the match here means that the VIN information received from the ECU 20 matches the stored value of the VIN received from the external server 40, and that the ECU serial number information received from the ECU 20 matches the stored value of the ECU serial number received from the external server 40. However, it may be judged that the ECU serial numbers match without comparing the VINs, or that the VINs match without comparing the ECU serial numbers. If it is judged that the ECU serial numbers match, the process proceeds to S6, and if it is judged that the ECU serial numbers do not match, the process proceeds to S7.

[0027] In S6, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic machine 30 diagnoses that the ECU 20 has not been replaced, and ends the process of the flowchart in FIG.

[0028] On the other hand, in S7, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic machine 30 diagnoses that the ECU 20 has been replaced. In S8, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 transmits the lifetime value stored in memory before communicating with the ECU 20 to the ECU 20 that has been diagnosed as having been replaced. The CPU of the ECU 20 stores in memory the lifetime value transmitted from the replacement diagnostic device 30. Here, since the lifetime value stored in memory before communicating with the ECU 20 is a value that has been accumulated since the vehicle 10 was completed, the replaced ECU 20 can take over the lifetime value before replacement by storing the lifetime value transmitted from the replacement diagnostic device 30. Therefore, even if the ECU 20 is replaced, the replaced ECU 20 can continue to update the lifetime value.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, the external server 40 stores the identification information for each vehicle, and transmits the identification information to the replacement diagnostic device 30. Therefore, the replacement diagnostic device 30 can appropriately diagnose whether the ECU 20 has been replaced by determining whether the identification information transmitted from the ECU 20 matches the identification information transmitted from the external server 40. In particular, since the information in the external server 40 is unlikely to be rewritten by a third party and can continue to hold legitimate identification information, it is possible to appropriately diagnose whether the ECU has been replaced even if it has been replaced with an unauthorized ECU.

[0030] Furthermore, the replacement diagnostic machine 30 diagnoses that an ECU has been replaced when the identification information transmitted from the external server 40 does not match the identification information transmitted from the ECU 20. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately diagnose which ECU has been replaced.

[0031] Furthermore, when the replacement diagnostic device 30 diagnoses that the ECU has been replaced, the ECU 20 receives and stores the lifetime value stored in the ECU 20 before the replacement from the replacement diagnostic device 30. Therefore, even if the ECU 20 is replaced, the lifetime value can be continuously updated.

[0032] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and the like are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the replacement diagnostic device 30 requests the ECU 20 for the lifetime value in S1 of the flowchart in FIG. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may not request the lifetime value in S1, and may request the ECU 20 for the lifetime value when the driver turns off the ignition, and may store the received lifetime value as the process after S6 and S8. In this way, by storing the lifetime value when the ignition is turned off, the replacement diagnostic device 30 can transfer a highly accurate lifetime value to the replaced ECU 20 even when the ECU 20 is replaced. In addition, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may transmit the lifetime value to the external server 40, and the external server 40 may store the lifetime value in association with the vehicle. When the ECU 20 is replaced, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may transmit the lifetime value stored in the external server 40 to the replaced ECU 20.

[0034] In the above-described embodiment, when it is diagnosed that the ECU 20 has been replaced in S7 of the flowchart in Fig. 2, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may notify the driver of the vehicle 10 that the ECU has been replaced. For example, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may display or generate a sound (including voice) that the ECU has been replaced via a notification device such as a display or speaker provided in the vehicle 10.

[0035] In the above embodiment, when it is diagnosed that the ECU 20 has been replaced in S7 of the flowchart in Fig. 2 and the replaced ECU is an unauthorized ECU, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may transmit a signal to the ECU other than the replaced ECU to instruct the ECU to restrict the function of the other ECU. For example, the replacement diagnostic device 30 may determine that an ECU having a serial number other than a predetermined ECU serial number is an unauthorized ECU.

[0036] In the above-described embodiment, when it is diagnosed that the ECU 20 has been replaced in S7 of the flowchart in Fig. 2 and the replaced ECU is a valid ECU, the replacement diagnostic machine 30 may transmit a request to the external server 40 to rewrite the stored value of the serial number associated with the vehicle to the serial number received from the replaced ECU. By the external server 40 rewriting the stored value of the serial number in response to the request, the replacement diagnostic machine 30 can appropriately diagnose whether or not the ECU 20 has been replaced based on the identification information transmitted from the external server 40 even from the next time onwards.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the external server 40 associates the VIN and the ECU serial number for each vehicle by associating the unique identification information of the replacement diagnostic device 30 (for example, the frequency transmitted by the replacement diagnostic device 30 or the MAC address of the replacement diagnostic device 30) with the VIN and the ECU serial number, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the external server 40 may associate and store the ECU serial number with each VIN, and the replacement diagnostic device 30 may store the VIN in advance in its memory. In this case, in S1 of the flowchart in FIG. 2 described above, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 requests the ECU serial number from the ECU 20. In S3, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 requests the stored value of the ECU serial number associated with the VIN stored in its own memory from the external server 40. In S5, the CPU of the replacement diagnostic device 30 determines whether the ECU serial number information received from the ECU 20 matches the stored value of the ECU serial number received from the external server 40, and if they match, it diagnoses that the ECU 20 has not been replaced, and if they do not match, it diagnoses that the ECU 20 has been replaced.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the flowchart of FIG. 2 may be started when communication between the replacement diagnostic device 30 and the ECU 20 goes from connected to disconnected and back to connected again, for example, when the ignition goes from on to off and then back to on.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the order of the processes in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is not limited. For example, the processes of S1 and S2 may be performed after the processes of S3 and S4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: ECU replacement diagnostic system 10: Vehicle 20: ECU 30: Replacement diagnostic device 40: External server

Claims

[Claim 1] an ECU that stores identification information and is capable of transmitting the identification information; a replacement diagnostic device that receives the identification information transmitted from the ECU and diagnoses whether the ECU has been replaced; an external device provided outside the vehicle and capable of communicating with the replacement diagnostic device; The external device stores identification information in association with each vehicle, and transmits the identification information to the replacement diagnostic device.

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