Assembly diagnosis system and method
The master ECU verifies correct assembly of slave ECUs by using identifier-based startup messages, addressing assembly errors and enhancing power efficiency.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024004066
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-15
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-28
AI Technical Summary
In ECU assembly, there is a risk of mistakenly connecting an incorrect ECU to the power supply line or communication network, leading to potential assembly errors and power inefficiencies due to unnecessary power consumption.
A master ECU controls the power supply to slave ECUs and diagnoses correct assembly by having them transmit startup notification messages with identifiers, verifying the correct connection through these messages.
Ensures accurate assembly of slave ECUs by confirming the correct type and connection to power and communication networks, reducing power waste and improving system efficiency.
Smart Images

Figure 2025110242000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assembly diagnosis system and method for diagnosing whether the assembly of a slave ECU whose power supply is controlled by a master ECU is correctly performed.
Background Art
[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle communication system in which a plurality of control devices mounted on a vehicle are connected via a network for data communication, and each control device is configured to transmit and receive data to and from each other via the network.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] When constructing a system composed of a plurality of control devices (ECUs) as described in Patent Document 1, it is required to achieve power saving for the entire system. For this reason, for example, it is conceivable that at least one ECU (master ECU) can control the presence or absence of power supply to at least one ECU (slave ECU). Thereby, the master ECU can supply power to the slave ECU only when the operation of the slave ECU is required, and can cut off the power supply to the slave ECU when the operation of the slave ECU is unnecessary. As a result, the quiescent current when the operation of the slave ECU is unnecessary can be cut, and further power saving can be achieved for the entire system.
[0005] Here, as described above, when the master ECU is configured to control the presence or absence of power supply to the slave ECU, the slave ECU assumed as the target for the master ECU to control the presence or absence of power supply must be correctly assembled without being mistaken for other types of slave ECUs, including the connection to the power supply line whose presence or absence of power supply is controlled by the master ECU. However, in the ECU assembly work, there is also a non-zero possibility that an ECU other than the planned slave ECU may be mistakenly assembled. Also, the assembly work of the slave ECU itself, including the connection to the power supply line, is not always correctly performed.
[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an assembly diagnosis system and method capable of diagnosing whether the assembly of a slave ECU whose power supply presence or absence is controlled by a master ECU is correctly performed.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0007] To achieve the above object, the assembly diagnosis system according to the present disclosure includes: a master ECU (10); at least one slave ECU (30, 40, 60) that transmits a startup notification message including its own identifier when starting up; switches (14, 16, 18) provided in the power supply line of the slave ECU; The master ECU has a function of turning the switch on and off and can control the presence or absence of power supply to the slave ECU. When the slave ECU is started up upon receiving power supply, it transmits a startup notification message to the communication network (22) to which the master ECU and the slave ECU are connected. Based on the startup notification message transmitted to the communication network, a diagnosis unit (S150, S160, S170, S180) that diagnoses whether the assembly of the slave ECU is correctly performed is provided.
[0008] Also, the assembly diagnosis method according to the present disclosure is as follows: The master ECU (10) supplies power to the slave ECUs (30, 40, 60) by turning on switches (14, 16, 18) provided on the power supply lines of the slave ECUs, when the slave ECU is activated upon receiving power supply, it transmits a startup notification message including its own identifier to the communication network (22) to which the master ECU and the slave ECUs are connected, and a diagnostic unit (S150, S160, S170, S180) is configured to diagnose whether the slave ECU is correctly assembled based on the startup notification message transmitted to the communication network.
[0009] According to the above-described assembly diagnosis system and method, when the slave ECU powered by the control of the master ECU is activated, it transmits a startup notification message including its own identifier to the communication network. The startup notification message includes the identifier of the slave ECU. Therefore, the diagnostic unit can determine whether the slave ECU that transmitted the startup notification message is the slave ECU scheduled to be assembled based on the identifier.
[0010] Furthermore, when it is determined whether the slave ECU is the one scheduled to be assembled based on the identifier included in the startup notification message transmitted from the slave ECU, in addition to the correct type of the assembled ECU, since the slave ECU has been activated normally and has been able to transmit the startup notification message normally, the diagnostic unit can diagnose that the connection of the slave ECU to the power supply line and the connection to the communication network have been correctly made without any problems.
[0011] In this way, the diagnostic unit can diagnose whether the slave ECU is correctly assembled based on the startup notification message transmitted to the communication network.
[0012] The reference numbers in the above parentheses are merely examples of the correspondence with the specific configurations in the embodiments described later to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
[0013] In addition, regarding the technical features described in each claim of the claims other than the features of the present disclosure described above, they will become apparent from the description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings described later.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0014]
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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the assembly diagnosis system and method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the following embodiments, for the same or similar configurations, the same reference numerals may be given across a plurality of drawings, and the description may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, for the other parts of the said configuration, the configurations of the other embodiments described previously can be applied. Also, not only the combinations of the configurations explicitly shown in the description of each embodiment, but also the configurations of a plurality of embodiments may be partially combined with each other as long as there is no problem with the combination, even if not explicitly shown.
[0016] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of an in-vehicle system to which the assembly diagnosis system 100 according to the present embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the assembly diagnosis system 100 according to the present embodiment can be applied to, for example, an in-vehicle system in which a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) are network-connected and built in a vehicle. In this case, the components of the assembly diagnosis system 100 are mounted on the vehicle. However, the application example of the assembly diagnosis system 100 according to the present disclosure is not limited to the in-vehicle system, and it may be applied to other uses. For example, the assembly diagnosis system 100 according to the present disclosure can be applied to control systems of robots, construction machines, etc. including a plurality of network-connected control devices.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the assembly diagnosis system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a master ECU 10 and a plurality of first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40. However, the number of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more.
[0018] The master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs are general computers, each comprising a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a volatile memory such as a RAM, and a storage which is a non-volatile storage medium such as a ROM or a flash memory. Various programs to be executed by the processor are stored in the storage. For example, an assembly diagnosis program described later is stored in the storage of the master ECU 10. The execution of the assembly diagnosis program by the processor of the master ECU 10 corresponds to the execution of an assembly diagnosis method corresponding to the assembly diagnosis program by the master ECU 10.
[0019] In addition, information indicating the unique identifier of the slave ECU whose connection is planned is stored in the storage of the master ECU 10 in association with the number of the relay switch or the number of the power port of the relay circuit 12 described later. Further, information indicating its own identifier is stored in the storages of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40.
[0020] The master ECU 10 has a relay circuit 12 and a communication circuit 20. The relay circuit 12 includes a plurality of first, second, and third relay switches 14, 16, and 18. Each relay switch 14, 16, 18 is provided on a power supply line for supplying power to each slave ECU 30, 40. The power supply line is supplied with power obtained by converting the power supply voltage of the battery 2 mounted on the vehicle into the operating voltage of the master ECU 10 and the slave ECUs 30, 40 by the power supply circuit 4. The master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs 30, 40 operate with the power supplied from the power supply line.
[0021] Each relay switch 14, 16, 18 can be constituted by a semiconductor switch such as a MOSFET or an IGBT. However, each relay switch 14, 16, 18 may be constituted by a normal mechanical relay instead of a semiconductor switch. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the relay circuit 12 may be provided inside the master ECU 10 or outside the master ECU 10.
[0022] The master ECU 10 has a function of controlling the presence or absence of power supply to each slave ECU 30, 40. This function may be realized by software such as a power supply control program or by hardware. More specifically, the master ECU 10 turns on each relay switch 14, 16 corresponding to each slave ECU 30, 40 only when the operation of each slave ECU 30, 40 is required. Conversely, the master ECU 10 turns off each relay switch 14, 16 corresponding to each slave ECU 30, 40 when the operation of each slave ECU 30, 40 is unnecessary. Thereby, power supply to each slave ECU 30, 40 is performed only when the operation of each slave ECU 30, 40 is required, and power supply to each slave ECU 30, 40 can be cut off when the operation of each slave ECU 30, 40 is unnecessary. Therefore, the standby current when the operation of each slave ECU 30, 40 is unnecessary can be cut, and it becomes possible to further reduce power consumption as a whole system.
[0023] The communication circuit 20 is connected to the communication network 22 and can receive messages transmitted from other ECUs etc. via the communication network 22 or transmit messages to other ECUs etc. via the communication network 22. In the communication network 22, for example, messages conforming to the CAN (registered trademark, the same shall apply hereinafter) protocol are transmitted and received. When CAN messages are transmitted and received in the communication network 22, the communication circuit 20 performs reception processing when the CAN messages are stored in the reception buffer. This reception processing includes processing for determining whether the received message is an invalid message through form check, cyclic redundancy check, etc. with respect to the received message. And the communication circuit 20 passes various information such as the data included in the message to the processor of the master ECU 10 only when it determines that the message is a normal message. Also, when the message to be transmitted is stored in the transmission buffer, the communication circuit 20 performs transmission processing for transmitting the message to the communication network 22 while arbitrating with the transmission signals from other ECUs. However, the communication protocol is not limited to the CAN protocol, and other communication protocols such as LIN, FlexRay (registered trademark), and Ethernet (registered trademark) may be adopted. Also, when a plurality of networks including the communication network 22 are connected via a relay device such as a gateway, different communication protocols may be adopted in the plurality of networks. In this case, the relay device is configured to have a conversion function for performing protocol conversion of the message when transferring the message between networks with different communication protocols.
[0024] In addition to the master ECU 10 and the slave ECUs 30, 40, other ECUs (not shown) are also connected to the communication network 22. The slave ECUs 30, 40 and other ECUs may be connected to the communication network 22 or may be connected to another network connected to the communication network 22 via a relay device. Therefore, the master ECU 10 can transmit and receive various messages to and from the slave ECUs 30, 40 and other ECUs directly or indirectly connected to the communication network 22 using the communication circuit 20.
[0025] Like the master ECU 10, the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 each include a communication circuit 32 and 42. The communication circuits 32 and 42 of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 have the same message transmission and reception functions as the communication circuit 20 of the master ECU 10. Therefore, the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 can also transmit and receive various messages to and from each ECU connected to the communication network 22 using the communication circuits 32 and 42.
[0026] When the first slave ECU 30 is assembled into the vehicle, the power line of the first slave ECU 30 is connected to the first power port 14a connected to the first relay switch 14 of the relay circuit 12, and the communication network 22 is connected to the connection port of the communication circuit 32. Similarly, when the second slave ECU 40 is assembled into the vehicle, the power line of the second slave ECU 40 is connected to the second power port 16a connected to the second relay switch 16 of the relay circuit 12, and the communication network 22 is connected to the connection port of the communication circuit 42. Note that the third relay switch 18 of the relay circuit 12 and the third power port 18a connected to the third relay switch 18 are used when an optional ECU is connected. In the example shown in FIG. 1, no optional ECU is connected.
[0027] The first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 are for controlling control target devices (for example, door lock mechanisms, power window drive motors, headlight light sources, wiper motors, AV devices, etc.) that are controlled by the ECU only when specific conditions are met or only in a specific environment among various control target devices mounted on the vehicle. For example, the door lock mechanism is controlled by an ECU for door lock control when the user of the vehicle tries to get into the vehicle or when getting out of the vehicle. The power window drive motor is controlled by an ECU for power window control when the window up / down switch is operated by the user.
[0028] Thus, the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 control the controlled devices that operate only when specific conditions are met or in a specific environment. Therefore, in principle, when the operation of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 is required, the master ECU 10 turns on the first and second relay switches 14 and 16 corresponding to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 to supply power to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40. On the other hand, when the operation of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 is unnecessary, the master ECU 10 turns off the first and second relay switches 14 and 16 corresponding to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 to stop the power supply to the first and second slave ECUs.
[0029] In addition to the function of controlling the presence or absence of power supply to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 described above, the master ECU 10 has a function of diagnosing whether the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 are correctly assembled as described above. Therefore, a power supply control program, an assembly diagnosis program, etc. can be stored in the storage of the master ECU 10. Furthermore, the master ECU 10 may also control the controlled devices mounted on the vehicle, similar to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40. In this case, a control program for controlling the controlled devices is also stored in the storage of the master ECU 10.
[0030] Here, when the controlled devices of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 are different, the timing for controlling the controlled devices is also different. Therefore, the master ECU 10 supplies power to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 at different times, and the timing for stopping the power supply is also different. For this reason, for the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40, the power port numbers of the relay circuit 12 to which their respective power lines should be connected are predetermined. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the power line of the first slave ECU 30 is scheduled to be connected to the first power port 14a of the relay circuit 12, and the power line of the second slave ECU 40 is scheduled to be connected to the second power port 16a of the relay circuit 12. Therefore, the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 need to be correctly assembled while their respective power lines are connected to the predetermined power ports and without being mistaken for other types of slave ECUs.
[0031] However, in the assembly work of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40, there is also a non-zero possibility that an ECU other than the scheduled slave ECU is mistakenly assembled. Also, the assembly work of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 itself is not always correctly performed, and there is a possibility that a problem may occur in the assembly work. The problems in this assembly work include poor connection of the power lines of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 to the power ports of the relay circuit 12, poor connection to the communication network 22, and the like.
[0032] Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described above, the master ECU 10 is provided with a function for diagnosing whether the assembly of the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 is correctly performed. Hereinafter, the assembly diagnosis process executed by the cooperation of the master ECU 10 and the slave ECUs 30 and 40 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 can be executed triggered by a predetermined instruction (for example, a diagnosis start instruction) to the master ECU 10 after the assembly work of the master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 to the vehicle is completed.
[0033] In the initial step S100, the master ECU 10 turns off all the relay switches 14, 16, 18 of the relay circuit 12. In the subsequent step S110, the master ECU 10 turns on one relay switch 14, 16, 18 according to a predetermined order. Thereby, as shown in step S200, power supply to the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 corresponding to the turned-on relay switch 14, 16, 18 is disclosed.
[0034] In step S120, after power supply to the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 is started, the master ECU 10 determines whether or not a waiting time has elapsed. The waiting time is set to be longer than the time from when power supply to the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 is started until the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 completes startup and sends a startup notification message. If it is determined that the waiting time has not elapsed, the master ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S130. If it is determined that the waiting time has elapsed, the master ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S150. In step S130, the master ECU 10 waits for the reception of a startup notification message from the first or second slave ECU 30, 40, and when the startup notification message is received, reception processing is performed.
[0035] When power supply is started in step S200 due to the corresponding relay switch 14, 16, 18 being turned on, the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 executes startup processing in step S210. This startup processing includes, for example, initialization of various variables and startup of various programs. Then, when the startup processing is completed, the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 sends a startup notification message indicating that it has started up in step S220. This startup notification message includes information indicating the identifier of the first or second slave ECU 30, 40.
[0036] After the power supply to the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 is started, the time from when the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 completes the startup process until it sends a startup notification message is almost constant. As described above, the standby time is set to be longer than the time from the start of power supply to the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 until the startup notification message is sent. Therefore, when the master ECU 10 turns on one of the relay switches 14, 16, and the power supply to the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 is actually performed and the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 is connected to the communication network 22, a startup notification message should be sent from the first or second slave ECU 30, 40 to the communication network 22 within the standby time. For this reason, when the master ECU 10 receives a startup notification message in step S130, it can be determined that there is no defect in the connection of the power lines to the power ports 14a, 16a, 18a and the connection of the communication network 22 to the connection ports of the communication circuits 32, 42 for the first or second slave ECU 30, 40.
[0037] In step S140, the master ECU 10 determines whether it has received a startup notification message. If it is determined that the startup notification message has not been received yet, the master ECU 10 returns to the process of step S120. At this time, if it is determined in step S120 that the standby time has elapsed, the master ECU 10 can determine that there is some defect in the connection of the power lines to the power ports 14a, 16a, 18a and / or the connection of the communication network 22 to the connection ports of the communication circuits 32, 42 for the first or second slave ECU 30, 40.
[0038] In step S150, the master ECU 10 refers to information stored in advance in the storage, which indicates the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 whose connection is scheduled and is associated with the numbers of the relay switches 14, 16, 18 or the numbers of the power ports 14a, 16a, 18a, and identifies the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 corresponding to one relay switch 14, 16, 18 that was turned on in step S120. Then, the master ECU 10 collates the identified identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 with the identifiers included in the received activation notification message. For example, as shown in the table of FIG. 3, if the identifier of "AAA" is associated with the first relay switch 14 that is turned on one by one in a predetermined order, if the turned-on relay switch 14 is the first one, the master ECU 10 collates the identifier of "AAA" with the identifier included in the received activation notification message.
[0039] In step S160, the master ECU 10 determines whether or not the collation result of the identifiers in step S150 is OK. Specifically, if the collated identifiers match, the master ECU 10 determines that the collation result is OK, and if the collated identifiers do not match, the master ECU 10 determines that the collation result is NG. When the master ECU 10 determines that the collation result is OK, it can be considered that the slave ECUs 30 and 40 that were scheduled to be connected to one turned-on relay switch 14, 16, 18 are correctly assembled without misidentifying the types. Therefore, when the collation result is determined to be OK, the master ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S170 and determines that the assembly is OK. This determination result (assembly diagnosis result) is stored in association with, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the numbers of the relay switches 14, 16, 18 or the numbers of the power ports 14a, 16a, 18a, and / or the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40.
[0040] On the other hand, in step S160, when the master ECU 10 determines that the verification result is NG, there is a high possibility that a slave ECU of a different type from the slave ECUs 30 and 40 that were planned to be connected to the one activated relay switch 14, 16, or 18 is incorrectly assembled. Therefore, when the verification result is determined to be NG, the master ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S180 and determines that the assembly is NG. This determination result (assembly diagnosis result) is also stored in association with the numbers of the relay switches 14, 16, 18 or the numbers of the power ports 14a, 16a, 18a, and / or the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0041] In addition, when the activation notification message cannot be received within the waiting time, since the identifier to be verified cannot be obtained, in step S160, the master ECU 10 determines that the verification result is NG. Also in this case, the master ECU 10 determines that the assembly is NG in step S170, but when storing this determination result, it is preferable to also store the fact that the activation notification message could not be received. Thereby, for example, by reading from the master ECU 10 the determination result as to whether the assembly is OK or NG by a diagnostic result reading device connected to the communication network 22 or the master ECU 10, not only can the ECU for which the assembly is NG be identified, but also the cause of the NG assembly can be easily specified.
[0042] In step S190, the master ECU 10 determines whether the determination as to whether the assembly of all the relay switches 14, 16, 18 is OK has been completed. If the determination for all the relay switches 14, 16, 18 has not been completed, the master ECU 10 returns to step S110, changes the relay switches 14, 16, 18 to be activated in a predetermined order, and repeats the processes after step S120. On the other hand, if the determination for all the relay switches 14, 16, 18 has been completed, the master ECU 10 ends the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2.
[0043] Next, an example of the operations of the master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 according to the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the time chart in FIG. 4.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the master ECU 10 first turns off all the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 of the relay circuit 12. As a result, power is not supplied to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 connected to the relay circuit 12, and the power supply is turned off.
[0045] Next, the master ECU 10 turns on the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 one by one in a predetermined order. In the example shown in FIG. 4, first, the first relay switch 14 is turned on, the power supply of the first slave ECU 30 is turned on, and power is supplied to the first slave ECU 30. When the startup process of the first slave ECU 30 is completed after its power supply is turned on, the first slave ECU 30 transmits a startup notification message to the communication network 22.
[0046] The master ECU 10 waits for the reception of the startup notification message from the first slave ECU 30 during the waiting time. If the first slave ECU 30 transmits a startup notification message before the waiting time ends, the master ECU 10 receives the startup notification message from the first slave ECU 30 using the communication circuit 20. Then, the master ECU 10 collates the identifier of the slave ECU 30 stored in association with the first relay switch 14 with the identifier included in the received startup notification message, and based on the collation result, performs an assembly diagnosis to determine whether the assembly is OK or NG.
[0047] Thereafter, the master ECU 10 repeats the above-described processing while turning on all the relay switches 16 and 18 in order to diagnose whether the assembly of all the slave ECUs 30 and 40 including the optional ECU is correctly performed.
[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 4, an example is shown in which the power supply of the first slave ECU 30 remains on even after the assembly diagnosis of the first slave ECU 30 is completed. However, the power supply of the first slave ECU 30 may be turned off after the assembly diagnosis is completed.
[0049] (Second Embodiment) Next, an assembly diagnosis system and an assembly diagnosis method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0050] In the above-described first embodiment, the master ECU 10 determines whether the assembly of each of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 has been correctly performed, and stores the assembly diagnosis result as the determination result in association with the numbers of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 or the numbers of the power ports 14a, 16a, and 18a, and / or the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40. In this case, in order to confirm the assembly diagnosis result, for example, a diagnosis result reading device needs to be connected to the communication network 22 or the master ECU 10, and the diagnosis result reading device reads the assembly diagnosis result from the master ECU 10.
[0051] On the other hand, in the assembly diagnosis system and the assembly diagnosis method according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a notification ECU 50 having a function of notifying the user of the diagnosis result is connected to the communication network 22 via a communication circuit 52. The communication circuit 52 of the notification ECU 50 has the same message transmission and reception function as the communication circuit 20 of the master ECU 10. Therefore, the notification ECU 50 can also transmit and receive various messages to and from each ECU connected to the communication network 22 using the communication circuit 52. Note that the notification ECU 50 may be one of the slave ECUs whose power supply is controlled by the master ECU 10.
[0052] As the notification ECU 50, for example, a meter ECU, a navigation ECU, or a telematics control unit (TCU) can be adopted. When the meter ECU is adopted as the notification ECU 50, the assembly diagnosis result can be notified to the user using the meter display. When the navigation ECU is adopted, the assembly diagnosis result can be notified to the user using the navigation display. When the TCU is adopted, the assembly diagnosis result can be transmitted from the TCU wirelessly to an external tool such as a diagnostic device, and notified to the user at the diagnostic device. Since other configurations of the assembly diagnosis system according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the assembly diagnosis system according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.
[0053] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the diagnostic process executed in the assembly diagnosis system according to the present embodiment. Among the processes in the master ECU 10, the processes from step S100 to S190 and the processes of steps S200 to S220 of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 are the same as the processes of steps S100 to S190 and the processes of steps S200 to S220 described in the flowchart of FIG. 2, respectively, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
[0054] In the present embodiment, in step S190, when the master ECU 10 determines that the determination as to whether or not all the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 are assembled correctly has been completed, the process of step S192 is executed. In step S192, the master ECU 10 transmits a message including the assembly diagnosis result to the notification ECU 50 via the communication network 22.
[0055] The notification ECU 50 receives a message including the assembly diagnosis result via the communication network 22 in step S300. Then, in step S310, the notification ECU 50 notifies the user by, for example, displaying the assembly diagnosis result on a display or wirelessly transmitting it to an external diagnostic device.
[0056] FIG. 7 is a time chart showing an example of the operations of the master ECU 10, the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40, and the notification ECU 50 according to the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the master ECU 10 diagnoses whether the assembly of all the slave ECUs 30 and 40 has been correctly performed while turning on all the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 one by one in order, which is the same as the time chart in FIG. 4.
[0057] In this embodiment, after the diagnosis of whether the assembly of all the slave ECUs 30 and 40 has been correctly performed is completed, the master ECU 10 transmits a message including the assembly diagnosis result to the notification ECU 50. The notification ECU 50 receives this message and notifies the user of the assembly diagnosis result included in the message.
[0058] (Third Embodiment) Next, the assembly diagnosis system and the assembly diagnosis method according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0059] In the first and second embodiments, the master ECU 10 determines whether the assembly of each of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 has been correctly performed, and stores the assembly diagnosis result as the determination result in the master ECU 10 or transmits it to the notification ECU 50.
[0060] Here, assume that another ECU connected to the communication network 22 needs to communicate with at least one of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 and transmits a message to the corresponding slave ECU 30 or 40. At this time, if the power supply to the slave ECUs 30 and 40 is not performed, the slave ECUs 30 and 40 cannot respond to the transmitted message. Then, since the other ECU cannot communicate with the corresponding slave ECU 30 or 40, there is a possibility that it may erroneously determine that some abnormality has occurred in the corresponding slave ECU 30 or 40.
[0061] Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the relationship between the release switches 14, 16, 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 associated in the assembly diagnosis, the master ECU 10 is configured to repeatedly (for example, periodically) transmit a message including the on / off states of the release switches 14, 16, 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 associated with the release switches 14, 16, 18 to other ECUs connected to the communication network 22. Further, when other ECUs connected to the communication network 22 recognize that the power supply of the slave ECUs 30, 40 to be communicated with is off based on the on / off states of the release switches 14, 16, 18 associated with the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 included in the message, they are configured to invalidate the abnormality determination function for the slave ECUs 30, 40. Thereby, it is possible to suppress other ECUs from erroneously performing the abnormality determination of the slave ECUs 30, 40 due to the power supply to the slave ECUs 30, 40 being off.
[0062] Note that the assembly diagnosis system according to the present embodiment can be configured in the same manner as the assembly diagnosis system according to the first embodiment or the assembly diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, so the description of the configuration is omitted.
[0063] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the diagnosis process executed in the assembly diagnosis system according to the present embodiment. Among the processes in the master ECU 10, the processes from step S100 to S190 and the processes of steps S200 to S220 in the slave ECUs 30, 40 are the same as the processes of steps S100 to S190 and the processes of steps S200 to S220 described in the flowchart of FIG. 2, respectively, so the description is omitted.
[0064] In step S194, the master ECU 10 associates and stores the diagnostic codes of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 that are diagnosed as being correctly assembled, with respect to each of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the master ECU 10 can store the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 that have been correctly assembled, in association with the numbers of the respective relay switches 14, 16, and 18.
[0065] When each ECU assembled in the vehicle operates, the processes shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 are executed. Note that the master ECU 10 executes the processes shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 at a predetermined cycle.
[0066] In step S400, the master ECU 10 determines whether it is the timing to transmit a message including the on / off states of each of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30 and 40 associated with those relay switches 14, 16, and 18. For example, the master ECU 10 can transmit the message periodically at a predetermined cycle. In this case, the master ECU 10 determines that it is the transmission timing when a time corresponding to the predetermined cycle has elapsed since the previous message transmission. Alternatively, the master ECU 10 may transmit the message when the on / off state of at least one of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 (that is, the on / off state of the power supply of the slave ECUs 30 and 40) changes. In this case, the master ECU 10 determines that it is the message transmission timing when the on / off state of at least one of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 changes. If it is determined in step S400 that it is the transmission timing, the master ECU 10 proceeds to step S410. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is not the transmission timing, the master ECU 10 ends the processes shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10.
[0067] In step S410, the master ECU 10 acquires the on / off states of each of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18. In the subsequent step S420, the master ECU 10 creates a message including the on / off states of each of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 associated with those relay switches 14, 16, and 18. Then, in step S430, the master ECU 10 transmits the created message toward the ECUs connected to the communication network.
[0068] The messages transmitted from the master ECU 10 are received by the slave ECUs 30, 40 and other ECUs (e.g., the notification ECU 50, etc.) in steps S500 and S600, respectively. The slave ECUs 30, 40 that have received this message invalidate the abnormality determination function for the slave ECUs 30, 40 in which the relay switches 14, 16, 18 are off and power supply is not being performed in step S510. Similarly, the other ECUs that have received this message also invalidate the abnormality determination function for the slave ECUs 30, 40 in which power supply is not being performed in step S610.
[0069] FIG. 11 is a time chart showing an example of the operations of the master ECU 10, the first and second slave ECUs 30, 40, and other ECUs according to the processes of the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 10. As shown in FIG. 11, diagnosing whether the assembly of all the slave ECUs 30, 40 has been correctly performed while the master ECU 10 turns on each of all the relay switches 14, 16, 18 one by one in order is the same as the time chart of FIG. 4.
[0070] In this embodiment, when each ECU assembled to the vehicle operates, the master ECU 10 transmits, every time a predetermined transmission timing is reached, a message including the on / off states of the respective relay switches 14, 16, 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 associated with the relay switches 14, 16, 18 to each ECU connected to the communication network 22. In response to receiving this message, each ECU invalidates the abnormality determination function for the slave ECU to which power supply is not being performed. Thereby, it is possible to suppress other ECUs from erroneously performing an abnormality determination of the slave ECUs 30, 40 due to the power supplies to the slave ECUs 30, 40 being off.
[0071] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, an assembly diagnosis system and an assembly diagnosis method according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0072] In the above-described first embodiment, an example was described in which the slave ECUs 30, 40 start the startup process when the corresponding relay switches 14, 16, 18 are turned on by the master ECU 10 and power supply is started.
[0073] However, in recent years, ECUs corresponding to partial network management that do not start up just by being supplied with power and enter a so-called standby state and start the startup process in response to receiving a startup request message are becoming more and more popular. When such ECUs corresponding to partial network management are adopted as the slave ECUs 30, 40, in order for the master ECU 10 to receive a startup notification message from the slave ECUs 30, 40, in addition to turning on the relay switches 14, 16, 18, it is necessary to transmit a startup request message to the corresponding slave ECUs 30, 40.
[0074] Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 12, the master ECU 10 is configured to turn on one of the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 in a predetermined order at step S110, and then transmit a startup request message to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 at step S115.
[0075] Power supply to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 starts at step S200. Thereafter, when the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 receive a startup request message from the master ECU 10 at step S205, they start startup processing at step S210. Note that when power supply to the slave ECUs 30 and 40 starts, they enter a standby state in which functions other than the function of receiving a startup request message are suspended.
[0076] Processes other than the processes of the master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 in the flowchart of FIG. 12 are the same as the processes of the master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 in the flowchart of FIG. 2, for example, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
[0077] FIG. 13 is a time chart showing an example of the operations of the master ECU 10 and the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40 according to the processes of the flowchart of FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 13, the master ECU 10 turns on each of all the relay switches 14, 16, and 18 one by one in order and transmits a startup request message to the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40.
[0078] For example, as shown in FIG. 13, when the master ECU 10 turns on the first relay switch 14 corresponding to the first slave ECU 30, only the first slave ECU 30 is in a state of being supplied with power. Therefore, when the master ECU 10 transmits a startup request message, only the first slave ECU 30 can receive the startup request message. Then, the first slave ECU 30 starts the startup process in response to receiving the startup request message. When the startup process is completed, the first slave ECU 30 transmits a startup notification message to the master ECU 10.
[0079] Also, when the master ECU 10 turns on the second relay switch 16 corresponding to the second slave ECU 40, the second slave ECU 40 is supplied with power. At this time, when the master ECU 10 transmits a startup request message, the second slave ECU 40 can receive the startup request message. Then, the second slave ECU 40 starts the startup process in response to receiving the startup request message. On the other hand, although the first slave ECU 30 also receives the startup request message from the master ECU 10, since it has already been started up, the first slave ECU 30 does not transmit a startup notification message.
[0080] (Fifth Embodiment) Next, the assembly diagnosis system and the assembly diagnosis method according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0081] In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which an optional ECU is not connected has been described. In contrast, in this embodiment, an example in which an optional ECU is connected as one of the slave ECUs whose power supply presence or absence is controlled by the master ECU 10 will be described.
[0082] As shown in FIG. 14, in this embodiment, the third power port 18a connected to the third relay switch 18 of the relay circuit 12 is connected to the optional ECU 60. The communication circuit 62 of the optional ECU 60 has the same message transmission and reception function as the communication circuit 20 of the master ECU 10. Therefore, the optional ECU 60 can also transmit and receive various messages to and from each ECU connected to the communication network 22 using the communication circuit 62.
[0083] The type of the connected optional ECU may be different depending on which optional function is selected by the user and / or depending on the vehicle type and grade. Further, there is a possibility that an optional ECU may be added by an update after the vehicle is sold.
[0084] Therefore, regarding the optional ECU 60, unlike the first and second slave ECUs 30 and 40, as shown in FIG. 15, a candidate list of the optional ECU 60 is stored in association with the third relay switch 18 and / or the third power port 18a. When the master ECU 10 receives a startup notification message transmitted from the optional ECU 60 and any identifier included in the candidate list is included, the master ECU 10 performs a diagnosis of assembly OK. Thereby, it becomes possible to perform an assembly diagnosis regardless of which type of optional ECU 60 is connected as the optional ECU 60.
[0085] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the diagnostic process executed in the assembly diagnostic system according to this embodiment. Among the processes in the master ECU 10, the processes of steps S100 to S190 other than steps S142 and S152 and the processes of steps S200 to S220 of the slave ECUs 30, 40, and 60 are the same as the processes of steps S100 to S190 and the processes of steps S200 to S220 described in the flowchart of FIG. 2, respectively, and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.
[0086] In step S142 of the flowchart in FIG. 16, when the master ECU 10 receives a startup notification message from any one of the slave ECUs 30, 40, 60, it determines whether the startup notification message is received from the option ECU 60. For example, in step S120, when the third relay switch 18 for supplying power to the option ECU 60 is turned on and in step S140, when a startup notification message is received, the master ECU 10 can determine that it is a startup notification message received from the option ECU 60.
[0087] If it is determined in step S142 that the startup notification message is not received from the option ECU 60, the master ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S150. In step S150, the master ECU 10, in the same manner as in the above-described embodiments, refers to the information indicating the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 associated with the numbers of the relay switches 14, 16 or the numbers of the power ports 14a, 16a stored in advance in the storage, and identifies one identifier of the slave ECUs 30, 40 corresponding to one of the relay switches 14, 16 turned on in step S120. Then, the master ECU 10 collates the one identifier of the identified slave ECUs 30, 40 with the identifier included in the received startup notification message.
[0088] On the one hand, in step S142, when it is determined that the received message is a startup notification message from the option ECU 60, the master ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S152. In step S152, the master ECU 10 identifies a candidate list of identifiers of the option ECU 60 associated with the number of the third relay switch 18 or the number of the third power port 18a stored in the storage. Then, the master ECU 10 collates the identified candidate list of identifiers of the option ECU 60 with the identifier included in the received startup notification message. At this time, if the identifier included in the startup notification message matches any of the identifiers included in the candidate list, in step S160, the master ECU 10 determines that the collation result of the identifier in step S152 is OK. Note that the candidate list of identifiers of the option ECU 60 may be stored in advance or updated by communication with an external server.
[0089] Then, in step S194, as shown in FIG. 17, the master ECU 10 associates and stores the diagnostic elements of the slave ECUs 30, 40, 60 diagnosed as being correctly assembled with respect to the respective relay switches 14, 16, 18. The stored diagnostic elements include the matching diagnostic elements (learning diagnostic elements) of the option ECU 60. Thereby, as described in the third embodiment, the master ECU 10 can repeatedly transmit, to other ECUs connected to the communication network 22, a message including the on / off states of the respective relay switches 14, 16, 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40, 60 associated with the respective relay switches 14, 16, 18, based on the relationship between the relay switches 14, 16, 18 and the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40, 60 associated in the assembly diagnosis.
[0090] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, the present disclosure can be variously modified and implemented without being limited to the above-described embodiments at all, as long as it does not depart from the gist of the present disclosure.
[0091] For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which the master ECU 10 functions as a diagnostic unit that performs the assembly diagnosis of each of the slave ECUs 30, 40, and 60. However, it is not always necessary to provide the diagnostic unit in the master ECU 10. For example, it is also possible to configure other ECUs, diagnostic devices, etc. connected to the communication network 22 to have the function of the diagnostic unit.
[0092] Also, in the above-described fifth embodiment, the identifier included in the startup notification message is compared with one identifier for the normal slave ECUs 30, 40, and with a candidate list of a plurality of identifiers for the option ECU. However, for the normal slave ECUs 30, 40 as well, it may be determined that the assembly is OK if it is compared with a candidate list of a plurality of identifiers and matches any of the identifiers in the candidate list. For example, in some vehicles, a plurality of grades are set, and depending on the grade, the control contents of the slave ECUs 30, 40 for the same control target may be different. In such a case, it is possible to store the identifiers of the slave ECUs 30, 40 with different control contents for the same control target as a candidate list. Thereby, it becomes possible to perform the assembly diagnosis in units of groups by treating the slave ECUs 30, 40 with different control contents for the same control target as the same group.
[0093] Furthermore, the systems and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer configured to program a processor to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The systems and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented using dedicated hardware logic circuits. The systems and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. For example, some or all of the functions provided by the master ECU 10 may be implemented as hardware. Modes of implementing a certain function as hardware include modes of implementing using one or more ICs or the like. The processor (arithmetic core) may be, in addition to the CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DFP (Data Flow Processor), or the like. Some or all of the functions provided by the master ECU 10 may be implemented using any one of a system-on-chip (SoC), an IC (Integrated Circuit), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The concept of an IC also includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Also, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium as instructions to be executed by a computer. As the recording medium for the program, an HDD (Hard-disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like can be adopted. Also, forms such as a program for causing a computer to function as the master ECU 10 and a non-transitory physical recording medium such as a semiconductor memory recording this program are also included in the scope of this disclosure.
[0094] Finally, this specification discloses a plurality of technical ideas listed below and combinations thereof. The following combinations of technical ideas are applicable not only to the assembly diagnosis system 100 but also to the assembly diagnosis method and the assembly diagnosis program.
[0095] (Technical idea 1) A master ECU (10), At least one slave ECU (30, 40, 60) that transmits a startup notification message including its own identifier when starting up, Switches (14, 16, 18) provided in the power supply lines of the slave ECUs, The master ECU has a function of turning on and off the switches and can control the presence or absence of power supply to the slave ECUs, When the slave ECU starts up upon receiving power supply, it transmits the startup notification message to the communication network (22) to which the master ECU and the slave ECUs are connected, A diagnosis unit (S150, S160, S170, S180) that diagnoses whether the assembly of the slave ECU has been correctly performed based on the startup notification message transmitted to the communication network. An assembly diagnosis system comprising the same.
[0096] (Technical idea 2) The diagnosis unit stores the identifier of the slave ECU to be assembled and diagnoses whether the assembly of the slave ECU has been correctly performed based on the collation result between the stored identifier and the identifier included in the startup notification message. The assembly diagnosis system according to Technical idea 1.
[0097] (Technical idea 3) The master ECU is configured to be able to control the presence or absence of power supply to a plurality of the slave ECUs having different roles, When diagnosing by the diagnosis unit, the master ECU supplies power to the plurality of slave ECUs one by one at a predetermined cycle and in a predetermined order, The diagnostic unit diagnoses individually whether the assembly of the plurality of slave ECUs has been correctly performed based on the activation notification messages respectively transmitted from the plurality of slave ECUs, in the assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 1.
[0098] (Technical Idea 4) When power is supplied to the plurality of slave ECUs in a predetermined order, the diagnostic unit stores respectively the identifiers of the slave ECUs to be assembled as the slave ECUs corresponding to each order, and diagnoses individually whether the assembly of the slave ECUs has been correctly performed based on the collation result between the stored identifiers and the identifiers included in the activation notification messages transmitted in order, in the assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 3.
[0099] (Technical Idea 5) When the diagnostic unit cannot receive the activation notification message from the slave ECU, or when the identifier included in the activation notification message does not match the stored identifier, it diagnoses that the assembly of the slave ECU has not been correctly performed, in the assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 2 or 4.
[0100] (Technical Idea 6) The diagnostic unit stores one identifier as the identifier to be collated with the identifier included in the activation notification message, and when the identifier included in the activation notification message does not match the stored one identifier, it diagnoses that the assembly of the slave ECU that transmitted the activation notification message has not been correctly performed, in the assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 5.
[0101] (Technical Idea 7) The diagnostic unit stores a plurality of candidate identifiers as identifiers to be matched with the identifier included in the startup notification message. When the identifier included in the startup notification message does not match any of the plurality of stored candidate identifiers, it diagnoses that the assembly of the slave ECU that sent the startup notification message was not correctly performed. The assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 5.
[0102] (Technical Idea 8) The slave ECU transmits the startup notification message in response to being powered on and starting up. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7.
[0103] (Technical Idea 9) After starting the power supply to the slave ECU, the master ECU transmits a startup request message to the slave ECU. After receiving power supply, the slave ECU starts up in response to receiving the startup request message from the master ECU and transmits the startup notification message. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7.
[0104] (Technical Idea 10) The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9 further includes a notification unit (50) that notifies the user of the diagnosis result by the diagnostic unit.
[0105] (Technical Idea 11) The system further includes a notification ECU connected to the communication network and having a user notification function. The master ECU has the role of the diagnostic unit. The notification ECU receives a message including the diagnosis result from the master ECU and, as the notification unit, notifies the user of the diagnosis result. The assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 10.
[0106] (Technical Idea 12) The master ECU associates the switch with the identifier of the slave ECU whose power supply is controlled by the switch based on the diagnosis result by the diagnosis unit, and repeatedly transmits a message including the on / off state of the switch and the identifier of the slave ECU associated with the switch to the communication network. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11.
[0107] (Technical Idea 13) The assembly diagnosis system further includes at least one diagnosis ECU connected to the communication network and having a communication diagnosis function for determining whether other ECUs connected to the communication network can communicate normally. Based on the message periodically transmitted from the master ECU, the diagnosis ECU invalidates the communication diagnosis of the slave ECU for which the switch is turned off. The assembly diagnosis system according to Technical Idea 12.
[0108] (Technical Idea 14) Both the master ECU and the slave ECU are mounted on the vehicle. The diagnosis unit diagnoses whether the slave ECU is correctly assembled to the vehicle. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 13.
Explanation of Signs
[0109] 2: Battery, 4: Power supply circuit, 10: Master ECU, 12: Relay circuit, 14: First relay switch, 14a: First power port, 16: Second relay switch, 16a: Second power port, 18: Third relay switch, 18a: Third power port, 20: Communication circuit, 22: Communication network, 30: First slave ECU, 32: Communication circuit, 40: Second slave ECU, 42: Communication circuit, 50: Notification ECU, 52: Communication circuit, 60: Option ECU, 62: Communication circuit, 100: Assembly diagnosis system
Claims
1. A master ECU (10); At least one slave ECU (30, 40, 60) that transmits a startup notification message including its own identifier when starting up; Switches (14, 16, 18) provided in the power supply lines of the slave ECUs; The master ECU has a function of turning on and off the switches and can control the presence or absence of power supply to the slave ECUs; When the slave ECU starts up upon receiving power supply, it transmits the startup notification message to a communication network (22) to which the master ECU and the slave ECUs are connected; A diagnosis unit (S150, S160, S170, S180) that diagnoses whether the assembly of the slave ECU has been correctly performed based on the startup notification message transmitted to the communication network. An assembly diagnosis system comprising:
2. The diagnosis unit stores the identifiers of the slave ECUs to be assembled, and diagnoses whether the assembly of the slave ECUs has been correctly performed based on the collation result between the stored identifiers and the identifiers included in the startup notification message. The assembly diagnosis system according to Claim 1.
3. The master ECU is configured to be able to control the presence or absence of power supply to a plurality of the slave ECUs having different roles respectively; When the diagnosis is performed by the diagnosis unit, the master ECU supplies power to the plurality of slave ECUs one by one at a predetermined cycle and in a predetermined order; The diagnosis unit individually diagnoses whether the assembly of the plurality of slave ECUs has been correctly performed based on the startup notification messages respectively transmitted from the plurality of slave ECUs. The assembly diagnosis system according to Claim 1.
4. When the power supply to the plurality of slave ECUs is performed in a predetermined order, the diagnosis unit stores the identifiers of the slave ECUs to be assembled as the slave ECUs corresponding to the respective orders, and based on the collation result between the stored respective identifiers and the identifiers included in the startup notification messages transmitted in order, individually diagnoses whether the assembly of the plurality of slave ECUs has been correctly performed. The assembly diagnosis system according to Claim 3.
5. The diagnostic unit diagnoses that the assembly of the slave ECU has not been correctly performed when it cannot receive the startup notification message from the slave ECU, or when the identifier included in the startup notification message does not match the stored identifier. The assembly diagnosis system according to claim 2 or 4.
6. The diagnostic unit stores one identifier as the identifier to be compared with the identifier included in the startup notification message. When the identifier included in the startup notification message does not match the one stored identifier, the diagnostic unit diagnoses that the assembly of the slave ECU that transmitted the startup notification message has not been correctly performed. The assembly diagnosis system according to claim 5.
7. The diagnostic unit stores a plurality of candidate identifiers as the identifiers to be compared with the identifier included in the startup notification message. When the identifier included in the startup notification message does not match any of the plurality of stored candidate identifiers, the diagnostic unit diagnoses that the assembly of the slave ECU that transmitted the startup notification message has not been correctly performed. The assembly diagnosis system according to claim 5.
8. The slave ECU transmits the startup notification message in response to being powered on and starting up. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
9. After starting the power supply to the slave ECU, the master ECU transmits a startup request message to the slave ECU. After receiving power supply, the slave ECU starts up in response to receiving the startup request message from the master ECU and transmits the startup notification message. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
10. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further includes a notification unit (50) that notifies the user of the diagnosis result by the diagnostic unit.
11. The system further includes a notification ECU that is connected to the communication network and has a user notification function. The master ECU has a role as the diagnostic unit. The notification ECU receives a message including the diagnosis result from the master ECU and, as the notification unit, notifies the user of the diagnosis result. The assembly diagnosis system according to claim 10.
12. The master ECU associates the switch with an identifier of the slave ECU whose power supply is controlled by the switch based on a diagnosis result by the diagnosis unit, and repeatedly transmits a message including an on / off state of the switch and the identifier of the slave ECU associated with the switch to the communication network. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
13. The assembly diagnosis system further includes at least one diagnosis ECU connected to the communication network and having a diagnosis function for determining whether another ECU connected to the communication network can communicate normally. The diagnosis ECU invalidates a diagnosis function for the slave ECU in which the switch is turned off based on the message repeatedly transmitted from the master ECU. The assembly diagnosis system according to claim 12.
14. Both the master ECU and the slave ECU are mounted on a vehicle. The diagnosis unit diagnoses whether the slave ECU is correctly assembled to the vehicle. The assembly diagnosis system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
15. A master ECU (10) supplies power to a slave ECU by turning on switches (14, 16, 18) provided in a power supply line of the slave ECU (30, 40, 60). When the slave ECU is activated by receiving power supply, the slave ECU transmits an activation notification message including its own identifier to a communication network (22) to which the master ECU and the slave ECU are connected. An assembly diagnosis method includes: diagnosing, in a diagnosis unit (S150, S160, S170, S180), whether the slave ECU is correctly assembled based on the activation notification message transmitted to the communication network.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Vibration recorder
JP1981039425A