ECU Update Coordination to Prevent Program Version Inconsistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies struggle to prevent version inconsistency of programs executed by electronic control units (ECUs) with different activation or reactivation timings, particularly in vehicles, leading to potential adverse effects on vehicle control.

Innovation Solution

An updating system and management device that manage the updating process for ECUs with different power supply systems, ensuring that ECUs store updated programs in a secondary storage region and only activate them after confirming complete updates across all units, thereby preventing version inconsistency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If ECUs are updated independently with different activation timings, then updating efficiency is improved, but version inconsistency occurs between ECUs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdating efficiencyVSAvoidversion consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The updating management device collects update results from all ECUs before any ECU activates the updated program. This preliminary verification ensures that all ECUs have completed their updates before activation begins, preventing version inconsistency while maintaining independent update processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

ECUs transmit their update results back to the updating management device, which uses this feedback to determine when all ECUs have completed updates. This feedback mechanism coordinates the activation timing across all ECUs, ensuring version consistency without sacrificing updating efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If ECUs activate updated programs immediately after updating, then response speed is improved, but version inconsistency adverse effects occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveactivation response speedVSAvoidversion inconsistency adverse effects

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a preliminary check to confirm all ECUs have completed updates before any ECU activates the updated program. This preliminary action prevents version inconsistency adverse effects while allowing ECUs to activate as soon as the condition is met, maintaining fast response speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The updating management device prevents premature activation by holding ECUs in a waiting state until all updates are confirmed. This preliminary anti-action counteracts the tendency toward version inconsistency while minimizing delay, as activation occurs immediately after the condition is satisfied.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS12585459B2Updating system, electronic control unit, updating management device, and updating management method

Publication Date: 2026.03.24 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An updating system includes a plurality of electronic control units and an updating management device. The updating management device is configured to request that the electronic control units respectively update programs and store update results of the programs transmitted from the electronic control units. The electronic control unit has a first storage region and a second storage region, and is configured to store an updated program in the second storage region and notify the updating management device of the update results according to a request from the updating management device, and is configured to start a predetermined control using the updated program stored in the second storage region when the update results stored in the updating management device indicate that the updating of the programs in the electronic control units is completed.