Automatic Transmission ECU Post-Assembly Programming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The management and storage of electronic control units and assemblies consisting of electronic control units and oil pressure control units for automatic transmissions require multiple component numbers due to varying vehicle specifications, leading to increased complexity and storage space needs.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing automatic transmissions where vehicle-dependent information is written to the electronic control unit's memory device after assembly and before testing, allowing for simplified management and storage by eliminating the need for multiple component numbers, with the electronic control unit and oil pressure control unit being installed as a calibrated assembly and ATF filling performed in parallel with information writing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle-dependent information is written to the electronic control unit before assembly, then the electronic control unit can be managed with multiple component numbers for different vehicle specifications, but this increases management complexity and storage space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by writing vehicle-dependent information to the electronic control unit's memory device after assembly but before final testing. This timing allows the ECU to be assembled in a standardized state without pre-configuring different component numbers for various vehicle specifications, thereby reducing management complexity while maintaining the ability to adapt to different vehicle types through post-assembly programming
2Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle-dependent information is written to the electronic control unit before assembly, then the electronic control units can be individually configured for different vehicle specifications, but this requires large storage space for sorted components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the information writing operation after assembly and before testing, which eliminates the need to pre-store multiple versions of electronic control units sorted by vehicle specification. The standardized ECU design combined with post-assembly programming significantly reduces the storage space required for component inventory while maintaining full adaptability to different vehicle types
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a standardized electronic control unit design that can be replicated without modification for all vehicle specifications. Instead of storing multiple physical variants, the same ECU hardware is used across all applications, with vehicle-specific information written to memory during or after assembly, thereby minimizing storage space requirements
3Productivity
If air relief and information writing are performed simultaneously, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but this may cause execution errors or reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a sequential process where air relief is completed before information writing begins. This preliminary completion of the air relief operation ensures that the electronic control unit is in a stable state without conflicting operations, thereby maintaining execution reliability while still achieving efficient manufacturing through automated sequential processing
Data Source
AI summary
It is intended to make it possible to, even in a situation where a program and/or data to be written to a memory device of an electronic control unit provided in an automatic transmission become different in content, depending on a specification of a vehicle to be mounted with the automatic transmission, manage the electronic control unit while distinguishing only by a difference in hardware configurations thereof. Disclosed is a method which comprises: an assembling step (10) of assembling an automatic transmission, wherein the assembling step includes installing an electronic control unit in the automatic transmission; and a testing step (30) of testing the automatic transmission after completion of assembling in the assembling step (10), wherein a writing step (20) is performed after the assembling step (10) and before the testing step (30), to write vehicle-dependent information consisting of a program and/or data depending on a specification of a vehicle to be mounted with the automatic transmission, to a memory device of the electronic control unit installed in the automatic transmission.