Vehicle control system

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of reducing a processing load on an in-vehicle electronic control unit (100), acquiring diagnostic log information relating to a nonvolatile memory (110) in an actual environment, and grasping the lifespan of the nonvolatile memory. A vehicle control device according to the present invention acquires diagnostic log information relating to a nonvolatile memory in order to monitor the lifespan of the nonvolatile memory in a vehicle control system equipped with the nonvolatile memory. When doing so, the vehicle control device determines acquisition of the diagnostic log information upon communication with a server (300) that is an external device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background Art

[0002] As the performance and connectivity of automobiles progress, services and businesses utilizing data are attracting attention. The integration of multiple vehicle control devices (ECUs) installed in vehicles is advancing, and the amount of data handled by the ECUs is tending to increase. In order to utilize vehicle data, it is necessary to store in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle data in in-vehicle storage, and it is conceivable to use non-volatile memory for the in-vehicle storage. For example, as the communication between the ECU and the outside of the vehicle increases, the opportunities to utilize vehicle data increase, and the access frequency and data volume to the non-volatile memory in the vehicle increase. [[ID=!13]] [[ID=!14]]

[0003] [[ID=!15]] [[ID=!16]]Non-volatile memory has a limitation on the number of write cycles (P / E cycle), and there is a problem that the lifespan varies strongly depending on the actual environment such as the access frequency, usage method, and temperature. Therefore, it is essential to grasp the lifespan in the actual usage situation of non-volatile memory. As a method for grasping the lifespan of non-volatile memory, for example, there is a disclosure in Patent Document 1. [[ID=!17]] [[ID=!18]]

[0004] [[ID=!19]] [[ID=!20]]The summary of Patent Document 1 discloses that "the consumption state of the memory in use is determined at an appropriate frequency by a memory diagnostic device. The memory diagnostic device includes an access situation observation unit, a consumption information acquisition unit, and a consumption state determination unit. The access situation observation unit observes the access situation to the memory. The consumption information acquisition unit acquires the consumption information from the memory at a frequency corresponding to the observed access situation. The consumption state determination unit determines the consumption state of the memory based on the consumption information acquired by the consumption information acquisition unit." [[ID=!21]] [[ID=!22]]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [[ID=!29]] [[ID=!30]] [[ID=!31]]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The technology described in Patent Document 1 constantly monitors the memory access status. Therefore, when such technology is applied to an in-vehicle electronic control unit (such as a SoC or microcontroller), there is a problem that the processing load becomes high due to the limited processing power of the in-vehicle electronic control unit.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its objective is to provide a vehicle control device that can reduce the processing load of an in-vehicle electronic control device, acquire diagnostic log information of non-volatile memory in a real environment, and determine the lifespan of non-volatile memory. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the vehicle control device of the present invention is: A vehicle control device connected to a communication device that communicates with an external device, A storage unit consisting of non-volatile memory, A command processing unit that issues commands to the memory unit, An input / output unit that performs input and output of information to and from the storage unit based on a command issued by the command processing unit, An external communication request processing unit that processes external communication requests with external devices, The system includes a log acquisition unit that acquires diagnostic log information output from the storage unit via the input / output unit, The log acquisition unit determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit triggered by an external communication request with the external device. When the command processing unit determines that it is necessary to obtain diagnostic log information of the storage unit by the log acquisition unit, it adds a second command to the first command that performs input / output of information in response to an external communication request with the external device, and issues a command to obtain diagnostic log information of the storage unit. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the processing load on the vehicle control device can be reduced, the lifespan of the non-volatile memory can be determined, and the reliability of the non-volatile memory can be improved. Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description herein and the accompanying drawings. In addition, problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be revealed by the following description of embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example configuration of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the operation flow of a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the operation flow of the log acquisition unit of a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example configuration of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of the operation flow of the log acquisition unit of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A graph showing the relationship between information acquired by the log acquisition unit of a vehicle control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the number of times the information was acquired. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example configuration of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of the operation flow of the log acquisition unit of a vehicle control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of diagnostic timing in the diagnostic unit of a vehicle control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating an example of a diagnostic method in the diagnostic unit of a vehicle control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11]A diagram showing a configuration example of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 12] A diagram showing a configuration example of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 13] A diagram showing a configuration example of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a storage state monitoring system for a vehicle control device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and applications of technologies not explicitly shown in the embodiments. That is, the present embodiment can be variously modified and implemented without departing from its gist. Also, each figure is not intended to include only the components shown in the figure, and can include other functions and the like.

[0012] <000009₂>[First Embodiment] FIG. This is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information communication system to which a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment is applied.

[0013] The vehicle control device 100 constitutes an information communication system in cooperation with an external device arranged outside the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the case where the external device is the server 300 will be described as an example, but the external device may be constituted by a PC or the cloud. In the information communication system, data is transmitted and received between the server 300 and the vehicle control device 100. For example, an update program is provided from the server 300 to the vehicle control device 100, and vehicle information is provided from the vehicle control device 100 to the server 300.

[0014] Communication between the vehicle control device 100 and the server 300 is performed by a communication unit (communication device) 200 arranged inside the vehicle. The communication unit 200 performs wired communication with the vehicle control device 100 and wireless communication with the server 300.

[0015] The vehicle control device 100 consists of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) equipped with a System on Chip (SoC) and non-volatile memory. The SoC has a microprocessor, I / O, and memory for storing programs and data. In the vehicle control device 100, the microprocessor of the SoC executes the program in the memory, thereby realizing the functions shown in Figure 1.

[0016] The vehicle control device 100 includes, as its functions, a storage unit 110, an input / output unit 120, a command processing unit 130, an external communication request processing unit 140, and a log acquisition unit 150.

[0017] The storage unit 110 has non-volatile memory such as NAND flash memory. The storage unit 110 stores vehicle information used for vehicle control, sensor information, and information provided by the server 300 in a writable and readable format. In addition, the storage unit 110 records log information such as commands for writing, reading, and erasing, the total amount of access data (total amount of written data and total amount of read data), the number of errors, and the memory temperature.

[0018] The input / output unit 120 accesses the storage unit 110 based on commands issued by the command processing unit 130 and performs information input and output with the storage unit 110.

[0019] The command processing unit 130 issues commands to the storage unit 110. The command processing unit 130 issues commands to the storage unit 110 to read and write sensor information and vehicle information. The command processing unit 130 can also issue request commands (hereinafter referred to as first commands) to input and output information in response to external communication requests with the server 300, and log acquisition commands (hereinafter referred to as second commands) to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110.

[0020] The command processing unit 130 issues a first command when there is an external communication request between the vehicle control device 100 and the server 300. Then, if the log acquisition unit 150 determines that it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110, it adds a second command to the first command and issues it. The second command consists of instructions to acquire, for example, the results of the storage unit 110's self-test or diagnostic log information such as SMART: Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology from the storage unit 110.

[0021] The external communication request processing unit 140 communicates with the communication unit 200 to send and receive information with the server 300 and processes external communication requests with the server 300. When communicating with the server 300, the external communication request processing unit 140 notifies the log acquisition unit 150 and the command processing unit 130 that it has received an external communication request with the server 300.

[0022] The log acquisition unit 150 determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110, triggered by an external communication request with the server 300. The result of this determination is input to the command processing unit 130, which uses it to determine whether or not to issue a second command. The log acquisition unit 150 can use, for example, the number of communications with the server 300 or the type of the first command to determine whether or not to acquire diagnostic log information. The log acquisition unit 150 acquires the diagnostic log information output from the storage unit 110.

[0023] Figure 2 shows an example of the operation flow of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. The following example will explain the case where a request for external communication is received from server 300.

[0024] When the vehicle control device 100's external communication request processing unit 140 determines that there is an external communication request from the server 300 (YES in S101), it notifies the command processing unit 130 and the log acquisition unit 150 that there is an external communication request (S102).

[0025] When the command processing unit 130 of the vehicle control device 100 receives notification of an external communication request, it determines a first command to input and output information corresponding to that communication request (S103).

[0026] Meanwhile, when the log acquisition unit 150 of the vehicle control device 100 receives notification of an external communication request, it uses this as a trigger to determine whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 (S104) (acquisition determination step). The log acquisition unit 150 determines whether or not to acquire the diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 based, for example, the number of communications with the server 300 or the type of first command determined in S103.

[0027] Figure 3 shows an example of the operation flow of the log acquisition unit of a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The log acquisition unit 150 acquires information on the number of communications with the server 300 and at least one of the types of the first command (S201). It then determines whether at least one of the above conditions (1) and (2) is met: (1) the number of communications with the server 300 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and (2) the type of the first command is erase among read, write, and erase (S202). If at least one condition is met, it determines that it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information (S203), and if neither condition is met, it determines that it is unnecessary to acquire diagnostic log information (S204).

[0029] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, if the S104 decision determines that it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information (YES in S104), the log acquisition unit 150 notifies the command processing unit 130 that log acquisition is necessary (S105). On the other hand, if the S104 decision determines that it is unnecessary to acquire diagnostic log information (NO in S104), the log acquisition unit 150 notifies the command processing unit 130 that log acquisition is unnecessary (S106).

[0030] The command processing unit 130 of the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not it has received a notification from the log acquisition unit 150 that log acquisition is required (S107). If it has received a notification that log acquisition is required (YES in S107), it adds a second command that instructs the acquisition of diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 to the first command determined in step S103 and issues it (S108). On the other hand, if the command processing unit 130 has received a notification from the log acquisition unit 150 that log acquisition is not required (NO in S107), it issues only the first command (S109).

[0031] When the input / output unit 120 receives a first command from the command processing unit 130, it accesses the storage unit 110 to input and output information with the storage unit 110 and obtains the requested data requested by the first command from the storage unit 110. If a second command is added to the first command, it obtains the requested data from the storage unit 110 and, at the same time, obtains the diagnostic log information requested by the second command (diagnostic log information acquisition step) and provides it to the command processing unit 130.

[0032] Request data obtained from the storage unit 110 and provided to the command processing unit 130 is transmitted to the server 300 by the external communication request processing unit 140. Meanwhile, diagnostic log information obtained from the storage unit 110 and provided to the command processing unit 130 is stored in the log acquisition unit 150 and used by the log acquisition unit 150 to determine when to acquire diagnostic log information in the future.

[0033] The above example illustrates a case where a communication request is made from the server 300 to the vehicle control device 100, but the same considerations can be applied to communication from the vehicle control device 100 to the server 300.

[0034] According to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, the above-described configuration and operation flow determine whether or not to acquire diagnostic log information of the storage unit 110, which consists of non-volatile memory, in response to an external communication request with the server 300. Therefore, diagnostic log information is acquired at irregular intervals, and the deterioration state of the storage unit 110 is diagnosed using the acquired diagnostic log information, and its lifespan can be determined.

[0035] Writing and reading data generated inside the vehicle to and from non-volatile memory can be anticipated during the design phase, whether periodically or irregularly. However, with the increasing volume of communication with the outside world, access occurs after the design phase, is irregular, and the amount of data is difficult to anticipate at the design stage. In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 100 acquires diagnostic log information from the storage unit 500 in response to an external communication request from the server 300, allowing for irregular diagnoses and enabling diagnoses that are in line with actual conditions.

[0036] Since non-volatile memory degrades with each operation (writing, reading, erasing), it is necessary to select the issuance of log acquisition commands only when an external communication request is received after the vehicle has been designed, rather than issuing them excessively. The vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment can suppress the issuance of excessive log acquisition commands (second commands).

[0037] In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 100 acquires diagnostic log information (including diagnostic test results) of the storage unit 110, which is made of non-volatile memory, in order to monitor the lifespan of the storage unit 110. In this case, instead of monitoring all access data to the storage unit 110 as in the conventional method and acquiring the information at a frequency or trigger determined according to the observed access status, the acquisition of diagnostic log information is determined based on communication with the server 300.

[0038] This reduces the processing load on the vehicle control unit 100, which is an in-vehicle electronic control unit, and allows for the acquisition of diagnostic log information for non-volatile memory in a real environment by understanding the amount of data communication with the server 300 and the types of commands (sequential write, random write, sequential read, random read, etc.) and determining the lifespan of the non-volatile memory.

[0039] Conventional technologies constantly monitored access to non-volatile memory (data volume) to determine the diagnostic frequency. While information devices such as servers have abundant computing resources and memory utilization is a priority, in vehicle control units (ECUs) like this embodiment, vehicle control is the top priority, and it is necessary to prevent resources used for vehicle control from being diverted to memory diagnostics.

[0040] Furthermore, in order to understand the lifespan of non-volatile memory, read operations are necessary to retrieve diagnostic log information and self-test results from the non-volatile memory. However, read operations accelerate the degradation of non-volatile memory, and there is a problem of reduced access efficiency due to conflicts between read operations and write operations (such as writing vehicle data logs) that should take priority in the in-vehicle storage. To efficiently diagnose non-volatile memory, it is necessary to suppress the number of diagnostic commands (Read) issued and avoid conflicts between write operations and read operations; in other words, the number and timing of command issuance are important.

[0041] According to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, a second command is added to the first command in response to an external communication request with the server 300, and diagnostic log information is obtained by the second command along with the request data from the first command. The timing for processing the external communication request is during a gap when no vehicle information or sensor information is being written. In other words, the bus within the ECU is occupied when obtaining diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110, but by adding and issuing the second command to the first command, the timing of this occupation can be aligned with the timing of communication processing with the server 300, and the timing can be shifted from the timing of processing the internal communication request.

[0042] This allows the ECU bus to be used without interfering with the vehicle control system's priority vehicle control or the recording (Write operation) of in-vehicle data to the storage unit 110, enabling efficient reading of diagnostic log information at a timing suitable for diagnosing the storage unit 110. Therefore, efficient memory diagnostics can be performed while suppressing a decrease in access efficiency to the storage unit 110, achieving both a longer lifespan and high reliability for the storage unit 110.

[0043] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment can acquire diagnostic log information at irregular intervals, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring as in the conventional method. This prevents the consumption of computing resources in the electronic control device (such as a CPU, SoC, or microcontroller), thereby reducing the processing load on the in-vehicle electronic control device.

[0044] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. A distinctive feature of this embodiment is the addition of a diagnostic unit 160 within the vehicle control device 100, which diagnoses the deterioration state of the storage unit 110, which consists of non-volatile memory.

[0045] Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of an information communication system to which the vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0046] The diagnostic unit 160 diagnoses the deterioration state of the storage unit 110 based on the diagnostic log information of the storage unit 110 acquired by the log acquisition unit 150 (diagnosis step). The diagnostic unit 160 diagnoses the deterioration state of the storage unit 110 by considering the total amount of data written to the storage unit 110, the total amount of data read from the storage unit 110, as well as the number of errors and temperature information. The log acquisition unit 150 can decide whether or not to acquire the diagnostic log information of the storage unit 110 based on the diagnosis result of the diagnostic unit 160.

[0047] Figure 5 shows an example of the operation flow of the diagnostic unit of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment. The diagnostic unit 160 monitors the lifespan degradation of the storage unit 110 based on the diagnostic log information acquired by the log acquisition unit 150, and adjusts the frequency of issuing the second command based on that lifespan degradation. The diagnostic unit 160 acquires diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 using the second command (S211). Then, based on the acquired diagnostic log information, it determines whether a malfunction has occurred in the storage unit 110 or whether a refresh operation of the storage unit 110 is necessary (S212).

[0048] If a malfunction occurs in the storage unit 110, or if a refresh operation of the storage unit 110 is required, the frequency of issuing the second command is increased (S213). On the other hand, if there is no malfunction in the storage unit 110 and no refresh operation is required, the frequency of issuing the second command is decreased (S214).

[0049] Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the information acquired by the log acquisition unit of the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the number of times the information is acquired. Figure 6(a) shows the relationship between the number of times diagnostic log information is acquired and the cumulative number of errors, Figure 6(b) shows the relationship between the number of times diagnostic log information is acquired and the total amount of data written, Figure 6(c) shows the relationship between the number of times diagnostic log information is acquired and the number of times the power is turned on, and Figure 6(d) shows the relationship between the number of times diagnostic log information is acquired and temperature information.

[0050] For example, if the total amount of data accessed by the storage unit 110 is small and the number of errors is increasing, the diagnostic unit 160 diagnoses that there may be a problem with the storage unit 110 and sends an instruction to the log acquisition unit 150 to increase the frequency of issuing the second command.

[0051] Furthermore, if the total amount of data accessed by the storage unit 110 is large and the temperature of the storage unit 110 remains high, the diagnostic unit 160 diagnoses that the storage unit 110 is deteriorating and that a refresh operation (such as moving data) of the storage unit 110 is necessary, and sends an instruction to the log acquisition unit 150 to increase the frequency of issuing the second command. When the log acquisition unit 150 receives an instruction from the diagnostic unit 160 to increase the frequency of issuing the second command, it increases the frequency of issuing the second command in addition to the first command.

[0052] Furthermore, if the number of times the vehicle control device 100 is powered on does not increase, the diagnostic unit 160 determines that the period of time the power is off has become long and that a refresh operation of the memory unit 110 is necessary, and sends an instruction to the log acquisition unit 150 to increase the frequency of issuing the second command. When the log acquisition unit 150 receives an instruction from the diagnostic unit 160 to increase the frequency of issuing the second command, it increases the frequency of issuing the second command in addition to the first command.

[0053] According to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, the log acquisition unit 150 can determine whether or not to acquire diagnostic log information using deterioration information from the diagnostic unit 160. Therefore, the diagnostic timing of the storage unit 110 can be increased or decreased according to the deterioration status of the storage unit 110. Thus, the frequency of access to the storage unit 110 can be appropriately controlled, achieving both a longer lifespan and higher reliability for the storage unit 110.

[0054] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. A distinctive feature of this embodiment is that the log acquisition unit 150 is configured to acquire time information.

[0055] Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of an information and communication system to which the vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the embodiments described above, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0056] The log acquisition unit 150 has a configuration for acquiring time information. By acquiring time information, the log acquisition unit 150 can calculate the elapsed time since the previous issuance of the second command. Therefore, the factors for determining whether to add a second command can be increased, and a second command can also be added based on the time interval.

[0057] Figure 8 shows an example of the operation flow of the log acquisition unit of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment. When the log acquisition unit 150 receives notification of an external communication request from the external communication request processing unit 140 (S221), it acquires information on the deterioration diagnosis result of the storage unit 110 from the diagnostic unit 160 (S222). Then, it calculates the elapsed time since the previous issuance of the second command using the time information (S223). Finally, it determines whether or not to acquire diagnostic log information based on the deterioration diagnosis result of the storage unit 110 by the diagnostic unit 160 and the elapsed time (S224).

[0058] The log acquisition unit 150 can determine that it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information and issue a second command if the elapsed time since the previous log acquisition decision process is longer than a predetermined time. This allows the system to acquire diagnostic log information by issuing a second command even in cases where communication with the outside world is not possible, such as in the event of a communication failure or while inside a tunnel. Furthermore, if the system receives notification of an external communication request from the server 300 at intervals shorter than the predetermined time, it can determine that acquiring diagnostic log information is unnecessary, thereby reducing the frequency of access to the storage unit 110 and extending its lifespan.

[0059] The log acquisition unit 150 can adjust the diagnostic timing, that is, the timing of issuing the second command, based on time information. If there is still plenty of time left in the storage unit 110's lifespan, the log acquisition unit 150 issues the second command at a low frequency, and if the storage unit 110 is nearing the end of its lifespan, it issues the second command at a high frequency to diagnose the deterioration state of the storage unit 110.

[0060] Figure 9 shows an example of diagnostic timing in the diagnostic unit of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment. In the graph shown in Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents the number of rewrites (P / E cycles) of the memory unit 110, and the vertical axis represents the data retention time of the memory unit 110. As shown in the graph in Figure 9, it can be seen that data retention of the memory unit 110 decreases as it approaches the lifespan (spec upper limit) of the memory unit 110. Therefore, by increasing the frequency of diagnostic timing as it approaches the lifespan, the deterioration state of the memory unit 110 can be accurately diagnosed.

[0061] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. A distinctive feature of this embodiment is that the command history of the first command is used for deterioration diagnosis of the storage unit 110. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the embodiments described above, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0062] The diagnostic unit 160 is configured to acquire the command history of the first command. The command history may be read from the command processing unit 130 or from the storage unit 110. The command history contains information on the type and date and time of issuance of the first command issued in the past.

[0063] The diagnostic unit 160 assigns weights to indicate the degree of degradation impact corresponding to the type of first command. For example, if a first command of a type with a high degradation impact occurs frequently, it diagnoses that the memory unit 110 is deteriorating.

[0064] The diagnostic unit 160 outputs the degradation impact level to the log acquisition unit 150. The log acquisition unit 150 determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 based on the degradation impact level and the command history. If the cumulative value of the degradation impact level exceeds a threshold, the log acquisition unit 150 determines that it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 and issues a second command.

[0065] Figure 10 illustrates an example of a diagnostic method in the diagnostic unit of the vehicle control device according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 10, there are three types of commands: erase, write, and read. The weighting of each command, indicating the degree of degradation impact, is set to 3 for erase, 2 for write, and 1 for read. The log acquisition unit 150 issues a second command when the cumulative degradation impact exceeds a threshold of 5.

[0066] According to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment, the log acquisition unit 150 determines whether or not to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit 110 based on the command history and the degree of deterioration. Therefore, it is possible to diagnose the storage unit 110 according to the degree of deterioration.

[0067] [Fifth Embodiment] Figure 11 shows an example of the configuration of an information and communication system to which the vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. In the embodiments described above, the case where there is one storage unit 110 was explained as an example, but the vehicle control device 100 may have multiple storage units 110, 111. Even when there are multiple storage units 110, 111, it is possible to acquire logs from each storage unit 110, 111 and acquire degradation information from each storage unit 110, 111 using the same configuration as in the embodiments described above. In this embodiment, with the above configuration, even when there are multiple storage units 110, 111, it can be realized without changing or increasing the configuration for acquiring degradation information.

[0068] [Sixth Embodiment] Figure 12 shows an example of the configuration of an information and communication system to which the vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. If the vehicle control unit (ECU) 100 contains multiple electronic control units (SoCs), and each electronic control unit is connected to a memory unit 110, 112, then the external communication request processing unit 140, the log acquisition unit 150, and the diagnostic unit 160 may be provided in one or both of the multiple electronic control units.

[0069] In this embodiment, with the above configuration, degradation information for each storage unit 110, 112 can be obtained from either one, thus enabling the effects shown in the first to third embodiments to be realized without additional resources.

[0070] [Seventh Embodiment] Figure 13 shows an example of the configuration of an information and communication system to which the vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. This is an example where a vehicle control unit (ECU) 100 contains multiple electronic control units (SoCs) that share a storage unit 110. The external communication request processing unit 140, the log acquisition unit 150, and the diagnostic unit 160 may be provided in one or both of the multiple electronic control units. Alternatively, the multiple electronic control units may be connected to the storage unit 110 via a switch device. In this embodiment, the above configuration allows for the acquisition of degradation information of the shared storage unit 110 by a command from any one of the multiple electronic control units, thereby reducing the resources of the electronic control units.

[0071] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of each of the embodiments described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a 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. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 100...Vehicle control unit, 200...Communication unit (communication device), 300...Server / PC / Cloud, 110, 111, 112...Storage unit, 120, 121...Input / output unit, 130, 131...Command processing unit, 140...External communication request processing unit, 150...Log acquisition unit, 160...Diagnostic unit

Claims

1. A vehicle control device connected to a communication device that communicates with an external device, A storage unit having non-volatile memory, A command processing unit that issues commands to the memory unit, An input / output unit that performs input and output of information to and from the storage unit based on a command issued by the command processing unit, An external communication request processing unit that processes external communication requests with the external device, The system includes a log acquisition unit that acquires diagnostic log information output from the storage unit via the input / output unit, The log acquisition unit determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit in response to an external communication request with the external device. When the command processing unit determines that it is necessary to obtain diagnostic log information of the storage unit by the log acquisition unit, it adds a second command to the first command that performs input / output of information in response to an external communication request with the external device, and issues a command to obtain diagnostic log information of the storage unit. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising a diagnostic unit that diagnoses the life deterioration state of the storage unit based on the diagnostic log information of the storage unit acquired by the log acquisition unit.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the log acquisition unit determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit based on at least one of the number of communications with the external device and the type of command.

4. The diagnostic unit determines whether or not a malfunction has occurred in the storage unit based on the total amount of data accessed to the storage unit and the number of errors in the storage unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the log acquisition unit increases the frequency of issuing the second command in addition to the first command when it determines that a malfunction has occurred in the storage unit.

5. The diagnostic unit determines whether the storage unit is deteriorating based on the total amount of data accessed to the storage unit and the temperature of the storage unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the log acquisition unit increases the frequency of issuing the second command in addition to the first command when it determines that the storage unit is deteriorating.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the log acquisition unit determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit based on the degree of deterioration impact corresponding to the type of command and the history of the command.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the log acquisition unit determines whether or not to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit based on the diagnostic result of the diagnostic unit.

8. An information communication system comprising a server which is an external device, and a vehicle control device connected to a communication device that communicates with the server, The aforementioned vehicle control device is A storage unit consisting of non-volatile memory, A command processing unit that issues commands to the memory unit, An input / output unit that performs input and output of information to and from the storage unit based on a command issued by the command processing unit, An external communication request processing unit that processes external communication requests to the server, The system includes a log acquisition unit that acquires diagnostic log information of the storage unit triggered by an external communication request with the server, The log acquisition unit determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information from the storage unit in response to an external communication request with the external device. When the command processing unit determines that it is necessary to obtain diagnostic log information of the storage unit by the log acquisition unit, it adds a second command to the first command that performs input / output of information in response to an external communication request with the external device, and issues a command to obtain diagnostic log information of the storage unit. An information and communication system characterized by the following features.

9. A method for diagnosing the degradation of non-volatile memory in a vehicle control device connected to a communication device that communicates with an external device, A determination step to determine whether or not it is necessary to acquire diagnostic log information of the storage unit consisting of the non-volatile memory, triggered by an external communication request with the external device, If the acquisition determination step determines that the diagnostic log information should be acquired, the diagnostic log information acquisition step involves acquiring the diagnostic log information of the storage unit, A diagnostic step which diagnoses the deterioration state of the storage unit based on the diagnostic log information obtained in the diagnostic log information acquisition step, A method for diagnosing the degradation of non-volatile memory, characterized by including [a specific element].

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