Vehicle Gateway Engine Start Control During ECU Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
During on-line updates of control programs in vehicles, the voltage drop caused by engine start can lead to failed updates, resulting in the engine not being started due to insufficient power for the update process, especially when the update is automatically executed without user notice.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus and method that includes a communication unit, storage unit, monitoring unit, and determination unit to manage whether to permit engine start based on a reference table defining permitted and unpermitted devices, ensuring that the engine is not started during critical updates to prevent update failures due to voltage drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the engine start is permitted during control program update, then the engine can be started according to user operation, but the update process may fail due to voltage drop
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of ECUs into permitted and unpermitted devices before engine start occurs. The gateway determines in advance which ECUs can tolerate voltage drops during engine start and which cannot, storing this information in a reference table. When update is detected in an unpermitted device, the system proactively prevents engine start before the voltage drop can occur, thus avoiding update failure while maintaining normal start capability for permitted devices.
2Reliability
If the engine start is prohibited during control program update, then the update process reliability is improved, but the engine cannot be started even when not affecting update
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality rules to different ECUs based on their characteristics. Instead of a blanket prohibition or permission, each ECU is classified individually into permitted or unpermitted status based on its vulnerability to voltage drops. This local differentiation allows the system to permit engine start for ECUs that can tolerate voltage fluctuations while prohibiting it only for those that cannot, thus maintaining both update reliability and start availability according to specific device requirements.
3Ease of operation
If automatic update is executed without user notice, then update convenience is improved, but user awareness of update status is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by notifying the user when engine start is prohibited due to ongoing updates in unpermitted devices. The gateway communicates the reason for start prohibition to the user interface, providing transparency about the update status and its impact on engine operation. This feedback mechanism maintains automatic update convenience while informing users of the current update state and the resulting operational constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus including: a unit configured to communicate with on-vehicle control devices via a communication line; a storage unit configured to store therein a reference table that defines whether each of the on-vehicle control devices is a permitted or unpermitted device; a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether there is a user operation that instructs start of an engine; and a determination unit configured to determine whether to permit start of the engine according to user operation, on the basis of the reference table and a state of update of a control program in the on-vehicle control device when user operation is detected. The permitted device is an on-vehicle control device for which start of the engine during update of the control program is permitted, and the unpermitted device is an on-vehicle control device for which start of the engine during update of the control program is not permitted.