ECU Program Update Recovery Using Segmented Flash Progress Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic control unit (ECU) program updating methods face issues with incomplete data due to unreliable power supply status detection during online updates, leading to invalid data in storage areas.
Innovation Solution
The ECU includes a nonvolatile memory with a program storage area and data storage area, dividing updating programs into manageable segments, storing progress data, and resuming updates from completed areas upon power restoration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ECU acquires power supply status from external devices through communication paths to determine suspension and resumption of program updating, then the updating process can be controlled based on power stability, but the communication path or external device may fail, causing the ECU to be unable to acquire the power supply status reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU monitors its own power supply status internally rather than relying on external devices. The power supply unit provides status information directly to the arithmetic processing unit, eliminating communication path dependencies and enabling the ECU to autonomously determine when to suspend or resume program updating based on actual power conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an internal power supply status acquisition mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the power supply unit and the arithmetic processing unit. This internal status information serves as a reliable mediator that accurately reflects power conditions without the failures associated with external communication paths.
2Device complexity
If the ECU continues program updating without acquiring power supply status, then the updating process can proceed without communication dependencies, but power supply may stop during updating causing invalid data to remain in the storage area
Solution Approach 1:
The arithmetic processing unit continuously receives feedback from the power supply unit regarding power supply status. Based on this real-time feedback, the system dynamically adjusts the program updating process by suspending updates when power instability is detected and resuming when stability is restored, ensuring complete and valid program data in the storage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary checks of power supply status before initiating program updating and continuously monitors during the process. By anticipating potential power interruptions through status monitoring, the system can prevent incomplete updates by suspending the process before invalid data is written, rather than dealing with corruption after it occurs.
3Productivity
If the ECU divides the updating program into segments and stores progress data, then the updating process can be resumed from completed areas after power restoration, but the data storage area requires additional management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The program updating process is divided into multiple segments with defined boundaries. The arithmetic processing unit writes each segment sequentially to the program storage area and records the completion status of each segment in the data storage area. This segmentation enables the system to resume updating from the first incomplete segment after power restoration, avoiding the need to restart the entire updating process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily organizes the program data into transferable segments and prepares the data storage area for progress tracking before actual updating begins. By pre-structuring the updating process into manageable units with associated status markers, the system facilitates efficient resumption operations without requiring complex real-time analysis during power restoration events.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a program updating process according to which even when power supply to an electronic control unit stops during program updating, invalid data's remaining in a storage area at completion of program updating is prevented without acquiring a power supply status of a vehicle. An electronic control unit includes a communication interface, a nonvolatile memory, and an arithmetic processing unit that executes a program. The nonvolatile memory includes a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area has a program updating process unit that carries out an updating process, and a program updating target unit that stores an updating program. The arithmetic processing unit reads the program updating process unit as the program and executes the program, divides an updating program received by the communication interface into divided updating programs each having a given size, and writes each of the divided updating programs to the program updating target unit. The arithmetic processing unit stores updating progress data in the data storage area, the updating progress data indicating a position of the divided updating program having been written to the program updating target unit.