Vehicle control apparatus and method sharing control data

A vehicle control method comprising the steps of:

• calculating a first data for use in a first control unit for controlling a first control object provided in a vehicle based on a first control program;
• storing the first data in a first memory provided for the first control unit;
• calculating a second data for use in a second control unit for controlling a second control object provided in the vehicle based on a second control program;
• storing the second data in a second memory provided for the second control unit;
• forwarding the first data from the first memory to the second memory to be used in the second control unit for controlling the second control object;
• and
• forwarding the second data from the second memory to the first memory to be used in the first control unit for controlling the first control object,
• wherein the first data is stored in same first addresses between the first memory and the second memory, and the second data is stored in same second addresses between the first memory and the second memory.

A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• first control means for controlling a first control object provided in a vehicle based on a first control program;
• second control means for controlling a second control object provided in the vehicle based on a second control program, the second control means using a predetermined control data calculated by the first control means to control its control object as a shared data shared by both of the control means;
• and
• a shared memory provided separately from memory means which stores all control data used to control each control object of each of the control means;
• and
• wherein forwarding of the shared data from the first control means which calculates and provides the shared data to the second control means which receives the shared data is effected through the shared memory;
• the first control means and the second control means has microcomputers, respectively;
• the shared memory has two memories which have the same address spaces provided in the first control means and the second control means;
• each of the control means has writing means for writing the shared data into a predetermined storage location of the shared memory;
• each of the control means has reading means for reading out the shared data from the predetermined storage location in the shared memory;
• and
• forwarding means is provided to forward the shared data written by the writing means into the shared memory of each control means to a predetermined storage location of the shared memory of each control means, the storage location of each control means being the same.

A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• first control means for controlling a first control object provided in a vehicle based on a first control program;
• second control means for controlling a second control object provided in the vehicle based on a second control program, the second control means using a predetermined control data calculated by the first control means to control its control object as a shared data shared by both of the control means;
• and
• a shared memory provided separately from memory means which stores all control data used to control each control object of each of the control means;
• and
• wherein forwarding of the shared data from the first control means which calculates and provides the shared data to the second control means which receives the shared data is effected through the shared memory;
• the first control means and the second control means are constructed with a single microcomputer;
• the shared memory is constructed with a single memory shared by the first control means and the second control means;
• each control means has writing means for writing the shared data in a predetermined storage location in the shared memory;
• and
• each control has reading means for reading out the shared data from the storage location in the shared memory.