Writing apparatus

Abstract

To write software in an electronic controller apparatus while suppressing increase in size of a production line and longer manufacturing time.SOLUTION: A writing apparatus 10 according to the present invention has a built-in battery 28 and is configured such that power can be supplied from the built-in battery to an electronic controller apparatus 100. Accordingly, it is possible to perform writing processing to the electronic controller apparatus at optional timing which is not during processes of a production line, such as during the standby of a post-process between a pre-process and the post-process in the production line, before shipment of a product, and during conveyance of the product.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a writing device for writing software including programs and / or data into an electronic control device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a program writing system that writes a control program for controlling a control target device, which is provided from a writing device, into the memory of each electronic control device.

[0003] In the program writing system of Patent Document 1, an electronic control unit is mounted on a vehicle and connected to a writing device via a connection line. The electronic control unit writes the control program provided by the writing device into its own memory while receiving power from the vehicle's battery. Alternatively, the electronic control unit writes the control program provided by the writing device while connected to a power source installed on the production line instead of the vehicle's battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-256386 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The volume of software, such as control programs, written into electronic control devices tends to increase year by year. Therefore, if software is written into an electronic control device during the process of a production line for manufacturing the electronic control device, the writing time increases, which may extend the time required to manufacture the electronic control device. If the number of writing devices in the production line is increased to prevent this increase, the number and size of the equipment constituting the production line will increase, resulting in problems such as increased equipment costs and the need for a large space to install the production line.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a writing device that can write software into an electronic control device while suppressing the expansion of the production line scale and the lengthening of manufacturing time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a writing device (10) according to the present disclosure is a writing device for writing a program and / or data into an electronic control device (100) before the electronic control device is installed in a state capable of controlling a controlled object, a transmitting unit (20) that transmits programs and / or data to the electronic control device; and an internal battery (28) that serves as an operating power source. The writing device is configured to be able to supply power to the electronic control device from an internal battery; The electronic control device is characterized in that, by receiving power from the built-in battery, it is possible to write the program and / or data transmitted from the transmitter.

[0008] As described above, the writing device according to the present disclosure includes an internal battery and is configured to be able to supply power to the electronic control device from the internal battery. Therefore, it is possible to perform writing processing on the electronic control device at any time outside of the production line, such as during standby between upstream and downstream processes on the production line, before product shipment, or while the product is being transported. Therefore, the writing device according to the present disclosure makes it possible to write software, including programs and / or data, into the electronic control device without expanding the scale of the production line or lengthening the manufacturing time.

[0009] The reference numbers in parentheses above merely indicate an example of a correspondence with specific configurations in the embodiments described below, in order to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0010] Furthermore, the technical features of the present disclosure other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a writing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table that records information about a writing device required when writing to an electronic control device and power consumption of the electronic control device for each of a plurality of software programs. FIG. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a writing process executed by a writing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing details of the write information setting process in step S110 of the flowchart in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the effects of the writing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a writing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7]10 is a flowchart showing a writing process executed by a writing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a flowchart showing details of the power supply setting process in step S105 of the flowchart in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a power supply setting process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a connection state between a writing device and an electronic control device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one mode in which a plurality of electronic control devices are connected to one writing device. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a writing process executed by a writing device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a writing process executed by a writing device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing the first half of a writing process executed by a writing device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart showing the latter half of the writing process executed by the writing device according to the sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a writing device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the embodiments, the same or similar components may be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and their description may be omitted. When only a portion of a component is described in each embodiment, the other components of the previously described embodiment may be applied. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of components explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, components of multiple embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that the combination does not cause any particular problems.

[0013] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a writing device 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the writing device 10 includes a controller 12, a communication device 24, a memory 26, an internal battery 28, and a power supply circuit 30. Note that the configuration of the writing device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an example. For example, some of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted. Alternatively, any configuration may be added to the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] The controller 12 is a processing unit that performs various arithmetic processes according to programs stored in the memory 26, for example. The controller 12 includes at least one processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The controller 12 also includes a volatile memory such as a RAM, and the processor executes the various arithmetic processes described above while utilizing the temporary data storage function of the volatile memory. Note that FIG. 1 shows, in blocks, various functions that the controller 12 performs as the processor executes the programs. That is, the functions that the controller 12 performs include the functions of an identification unit 14, a determination unit 16, and a notification unit 18. The controller 12 also includes an input / output (I / O) circuit 20, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] The identification unit 14 acquires information for identifying software (programs and / or data) that the writing device 10 should write to the electronic control device 100, and identifies the software to be written based on the acquired information. The writing device 10 holds multiple types of software by storing multiple types of software with different software content in the memory 26. The identification unit 14 identifies the software to be written to the electronic control device 100 from the multiple types of software based on the information for identifying the software to be written.

[0016] For example, the identification unit 14 can acquire information (e.g., software name or product number) for identifying software to be written to the electronic control device 100 from a user terminal (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, or PC) by wirelessly or wired communication with the user terminal. Alternatively, a barcode or QR code (registered trademark) containing information for identifying the software to be written is printed on the electronic control device 100 to which the software is to be written. Then, a camera is provided in the writing device 10, and the identification unit 14 can acquire information for identifying the software to be written by reading the code printed on the electronic control device 100 with the camera. Alternatively, a timetable for identifying the software to be written according to date and time is created in advance based on a production schedule for the electronic control device 100. Then, the identification unit 14 may acquire information for identifying the software to be written to the electronic control device 100 from the timetable. Alternatively, the identification unit 14 can acquire information for identifying the software to be written from the electronic control device 100 by communicating with the electronic control device 100 (e.g., product number, lot number, identifier, etc.)

[0017] The determination unit 16 determines whether the specified software can be written with the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 based on whether the total power consumed by the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 when writing the specified software to the electronic control device 100 is smaller than the remaining power of the built-in battery 28. The memory 26 stores, for example, a table shown in Fig. 2. The table in Fig. 2 records, in association with one another, the ID of the product (electronic control device 100), the communication means used to write the software, the output (required power) of the electronic control device 100 when writing the software, the type of software to be written, the writing time, and the output (required power) of the writing device 10 when writing the software.

[0018] In this way, the writing device 10 has, as a table, information about the power consumption of the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 required when writing each of a plurality of types of software to the electronic control device 100. The writing device 10 can calculate the total power consumed by the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 according to the following formula 1, based on the output of the writing device 10, the output of the electronic control device 100, and the writing time associated with each piece of software. (Equation 1) Total power consumption = (output of electronic control device + output of writing device) x writing time

[0019] The notification unit 18 is configured to notify the user when any abnormality occurs during writing of software to the electronic control device 100. The notification unit 18 can notify the user of the occurrence of the abnormality, for example, by displaying the type of abnormality on a display provided in the writing device 10. Additionally or alternatively, when an abnormality occurs, the notification unit 18 may sound an alarm corresponding to the type of abnormality. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 18 can notify the user of the occurrence of the abnormality by generating a message for notifying the user of the occurrence of the abnormality and transmitting the message to the user terminal.

[0020] For example, when the determination unit 16 determines that the identified software cannot be written due to the remaining power of the built-in battery 28, the notification unit 18 notifies the user of a write abnormality (write error). In this case, the software write process is not executed. In addition, the notification unit 18 may also notify the user of a write error when, for example, the electronic control device 100 acquires information for identifying software to be written to the electronic control device 100 but does not have the software corresponding to the acquired information, or when a communication error or data abnormality is detected during the write process.

[0021] The input / output circuit 20 is a circuit that allows the writing device 10 to perform wired communication with the electronic control device 100 in accordance with a communication standard such as CAN (registered trademark) or Ethernet (registered trademark). The input / output circuit 20 corresponds to a transmitter in the present disclosure. A communication connector 22 is connected to the input / output circuit 20. When this communication connector 22 is attached to the electronic control device 100, the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 can communicate with each other. For example, the writing device 10 can obtain information for identifying software to be written from the electronic control device 100 via the input / output circuit 20 (such as the product number, lot number, and identifier of the electronic control device). The writing device 10 can also transmit data of the software to be written to the electronic control device 100 via the input / output circuit 20. Note that communication between the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 can also be performed wirelessly via a communication device 24. The writing device 10 may determine whether to perform wired communication or wireless communication with the electronic control device 100 by referring to a table. For electronic control devices 100 that are intended for wireless communication, the attachment of the communication connector 22 to the electronic control device 100 may be omitted.

[0022] The communication device 24 is for wireless communication with the electronic control device 100 and the user terminal in accordance with a wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The writing device 10 can receive, from the user terminal, an instruction to start a writing process and information for identifying software to be written via the communication device 24. Conversely, the writing device 10 can send a writing error message to the user terminal via the communication device 24. Note that communication between the writing device 10 and the user terminal may be wired communication instead of wireless communication.

[0023] The memory 26 is a storage medium that stores programs, data, information, and the like required for the writing device 10 to execute the process of writing software to the electronic control device 100. More specifically, the memory 26 stores a writing program executed by the controller 12, multiple types of software to be written to the electronic control device 100, and tables such as those shown in FIG. 2. A non-volatile memory such as a ROM or flash memory is used as the memory 26. Furthermore, if the above-mentioned writing abnormality occurs, diagnostic data related to the writing abnormality may be stored in the memory 26.

[0024] The internal battery 28 serves as the operating power source for the writing device 10. That is, the internal battery 28 supplies the power required for the writing device 10 to execute the writing process. In addition to supplying power to the writing device 10, the internal battery 28 also supplies power to the electronic control device 100 during the writing process. A power supply circuit 30 is connected to the internal battery 28. A power supply connector 32 that can be attached to a power connector of the electronic control device 100 is also connected to the power supply circuit 30. The power supply circuit 30 is configured to be able to supply or stop power from the internal battery 28 to the electronic control device 100 via the power supply connector 32 under the control of the controller 12.

[0025] Next, the writing process of the writing device 10, which is mainly executed by the controller 12, will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0026] In the first step S100, the controller 12 determines whether a trigger to start the writing process has occurred. For example, the controller 12 can determine that a trigger to start the writing process has occurred when it receives an instruction to start the writing process transmitted from a user terminal. Alternatively, the controller 12 can determine that a trigger to start the writing process has occurred when the power supply connector 32 (and the communication connector 22) is attached to the electronic control device 100. Alternatively, if a location where execution of the writing process is permitted is determined and the writing device 10 is equipped with a position detection device such as a GPS, the controller 12 can determine that a trigger to start the writing process has occurred when it reaches a location where execution of the writing process is permitted. Furthermore, the controller 12 can determine that a trigger to start the writing process has occurred when a predetermined time has elapsed after the communication connector 22 and the power supply connector 32 of the writing device 10 have been attached to the electronic control device 100, or when a condition such as no vibration has occurred for a certain period of time is satisfied.

[0027] If it is determined in step S100 that a trigger to start the write process has occurred, the controller 12 proceeds to the process of step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined that a trigger to start the write process has not occurred, the controller 12 repeatedly executes the process of step S100 until it is determined that a trigger to start the write process has occurred.

[0028] In step S110, the controller 12 executes a write information setting process for setting the software to be written. The write information setting process will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0029] First, in step S300, the controller 12 acquires the ID of the electronic control device 100 (such as the product number, lot number, or identifier of the electronic control device) from the electronic control device 100 to be written. This ID of the electronic control device 100 is used as information for identifying the software to be written. As described above, the controller 12 can acquire information for identifying the software to be written to the electronic control device 100 (for example, the name or product number of the software) from the user terminal. In this case, in step S300, the controller 12 receives information for identifying the software to be written to the electronic control device 100 from the user terminal. Furthermore, if the information for identifying the software to be written is indicated by a code printed on the electronic control device 100, the controller 12 reads the code printed on the electronic control device 100 using a camera provided in the writing device 10 in step S300. Alternatively, if a timetable is created based on the production schedule of the electronic control device 100, specifying the software to be written according to the date and time, the controller 12 obtains information from the timetable in step S300 to specify the software to be written to the electronic control device 100.

[0030] In step S310, the controller 12 refers to the table and determines, based on the acquired information for identifying the software to be written, whether or not the controller 12 possesses software corresponding to the information. For example, if the ID of the electronic control device 100 is acquired as information for identifying the software to be written, the controller 12 can determine, based on whether the acquired ID is recorded in the table, whether or not the controller 12 possesses the corresponding software. If the controller 12 possesses the corresponding software, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S320. If the controller 12 does not possess the corresponding software, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S340. The processing of steps S300 and S310 corresponds to the identification unit 14 of the controller 12.

[0031] In step S320, the controller 12 determines whether the write process is executable based on the remaining power of the built-in battery 28. That is, the controller 12 determines whether the specified software can be written with the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 based on whether the total power consumed by the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 to write the specified software to the electronic control device 100 is smaller than the remaining power of the built-in battery 28. If it is determined that the write process is executable, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S330. On the other hand, if it is determined that the write process is not executable, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S340. The processing of step S320 corresponds to the determination unit 16 of the controller 12.

[0032] In step S330, the controller 12 sets the identified software as software to be sent for writing to the electronic control device 100. Further, in step S330, the controller 12 sets the write error flag to OFF. This completes the process of setting the write information. On the other hand, in step S340, since the writing device 10 does not have the software to be written or the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 is not enough to execute the write process, the controller 12 sets the write error flag to ON and returns to the process of the flowchart in FIG. 3.

[0033] 3, the controller 12 determines whether the write error flag is set to OFF. If the write error flag is set to ON, the software write process cannot be executed, and the controller 12 proceeds to the process of step S130. On the other hand, if the write error flag is set to OFF, the software write process can be executed, and the controller 12 proceeds to the process of step S140.

[0034] In step S130, the controller 12 notifies the user that an abnormality has occurred that prevents the software from being written. As described above, the notification is made by displaying a message on a display provided in the writing device 10, sounding a warning sound, or sending an error message to the user terminal. The processing of step S130 corresponds to the notification unit 18 of the controller 12.

[0035] In step S140, the controller 12 starts supplying power to the electronic control device 100, which is the target for writing software, via the power supply circuit 30. That is, the supply of power for the writing operation from the built-in battery 28 of the writing device 10 to the electronic control device 100 starts. This enables the electronic control device 100 to receive software data transmitted from the writing device 10 and write the data to its own memory. Note that, when the writing device 10 acquires an ID from the target electronic control device 100 as information for identifying the software to be written, the power supply to the electronic control device 100 can be started before executing the write information setting process of step S110. This enables the electronic control device 100 to operate using power supplied from the built-in battery 28 of the writing device 10 and transmit its own ID to the writing device 10.

[0036] In step S150, the controller 12 starts writing software to the electronic control unit 100. Specifically, the controller 12 starts transmitting data of the software set in the writing information setting process in step S110. At this time, if a communication means with the electronic control unit 100 is specified in the table, the controller 12 transmits the software data using the specified communication means. The electronic control unit 100 receives the transmitted data and writes the software data to its own memory using a writing program stored in advance. The processing in the writing device 10 and the electronic control unit 100 is repeated until transmission of the software data from the writing device 10 is completed. Note that data of the writing program used in the electronic control unit 100 may also be transmitted from the writing device 10.

[0037] In step S160, the controller 12 determines whether a communication error has occurred in the transmission of software data from the writing device 10 to the electronic control device 100. For example, if communication between the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 is interrupted due to a disconnection of the communication line or a disconnection of the connector, the controller 12 can determine that a communication error has occurred based on the fact that the level of the communication line does not change in accordance with the transmitted data. In addition, the controller 12 can determine that a communication error has occurred when a failure occurs in the input / output circuit 20 of the writing device 10 and / or the input / output circuit of the electronic control device 100, and even if software data is transmitted from the writing device 10, an acknowledgement signal (Ack signal) is not received, or when the waiting time for the software data in the electronic control device 100 exceeds a predetermined time. If it is determined that a communication error has occurred, the controller 12 proceeds to the processing of step S200. If it is determined that a communication error has not occurred, the controller 12 proceeds to the processing of step S170.

[0038] In step S170, the controller 12 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the software data. For example, the controller 12 adds a data error detection code such as a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to the software data and transmits it to the electronic control unit 100. The electronic control unit 100 checks whether or not there is an error in the received software data based on the data error detection code. If there is an error in the software data, the electronic control unit 100 notifies the writing device 10 of this fact. This allows the controller 12 to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the software data. Note that the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the software data may be performed by a memory verification check or the like after all the software data has been written to memory.

[0039] In step S180, the controller 12 determines whether the transmission of the software data is complete, i.e., whether the writing of the software is complete. For example, the controller 12 can determine that the writing of the software is complete when the transmission of all the software data from the writing device 10 is complete. Alternatively, the controller 12 may determine that the writing of the software is complete when the controller 12 receives a notification of the completion of writing from the electronic control device 100 after the transmission of all the software data is complete. If the controller 12 determines that the writing of the software is complete, the controller 12 proceeds to the processing of step S190. If the controller 12 determines that the writing of the software is not yet complete, the controller 12 returns to the processing of step S160.

[0040] In step S190, the controller 12 stores and saves in the memory 26 or the like write completion information including the type of the written software and the ID of the electronic control device 100 that wrote the software.

[0041] In step S200, the controller 12 executes a write error process. In this write error process, the controller 12 can retry writing the software. If the software is not successfully written even after this retry, the controller 12 can determine that a write error has occurred. Furthermore, in the write error process, the controller 12 can send a message to the user terminal indicating that a write error has occurred. This allows the user to recognize the occurrence of the write error and, if necessary, can take measures to resolve the write error. Furthermore, in the write error process, the controller 12 can record diagnostic data indicating the occurrence of the write error in the memory 26 or the like.

[0042] Finally, in step S210, the controller 12 stops supplying power to the electronic control device 100, and ends the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0043] As described above, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment includes an internal battery 28. The internal battery 28 supplies operating power to the writing device 10 and also supplies operating power to the electronic control device 100 via the power supply circuit 30. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the writing device 10 can write software to the electronic control device 100 at any timing outside the production line, such as during standby between upstream and downstream processes on the production line for the electronic control device 100, before product shipment or during product transportation, or before the start of assembly of the product into a vehicle. Therefore, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment makes it possible to write software to the electronic control device 100 while preventing the expansion of the production line and the lengthening of the manufacturing time.

[0044] (Second embodiment) Next, a writing device 10 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 6 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the writing device 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the writing device 10 according to the second embodiment includes a controller 12, a communicator 24, a memory 26, an internal battery 28, and a power supply circuit 30, similar to the writing device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0045] Additionally, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment is provided with an external power supply connector 34 that can be connected to an external power supply 36, such as a commercial power supply. The external power supply connector 34 corresponds to a connection portion in this disclosure. When the external power supply connector 34 is connected to the external power supply 36, the power supply circuit 30 is configured to be able to supply power from the external power supply 36 to the electronic control device 100 and charge the built-in battery 28 using the power provided by the external power supply 36, under the control of the controller 12.

[0046] The writing process executed by the controller 12 of the writing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0047] As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the writing process executed by the controller 12 of the writing device 10 according to this embodiment is basically the same as the writing process executed by the controller 12 of the writing device 10 according to the first embodiment. However, in the writing process according to this embodiment, a power supply setting process in step S105 is added between the writing process trigger determination process in step S100 and the write information setting process in step S110, compared to the writing process according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the power supply setting process in step S105 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8, and a description of the processes in the other steps of the flowchart of FIG. 7 will be omitted. The power supply setting process in step S105 corresponds to a control unit in the claims.

[0048] 8, in step S400, the controller 12 determines whether or not the external power supply connector 34 of the writing device 10 is connected to the external power supply 36. If the external power supply connector 34 is not connected to the external power supply 36, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S410. On the other hand, if the external power supply connector 34 is connected to the external power supply 36, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S420.

[0049] In step S410, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that the internal battery 28 becomes the power supply source for the electronic control device 100 since the controller 12 is not connected to the external power source 36.

[0050] In step S420, the controller 12 determines whether or not there is a user request regarding the power supply source to the electronic control device 100. That is, the controller 12 determines whether or not a user request instructing whether the built-in battery 28 or the external power source 36 should be used as the power supply source to the electronic control device 100 has been received from the user terminal. If a user request has been received, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S430. If a user request has not been received, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S440.

[0051] In step S430, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that either the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36 will be the power supply source for the electronic control device 100 in accordance with the received user request.

[0052] In step S440, the controller 12 determines whether the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined power threshold. The predetermined power threshold is set to a value large enough to allow the remaining power of the internal battery 28 to fully cover the power consumed by the writing device 10 as well as the electronic control device 100 during the writing process. If it is determined that the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is equal to or greater than the predetermined power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing in step S450. On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is less than the predetermined power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing in step S460.

[0053] In step S450, the controller 12 selects, in accordance with a predetermined rule, whether the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36 will be used as the power supply source, and sets the power supply circuit 30 so that power is supplied to the electronic control device 100 from the selected internal battery 28 or external power source 36. Note that power may always be supplied to the writing device 10 from the internal battery 28, or may be supplied from the external power source 36 when the external power source 36 is selected.

[0054] As a rule for selecting a power supply source, for example, a rule may be established such that the external power source 36 is selected as the power supply source during nighttime hours when electricity rates are cheaper. Furthermore, the writing device 10 acquires information on the operating status of the production line and the personnel working on the production line from a production management system. Then, when the number of personnel working on the production line is small relative to the production volume of the electronic control device 100, a rule may be established such that the external power source 36 is selected as the power supply source to reduce the charging work for the built-in battery 28 of the writing device 10. Furthermore, when the operating rate of the production line is high, a rule may be established such that the external power source 36 is selected as the power supply source to reduce the time required for charging the built-in battery 28 of the writing device 10. Then, a rule may be established such that the built-in battery 28 is selected as the power supply source in situations other than those described above.

[0055] In step S460, because the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is insufficient, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that the external power source 36 becomes the power supply source for the electronic control device 100. Furthermore, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that the internal battery 28 is charged with power from the external power source 36.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, when a user request regarding the power supply source is not received, whether to use the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36 to supply power to the electronic control device 100 is determined based on the remaining power level of the internal battery 28. Specifically, when the remaining power level of the internal battery 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined power threshold, either the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36 can be used as the power supply source. Therefore, whether the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36 is to be used as the power supply source is selected according to a predetermined rule. On the other hand, when the remaining power level of the internal battery 28 is less than the predetermined power threshold, the remaining power level of the internal battery 28 may not be enough to cover the power required by the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100. Therefore, the external power source 36 is selected as the power supply source for the electronic control device 100. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to select either the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36, whichever is more appropriate, as the power supply source for the electronic control device 100.

[0057] (Third embodiment) Next, a writing device 10 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The writing device 10 according to this embodiment has the same configuration as the writing device 10 according to the second embodiment, and therefore a description of the configuration will be omitted.

[0058] In the second embodiment described above, an example was described in which a commercial power supply was used as the external power supply 36. However, it is also possible to use a portable power supply equipped with a relatively large-capacity storage battery as the external power supply 36. Therefore, in this embodiment, a case in which a portable power supply is used as the external power supply 36 will be described. In this embodiment, of the writing process executed in the writing device 10, only the power supply setting process is different from the second embodiment. The other processes are the same as in the first and second embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

[0059] 9 is a flowchart showing details of the power supply setting process executed mainly by the controller 12 of the writing device 10 according to this embodiment. Steps S500 to S530 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 are the same as steps S400 to S430 in the flowchart of FIG. 8, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0060] In step S540, the controller 12 determines whether the remaining power of the external power source 36 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first power threshold and whether the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second power threshold. The predetermined first power threshold is set to a value large enough to cover the power consumed by the electronic control device 100 during the writing process, based on the remaining power of the external power source 36. The predetermined second power threshold is set to a value large enough to cover the power consumed by the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 during the writing process, based on the remaining power of the internal battery 28. The first power threshold and the second power threshold may be the same or different. The controller 12 can obtain information regarding the remaining power of the external power source 36 from the external power source 36 via wired or wireless communication. Alternatively, the controller 12 may initially consider the external power source 36 to be fully charged and estimate the remaining power of the external power source 36 by subtracting the power used in the writing process and charging the internal battery 28 from the fully charged state.

[0061] If it is determined in step S540 that the remaining power of the external power source 36 is equal to or greater than the predetermined first power threshold and that the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 is equal to or greater than the predetermined second power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S550. On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining power of the external power source 36 is less than the predetermined first power threshold and / or that the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 is less than the predetermined second power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S560.

[0062] In step S550, the controller 12 selects, in accordance with a predetermined rule, whether the internal battery 28 or the external power source 36 will be used as the power supply source, and sets the power supply circuit 30 so that power is supplied to the electronic control device 100 from the selected internal battery 28 or external power source 36. Note that, as in the second embodiment, power may be supplied to the writing device 10 from the internal battery 28, or, if the external power source 36 is selected, from the external power source 36. Furthermore, the same rules as those described in the second embodiment can be used as the rules for selecting the power supply source.

[0063] In step S560, the controller 12 determines whether the remaining power of the external power source 36 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first power threshold and whether the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is less than a predetermined second power threshold. If it is determined that the remaining power of the external power source 36 is equal to or greater than the predetermined first power threshold and that the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is less than the predetermined second power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S570. On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining power of the external power source 36 is less than the predetermined first power threshold and / or that the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is equal to or greater than the predetermined second power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S600.

[0064] In step S570, because the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is insufficient, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that the external power source 36 becomes the power supply source for the electronic control device 100. Then, in step S580, the controller 12 determines whether or not the internal battery 28 can be charged based on the remaining power of the external power source 36 after deducting the power required for the write process. For example, if the remaining power of the external power source 36 after deducting the power required for the write process is greater than the power required to charge the internal battery 28, the controller 12 can determine that the internal battery 28 can be charged.

[0065] If it is determined in step S580 that the built-in battery 28 can be charged, the controller 12 proceeds to the process of step S590. On the other hand, if it is determined that the built-in battery 28 cannot be charged, the controller 12 ends the process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 9 and returns to the write process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 7. In step S590, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that the built-in battery 28 is charged by power from the external power supply 36.

[0066] In step S600, the controller 12 determines whether the remaining power of the external power source 36 is less than a predetermined first power threshold and whether the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second power threshold. If it is determined that the remaining power of the external power source 36 is less than the predetermined first power threshold and that the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 is equal to or greater than the predetermined second power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S610. On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining power of the external power source 36 is less than the predetermined first power threshold and that the remaining power of the built-in battery 28 is less than the predetermined second power threshold, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S620.

[0067] In step S610, the controller 12 sets the power supply circuit 30 so that the internal battery 28 becomes the power supply source for the writing device 10 and the electronic control device 100 because the remaining power of the external power source 36 is insufficient.

[0068] In step S620, the controller 12 turns on an error flag because the remaining power of both the internal battery 28 and the external power supply 36 is insufficient and the software write process cannot be executed. As a result, in step S130 of the flowchart in Figure 7, the controller 12 can notify the user that an abnormality has occurred that prevents the software from being written. Thus, in this embodiment, when the remaining power of the external power supply 36 is below a predetermined first threshold power and the remaining power of the internal battery 28 is below a predetermined second threshold power, the controller 12 does not supply power to the electronic control device 100 for software writing and notifies the user that a write abnormality has occurred.

[0069] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a writing device according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a connection state of a writing device 10A and electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, in this embodiment, unlike the first to third embodiments in which one writing device 10 is connected to one electronic control device 100, one writing device 10A is connected to multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C.

[0070] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing one mode when multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C are connected to one writing device 10A. In Fig. 11, reference numeral 60 denotes a storage box that houses and stores the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, which are products, while they are waiting for a subsequent process on the production line, before the products are shipped, during product transport, or before the products are assembled.

[0071] A tray 62 having a plurality of recesses formed therein is provided inside the storage box 60 to serve as storage sections for the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Power supply connectors 51A, 51B, and 51C are arranged at the bottom of the tray 62. The power supply connectors 51A, 51B, and 51C are connected to power supply lines 50A, 50B, and 50C, respectively, that extend from the writing device 10A inside the tray 62. The plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C are connected to the corresponding power supply connectors 51A, 51B, and 51C as they are stored in the storage sections of the tray 62. When the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C need to communicate with the writing device 10A via wires, a communication connector may be installed at a position different from the power supply connectors 51A, 51B, and 51C at the bottom of the plurality of recesses of the tray 62.

[0072] 10, the writing device 10A has a power switching circuit 40 in addition to the configuration of the writing device 10 of the first to third embodiments. The power switching circuit 40 is a circuit that can switch among the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which power is supplied from the built-in battery 28 or the external power source 36 under the control of the controller 12. Specifically, the power switching circuit 40 is configured to supply power to one of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, and can arbitrarily switch among the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C under the control of the controller 12. Furthermore, the power switching circuit 40 can be configured to supply power to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C simultaneously under the control of the controller 12.

[0073] Next, a writing process in which the writing device 10A of this embodiment writes software to the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the writing process executed by the writing device 10A of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the writing device 10A writes software to the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C in sequence. Therefore, the processes in steps S110 to S210 of the flowchart in FIG. 12 are executed sequentially and individually for the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Note that the processes in steps S100 to S210 of the flowchart in FIG. 12 are basically the same as the processes in steps S100 to S210 of the flowchart in FIG. 3, and therefore will not be described again.

[0074] In step S220, the controller 12 determines whether or not writing of software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is complete. If it is determined that writing of software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is complete, the controller 12 ends the processing shown in the flowchart of Fig. 12. On the other hand, if it is determined that writing of software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is not complete, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S230.

[0075] In step S230, the controller 12 switches between the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which software is to be written. Specifically, the controller 12 identifies the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which software is to be newly written from among the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which software writing has not yet been completed. The controller 12 then sets the input / output circuit 20 or the communication device 24 so as to be able to communicate with the identified electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, and sets the power switching circuit 40 so that the destination of power supply by the power switching circuit 40 is the identified electronic control device 100A, 100B, or 100C.

[0076] Thereafter, the controller 12 executes the processes of steps S110 to S210 to write the software corresponding to the identified electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Note that if it is planned to write the same software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, the controller 12 may execute the process from step S140 after executing the process of step S230, rather than returning to step S110.

[0077] According to this embodiment, it is possible to continuously write software to a plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C using one writing device 10A. This reduces the equipment cost for writing software and also reduces the work time required for writing.

[0078] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a writing device 10 according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Like the writing device 10A of the fourth embodiment, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment is also connected to a plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. However, this embodiment is premised on the premise that the same software is written to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, and the single writing device 10 writes the software to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C simultaneously.

[0079] Therefore, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment simultaneously supplies power to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C from the built-in battery 28 or the external power source 36. Therefore, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment does not necessarily require the power switching circuit 40 of the writing device 10A shown in FIG. 10 . In this embodiment, the writing device 10 may include a power supply circuit 30 that can switch between supplying power to each of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Furthermore, the writing device 10 according to this embodiment simultaneously transmits data of the software to be written to all of the connected electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C via the input / output circuit 20 or the communication device 24. Other configurations of the writing device 10 are similar to those of the writing device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0080] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the writing process executed by the writing device 10 according to this embodiment. The processes in steps S100 to S210 in the flowchart of Fig. 13 are basically the same as the processes in steps S100 to S210 in the flowchart of Fig. 3. Therefore, the following will explain the differences between the writing process in this embodiment and the writing process in the first embodiment.

[0081] In this embodiment, as described above, the writing device 10 writes software to the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C simultaneously. Therefore, in the write information setting process in step S110 of the flowchart in Fig. 13, the controller 12 identifies common software to be written to all of the electronic control devices 100, and sets the identified software as software to be sent for writing to each of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Furthermore, in step S140, the controller 12 starts power supply by supplying power from the built-in battery 28 or the external power source 36 to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C.

[0082] If a communication error is determined to have occurred in step S160 or a data abnormality is determined in step S170 while software data is being transmitted from the writing device 10, the controller 12 executes the process of step S240. In step S240, the controller 12 identifies which of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C the error, such as a communication error or data abnormality, occurred in during transmission of the software data to, and identifies the electronic control device 100A, 100B, or 100C in which the error occurred. Then, in step S250, as a write error process, the controller 12 transmits to the user terminal a message indicating the occurrence of a write abnormality, including information indicating which electronic control device 100A, 100B, or 100C has experienced the abnormality, or records diagnostic data indicating the occurrence of the write abnormality in the memory 26 or the like.

[0083] Thereafter, in step S260, the controller 12 stops supplying power to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C in which the error occurred, thereby preventing the software from being written. The controller 12 then returns to step S150 and resumes writing the software to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which software writing can be successfully performed. At this time, the controller 12 may retry sending the software data from the beginning, or may resume sending the software data from the data following the data that has already been written. Furthermore, as a write error process, the controller 12 may retry writing the software at least once to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, including the electronic control devices in which the error occurred.

[0084] In step S185, the controller 12 determines whether or not writing of software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is complete. If it is determined that writing of software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is complete, the controller 12 proceeds to processing in step S190. If it is determined that writing of software to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is not yet complete, the controller 12 returns to processing in step S160.

[0085] In step S190, the controller 12 stores and saves in the memory 26 or the like write completion information including the type of written software and the number and IDs of all electronic control devices 100A, 100B, 100C to which the software has been written.

[0086] According to this embodiment, it is assumed that the same software is written to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, and it is possible to simultaneously write software to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C using a single writing device 10. This makes it possible to reduce the equipment costs for writing software and further reduce the work time required for writing.

[0087] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a writing device 10A according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Like the writing device 10A according to the fourth embodiment, the writing device 10A according to this embodiment is also connected to a plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Furthermore, the writing device 10A according to this embodiment has a power switching circuit 40 that can switch between the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which power is supplied, as shown in FIG.

[0088] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the writing device 10A writes partially different software to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. In other words, the plurality of software to be written to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C has a common part that is common to at least two or more pieces of software, and individual parts that are different from at least two or more pieces of software.

[0089] The writing device 10A according to this embodiment simultaneously writes the common parts of the software to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C by simultaneously supplying power to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which the software having the common parts is to be written. Then, the writing device 10A sequentially writes the individual parts of the software to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C by using the power switching circuit 40 to switch the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which the power is to be supplied.

[0090] In this way, although the software written to the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is different, if there are common parts in at least two or more pieces of software, by writing the common parts all at once, it is possible to reduce the overall time required to write software to the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C.

[0091] Figures 14 and 15 are flowcharts showing the write process executed by the writing device 10A according to this embodiment. The processes of steps S100, S120 to S130, S150 to S170, and S240 to S260 in the flowchart of Figure 14 are basically the same as the processes of steps S100, S120 to S140, S150 to S170, and S240 to S260 in the flowchart of Figure 13. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences between the write process of this embodiment and the write process of the first embodiment.

[0092] In step S115, the controller 12 of the writing device 10A identifies a plurality of software programs to be written to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C. Then, for the identified plurality of software programs, the controller 12 separates a common portion that is common to at least two or more pieces of software from individual portions that are different for each piece of software. Then, in order to simultaneously write the common portions of the software, the controller 12 first sets the common portions of the software as the software to be written to the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C.

[0093] In step S145, the controller 12 starts power supply by simultaneously supplying power to the multiple electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which the common parts of the software are to be written. At this time, if the software to be written to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C has a common part, all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C are powered. However, if the software to be written to one or more of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C does not have a common part with other software, the one or more electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C are not powered.

[0094] In step S187, the controller 12 determines whether writing of the common part of the software has been completed for each of the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C to which the common part of the software has been written. If it is determined that writing of the common part of the software has been completed for the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, the controller 12 proceeds to processing of step S1140 in the flowchart of Fig. 15. If it is determined that writing of the common part of the software has not yet been completed for the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, the controller 12 returns to processing of step S160.

[0095] 15, the controller 12 executes writing of the individual portions of software. First, in step S1140, the controller 12 determines one of the plurality of electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C as a write target. Then, the controller 12 sets the individual portions of software to be written to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C determined as the write target as the software to be written. Furthermore, in step S1140, if the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C determined as the write target are not the write targets for the common portion of software and have not yet been supplied with power, the controller 12 starts supplying power to the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C determined as the write targets.

[0096] In step S1150, controller 12 starts writing the individual portions of software to the electronic control device 100 that has been determined to be the writing target. Note that the processing of steps S1160 to S1200 is similar to the processing of steps S160 to S200 in the flowcharts of Figures 3 and 12, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] In step S1220, the controller 12 determines whether writing of the individual software portions to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is complete. If it is determined that writing of the individual software portions to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is complete, the controller 12 proceeds to the process of step S1230. On the other hand, if it is determined that writing of the individual software portions to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C is not complete, the controller 12 returns to the process of step S1140. In this case, in step S1140, the controller 12 switches the electronic control device 100A, 100B, and 100C to be written, and performs the writing of the individual software portions by the processes from step S1150 onward. In step S1230, the controller 12 stops supplying power to all of the electronic control devices 100A, 100B, and 100C, and ends the writing process.

[0098] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0099] For example, the apparatus, system, and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. The apparatus and methods described herein may also be implemented using dedicated hardware logic circuits. The apparatus and methods described herein may also be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor executing a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The processor may be any computing core, such as a CPU, MPU, GPU, or DFP (Data Flow Processor). Some or all of the functions of the processor may be implemented by hardware. For example, some or all of the functions of the processor may be implemented using a system-on-chip (SoC), an integrated circuit (IC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 10: writing device, 10A: writing device, 12: controller, 14: identification unit, 16: determination unit, 18: notification unit, 20: input / output circuit, 22: communication connector, 24: communication device, 26: memory, 28: built-in battery, 30: power supply circuit, 32: power supply connector, 34: external power supply connector, 36: external power supply, 40: power switching circuit, 50A: power supply line, 50B: power supply line, 50C: power supply line, 51A: power supply connector, 51B: power supply connector, 51C: power supply connector, 60: storage box, 62: tray, 100: electronic control device, 100A: electronic control device, 100B: electronic control device, 100C: electronic control device

Claims

1. A writing device (10) for writing a program and / or data into an electronic control device (100) before the electronic control device is installed in a state capable of controlling a controlled object, a transmitting unit (20) that transmits the program and / or the data to the electronic control device; an internal battery (28) that serves as an operating power source; the writing device is configured to be able to supply power from the built-in battery to the electronic control device; a writing device, wherein the electronic control device is capable of writing the program and / or the data transmitted from the transmitting unit by receiving power from the built-in battery.

2. Further comprising a connection (34) for connection to an external power source (36); The writing device according to claim 1 , wherein when the writing device is connected to the external power supply, the writing device is capable of supplying power supplied from the external power supply to the electronic control device.

3. 3. The writing device according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit (12) that controls whether to use the built-in battery or the external power supply to supply power to the electronic control device.

4. 4. The writing device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether to use the built-in battery or the external power supply to supply power to the electronic control device based on an instruction from a user.

5. 4. The writing device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether to use the internal battery or the external power supply to supply power to the electronic control device based on the remaining power level of the internal battery.

6. 6. The writing device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit determines to supply power to the electronic control device using the external power supply when the remaining power of the built-in battery is below a predetermined power threshold.

7. the control unit determines to supply power to the electronic control device using the external power supply when the remaining power of the built-in battery is below a predetermined threshold power; 6. The writing device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit also charges the built-in battery while supplying power to the electronic control device using the external power supply.

8. The writing device described in claim 3, wherein when the external power source is a portable power source that stores a finite amount of power, the control unit determines whether to use the built-in battery or the external power source to supply power to the electronic control device based on the remaining power of the built-in battery and the remaining power of the external power source.

9. 9. The writing device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit supplies power to the electronic control device using the external power source when the remaining power of the external power source exceeds a predetermined first threshold power and the remaining power of the built-in battery is below a predetermined second threshold power, and charges the built-in battery when the external power source has power to charge the built-in battery in addition to the power supplied to the electronic control device.

10. The electronic control device further includes a notification unit (18) that notifies a user when an error occurs in writing the program and / or the data to the electronic control device.

9. The writing device of claim 8, wherein when the remaining power of the external power source is below a predetermined first threshold power and the remaining power of the built-in battery is below a predetermined second threshold power, the control unit does not supply power to the electronic control device for writing the program and / or the data, and instructs the notification unit to notify of an error.

11. the writing device holds a plurality of types of the programs and / or the data, The writing device according to claim 1, further comprising an identification unit (14) that acquires information for identifying the program and / or the data to be written to the electronic control device and identifies the program and / or the data to be written based on the acquired information.

12. The writing device according to claim 11 , wherein the specifying unit obtains, from the electronic control device, information for specifying the program and / or the data to be written to the electronic control device.

13. The writing device of claim 12 further comprises a notification unit (18) that notifies a user of the occurrence of an error if the writing device does not have the program and / or data corresponding to the information obtained from the electronic control device for identifying the program and / or data to be written to the electronic control device.

14. the writing device has information regarding the power consumption of the writing device and the electronic control device required for writing each of the plurality of types of programs and / or data to the electronic control device, a determination unit (16) that, when power is supplied to the electronic control device using the built-in battery, determines whether or not the remaining power of the built-in battery is sufficient for writing, based on information about power consumption in the writing device and the electronic control device corresponding to the program and / or data to be written; 14. The writing device according to claim 11, further comprising a notification unit (18) that notifies a user of the occurrence of an error when it is determined that writing is not possible due to the remaining power of the built-in battery.

15. the writing device is connected to the plurality of electronic control devices so as to be able to supply power to the plurality of electronic control devices; The power supply system further includes a power switching circuit (40) that can switch the electronic control device to which power is supplied for the plurality of electronic control devices, The writing device according to claim 1 , wherein the writing device writes the program and / or the data to the plurality of electronic control devices in sequence while switching the electronic control devices to which power is supplied by the power switching circuit.

16. the writing device is connected to the plurality of electronic control devices so as to be able to supply power to the plurality of electronic control devices; 2. The writing device according to claim 1, wherein the writing device writes the program and / or the data to the plurality of electronic control devices simultaneously by supplying power to the plurality of electronic control devices simultaneously.

17. the writing device is connected to the plurality of electronic control devices so as to be able to supply power to the plurality of electronic control devices; The power supply system further includes a power switching circuit (40) that can switch the electronic control device to which power is supplied for the plurality of electronic control devices, The writing device of claim 1, wherein when writing the program and / or data that are partially common to multiple electronic control devices, the writing device simultaneously writes the common parts of the program and / or data to multiple electronic control devices by supplying power to the multiple electronic control devices simultaneously, and sequentially writes the individual parts of the program and / or data to the multiple electronic control devices while switching the electronic control device to which power is supplied by the power switching circuit (40).

18. 2. The writing device according to claim 1, wherein the writing device is provided integrally with a storage box (60) for storing the electronic control device.

19. The writing device according to claim 18 , wherein the writing device is capable of supplying power to the electronic control device in response to the electronic control device being stored in the storage box.

Images