In-vehicle electronic control device

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle electronic control device capable of efficiently performing processing of a task without stagnation on the basis of a processing state, a restriction item of the device, and the like when executing processing of a plurality of tasks within the same period in the on-vehicle electronic control device.SOLUTION: In the on-vehicle electronic control device mounted with a microcomputer provided with a plurality of hardware arithmetic modules 51 and 61 which cannot be operated simultaneously, an application control part 11 for generating a control command for controlling a vehicle, task control parts 21 and 31 for generating a task control command for controlling the hardware arithmetic modules based on the control command, and an arbitration control part 44 for determining the processing order of the task control command are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an on-vehicle electronic control device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle is equipped with a plurality of on-board electronic control units (ECUs) for controlling the internal combustion engine, electric motor, transmission, etc. These on-board electronic control units are required to efficiently control the arithmetic units and storage devices installed in the on-board electronic control units.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for efficiently storing processing results in a shared external storage device, such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), rather than in a memory unit within the microcomputer, when multiple microcomputers share an external storage device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-111233 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Apart from the microcomputer disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is also known a microcomputer of this type that includes multiple hardware arithmetic modules, each of which executes a different operation in accordance with a control command. Such microcomputers that include multiple hardware arithmetic modules are often used in on-board electronic control devices for automobiles, etc. However, there is a restriction that the individual hardware arithmetic modules cannot be operated simultaneously due to the hardware configuration, such as wiring.

[0006] In particular, in the microcomputer of an on-board electronic control device, multiple tasks must be completed within a specified time (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "within a period"), so tasks with higher priority must be processed first, and each task must be executed efficiently, taking into account the processing status of other tasks and the constraints of the hardware calculation module, etc., so that it can be completed within the specified period.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an in-vehicle electronic control device that, when processing multiple tasks within the same period, can efficiently process tasks without delay, taking into account the task processing status and constraints of the hardware calculation module, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is an on-vehicle electronic control device equipped with a microcomputer having multiple hardware arithmetic modules that cannot operate simultaneously, wherein the microcomputer comprises an application control unit that generates control instructions for controlling the vehicle, a task control unit that generates task control instructions for controlling the hardware arithmetic modules based on the control instructions, and an arbitration control unit that determines the processing order of the task control instructions, and the arbitration control unit determines the processing order based on the task control instructions and determines the operation of the hardware arithmetic modules based on this processing order. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, when a microcomputer executes the processing of multiple tasks within a predetermined period of time, the processing of tasks having a high priority in controlling the vehicle is prioritized by arbitration processing, while avoiding the constraints of the hardware calculation module, thereby preventing the processing of tasks from becoming backlogged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a microcomputer of an on-vehicle electronic control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow for explaining control in an arbitration control unit. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating a control flow following FIG. 2A for explaining control in the arbitration control unit. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating a control flow following FIG. 2A for explaining control in the arbitration control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications and application examples within the technical concept of the present invention are also included within its scope.

[0012] 1 shows functional blocks of a microcomputer, which is a main component of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, one or more of these functional blocks actually represent functions that are executed by a program.

[0013] The microcomputer 10 includes at least an application control unit 11, a first task control unit 21, a first task list 22, a second task control unit 31, a second task list 32, an arbitration control unit 41, a task control list 42, a first calculation module 51, and a second calculation module 61.

[0014] Here, the first task list 22 and the second task list 32 are stored in a storage element such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the task control list 42 is stored in a storage element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0015] The first calculation module 51 and the second calculation module 61 are hardware modules inside the microcomputer. For example, the first calculation module is a hardware security module, and the second calculation module is a data flash module.

[0016] Here, there is a microcomputer restriction that the first calculation module 51 and the second calculation module 61 cannot simultaneously execute calculation processes. In this embodiment, the restriction is described as being applied to the first calculation module 51 and the second calculation module 61, but this is not limited to this and depends on the type and function of the microcomputer.

[0017] The application control unit 11 executes various tasks required for controlling the vehicle (for example, power control and driving control), for example, executing a first task and a second task. The first task and the second task are executed within the same period on the time axis, and each task has a specified processing time.

[0018] When the application control unit 11 executes the first task, the application control unit 11 outputs a processing command including ID information and various data related to the first task to the first task control unit 21 as a first task execution command, and the result of execution by the first task control unit 21 is input to the application control unit 11.

[0019] Similarly, when the application control unit 11 executes the second task, the application control unit 11 outputs a processing command including ID information and various data related to the second task to the second task control unit 31 as a second task execution command, and the result of execution by the second task control unit 31 is input to the application control unit 11.

[0020] In this embodiment, the application control unit 11 is described as executing two different tasks, but there are multiple other controls involved in vehicle control, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0021] The first task control unit 21 includes a first task list 22. When a first task execution command is input from the application control unit 11, the first task control unit 21 compares ID information included in the first task execution command with ID information stored in advance in the first task list 22.

[0022] If matching information is found as a result of comparing the ID information, the first task control unit 22 assigns the priority and processing time held in the first task list 22 to the first task execution command, and then outputs a first task arbitration control execution command to the arbitration control unit 41. On the other hand, if matching information is not found, the comparison result (error information) is output to the application control unit 11.

[0023] The first task arbitration control execution command output from the first task control unit 21 is output to the first calculation module 51 via the arbitration processing unit 41. When the processing in the first calculation module 51 is completed, the first task control unit 21 inputs the result of the execution in the first calculation module 51 via the arbitration control unit 41 and outputs the input result to the application control unit 11.

[0024] The first task list 22 is a ROM that stores data related to the first task. The first task list 22 registers (1) ID information linked to the first task execution command output from the application control unit 11, (2) the priority of the processing related to each ID information, and (3) the processing time. In this embodiment, the information registered in the first task list 22 is the above-mentioned three types, but is not limited to these.

[0025] The second task control unit 31 includes a second task list 32. When the second task control unit 31 receives a second task execution command from the application control unit 11, it compares ID information included in the second task execution command with ID information stored in advance in a second task list 23, which will be described later.

[0026] If matching information is found as a result of comparing the ID information, the priority and processing time held in the second task list 32 are assigned to the second task execution command, and the command is output as an execution command to the arbitration control unit 41. If matching information is not found, the comparison result (error information) is output to the application control unit 11.

[0027] The execution command output from the second task control unit 31 is output to the second calculation module 61 via the arbitration control unit 41. When the processing in the second calculation module 61 is completed, the second task control unit 31 inputs the result of the execution in the second calculation module 61 via the arbitration control unit 41 and outputs the input result to the application control unit 11.

[0028] The second task list 32 is a ROM that stores data related to the second task. The second task list 32 registers (1) ID information, (2) the priority of the processing related to each ID information, and (3) the processing time, all of which are linked to the second task execution command output from the application control unit 11. Note that, in this embodiment, the information registered in the first task list 22 is the above-mentioned three types, but is not limited to these.

[0029] The arbitration control unit 41 includes a task control list 42. When execution commands are input from the first task control unit 21 and the second task control unit 31, the arbitration control unit 41 determines the processing order based on the priority and processing time included in the execution commands and registers the order in the task control list 42.

[0030] The processing order is determined based on the order of execution commands with the highest priority, and the processing time of each task is referenced. If there is an execution command that cannot meet the specified time for each task, the processing order is changed so that it can be completed within the specified time. Then, the priority is changed to match the processing order and registered in the task control list 42.

[0031] For example, the processing order is determined according to the relationship "shortest processing time > high priority > low priority," and the processing order is changed each time arbitration processing is performed. Tasks with a determined processing order are registered in the task control list 42 in the order of processing order. The registered information includes (1) ID information, (2) a type for distinguishing between the first task and the second task, (3) processing priority, (4) a status indicating the processing status, and (5) various specific data, and each piece of registered information is linked to ID information.

[0032] The execution commands registered in the task control list 42 are output as execution commands to the first calculation module 51 and the second calculation module 61 in the order of registration and according to the type of execution command. At this time, because the first calculation module 51 and the second calculation module 61 cannot be executed simultaneously due to restrictions on the microcomputer 1, an arbitration process is performed to avoid the restrictions on the microcomputer 1 and to allow each execution command to be executed without backlog.

[0033] In the arbitration process, the state of each execution command in the task control list 42 is referenced, and if an execution command with a higher priority than the currently executing execution command is stored in the task control list 42 while processing the first calculation module 51 or the second calculation module 61 is being executed, the processing of the currently executing calculation module is temporarily stopped, and arbitration is performed to give priority to the execution of the calculation module used in the higher priority execution command.

[0034] By performing these arbitration processes, even if the first task and the second task are executed by the application control unit 11 within the same period, it is possible to avoid the constraints of the hardware calculation module and execute the processes with high priority in controlling the vehicle preferentially without delay.

[0035] After the processing of each calculation module is completed, the output result from the first calculation module 51 is output to the first task control unit 21 , and the output result from the second calculation module 61 is output to the second task control unit 31 .

[0036] The task control list 42 is stored in RAM (Random Access Memory) to store execution commands for the first calculation module 51 and the second calculation module 61. The information registered in the task control list 42 is (1) ID information, (2) a type for distinguishing the first task from the second task, (3) processing priority, (4) a status indicating the processing status, and (5) data, and these are registered in the RAM.

[0037] (4) The status can be "not running", which indicates that processing is not being executed, "running", which indicates that processing is being executed, or "suspended", which indicates that processing is temporarily stopped, and the initial state is registered as "not running". In this embodiment, five types of information are registered in the task control list 42, and three types of information can be used as the status, but this is not limited to this.

[0038] Furthermore, when registering an execution command in the task control list 42, the execution command is registered in a queue structure (a buffer for tasks waiting to be processed) and output in FIFO (First In First Out) order to clarify the processing order and processing status of the execution command and enable the above-mentioned processing order to be changed according to priority.

[0039] The first calculation module 51 executes calculations according to execution instructions registered in the task control list 42 from the first task control unit 21 via the arbitration control unit 41, and outputs the execution results to the first task control unit 21 via the arbitration control unit 41.

[0040] Similarly, the second calculation module 61 executes calculations according to the execution instructions registered in the task control list 42 from the second task control unit 31 via the arbitration control unit 41, and outputs the execution results to the second task control unit 31 via the arbitration control unit 41.

[0041] Next, a control flow executed by the microcomputer that causes the above-mentioned arbitration control unit 41 to function will be described with reference to Figures 2A to 2C. In arbitration control unit 41, arbitration processing is started in step S10 in response to execution commands output from first task control unit 21 and second task control unit 31. Once arbitration processing is started, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0042] <Step S11 / Task Control List Generation Process> In the task control list generation process in step S11, when execution commands are input from the first task control unit 21 and the second task control unit 31, the processing order is determined based on the priority level and processing time length contained in the execution commands, and the commands are registered in the task control list 42 in order according to the processing order.

[0043] As mentioned above, the processing order is determined by first sorting the execution instructions in order of priority, then referencing each processing time. If there is an execution instruction that cannot meet the specified time for each task, the processing order is changed so that it can be completed within the specified time. The priorities are then changed to match the processing order, and the instructions are registered in order in the task control list 42. After the task control list generation process, the process proceeds to step S12, where the added task confirmation process is executed.

[0044] <Step S12 / Additional task confirmation process> In the process of checking for added tasks in step S12, it is checked whether or not an execution command with a high priority has been added to the task control list 42.

[0045] In step S12, the execution commands registered in the task control list 42 are checked, and if there are no execution commands with a higher priority than the execution commands whose status is "executing" or "suspended", it is determined that no execution commands with a higher priority have been added (YES judgment), and the process proceeds to step S13 to execute the incomplete task control list checking process.

[0046] On the other hand, if there is an execution command with a higher priority than an execution command whose status is "executing" or "suspended," it is determined that an execution command with a higher priority has been added (NO judgment), and the added execution command is set as the execution command to be processed, and then the process proceeds to step S19 to perform a status check process for other processes.

[0047] <Step S13 / Uncompleted Task Control List Check Process> In the uncompleted task control list checking process in step S13, it is checked whether or not there is an execution command registered in the task control list 42.

[0048] In step S13, if there is no execution command registered in the task control list 42, it is determined that there is no incomplete execution command (YES determination), and the arbitration process is terminated (119).

[0049] On the other hand, if there is an execution command registered in the task control list 42, it is determined that there is an uncompleted execution command (NO judgment), the execution command with the highest priority is set as the execution command to be processed, and then the process proceeds to step S14 to perform status confirmation processing of the task control list.

[0050] <Step S14 / Task Control List Status Check Process> In the task control list status confirmation process in step S14, the status of the execution command to be processed is confirmed.

[0051] In step S14, if the status is "not executed" or "suspended," it is determined that the execution command to be processed is not being executed (YES judgment), and the process proceeds to step S15 to execute a status check process for the related process. Note that if the above process is a process related to a task in the first task list, the related process means a process for a task in the second task list.

[0052] On the other hand, if the status is "in execution," it is determined that the execution command to be processed is in execution (NO judgment), and the process proceeds to steps S24 and S25 shown in Fig. 2B, where a process of confirming completion of the first calculation module and a process of outputting the calculation result are executed. Steps S24 and S25 will be described later.

[0053] <Step S15 / Status Check Process for Related Processes> In the related process status check process in step S15, the status of an execution command of a type different from the execution command to be processed is checked in the task control list 42. For example, if the execution command to be processed is of the first task type, the status of the execution command of the second task type is checked.

[0054] In step S15, if the status of an execution command of a different type (here, the second task) is "not executed" or "suspended," it is determined that outputting the execution command to be processed to the first calculation module will not violate the restrictions within the microcomputer (YES judgment), and the process proceeds to step S16 to execute a suspended state confirmation process.

[0055] On the other hand, if the status is "running" (here, the second task), it is determined that outputting the execution command to be processed to the operation module will conflict with the internal constraints of the microcomputer (NO judgment), and the process proceeds to steps S26 and S27 shown in Fig. 2C, where the completion confirmation process for the first operation module and the output process for the operation result are executed. Steps S26 and S27 will be described later.

[0056] <Step S16 / Suspend Status Check Processing> In the suspended state confirmation process in step S16, the status of the execution command to be processed is confirmed.

[0057] In step S16, if the status is "suspended", it is determined that the execution command to be processed is temporarily stopped (YES judgment), and the process proceeds to step S17 to execute resume execution processing in order to release the suspended state.

[0058] On the other hand, if the status is "unexecuted", it is determined that the execution command to be processed has not been executed (NO determination), and the process proceeds to step S18 to execute the execution process of the task control list.

[0059] <Step S17 / Resume Execution Process> In the resume execution process in step S17, the target operation module is determined based on the type of the execution command to be processed, and a resume command is output.

[0060] For example, if the type of the execution command to be processed is the first task, a resume command is output to the first calculation unit module 51. After the resume command is output, the status of the execution command to be processed is set to "executing", and the calculation module completion confirmation process and calculation result output process of steps S24 and S25 in FIG. 2B are executed.

[0061] <Step S18 / Task Control List Processing Execution Process> In the execution process of the task control list process in step S18, the target operation module is determined based on the type of the execution command to be processed, and the operation command is output. For example, if the type of the execution command to be processed is the first task, the operation command is output to the first operation module 51. After the operation command is output, the status of the execution command to be processed is set to "executing," and the operation module completion confirmation process and operation result output process in steps S24 and S25 of FIG. 2B are executed.

[0062] <Step S19 / Status Check Process for Other Processes> If the result of step S12 is NO, the status confirmation process for other processes in step S19 checks the status of the target arithmetic module, and checks the status of execution commands in the task control list 42 that are of the same type as the added execution command.

[0063] Other processing refers to the processing of other tasks in the same task list. For example, if the type of the added execution command is the first task, the status of other execution commands whose type is the first task is checked. In other words, while the first calculation module is being executed, the status of the task for the first calculation module is checked.

[0064] If the status is "not executed" or "suspended," it is determined that the added execution command is executable (YES judgment) since the same type of execution command has not been executed, and the process proceeds to step S20 to perform a status check process for the related process.

[0065] On the other hand, if the status is "Executing", since the same type of execution command is being executed, it is determined that the added execution command cannot be executed (NO judgment), and the calculation module completion confirmation process and calculation result output process of steps S24 and S25 in Figure 2B are executed.

[0066] <Step S20 / Status Check Process for Related Processes> In step S20, the status of the related processing is checked by checking the status of other processing modules, i.e., checking the status of execution commands in the task control list 42 that are of a different type from the added execution command.

[0067] For example, if the type of the added execution command is the second task, the status of the execution command whose type is the first task is checked. In other words, when an execution command for the second calculation module 61 arrives, the execution status of the first calculation module 51 is checked.

[0068] If the status of the first calculation module 51 is "not executed" or "suspended," it is determined that outputting the added execution command to the second calculation module 61 will not violate the constraints of the hardware calculation module (YES judgment), and the process proceeds to step S21 to execute task control list processing.

[0069] On the other hand, if the status is "executing", it is determined that outputting the added execution command to the second calculation module 61 would violate the restrictions of the hardware calculation module (NO judgment), and in order to process the added execution command as a priority, the process proceeds to step S22 and a confirmation process is performed to determine whether the related process can be suspended.

[0070] <Step S21 / Task Control List Processing Execution Process> In the execution process of the task control list process in step S21, the operation module is determined from the type of the added execution command, and the operation command is output.

[0071] For example, if the type of the added execution command is the first task, the execution command is output to the first calculation module 51. After the calculation command is output, the status of the target execution command is set to "executing", and the calculation module completion confirmation process and calculation result output process of steps S24 and S25 in FIG. 2B are executed.

[0072] <Step S22 / Processing for Confirming Whether Related Processing Can Be Suspended> In the related process suspend possibility confirmation process in step S22, a suspend possibility confirmation command is output to the processing module corresponding to the execution command of a type different from the type of the added execution command.

[0073] For example, if the type of the added execution command is the first task, a suspend possibility confirmation command is output to the second calculation module 61. If the suspend process can be executed (YES determination), the process proceeds to step S23 and the suspend execution process is executed. If the suspend process cannot be executed (NO determination), the calculation module completion confirmation process and calculation result output process are executed in steps S24 and S25 of FIG. 2B.

[0074] <Step S23 / Suspend Execution Processing> In the suspend execution process in step S23, a suspend command is output to the processing module corresponding to an execution command of a type different from the type of the added execution command.

[0075] For example, if the type of the added execution command is the first task, a suspend command is output to the second calculation module 61. After the suspend command is output, the status of the target execution command is set to "suspended", and the calculation module completion confirmation process and calculation result output process of steps S24 and S25 in FIG. 2B are executed.

[0076] <Step S24 / Calculation Module Completion Confirmation Process> In the operation module completion confirmation process in step S24, the operation state of the operation module corresponding to the execution command is confirmed.

[0077] For example, if the type of the execution command is the first task, check the operation state of the first calculation module 51. If the operation of the first calculation module 51 has been completed, proceed to step S25 and execute the calculation result acquisition process.

[0078] On the other hand, if the operation of the first calculation module is incomplete, the process returns to the task control list generation process S11 in FIG. 2A and the same process is executed.

[0079] <Step S25 / Calculation result output processing> In the calculation result output process in step S25, the calculation result output from the calculation module corresponding to the execution command is acquired and output to the task control unit corresponding to the calculation module. For example, the calculation result output from the first calculation module 51 is output to the first task control unit 21. Thereafter, the corresponding execution command is cleared, and the process returns to the task control list generation process S11 in FIG. 2A and the same process is executed.

[0080] <Step S26 / Completion Confirmation Process of Related Calculation Module> In the process of confirming completion of the related processing module in step S26, the operating state of the second processing module 61 that was the target of confirmation in the process of confirming the state of the related processing in step S15 is confirmed.

[0081] If the second calculation module 61 has completed its operation (YES determination), the process proceeds to step S27 to execute the related calculation result output process. On the other hand, if the calculation module has not yet completed its operation (NO determination), the process returns to the task control list generation process S11 in FIG. 2A and executes the same process.

[0082] <Step S27 / Completion Confirmation Process of Related Calculation Module> In the calculation result output process in step S27, the calculation result output from the calculation module corresponding to the execution command is acquired and output to the task control unit corresponding to the calculation module. For example, the calculation result output from the second calculation module 51 is output to the second task control unit 31. Thereafter, the corresponding execution command is cleared, and the process returns to the task control list generation process S11 in FIG. 2A and the same process is executed.

[0083] As described above, the present invention is characterized in that an on-board electronic control device equipped with a microcomputer having multiple hardware arithmetic modules that cannot operate simultaneously comprises an application control unit that generates control instructions for controlling the vehicle, a task control unit that generates task control instructions for controlling the hardware arithmetic modules based on the control instructions, and an arbitration control unit that determines the processing order of the task control instructions, and the arbitration control unit determines the processing order based on the task control instructions and determines the operation of the hardware arithmetic modules based on this processing order.

[0084] According to the present invention, when a microcomputer executes multiple processes within a predetermined period of time, an arbitration process is performed to ensure that the processing of a task with a high priority in controlling the vehicle is processed preferentially while avoiding the constraints of the hardware calculation module, thereby preventing task processing from becoming backlogged.

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. The above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations with respect to the configuration of each embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10...microcomputer, 11...application control unit, 21...first task control unit, 22...first task list, 31...second task control unit, 32...second task list, 41...arbitration control unit, 42...task control list, 51...first task calculation module, 61...second task calculation module.

Claims

1. In an on-vehicle electronic control device equipped with a microcomputer having a plurality of hardware operation modules that cannot operate simultaneously, an application control unit that generates a control command for controlling a vehicle; a task control unit that generates a task control instruction for controlling the hardware arithmetic module based on the control instruction; an arbitration control unit that determines the processing order of the task control instructions, The arbitration control unit determining a processing order based on the task control command; The operations of the plurality of hardware operation modules are determined based on the processing order. An in-vehicle electronic control device comprising:

2. 2. The on-vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, The arbitration control unit When one of the hardware arithmetic modules is operating and a task control instruction with a higher processing priority uses another hardware arithmetic module, the operation of the operating hardware arithmetic module is temporarily stopped. An in-vehicle electronic control device comprising:

3. 2. The on-vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, The arbitration control unit When one of the hardware arithmetic modules is temporarily stopped and the other hardware arithmetic modules are stopped, the operation of the temporarily stopped hardware arithmetic module is resumed. An in-vehicle electronic control device comprising:

4. 2. The on-vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, The arbitration control unit The processing order is changed based on the operating state of the hardware calculation module. An in-vehicle electronic control device comprising:

5. 2. The on-vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, The task control command The hardware calculation module to be used is determined based on the control command. An in-vehicle electronic control device comprising:

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