In-vehicle systems

Abstract

This technology provides a way to control the switch to the ON state while the software of the microcomputer controlling the switch is being updated. [Solution] The in-vehicle system 20 includes a switch 21 provided in a power line 12 that supplies power from a power supply unit 10 to a load 11, a microcomputer 23 that controls the switch 21, and a control unit 24 that controls the switch 21 based on instructions from the microcomputer 23. The microcomputer 23 updates its own software when it determines that the update conditions have been met. The control unit 24 controls the switch 21 to the ON state during the software update.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle system.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle update device. This in-vehicle update device acquires an update program transmitted from an external server outside the vehicle, and performs processing for updating a program of an in-vehicle ECU mounted on the vehicle.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] During program update, control by the in-vehicle ECU cannot be performed. For this reason, when the program is updated in a state where the in-vehicle ECU controls a switch that cuts off power supply to a load to be in an ON state, there is a concern that the switch can no longer be maintained in the ON state, and power cannot be supplied to the load.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of controlling a switch to be in an ON state during update of software of a microcomputer that controls the switch.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0006] The in-vehicle system of the present disclosure includes: a switch provided in a power path that supplies power from a power supply unit to a load; a microcomputer that controls the switch; a control unit that receives an instruction from the microcomputer to control the switch. The aforementioned microcomputer updates its own software when it determines that the update conditions have been met. The control unit controls the switch to the ON state during the software update. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the technology disclosed herein, it is possible to control the switch to the ON state while the software of the microcomputer controlling the switch is being updated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle system of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the microcomputer of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle system of the second embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the microcomputer of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the process performed by the release control unit in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] [1] A switch installed in the power line that supplies power from the power supply unit to the load, A microcomputer that controls the aforementioned switch, a control unit that receives an instruction from the microcomputer to control the switch; and The microcomputer updates its own software when determining that an update condition is satisfied, The control unit controls the switch to be in an ON state during the update of the software The in-vehicle system.

[0011] According to this configuration, even during the update of the software of the microcomputer, the switch can be controlled to be in the ON state by the control unit. That is, according to this configuration, the switch can be controlled to be in the ON state during the update of the software of the microcomputer that controls the switch.

[0012] [2] The microcomputer updates its own software after transmitting an ON instruction signal to the control unit when determining that the update condition is satisfied in a state where the switch is controlled to be in the ON state, The control unit controls the switch to be in the ON state when receiving the ON instruction signal The in-vehicle system according to [1].

[0013] According to this configuration, the microcomputer normally controls the switch by itself, and can cause the control unit to perform control for maintaining the switch in the ON state when software update becomes necessary in a state where the switch is controlled to be in the ON state.

[0014] [3] The microcomputer switches the ON / OFF state of the switch via the control unit, causes the control unit to switch the switch to the ON state by transmitting an ON instruction signal to the control unit, and causes the control unit to switch the switch to the OFF state by transmitting an OFF instruction signal to the control unit, The control unit continues to control the switch to be in the ON state even when the software is being updated in a state where the switch is controlled to be in the ON state The in-vehicle system according to [1].

[0015] According to this configuration, even if the microcomputer does not transmit an on instruction signal to the control unit at the timing of updating software, as long as the control unit controls the switch to be in an on state, the switch is maintained in the on state by the control unit even during the software update.

[0016] [4] The control unit is a latch circuit that enters a holding state for holding the switch in the on state when receiving the on instruction signal, and switches to a release state for releasing the holding state when receiving the off instruction signal The in-vehicle system according to [3].

[0017] According to this configuration, the configuration of the control unit is simplified.

[0018] [5] The in-vehicle system comprises a release control unit provided separately from the microcomputer and the control unit, The release control unit transmits the off instruction signal to the control unit when determining that a release condition is satisfied The in-vehicle system according to [3] or [4].

[0019] According to this configuration, even during software update, when the release condition is satisfied, the off instruction signal is input to the control unit, and the switch can be switched to the off state.

[0020] [6] The control unit switches the switch to the off state when determining that a cutoff condition is satisfied during the software update The in-vehicle system according to any one of [1] to [3].

[0021] According to this configuration, even during software update, the control unit can determine by itself that the cutoff condition is satisfied, and switch the switch to the off state.

[0022] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] 1. First Embodiment Figure 1 shows a vehicle 1 equipped with the in-vehicle system 20 of the first embodiment. The vehicle 1 comprises a power supply unit 10, a load 11, and a power line 12. The power line 12 is provided between the power supply unit 10 and the load 11 and is electrically connected to the power supply unit 10 and the load 11. The power line 12 supplies power from the power supply unit 10 to the load 11.

[0023] The in-vehicle system 20 includes a switch 21, a current sensing unit 22, a microcomputer 23 (hereinafter also referred to as microcontroller 23), a control unit 24, and an OR circuit 25.

[0024] Switch 21 is provided in the power line 12. Switch 21 switches between an ON state, which allows current to flow from the power supply unit 10 to the load 11 through itself, and an OFF state, which prevents current from flowing from the power supply unit 10 to the load 11 through itself. Switch 21 may be made up of a semiconductor switching element or a mechanical switch with contacts. Switch 21 is normally off, and is ON when a high-level signal is input to it, and OFF when a low-level signal is input to it.

[0025] The current detection unit 22 detects the current supplied to the load 11. The current detection unit 22 outputs a signal indicating the detection result. The current detection unit 22 is composed of, for example, a known current sensor.

[0026] The microcontroller 23 includes a processor such as a CPU, and memory such as ROM and RAM. The microcontroller 23 controls the on / off state of switch 21. When the microcontroller 23 determines that the on condition has been met, it outputs a high-level signal to switch 21, controlling switch 21 to the on state. The on condition may be, for example, the start switch of vehicle 1 being switched to the on state, or the start condition of load 11 being met, or another condition. The start switch may be, for example, an ignition switch or a power switch. When the microcontroller 23 determines that the off condition has been met, it outputs a low-level signal to switch 21, controlling switch 21 to the off state. The off condition may be, for example, the start switch of vehicle 1 being switched to the off state, or the stop condition of load 11 being met, or another condition.

[0027] The vehicle 1 described above comprises a communication unit 13 and an update device 14. The communication unit 13 can communicate with a server 91 via the internet 90. The server 91 is located outside the vehicle 1. The update device 14 obtains update software from the server 91 via the communication unit 13 and transmits an update instruction signal to the microcontroller 23. The update instruction signal may or may not include the update software.

[0028] The microcontroller 23 determines whether the update conditions have been met. If the microcontroller 23 determines that the update conditions have been met, it updates its own software using the update software acquired by the update device 14. The update conditions may be, for example, the microcontroller 23 receiving an update instruction signal from the update device 14, or an update operation performed by a user using a predetermined control unit, or other conditions. If the microcontroller 23 determines that the update conditions have been met while the switch 21 is controlled to the ON state, it sends an ON instruction signal to the control unit 24 and then updates its own software.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control unit 24 is a microcomputer provided separately from the microcontroller 23. The control unit 24 can communicate with the microcontroller 23 and controls the on / off state of the switch 21 based on instructions from the microcontroller 23. The control unit 24 controls the switch 21 to the ON state by outputting a high-level signal toward the switch 21, and controls the switch 21 to the OFF state by outputting a low-level signal toward the switch 21. The control unit 24 controls the switch 21 to the ON state when it receives an ON instruction signal. The control unit 24 determines whether the tripping condition has been met during the software update, and if it determines that the tripping condition has been met, it switches the switch 21 to the OFF state. In this embodiment, the tripping condition is that the load 11 has a ground fault. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 identifies the current value supplied to the load 11 based on the signal output from the current detection unit 22, and determines that the tripping condition has been met when it determines that the current value supplied to the load 11 exceeds a threshold. The control unit 24 outputs a low-level signal toward the switch 21 when the microcontroller 23 is not updating the software.

[0030] The OR circuit 25 receives signals output from the microcontroller 23 to the switch 21, and signals output from the control unit 24 to the switch 21. When a high-level signal is input to the OR circuit 25 from at least one of the microcontroller 23 and the control unit 24, the OR circuit 25 outputs a high-level signal to the switch 21, controlling the switch 21 to the ON state. When low-level signals are input to the OR circuit 25 from both the microcontroller 23 and the control unit 24, the OR circuit 25 outputs a low-level signal to the switch 21, controlling the switch 21 to the OFF state.

[0031] The microcontroller 23 performs the processing shown in Figure 2, for example, when it is running. First, the microcontroller 23 determines whether the update condition has been met (step S11). If the microcontroller 23 determines that the update condition has not been met (No in step S11), it returns to the process in step S11. In other words, the microcontroller 23 repeatedly performs the process in step S11 until it determines that the update condition has been met.

[0032] If the microcontroller 23 determines that the update condition has been met (Yes in step S11), it determines whether or not it is controlling the switch 21 to the ON state (step S12). If the microcontroller 23 determines that it is controlling the switch 21 to the ON state (Yes in step S12), it sends an ON instruction signal to the control unit 24 (step S13).

[0033] After sending an ON instruction signal, or if the microcontroller 23 determines that it has not controlled the switch 21 to the ON state (No in step S12), it updates its own software (step S14). After updating the software, the microcontroller 23 resets (step S15).

[0034] After resetting, the microcontroller 23 determines whether the ON condition is met (step S16). If the microcontroller 23 determines that the ON condition is met (Yes in step S16), it controls the switch 21 to the ON state (step S17) and sends an OFF instruction signal to the control unit 24 (step S19). If the microcontroller 23 determines that the ON condition is not met (No in step S16), it controls the switch 21 to the OFF state (step S18) and sends an OFF instruction signal to the control unit 24 (step S19).

[0035] The control unit 24 performs the process shown in Figure 3, for example. The control unit 24 starts the process shown in Figure 3 with the switch 21 controlled to the OFF state. First, the control unit 24 determines whether or not an ON instruction signal has been received (step S31). If it determines that an ON instruction signal has not been received (in step S31), it returns to the process in step S31. In other words, the control unit 24 repeatedly performs the process in step S31 until it determines that an ON instruction signal has been received. During this time, the control unit 24 controls the switch 21 to the OFF state.

[0036] If the control unit 24 determines that it has received an ON instruction signal (Yes in step S31), it controls the switch 21 to the ON state (step S32). Then, the control unit 24 determines whether or not it has received an OFF instruction signal (step S33). If the control unit 24 determines that it has not received an OFF instruction signal (No in step S33), it determines whether or not the tripping condition has been met (step S34). If the control unit 24 determines that the tripping condition has not been met (No in step S34), it returns to the process in step S33. In other words, the control unit 24 repeatedly performs the processes in steps S33 and S34 until it determines that it has received an OFF instruction signal or that the tripping condition has been met.

[0037] If the control unit 24 determines that it has received an off instruction signal (Yes in step S33) or that the cutoff condition has been met (Yes in step S34), it controls the switch 21 to the off state (step S35). After that, the control unit 24 returns to the process in step S31.

[0038] As described above, the in-vehicle system 20 allows the control unit 24 to control the switch 21 to the ON state even while the microcontroller 23's software is being updated. In other words, the in-vehicle system 20 allows the switch 21 to be controlled to the ON state even while the microcontroller 23's software that controls the switch 21 is being updated.

[0039] Furthermore, the microcontroller 23 normally controls the switch 21 itself, and if a software update for the microcontroller 23 becomes necessary while the switch 21 is controlled to be in the ON state, it can have the control unit 24 perform the control to maintain the ON state of the switch 21.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the in-vehicle system 20, even during a software update, the control unit 24 can determine on its own that the shut-off condition has been met and switch the switch 21 to the off state.

[0041] 2. Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, an example is described in which a microcomputer controls a switch via a control unit. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0042] Figure 4 shows a vehicle 201 equipped with the in-vehicle system 220 of the second embodiment. The vehicle 201 comprises a power supply unit 10, a load 11, a power line 12, a communication unit 13, and an update device 14.

[0043] The in-vehicle system 220 includes a switch 21, a current detection unit 22, a microcomputer 223 (hereinafter also referred to as microcontroller 223), a control unit 224, and a release control unit 226.

[0044] The microcontroller 223 includes a processor such as a CPU, and memory such as ROM and RAM. The microcontroller 223 switches the on / off state of switch 21 via the control unit 224. The microcontroller 223 sends an ON command signal to the control unit 224, causing the control unit 224 to switch switch 21 to the ON state, and sends an OFF command signal to the control unit 224, causing the control unit 224 to switch switch 21 to the OFF state.

[0045] The microcontroller 223 sends an ON instruction signal to the control unit 224 when it determines that an ON condition has been met. The ON condition may be, for example, the start switch of the vehicle 201 being switched to the ON state, or the start condition of the load 11 being met, or any other condition. The microcontroller 223 sends an OFF instruction signal to the control unit 224 when it determines that an OFF condition has been met. The OFF condition may be, for example, the start switch of the vehicle 201 being switched to the OFF state, or the stop condition of the load 11 being met, or any other condition.

[0046] When the microcontroller 223 determines that the update conditions have been met, it updates its own software using the update software acquired by the update device 14.

[0047] The control unit 224 switches switch 21 to the ON state when it receives an ON instruction signal from the microcontroller 223. After switching switch 21 to the ON state, the control unit 224 maintains switch 21 in the ON state even if it no longer receives an ON instruction signal. Therefore, even if the microcontroller 223's software is being updated while the control unit 224 is controlling switch 21 to the ON state, it continues to control switch 21 to the ON state. With this configuration, even if the microcontroller 223 does not send an ON instruction signal to the control unit 224 when updating the software, as long as the control unit 224 is controlling switch 21 to the ON state, the control unit 224 will maintain switch 21 in the ON state even during the software update. The control unit 224 switches switch 21 to the OFF state when it receives an OFF instruction signal from the microcontroller 223.

[0048] The control unit 224 controls switch 21 to the ON state by outputting a high-level signal toward switch 21, and controls switch 21 to the OFF state by outputting a low-level signal toward switch 21.

[0049] In this embodiment, the control unit 224 is a latch circuit. When the control unit 224 receives an ON instruction signal, it enters a holding state that holds the switch 21 in the ON state, and when it receives an OFF instruction signal, it switches to a release state that releases the holding state. This configuration simplifies the configuration of the control unit 224.

[0050] The release control unit 226 is a control circuit provided separately from the microcontroller 223 and the control unit 224. The release control unit 226 determines whether the release condition has been met, and if it determines that the release condition has been met, it sends an off instruction signal to the control unit 224. In this embodiment, the release condition is that the load 11 has a ground fault. In this embodiment, the release control unit 226 identifies the current value supplied to the load 11 based on the signal output from the current detection unit 22, and determines that the release condition has been met when it determines that the current value supplied to the load 11 exceeds a threshold. The release control unit 226 may be configured by, for example, a microcontroller, or by a hardware circuit such as a comparator.

[0051] The control unit 224 switches the switch 21 to the off state when it receives an off instruction signal from the release control unit 226. Therefore, with this configuration, even during a software update of the microcontroller 223, the control unit 224 can be switched to the release state and the switch 21 can be switched to the off state when the release condition is met.

[0052] The microcontroller 223 performs the processing shown in Figure 5, for example, when it is running. First, the microcontroller 223 determines whether the ON condition is met (step S211). If the microcontroller 223 determines that the ON condition is not met (No in step S211), it determines whether the update condition is met (step S212). If the microcontroller 223 determines that the update condition is not met (No in step S212), it returns to the process in step S211. In other words, the microcontroller 223 repeatedly performs the processes in steps S211 and S212 until it determines that either the ON condition is met or the update condition is met.

[0053] If the microcontroller 223 determines that the ON condition is met (Yes in step S211), it sends an ON instruction signal to the control unit 224 (step S213). As a result, the control unit 224 switches the switch 21 to the ON state. After sending the ON instruction signal, the microcontroller 223 determines whether or not the OFF condition is met (step S214). If the microcontroller 223 determines that the OFF condition is not met (No in step S214), it determines whether or not the update condition is met (step S215). If the microcontroller 223 determines that the update condition is not met (No in step S215), it returns to the process in step S214. In other words, the microcontroller 223 repeatedly performs the processes in steps S214 and S215 until it determines that either the OFF condition is met or the update condition is met.

[0054] If the microcontroller 223 determines that the off condition is met (Yes in step S214), it sends an off instruction signal to the control unit 224 (step S216). As a result, the control unit 224 switches the switch 21 to the off state. After sending the off instruction signal, the microcontroller 223 returns to the process in step S211.

[0055] If the microcontroller 223 determines in step S212 or S215 that the update condition has been met, it updates its own software (step S217). After updating the software, the microcontroller 223 resets itself (step S218). After resetting, the microcontroller 223 determines whether or not the ON condition is met (step S219). If the microcontroller 223 determines that the ON condition is met (Yes in step S219), it proceeds to step S213 and sends an ON instruction signal to the control unit 224. If the microcontroller 223 determines that the ON condition is not met (No in step S219), it proceeds to step S216 and sends an OFF instruction signal to the control unit 224.

[0056] The control unit 224 performs the processing shown in Figure 6, for example. First, the control unit 224 determines whether or not it has received an ON instruction signal (step S231). If the control unit 224 determines that it has not received an ON instruction signal (No in step S231), it returns to the process in step S231. In other words, the control unit 224 repeatedly performs the process in step S231 until it determines that it has received an ON instruction signal. During this time, the control unit 224 controls the switch 21 to the OFF state. If the control unit 224 determines that it has received an ON instruction signal (Yes in step S231), it switches the switch 21 to the ON state (step S232).

[0057] Subsequently, the control unit 224 determines whether or not it has received an off instruction signal (step S233). If the control unit 224 determines that it has not received an off instruction signal (No in step S233), it returns to the process in step S233. In other words, the control unit 224 repeatedly performs the process in step S233 until it determines that it has received an off instruction signal. During this time, the control unit 224 controls the switch 21 to the ON state. If the control unit 224 determines that it has received an off instruction signal (Yes in step S233), it switches the switch 21 to the OFF state (step S234).

[0058] The release control unit 226 performs the process shown in Figure 7, for example. First, the release control unit 226 determines whether the release condition has been met (step S251). If the release control unit 226 determines that the release condition has not been met (No in step S251), it returns to the process in step S251. In other words, the release control unit 226 repeatedly performs the process in step S251 until it determines that the release condition has been met. If the release control unit 226 determines that the release condition has been met (Yes in step S251), it sends an off instruction signal to the control unit 224 (step S252). As a result, the control unit 224 switches the switch 21 to the off state.

[0059] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of the features of the embodiments described above or below is possible as long as it does not contradict each other. Furthermore, any feature of the embodiments described above or below may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. In addition, the embodiments described above may be modified as follows.

[0060] In the embodiments described above, the determination of whether or not the load 11 has a ground fault was made based on the current value supplied to the load 11, but the determination method is not limited to this. For example, the determination of whether or not the load 11 has a ground fault may be made based on the voltage of the power line 12.

[0061] In the second embodiment described above, the control unit 224 was a latch circuit, but the control unit 224 may be a control circuit other than a latch circuit (for example, a microcomputer). In this case, the control unit 224 may determine whether or not the interruption condition has been met, and if it determines that the interruption condition has been met, it may switch the switch 21 to the off state.

[0062] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1…Vehicle 10...Power supply section 11…Load 12…Power line 13… Communications Department 14...Updating device 20…In-vehicle systems 21…Switch 22...Current detection unit 23... Microcomputer 24... Control Unit 25...OR circuit 90…Internet 91... Server 201... Vehicle 220... In-vehicle systems 223... Microcomputer 224... Control Unit 226...Release control unit

Claims

1. A switch installed in the power line that supplies power from the power supply unit to the load, A microcomputer that controls the aforementioned switch, The system comprises a control unit that controls the switch in response to instructions from the microcomputer, The aforementioned microcomputer updates its own software when it determines that the update conditions have been met. The control unit controls the switch to the ON state during the software update. In-vehicle systems.

2. When the microcomputer determines that the update condition has been met while the switch is controlled to the ON state, it sends an ON instruction signal to the control unit and then updates its own software. The control unit controls the switch to the ON state when it receives the ON instruction signal. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1.

3. The microcomputer switches the on / off state of the switch via the control unit, by sending an on command signal to the control unit, causing the control unit to switch the switch to the on state, and by sending an off command signal to the control unit, causing the control unit to switch the switch to the off state. The control unit continues to control the switch to the ON state even when the software is being updated while the switch is being controlled to the ON state. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1.

4. The control unit is a latch circuit that, upon receiving the ON instruction signal, enters a holding state that keeps the switch in the ON state, and upon receiving the OFF instruction signal, switches to a release state that releases the holding state. The in-vehicle system according to claim 3.

5. The system includes a release control unit, which is provided separately from the microcomputer and the control unit. The release control unit transmits the off instruction signal to the control unit when it determines that the release condition has been met. The in-vehicle system according to claim 3 or claim 4.

6. The control unit, if it determines that the shut-off condition has been met during the software update, switches the switch to the off state. The in-vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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