Vehicular electronic control device, rewriting program, and data structure

A vehicle electronic control device comprising:

• a microcomputer having a non-volatile memory that is capable of storing software including a program and data and includes a first area and a second area as memory areas, and a control unit that includes a first core and a second core and executes a rewrite program for rewriting the software with at least one of the first core and the second core;
• and
• an external storage provided within a vehicle and outside the microcomputer, the external storage being directly connected to the microcomputer and configured to temporarily store reprogramming data for updating the software;
• wherein:
• the external storage is capable of executing the rewrite program;
• and
• the control unit copies the rewrite program to the external storage, executes the rewrite program in the external storage, transfers a program before being rewritten stored in the non-volatile memory to the external storage to generate rewritten software in the external storage, writes the generated rewritten software into the non-volatile memory, and thus rewrites the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a rewrite program causing a control unit of a vehicle electronic control device including

• a microcomputer having a non-volatile memory that is capable of storing software including a program and data and includes a first area and a second area as memory areas, and the control unit that includes a first core and a second core and executes a rewrite program for rewriting the software with at least one of the first core and the second core,
• an external storage provided within a vehicle and outside the microcomputer;
• an internal storage that is provided inside the microcomputer separately from the non-volatile memory, the first core, and the second core, and that is capable of executing a program;
• wherein:
• the external storage is directly connected to the microcomputer and configured to temporarily store reprogramming data for updating the software, to execute:
• a first procedure of determining, based on specification data, whether or not the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer is to be rewritten;
• and
• a second procedure of rewriting the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer by using a memory area of the external storage in a case where it is determined that the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer is to be rewritten in the first procedure;
• and
• the control unit copies the rewrite program to the internal storage, executes the rewrite program in the internal storage, transfers a program before being rewritten stored in the non-volatile memory to the external storage to generate rewritten software in the external storage, writes the generated rewritten software into the non-volatile memory, and thus rewrites the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer.

A non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium storing a data structure of specification data distributed from an outside to a vehicle electronic control device and including information necessary when rewriting software including a program and data stored in a memory area of the vehicle electronic control device or another device,

• the data structure comprising information for identifying whether rewriting is a rewriting of software stored in the vehicle electronic control device or a rewriting of software stored in another device,
• wherein:
• the specification data is referenced by a control unit of the vehicle electronic control device, the control unit comprising a processor and an internal storage provided inside a microcomputer separately from a non-volatile memory and the processor;
• and
• the control unit is configured to:
• copy a rewrite program to the internal storage;
• execute the rewrite program in the internal storage;
• transfer software before being rewritten stored in the non-volatile memory to an external storage to generate rewritten software in the external storage;
• and
• write the generated rewritten software into the non-volatile memory, whereby the software stored in the non-volatile memory is rewritten in accordance with the specification data.

A vehicle electronic control device comprising:

• a microcomputer having a non-volatile memory that is capable of storing software including a program and data and includes a first area and a second area as memory areas, and a processor that includes a first core and a second core and executes a rewrite program for rewriting the software with at least one of the first core and the second core;
• an external storage provided within a vehicle and outside the microcomputer, the external storage being directly connected to the microcomputer and configured to temporarily store reprogramming data for updating the software;
• and
• an internal storage that is provided inside the microcomputer separately from the non-volatile memory, the first core, and the second core, and that is capable of executing a program;
• wherein:
• a memory area of the non-volatile memory and a memory area of the external storage are used as a pseudo-double-bank memory, causing the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer to be rewritten;
• and
• the processor copies the rewrite program to the internal storage, executes the rewrite program in the internal storage, transfers a program before being rewritten stored in the non-volatile memory to the external storage to generate rewritten software in the external storage, writes the generated rewritten software into the non-volatile memory, and thus rewrites the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a rewrite program causing a control unit of a vehicle electronic control device including

• a microcomputer having a non-volatile memory that is capable of storing software including a program and data and includes a first area and a second area as memory areas, and the control unit that includes a first core and a second core and executes a rewrite program for rewriting the software with at least one of the first core and the second core, and
• an external storage provided within a vehicle and outside the microcomputer, the external storage being directly connected to the microcomputer and configured to temporarily store reprogramming data for updating the software, to execute:
• a first procedure of determining, based on specification data, whether or not the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer is to be rewritten;
• and
• a second procedure of rewriting the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer by using a memory area of the external storage in a case where it is determined that the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer is to be rewritten in the first procedure;
• wherein:
• the external storage is capable of executing the rewrite program;
• and
• the control unit copies the rewrite program to the external storage, executes the rewrite program in the external storage, transfers a program before being rewritten stored in the non-volatile memory to the external storage to generate rewritten software in the external storage, writes the generated rewritten software into the non-volatile memory, and thus rewrites the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer.

A vehicle electronic control device comprising:

• a microcomputer having a non-volatile memory that is capable of storing software including a program and data and includes a first area and a second area as memory areas, and a processor that includes a first core and a second core and executes a rewrite program for rewriting the software with at least one of the first core and the second core;
• and
• an external storage provided within a vehicle and outside the microcomputer, the external storage being directly connected to the microcomputer and configured to temporarily store reprogramming data for updating the software;
• wherein:
• a memory area of the non-volatile memory and a memory area of the external storage are used as a pseudo-double-bank memory, causing the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer to be rewritten;
• the external storage is capable of executing the rewrite program;
• and
• the processor copies the rewrite program to the external storage, executes the rewrite program in the external storage, transfers a program before being rewritten stored in the non-volatile memory to the external storage to generate rewritten software in the external storage, writes the generated rewritten software into the non-volatile memory, and thus rewrites the software stored in the non-volatile memory of the microcomputer.