Vehicle

Abstract

This vehicle includes a high-voltage battery for supplying power to a motor generator, a low-voltage battery having a lower output voltage than the high-voltage battery, a converter for stepping down the power output from the high-voltage battery, a control unit for controlling software updates of equipment to be updated, and a communication unit capable of downloading software, wherein: when the motor generator is in an OFF state, the control unit causes the communication unit to operate to download software using power output from the high-voltage battery and stepped down by the converter; and if the equipment to be updated is battery-related equipment related to power supply from the high-voltage battery, the control unit causes the low-voltage battery to be charged using power output from the high-voltage battery and stepped down by the converter, during or after completion of the download of the software, until the remaining amount of charge reaches a predetermined threshold value, and causes activation of the software by the equipment to be updated using power output from the low-voltage battery that has completed charging.

Description

vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicles.

[0002] A technology has been proposed in the past for downloading software for an in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle via OTA (Over The Air) and activating the downloaded software. In Patent Document 1, software is downloaded when the vehicle is in a drivable state (READY-ON).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-54893

[0004] In recent years, with the increase in software data volume, it is possible that the software download will not be completed within the time the vehicle is ready to drive. In such cases, it takes a long time to download the software, which results in a delay in software activation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to quickly activate software.

[0006] A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a high-voltage battery that supplies power to a motor generator, a low-voltage battery that has a lower output voltage than the high-voltage battery, a converter that reduces the power output from the high-voltage battery, a control unit that controls software updates for equipment to be updated, and a communication unit capable of downloading the software. When the motor generator is off, the control unit operates the communication unit using the power output from the high-voltage battery and reduced by the converter to download the software, and if the equipment to be updated is a battery-related device that receives power from the high-voltage battery, charges the low-voltage battery using the power output from the high-voltage battery and reduced by the converter during or after the software download is complete until the remaining charge reaches a predetermined threshold, and activates the software in the equipment to be updated using the power output from the low-voltage battery once charging is complete.

[0007] According to the present invention, software can be activated quickly.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle related to software update of an update target device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an update target device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing power supply during software download in a READY-OFF state. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing power supply during software update when the update target device is not a battery-related device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing power supply during software update when the update target device is a battery-related device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of software update processing.

[0009] 1. Vehicle Configuration Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor generator 2 (denoted as "M / G" in the figure) as a power source. The vehicle 1 includes the motor generator 2, a high-voltage battery 3, an inverter 4, and a power transmission cable 5.

[0010] The motor generator 2 is a power source, such as a three-phase AC motor, that drives the vehicle 1. The motor generator 2 generates driving force using electric power supplied from a high-voltage battery 3 via an inverter 4 and a power transmission cable 5, and transmits the driving force to the drive wheels to drive the vehicle 1. If the vehicle 1 is a hybrid vehicle, it will also be equipped with an engine as a power source.

[0011] The motor generator 2 is capable of generating electric power by performing regenerative operation. The electric power generated by the regenerative operation of the motor generator 2 is supplied to the high-voltage battery 3 via the inverter 4 and the power transmission cable 5.

[0012] The inverter 4 converts the direct current supplied from the high-voltage battery 3 into three-phase alternating current and supplies it to the motor generator 2 via the power transmission cable 5. When the motor generator 2 performs regenerative operation, the inverter 4 converts the alternating current supplied from the motor generator 2 into direct current and supplies it to the high-voltage battery 3 via the power transmission cable 5.

[0013] The high-voltage battery 3 is a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, and outputs and stores electric power at a high voltage of, for example, 100 V or 200 V. The high-voltage battery 3 can be charged by regenerative operation of the motor generator 2. The high-voltage battery 3 may also be charged by power supplied from an external device (not shown).

[0014] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 1 regarding software update of the update target device 11. In Fig. 2, the flow of power is indicated by a solid line, and the flow of signals is indicated by a dashed line.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes, in addition to the high-voltage battery 3, a low-voltage battery 6, an integrated ECU 7, a high-voltage battery ECU 8, a DC-DC converter 9, a wireless communication device 10, and a device 11 to be updated.

[0016] The low-voltage battery 6 is a so-called auxiliary battery, and is a secondary battery such as a lead battery or a lithium-ion battery. The low-voltage battery 6 outputs and stores electric power at a low voltage, for example, 12 V, lower than that of the high-voltage battery 3. If the vehicle 1 is a hybrid vehicle, the low-voltage battery 6 can be charged with electric power generated by an alternator. Furthermore, the low-voltage battery 6 can be charged with electric power supplied from the high-voltage battery 3, as will be described in detail later.

[0017] The low-voltage battery 6 supplies power to various on-board devices mounted on the vehicle 1. The on-board devices are devices that consume power to perform predetermined operations, such as the wireless communication device 10 and the update target device 11. The low-voltage battery 6 supplies low-voltage power to the wireless communication device 10 and the update target device 11, thereby enabling them to operate. The on-board devices also include lights, an air conditioner, a car stereo, and the like.

[0018] The integrated ECU 7 performs overall control of the entire vehicle 1. For example, the integrated ECU 7 performs overall control related to charging of the high-voltage battery 3 and the low-voltage battery 6. Therefore, the integrated ECU 7 is capable of acquiring the SOC (State of Charge) of the high-voltage battery 3 and the low-voltage battery 6 at any time. The integrated ECU 7 also performs control related to updating the software of the update target device 11. Specific processing will be described later.

[0019] The high-voltage battery ECU 8 switches on and off a relay for connecting and disconnecting the high-voltage battery 3 and the DC-DC converter 9. The high-voltage battery ECU 8 also detects the temperature, voltage, and other conditions of the high-voltage battery 3, and detects an abnormal condition of the high-voltage battery 3 based on the detection results. The high-voltage battery ECU 8 also calculates the SOC of the high-voltage battery 3. The high-voltage battery ECU 8 outputs the presence or absence of the detected abnormal condition and the SOC of the high-voltage battery 3 to the integrated ECU 7.

[0020] The DC-DC converter 9 is connected to the high-voltage battery 3 and also to the low-voltage battery 6. The DC-DC converter 9 operates under the control of the integrated ECU 7, and reduces the high-voltage power output from the high-voltage battery 3 to a low voltage. The reduced low voltage is approximately the same as the voltage of the low-voltage battery 6.

[0021] The DC-DC converter 9 is capable of charging the low-voltage battery 6 by supplying the stepped-down low-voltage power to the low-voltage battery 6. Furthermore, the DC-DC converter 9 is also connected to the wireless communication device 10, the update target device 11, etc. in addition to the low-voltage battery 6, and is capable of supplying the stepped-down low-voltage power to the wireless communication device 10, the update target device 11, etc. to operate them.

[0022] In the following description, the high-voltage battery 3, the integrated ECU 7, the high-voltage battery ECU 8, and the DC-DC converter 9, which are devices related to the power supply from the high-voltage battery 3, may be collectively referred to as battery-related devices 12.

[0023] The wireless communication device 10 can communicate wirelessly (over the air) with a data server (not shown) via a network. The data server distributes information necessary for updating software that operates the update target device 11 installed in the vehicle 1.

[0024] The update target device 11 refers to an in-vehicle device for which software is to be updated, and particularly refers to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Examples of the update target device 11 include an engine ECU that controls the engine, a motor ECU that controls the motor generator 2, a wireless communication device 10 that wirelessly communicates with a data server via a network, a car navigation system ECU that controls the car navigation system, and a power supply ECU that controls the READY-ON and READY-OFF states of the vehicle 1 based on user operation. The update target device 11 also includes an integrated ECU 7 that performs overall control related to charging of the high-voltage battery 3 and the low-voltage battery 6, and a high-voltage battery ECU 8 that controls the high-voltage battery 3.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the update target device 11. However, the configuration of the update target device 11 shown in Fig. 3 is just an example, and other configurations may also be used.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the update target device 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a non-volatile memory 24, and a communication device 25.

[0027] The CPU 21 performs operations according to the software stored in the ROM 22 or the non-volatile memory 24 by expanding the software into the RAM 23 and executing the software. The non-volatile memory 24 has two storage areas: a first storage area 31 and a second storage area 32.

[0028] The first storage area 31 and the second storage area 32 can store software for operating the update target device 11. As will be described in detail later, one of the first storage area 31 and the second storage area 32 stores software that is actually being executed, and the other can store software to be updated. When the software to be updated is stored in the other of the first storage area 31 and the second storage area 32, the update target device 11 operates using that software.

[0029] The communication device 25 communicates with other on-board devices installed in the vehicle 1 .

[0030] The vehicle 1 is equipped with a plurality of ECUs. In other words, the vehicle 1 is provided with a plurality of update target devices 11. The ECU is a computer for controlling the operation of the target devices, and is provided for each device to be controlled. Note that one ECU may be provided for each of the devices to be controlled, or multiple ECUs may be provided for each of the devices to be controlled.

[0031] Here, the wireless communication device 10 receives update information from the data server via the network for updating the software of the update target device 11. The update information includes information about the update target device 11 whose software is to be updated, and information about the software to be updated (size, version, etc.).

[0032] When the integrated ECU 7 receives the update information, it prompts the user to input whether or not to execute the software update, and when the user permits the software update, it starts downloading the software indicated in the update information.

[0033] In recent years, software data volume has increased due to the increase in the capacity of ECU non-volatile memory and the increasing complexity of software. As a result, the time required to download software has also increased, making it difficult to download software in one go while the vehicle 1 is in the READY-ON state.

[0034] It is also conceivable that software may be downloaded and updated by operating the wireless communication device 10 and the update target device 11 with power supplied from the low-voltage battery 6 while the vehicle 1 is in READY-OFF state. In this case, since the charge capacity of the low-voltage battery 6 is relatively small compared to the high-voltage battery 3, there is a risk that the low-voltage battery 6 will run out of charge while downloading or updating software.

[0035] Therefore, in the vehicle 1, software download and update can be performed while the vehicle 1 is in the READY-OFF state (parked state).

[0036] The READY-ON state of the vehicle 1 refers to a state in which the vehicle 1 is capable of running, and the motor generator 2 and the engine are in an ON state. The READY-OFF state of the vehicle 1 refers to a state in which the vehicle 1 is not capable of running, and the motor generator 2 and the engine are in an OFF state.

[0037] Specifically, when the integrated ECU 7 causes the wireless communication device 10 to start downloading software based on the update information, it reserves the software update. This reservation is a flag for downloading and updating the software when the vehicle 1 becomes READY-OFF.

[0038] 4 is a diagram showing the power supply during software download in the READY-OFF state. When the READY-OFF state is entered before or during the download, the integrated ECU 7 activates the high-voltage battery ECU 8 and the DC-DC converter 9 based on the software update reservation, as shown in FIG. 4. The integrated ECU 7 then reduces the high-voltage power output from the high-voltage battery 3 using the DC-DC converter 9, and supplies (feeds) the reduced low-voltage power to the wireless communication device 10 and the update target device 11.

[0039] When low-voltage power is supplied to the wireless communication device 10, the wireless communication device 10 downloads the software indicated in the update information from the data server via the network. The downloaded software is stored in the non-volatile memory 24 of the update target device 11 that is the target of the update. Here, if the currently used software is stored in the first storage area 31, the downloaded software is stored in the second storage area 32. If the currently used software is stored in the second storage area 32, the downloaded software is stored in the first storage area 31.

[0040] In this way, by operating the wireless communication device 10 and the device to be updated 11 using power supplied from the high-voltage battery 3, it is possible to prevent the high-voltage battery 3 from running out of charge and becoming unable to download the software midway, even if the software has a large data capacity and the download time is long.

[0041] When updating the software of the battery-related device 12, it is necessary to stop the battery-related device 12 to be updated. However, if the battery-related device 12 is operating on power supplied from the high-voltage battery 3, the battery-related device 12 cannot be stopped, and the software cannot be updated.

[0042] Therefore, the method of supplying power to the update target device 11 to be updated differs depending on whether the update target device 11 to be updated is a battery-related device 12 or not.

[0043] 5 is a diagram showing the power supply during software update when the update target device 11 to be updated is not the battery-related device 12. When the update target device 11 to be updated is not the battery-related device 12, as shown in FIG. 5, the integrated ECU 7 supplies low-voltage power output from the high-voltage battery 3 and stepped down by the DC-DC converter 9 to the update target device 11 to be updated.

[0044] The integrated ECU 7 then activates the downloaded software in the update target device 11. Specifically, the integrated ECU 7 resets the update target device 11 and then switches the software so that the update target device 11 operates using the downloaded software. This completes the software update for the update target device 11.

[0045] 6 is a diagram showing the power supply during software update when the update target device 11 to be updated is a battery-related device 12. When the update target device 11 to be updated is a battery-related device 12, the software is updated using power supplied from the low-voltage battery 6 instead of the low-voltage power supplied from the high-voltage battery 3 and stepped down by the DC-DC converter 9.

[0046] 6, during or after the software download, the integrated ECU 7 controls the DC-DC converter 9 to charge the low-voltage battery 6 to a predetermined threshold value that is equal to or higher than the normal threshold value. Here, the normal threshold value is a threshold value that is set when the low-voltage battery 6 is charged while the battery is in the READY-ON state, and the low-voltage battery 6 is charged so that the SOC reaches the normal threshold value while the battery is in the READY-ON state.

[0047] Specifically, if the low-voltage battery 6 is a lead battery, the normal threshold is often 100%. In this case, the integrated ECU 7 supplies power from the high-voltage battery 3 to the low-voltage battery 6 via the DC-DC converter 9 to charge the low-voltage battery 6 to 100%. On the other hand, if the low-voltage battery 6 is a lithium-ion battery, the normal threshold is set to about 50%. In this case, the integrated ECU 7 supplies power from the high-voltage battery 3 to the low-voltage battery 6 via the DC-DC converter 9 to charge the low-voltage battery 6 to 50% or more (for example, 100%).

[0048] Then, when the software download is complete and the low-voltage battery 6 is charged to a predetermined threshold where the SOC is equal to or greater than the normal threshold, the integrated ECU 7 shuts down the battery-related devices 12. Specifically, the integrated ECU 7 turns off the relay of the high-voltage battery 3 and shuts down the DC-DC converter 9. The integrated ECU 7 also shuts down itself and shuts down the high-voltage battery ECU 8. This cuts off power from the high-voltage battery 3 to the update target device 11. Meanwhile, power is supplied from the low-voltage battery 6 to the update target device 11.

[0049] The integrated ECU 7 activates (updates) the downloaded software in the update target device 11. This completes the update of the software in the update target device 11.

[0050] At this time, the device 11 to be updated will operate using power from the low-voltage battery 6, which has a small storage capacity, but since only software activation is performed using power from the low-voltage battery 6, it is possible to reduce the risk of the low-voltage battery 6 running out of charge.

[0051] 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the software update process. As shown in FIG. 7, in step S1, the integrated ECU 7 determines whether a software update is scheduled at READY-OFF.

[0052] If a software update is not scheduled (No in step S1), the process ends. If a software update is scheduled (Yes in step S1), in step S2, the integrated ECU 7 activates the high-voltage battery ECU 8, turns on a relay to supply power from the high-voltage battery 3 to the DC-DC converter 9, and operates the DC-DC converter 9. As a result, the power stepped down by the DC-DC converter 9 is supplied to the wireless communication device 10 and the device 11 to be updated.

[0053] In step S3, the integrated ECU 7 downloads software from the data server via the network to the wireless communication device 10. The integrated ECU 7 also stores the downloaded software in the non-volatile memory 24 of the update target device 11 that is the update target.

[0054] In step S4, the integrated ECU 7 determines whether the update target device 11 to be updated is the battery-related device 12. If the update target device 11 to be updated is the battery-related device 12 (Yes in step S4), in step S5 the integrated ECU 7 operates the DC-DC converter 9 to charge the low-voltage battery 6 until the SOC reaches a predetermined threshold value that is equal to or higher than the normal threshold value. Note that steps S4 and S5 may be performed either during or after the software download is completed.

[0055] After downloading the software, in step S6, the integrated ECU 7 activates the software for the update target device 11, and then ends the process.

[0056] 2. Modifications Although the present invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment, it is not limited to the specific example and various other configurations are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, software is downloaded using power from the high-voltage battery 3 regardless of the software download time. However, the integrated ECU 7 calculates the download time based on the software data volume and communication speed, and downloads the software using power from the high-voltage battery 3 if the download time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time. Furthermore, the integrated ECU 7 downloads the software using power from the low-voltage battery 6 if the download time is less than the predetermined time. This allows the software to be downloaded and activated using power from the low-voltage battery 6 if the software data volume is small.

[0057] 3. Summary of the Embodiment As described above, the vehicle 1 of the embodiment includes a high-voltage battery 3 that supplies power to the motor generator 2, a low-voltage battery 6 that has a lower output voltage than the high-voltage battery 3, a converter (DC-DC converter 9) that steps down the power output from the high-voltage battery 3, a control unit (integrated ECU 7) that controls software updates for the update target device 11, and a communication unit (wireless communication device 10) that can download software. When the motor generator 2 is in an off state (READY-OFF), the control unit operates the communication unit using power output from the high-voltage battery 3 and stepped down by the converter to download the software. Furthermore, if the update target device 11 is a battery-related device 12 that receives power from the high-voltage battery 3, the control unit charges the low-voltage battery 6 with the power output from the high-voltage battery 3 and stepped down by the converter during or after the software download is complete until the remaining charge reaches a predetermined threshold, and activates the software in the update target device 11 using the power output from the high-voltage battery 3 and stepped down by the converter. As a result, even when the software data volume is large and the download takes a long time, the wireless communication device 10 can be operated using power from the high-voltage battery 3, thereby reducing the risk of the low-voltage battery 6 running out of charge. In other words, software downloads can be performed stably and in a small number of downloads (one download). Furthermore, when the wireless communication device 10 is a battery-related device 12, software activation in the update-target device 11 cannot be performed using power from the high-voltage battery 3. Therefore, the software activation in the update-target device 11 is performed using power from the charged low-voltage battery 6. This reduces the risk of the low-voltage battery 6 running out of charge during software activation. In this way, even when the software data volume is large, the vehicle 1 can perform the entire process from software download to activation in one go while the vehicle 1 is in the READY-OFF state. This allows the vehicle 1 to quickly activate the software.

[0058] If the update target device 11 is not a battery-related device 12, the control unit (integrated ECU 7) activates the software in the update target device 11 using power output from the high-voltage battery 3 and stepped down by the converter (DC-DC converter 9). As a result, if the update target device 11 is not a battery-related device 12, the entire process from software download to activation can be performed using power supplied from the high-voltage battery 3. This allows software activation to be performed stably and quickly.

[0059] The control unit (integrated ECU 7) calculates the software download time, and if the update target device 11 is a battery-related device 12 and the download time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, charges the low-voltage battery 6 until the remaining charge reaches a predetermined threshold during or after the software download is completed, and activates the software in the update target device 11 using the output power of the fully charged low-voltage battery 6. As a result, if the software download time is long, the download can be performed stably by operating the wireless communication device 10 using power from the high-voltage battery 3. Furthermore, if the software data volume is small, the software can be downloaded and activated using power from the low-voltage battery 6.

[0060] The control unit (integrated ECU 7) charges the low-voltage battery 6 until the remaining charge reaches or exceeds the normal threshold when the motor generator 2 is on, and charges the low-voltage battery 6 until the remaining charge reaches a predetermined threshold that is equal to or exceeds the normal threshold when activating software in the update target device 11. This reduces the chance of the low-voltage battery 6 running out of charge during software activation.

[0061] The update target device 11 is provided with two storage areas capable of storing software, and the downloaded software is stored in one of the two storage areas. Software can be downloaded even while the update target device 11 is in operation.

[0062] 1 Vehicle 3 High-voltage battery 6 Low-voltage battery 7 Integrated ECU 8 High-voltage battery ECU 9 DC-DC converter 10 Wireless communication device 11 Device to be updated

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a high-voltage battery that supplies power to a motor generator; a low-voltage battery having an output voltage lower than that of the high-voltage battery; a converter that reduces the power output from the high-voltage battery; a control unit that controls updating of software in an equipment to be updated; and a communication unit capable of downloading the software, wherein, when the motor generator is off, the control unit operates the communication unit using the power output from the high-voltage battery and reduced by the converter to download the software, and if the equipment to be updated is a battery-related device that receives power from the high-voltage battery, charges the low-voltage battery using the power output from the high-voltage battery and reduced by the converter until the remaining charge reaches a predetermined threshold during or after the software download is complete, and activates the software in the equipment to be updated using the power output from the low-voltage battery when charging is complete.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when the device to be updated is not a battery-related device, the control unit activates the software in the device to be updated using the power output from the high-voltage battery and stepped down by the converter.

3. A vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control unit calculates the download time of the software, and if the device to be updated is the battery-related device and the download time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, charges the low-voltage battery until the remaining charge reaches the predetermined threshold during or after the download of the software, and activates the software in the device to be updated using the output power of the low-voltage battery that has been fully charged.

4. A vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control unit charges the low-voltage battery until the remaining charge reaches a normal threshold when the motor generator is on, and when activating the software in the device to be updated, charges the low-voltage battery until the remaining charge reaches the predetermined threshold, which is equal to or greater than the normal threshold.

5. A vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the device to be updated is provided with two storage areas capable of storing the software, and the downloaded software is stored in one of the two storage areas.

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