ECU OTA Update Consistency Verification

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in ensuring the consistency and proper rewriting of program data in electronic control units (ECUs) during Over The Air (OTA) updates, where incompatible difference data can lead to operational issues in vehicle control and diagnosis.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a difference data acquisition unit, a consistency determination unit, an update data restoration unit, and a data writing unit that acquires difference data, determines its consistency with stored data, restores update data when consistent, and writes it into the ECU's storage area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If difference data is used for OTA updates, then update efficiency is improved, but data consistency reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate efficiencyVSAvoiddata consistency reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary consistency determination by comparing determination information (such as hash values or version identifiers) of the difference data with corresponding information stored in the ECU before executing the update. This preliminary check ensures that the difference data is compatible with the existing program data, preventing inconsistent updates while maintaining the efficiency benefits of differential updating.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the consistency determination result directly controls whether the update proceeds. If the determination information matches, the update is executed; if not, the update is aborted. This feedback loop ensures reliability by preventing application of incompatible difference data while maintaining the efficient differential update approach when conditions are suitable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If full program data is transmitted for updates, then update reliability is improved, but communication bandwidth consumption worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of transmitting complete program data, the system extracts and transmits only the difference data representing changes between versions. This extraction approach significantly reduces communication bandwidth consumption while maintaining update reliability through the accompanying consistency verification mechanism that ensures the extracted difference data is applicable to the target ECU.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11604637B2Electronic control unit, vehicle electronic control system, difference data consistency determination method and computer program product

Publication Date: 2023.03.14 DENSO CORP

AI summary

An electronic control unit includes a difference data acquisition unit that is configured to acquire difference data that is data to be written into a data storage area of the electronic control unit, the difference data being a difference between old data and new data, a consistency determination unit that is configured to determine whether the difference data is consistent with the data storage area or storage data stored in the data storage area based on first determination information related to the storage data and second determination information acquired in association with the difference data, an update data restoration unit that is configured to restore update data as the new data using the difference data and the storage data when the consistency determination unit determines that the difference data is consistent, and a data writing unit that is configured to write the update data restored by the update data restoration unit into the data storage area.