Data backup apparatus utilized in an electronic control system and data backup method performed in the data backup apparatus

A data backup apparatus utilized in an electronic control system, comprising:

• control data storing means having a first memory region and a second memory region for storing pieces of control data in the first memory region and the second memory region;
• effective region designating means for alternatively designating the first memory region and the second memory region of the control data storing means as an effective region on condition that an electric power is supplied to the effective region designating means;
• control data renewing means for renewing pieces of control data, which are stored in the effective region determined by the effective region designating means one by one, on condition that the electric power is supplied to the control data renewing means, the first memory region and the second memory region of the control data storing means being alternately designated as the effective region each time the control data are renewed by the control data renewing means, and the renewal of the control data being stopped during the renewal by cutting off the electric power supplied to the control data renewing means;
• renewing period setting means for setting an operational condition of the effective region determined by the effective region designating means in a control data renewing period in cases where the control data stored in the effective region are under renewal, and setting an operational condition of the effective region determined by the effective region designating means in a control data renewal finishing period in cases where the control data stored in the effective region are not under renewal, the operational condition of the effective regions being maintained to control data renewing period in cases where the electric power is cut off during the renewal of the control data performed by the control data renewing means;
• and
• control data reading-out means for reading out pieces of control data stored in one of the first memory region and the second memory region which is not designated as the effective region by the effective region designating means in cases where the operational condition of the effective region is set in the control data renewing period by the renewing period setting means, and reading out pieces of control data stored in the effective region in cases where the operational condition of the effective region is set in the control data renewal finishing period by the renewing period setting means.

A data backup apparatus utilized in an electronic control system, comprising:

• control data storing means having a first memory region and a second memory region for storing pieces of control data in the first memory region and the second memory region;
• effective region designating means for alternately designating the first memory region and the second memory region of the control data storing means as an effective region on condition that an electric power is supplied to the effective region designating means;
• control data renewing means for renewing pieces of control data, which are stored in the effective region determined by the effective region designating means one, by one on condition that the electric power is supplied to the control data renewing means, the first memory region and the second memory region of the control data storing means being alternately designated as the effective region each time the control data are renewed by the control data renewing means, and the renewal of the control data being stopped during renewal by cutting off the electric power supplied to the control data renewing means;
• renewing period setting means for setting an operational condition of the effective region determined by the effective region designating means in a control data renewing period in cases where the control data stored in the effective region are under renewal and setting an operational condition of the effective region determined by the effective region designating means in a control data renewal finishing period in cases where the control data stored in the effective region are not under renewal, the operational condition of the effective region being maintained to the control data renewing period in cases where the electric power is cut off during renewal of the control data performed by the control data renewing means;
• effective region switching means for switching a memory region designated as the effective region by the effective region designating means from one of the first and second memory regions to another memory region in cases where the operational condition of the effective region is set in the control data renewing period by the renewing period setting means, on condition that the electric power cut off is again supplied to the effective region designating means, the control data renewing means and the renewing period setting means, and maintaining the designation of the effective region performed by the effective region designating means in cases where the operational condition of the effective region is set in the control data renewal finishing period by the renewing period setting means;
• and
• control data reading-out means for reading out pieces of control data stored in the effective region which is determined by the effective region switching means.

A data backup apparatus utilized in an electronic control system, comprising:

• control data storing means having a first memory region and a second memory region for storing pieces of control data in the first memory region and the second memory region;
• effective region designating means for alternately designating the first memory region and the second memory region of the control data storing means as a reading-out effective region on condition that an electric power is supplied to the effective region designating means;
• control data renewing means for renewing pieces of control, which are stored in one of the first and second memory region not designated as the reading-out effective region by the effective region designating means one by one, one condition that the electric power is supplied to the control data renewing means, the first memory region and the second memory region of the control data storing means being alternately designated as the reading-out effective region each time the control data are renewed by the control data renewing means, and the renewal of the control data being incompletely finished to store pieces of incomplete control data in one of the first and the second memory region not designated as the reading-out effective region in cases where the electric power supplied to the control data renewing means is cut off in the middle of the renewal performed by the control data renewing means;
• and
• control data reading-out means for reading out pieces of control data stored in the reading-out effective region which is determined by the effective region which is determined by the effective region designating means.

A data backup apparatus utilized in an electronic control system for storing pieces of diagnosis data utilized for the diagnosis of a driving condition in a vehicle, comprising:

• sensing means having at least a first sensor and a second sensor for detecting conditions of a vehicle;
• unusual condition detecting means for detecting that a sensing signal obtained by one of the first and second sensor of the sensing means indicates an unusual condition of the vehicle;
• driving condition detecting means for detecting a driving condition of the vehicle in cases where an unusual condition of the vehicle is detected by the unusual condition detecting means;
• a first memory region for storing pieces of first updated unusual information relating to the driving condition of the vehicle detected by the driving condition detecting means to replace pieces of first previous unusual information already stored in the first memory region with the first updated unusual information one by one, on condition that an electric power is supplied, and maintaining the storage of the first updated unusual information in cases where the electric power supplied is cut off;
• a first unusual condition judging region placed in the first memory region for storing a first detecting result of the driving condition detected by the driving condition detecting means, which indicates whether the condition of the vehicle detected by one of the first sensor and the second sensor of the sensing means is unusual;
• a first vehicle diagnosis data region placed in the first memory region for storing at least two pieces of first vehicle diagnosis data relating to the driving condition detecting means and a failure code indicating a type of sensor which relates to the driving condition of the vehicle, the first updated unusual information stored in the first memory region including the first detecting result stored in the first unusual condition judging region and the first vehicle diagnosis data stored in the first vehicle diagnosis data region;
• a second memory region for storing pieces of second updated unusual information relating to the driving condition of the vehicle detected by the driving condition detecting means to replace pieces of second previous unusual information already stored in the second memory region with the second updated unusual information one by one, on condition that an electric power is supplied, and maintaining the storage of the second updated unusual information in cases where the electric power supplied is cut off, the replacements in the first and second memory regions being alternately performed;
• a second unusual condition judging region placed in the second memory region for storing a second detecting result of the driving condition detected by the driving condition detecting means which indicates whether the condition of the vehicle detected by one of the first sensor and the second sensor of the sensing means is unusual;
• a second vehicle diagnosis data region placed in the second memory region for storing at least two pieces of second vehicle diagnosis data relating to the driving condition of the vehicle detected by the driving condition detecting means and a failure code indicating a type of sensor which relates to the driving condition of the vehicle, the second updated unusual information stored in the second memory region including the second detecting result stored in the second unusual condition judging region and the second vehicle diagnosis data stored in the second vehicle diagnosis data region;
• a third memory region for storing a piece of electric power cut-off information indicating that an electric power is cut off during one of the replacement of the first previous unusual information stored in the first memory region with the first updated unusual information and the replacement of the second previous unusual information stored in the second memory region with the second updated unusual information, and maintaining the storage of the electric power cut-off information in cases where the electric power is cut off, the electric power cut-off information being expressed by one of a first hexadecimal numeral indicating the first memory region in which the replacement of the first previous unusual information is finished and a second hexadecimal numeral indicating the second memory region in which the replacement of the second previous unusual information is finished, the first hexadecimal numeral being stored after the replacement of the first previous unusual information, the second hexadecimal numeral being stored after the replacement of the second previous unusual information, and the storage of one of the first and second hexadecimal numeral, which indicates one of the first and second memory regions being maintained until the replacement in another memory region is finished;
• and
• effective region selecting means for selecting one of first and second memory regions in which the first previous unusual information and the second previous unusual information are not under replacement just before the electric power is cut off as an effective region, in cases where the electric power cut off is again supplied on condition that the electric power cut-off information indicating that the electric power is cut off during one of the replacement of the first previous unusual information and replacement of the second previous unusual information are stored in the third memory region, and wherein one of the first and the second vehicle diagnosis data stored in one of the first and the second vehicle diagnosis data region of the effective region and one of the first and the second detecting result stored in the first unusual condition judging region of the effective region being read out by the effective region selecting means.

A data backup method, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a first memory region and a second memory region of a backup memory to alternately store pieces of control data utilized for an electric control system in the first memory region and the second memory region;
• alternately storing a piece of first designating data, indicating that the first memory region of the backup memory is designated as a reading-out effective region, and a piece of second designating data, indicating that the second memory region of the backup memory is designated as the reading-out effective region, in a third memory region of the backup memory for each of processing routines on condition that an electric power is supplied;
• renewing the control data stored in one of the first memory region and the second memory region, which is not designated as the reading-out effective region by one of the first designating data and the second designating data stored in the third memory region, one by one for each of the processing routines on condition that the electric power is supplied:
• and
• reading out the control data stored in the reading-out effective region.