ECU Boot Area for Seamless Hybrid Vehicle Software Updates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control systems for hybrid electric vehicles lack efficient methods for updating control units while maintaining power supply and cooling, leading to potential insufficiencies in battery state and overheating issues during software updates.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an ECU with a single main area for each control unit, utilizing a boot area for initial power supply and cooling control, allowing updates to be performed while the vehicle is operational, using an update control unit to manage the transition between normal operation and update states, ensuring continuous power and cooling through the high voltage battery and DC/DC converter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single main area is used in the ECU for storing control programs, then device complexity and cost are reduced, but the ability to perform updates during vehicle operation is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveECU structure complexityVSAvoidSoftware update capability during operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The storage area is segmented into a boot area for storing boot programs and a main area for storing control programs. This segmentation allows the system to load and execute boot programs from the boot area while performing updates in the main area, enabling software updates during vehicle operation without requiring multiple complete main areas, thus resolving the contradiction between simplicity and update capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The boot program is prepared in advance in the boot area before any updates are needed. This preliminary preparation allows the system to have a ready-to-execute boot program that can take over control when updates are performed in the main area, enabling seamless updates during operation while maintaining a simple single-main-area structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the ECU is updated during vehicle operation, then productivity and response time are improved, but battery state insufficiency and overheating may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUpdate speed and vehicle availabilityVSAvoidBattery state and thermal management stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The boot program acts as an intermediary between the update program and the control programs. During updates, the boot program temporarily takes over control of power supply and cooling, mediating the transition between old and new control programs. This allows updates to proceed during operation while the boot program ensures battery and cooling system stability, resolving the contradiction between fast updates and system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares backup control programs and boot programs in advance in the boot area. This beforehand preparation cushions against potential issues during updates by having ready-to-use programs that can take over if needed, allowing rapid updates during operation while maintaining battery and thermal management reliability through pre-prepared control logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple main areas are provided for each control unit, then software update capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSoftware update capabilityVSAvoidECU structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing multiple complete main areas, the storage is segmented into a smaller boot area for boot programs and a single main area for control programs. This selective segmentation provides just enough redundancy for updates (boot area) without duplicating the entire main area structure, enabling updates while keeping device complexity low.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The boot area is given special quality characteristics (non-updatable, higher reliability) compared to the main area. This local quality differentiation allows the system to have a simple single main area structure while the specially-prepared boot area provides the necessary update capability, resolving the contradiction between update capability and simplicity through localized enhancement rather than global duplication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11609765B2Control system, mobile object, computer-readable storage medium, and control method

Publication Date: 2023.03.21 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

Provided is a control system, including: a power source control unit for controlling a power source included in a mobile object; a mobile object control unit for controlling the mobile object; and an update control unit for receiving an update program of the power source control unit and the mobile object control unit, and transmitting the update program to one of the power source control unit and the mobile object control unit to be updated by the update program, wherein the power source control unit includes a first storage area to be updated and a second storage area not to be updated by the update program, and the power source control unit includes, in the second storage area, first control information for causing the power source to supply power in a case where the first storage area is updated by the update program transmitted from the update control unit.