DE102017207704A1 - System for adapting the engine power of a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle, comprising an engine (28) for driving the motor vehicle, an engine control unit (26) for controlling the engine according to an engine performance map, which by means of a map data set (A, B, C, D , E), wherein a number of different characteristic data sets (A, B, C, D, E) are stored, and a data carrier interface (18) with an interface control unit (22) which is connected to the engine control unit (26) for data transmission, and an associated method and set of data carriers for use with the device.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle and a data carrier set for use with a device for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle and a system with such a device and such a data carrier set.

The advent of modular systems in motor vehicle development has meanwhile also achieved engine development. Car manufacturers today only build a few base engines and differentiate the engine power via the electronics. Different engine performance maps can be achieved, for example, by the engine control unit being reprogrammed in such a way that parameters influencing the performance of the engine are different. There are a variety of such parameters; For example, be mentioned: the proportion of fuel or recirculated exhaust gas in the injected mixture or a boost pressure increase, but also a temporary shutdown of individual cylinders of the engine.

In current production vehicles, one of these basic engines is normally installed. In the engine control often either only a single map data set is stored, in which case the engine is operated with the, this record corresponding engine performance map. Or the engine control has several characteristic data sets, in which case in each case for each individual vehicle is additionally specifically stored in the engine control, with which of the characteristic data sets the engine is to be controlled.

Since in series production vehicles the remaining vehicle components and in particular the chassis to a certain engine performance characteristic - which is predetermined by the map data set - is tuned, an unauthorized modification of engine performance (for example, by importing a modified map data set) must be reliably prevented , For this purpose, different safety mechanisms are provided in current production vehicles. For example, information such as the map data sets can be stored encrypted in the engine control unit. The communication between different ECUs in the vehicle can be encrypted. In addition, physical encapsulation of chips of the control devices can be provided, by which access to a chip causes its destruction. With the above or other methods, a motor tuning associated with safety risks can be relatively effectively prevented.

The flip side of this safety is evident in close-to-production motorsport: here, a simple adaptation of the engine power is required in order to respond to requirements of the sporting authorities, for example, a specific racing series or a special race track. Often, before the season, a comparison of engine performance of the participating vehicles made by different manufacturers and then specified a mandatory engine performance characteristics for all vehicles. Implementing this in the individual vehicle is currently only possible by software modification and programming of the engine control unit because of the above-mentioned safety measures. Such complex measures on the individual vehicle are possible only by selected specialist personnel of the manufacturer and thus associated with high costs, since the affected vehicles are represented worldwide and not always directly available to the manufacturer.

At this point, the invention begins. An object of the invention is thus to provide a simpler way of adjusting the engine power of close-to-production motorsport vehicles.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and a device according to claim 4. A data carrier set in claim 6 under protection, a system for adjusting the engine performance of a motor vehicle in claim 9. Advantageous embodiments of the various aspects of the invention are subject of the dependent claims ,

According to one aspect of the invention, a method for adjusting the engine performance of a motor vehicle is provided, wherein the motor vehicle has a motor, an engine control unit and a data carrier interface with an interface control unit, and wherein on the engine control unit a number, in particular at least two, three or more, for example ten , are provided, each associated with an engine performance map, map data sets.

The method is carried out with the steps of (a) introducing a data carrier with an identification data record into the data carrier interface, (b) reading out the identification data record, in particular by means of the interface control device, (c) assigning the identification data record to one of the map data records (d) reading the identified map data record into the engine control unit, and (e) adjusting the engine power according to the engine power map given by the map data set used.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an engine performance adjusting apparatus of a motor vehicle, comprising (a) a motor for driving the motor vehicle, (b) an engine controller for driving the engine according to an engine performance map specified by a map data set, wherein a number of in particular at least two, three or more, for example ten, different characteristic data sets are stored, in particular in the engine control unit, and (c) a data carrier interface with an interface control unit which is connected to the engine control unit for data transmission.

The data carrier interface is set up to read in an identification data record and supply it to the interface control unit. In the interface control unit, an assignment table for assigning the read-in identification data record to one of the stored map data records is stored. The interface control unit is set up to transmit to the engine control unit according to the allocation which of the map data sets is to be used for controlling the engine power.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a data carrier set is provided for use with a device designed in particular according to an embodiment of the invention for adapting the engine power of a motor vehicle.

The data carrier set comprises: a number, in particular at least two, three or more, for example ten, data carriers each having an identification data record which differs from the identification data record of each of the other data carriers. Each of the identification data records is assigned to another characteristic map data set stored in the device, in particular in the engine control unit. The data carriers are set up for reading the identification data record into a data carrier interface of the device.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for adjusting the engine performance of a motor vehicle, comprising a device according to an embodiment of the invention and a data carrier set according to an embodiment of the invention.

The invention is based on the consideration that a hedge against manipulation of the selected map settings for engine performance in production vehicles and in particular in their engine control units is necessary and this requirement can not be fundamentally changed. Nevertheless, the motorsport teams at events with close-to-production motorsport vehicles, a simple adjustment of engine performance, for example, the race series and / or racetrack, are made possible. Such a possibility is provided in accordance with the invention by being able to access various map data sets representing different engine performance characteristics stored in the engine control unit using a set of data carriers, preferably associating each data carrier with one of the map data sets.

So it is then only a person who has the appropriate disk in their possession, possible to retrieve the data associated with the engine engine performance map. The distribution of the corresponding data carrier can be very restrictive, so that it is nevertheless ensured that mass production vehicles can not be adapted in terms of their engine output. As a further safeguard, however, that is missing in series vehicles provided for in the invention disk interface, which is provided only in accordance with the invention equipped motorsports vehicles.

The individual data carriers of the data carrier set can, for example, each be designed as a USB stick; the volume interface then has a USB port connected to the interface controller. It can also be provided that, instead of the standardized USB pin assignment and / or flash memory addressing, other standards and / or proprietary configurations are used.

In order to change the engine performance map used, according to one embodiment, the previously used data carriers are removed and then another data carrier, in particular from the data carrier set, is introduced with another identification data record and used to adapt the engine power.

To ensure that the identification record can not be read out of a data carrier, according to one embodiment, the identification data record is encrypted between the data carrier and the interface control unit and / or the data record on the data carrier and / or the assignment table on the data carrier Interface control unit is encrypted. In this embodiment, the device has an encryption unit which sets up for the encryption and decryption and / or signing of the data records stored and transmitted within the apparatus and the data records transmitted between the apparatus and a data carrier, in particular identification and / or characteristic data records is.

Encrypted communication in vehicles, for example, via NGTP (Next Generation Telematics Protocol) are performed, wherein Encryption, for example, via the 128-bit AES128 key (Advanced encryption standard) are provided. A protection of stored data can be done, for example, via the signature of the data, for example, the method HMAC-SHA256 (Keyed-hash message authentication code, secure hash algorithm) is implemented.

According to one embodiment, the data carrier set comprises a number of data carriers which corresponds to a number of different map data records stored in the device. This ensures that a data carrier is available for selection for each engine performance map stored in the engine control unit.

In order to facilitate a differentiation of the different volumes of the data carrier set, the data carriers are color-coded according to one embodiment. In particular, each volume is assigned a different color.

In order for the driver of the motorsport vehicle to easily retrieve the information about the available engine performance map, the engine power adjustment system according to an embodiment has an indicator, in particular a motor sport instrument cluster, configured to display information. which identifies the data carrier currently located in the data carrier interface and / or the engine power characteristic map associated therewith.

• 1 eine beispielhafte Ausführung eines Systems zur Anpassung der Motorleistung eines Kraftfahrzeugs in einer schematischen Ansicht.

Other features, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the figure. It shows:

• 1 an exemplary embodiment of a system for adjusting the engine performance of a motor vehicle in a schematic view.

In 1 is a system 10 for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle, showing a device 12 for adapting the engine power of a motor vehicle and a data carrier set 14 with different data carriers 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 and 5 for use with the device.

On each of the designed as a USB stick disk 1 to 5 of the data set 14 is another identification record (in the figure shown with the respective reference number of the volume in quotation marks) stored. In addition, each of the disks indicates 1 to 5 a different color.

The device 12 has a disk interface 18 with a USB port 20 on that at a switchbox 16 is arranged. In addition, the disk interface 18 an interface control device 22 with an allocation table 24. The interface control unit 22 is set up on the allocation table 24 and that disk 4 access that in the USB port 20 and its identification record " 4 "Read out.

The interface control unit 22 is also for data transmission with an engine control unit 26 in which a number (in the example five) engine performance maps A . B . C . D . e are deposited. The engine control unit 26 is for data transmission with a motor 28 connected and set up the engine 28 to drive with an engine performance map, according to one of the engine performance maps A to e is predetermined.

The control lines for data transmission within the device 12 are shown with dash-dot lines. In the exemplary embodiment, the interface control unit 22 an encryption unit 32 possibly for encrypting and / or signing the data communication within the device 12 as well as for encrypting and / or signing the identification data records " 1 " to " 5 ", The map data sets A to e and / or the allocation table 24 can be used. In other embodiments, not shown, the encryption unit may also be on the engine control unit 26 , be formed on another control unit of the motor vehicle or separately.

The following example shows how with the system 10 a method for adjusting the engine performance of a motor vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may be performed:

According to the specification of an engine performance map of a motorsports authority leads the driver or a team member that USB stick 4 with an identification record " 4 "In the USB stick recording 20 one. The identification record stored there "4" is through the interface controller 22 read out and using the assignment table 24 the entry " D "Associated with the map record D represents. The interface control unit 22 then transmits the information that the engine performance map D is requested, to the engine control unit 26 , which in turn in the operation of the motor vehicle turn the engine 28 according to the map record D , which is stored in the engine control unit 46, controls.

By means of the interface control device 22 It also ensures that you're on a Dashboard ad 30 For example, on the motor sport instrument cluster in the vehicle information (shown by, 4 '), which indicates the USB stick used 4 identified.

To specify a different engine performance map according to a revised specification of the motorsport authority, only the USB stick needs to be replaced. For example, the USB stick 4 from the USB port 20 removed and then the USB stick 1 introduced.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

disk

"1", "2", "3", "4", "5"

Identification data

, 4 '

Information about the data record

A, B, C, D, E

Engine performance map

"A", "B", "C", "D", "E"

Assignment to an engine performance map

10

system

12

contraption

14

Volume Set

16

Switchboard

18

Disk interface

20

USB connection

22

Interface controller

24

allocation table

26

Engine control unit

28

engine

30

display

32

encryption unit

Claims (10)

Method for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a motor (28), an engine control unit (26) and a data carrier interface (18) with an interface control unit (22), and wherein on the engine control unit (26) a number of different, one each Engine characteristic map assigned, map data sets (A, B, C, D, E) are provided, with the steps: Inserting a data carrier (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) with an identification data record ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") into the data carrier interface, Reading the identification data record ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5"), Assigning the identification data record ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") to one of the characteristic data sets (A, B, C, D, E), Reading the identified map data set (A, B, C, D, E) into the engine control unit (26), - Adjusting the engine power according to the engine performance map given by the map data set used (A, B, C, D, E). Method according to Claim 1 , wherein the data carrier (4) is removed and then another data carrier (1, 2, 3, 5) with another identification data set ("1", "2", "3", "5") introduced and to adapt the Engine power is used Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the identification data set ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") between the data carrier (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and the interfaces Control unit (22) is transmitted in encrypted form. Device (12) for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle, comprising: - a motor (28) for driving the motor vehicle, - an engine control unit (26) for controlling the engine according to an engine performance map, which by means of a map data set (A, B, C , D, E) is predetermined, wherein a number of different map data sets (A, B, C, D, E) are stored, and - a data carrier interface (18) with an interface control unit (22) with the engine control unit (26) for data transmission is connected, characterized in that - the data carrier interface (18) is set up to read in an identification data record ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") and to feed it to the interface control unit (22), and - in the interface control unit (22), an assignment table (24) for assigning the read-in identification data set ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") to one of the stored characteristic data sets (A . B, C, D, E), - the interface control device (22) is set to the engine control unit (26) according to the assignment ("A", "B", "C", "D", "E") which of the map data sets (A, B, C, D, E) is to be used to control the engine power. Device according to Claim 4 comprising an encryption unit (32) arranged to encrypt and decrypt the data records stored and transmitted within the device and the data sets transferred between the device and a data carrier. A data carrier set (14) for use with a device (12) for adapting the engine power of a motor vehicle, comprising - a number of data carriers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) each having an identification data record ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5"), different from the identification data set ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") of each of the other data carriers, each of the identification data sets ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") is assigned to another characteristic data record (A, B, C, D, E) stored in the device (12), and wherein - the data carriers (1, 2, 3 , 4, 5) are arranged for reading out the identification data set ("1", "2", "3", "4", "5") into a data carrier interface (18) of the device, in particular in its USB port (20) to be introduced. Disk set (14) according to Claim 6 comprising a number of data carriers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) corresponding to a number of different map data sets (A, B, C, D, E) stored in the device. Disk set (14) according to one of Claims 6 or 7 , wherein the data carriers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are color-coded, in particular each of the data carriers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) has a different color. A system (10) for adjusting the engine power of a motor vehicle, comprising a device (12) according to one of Claims 4 or 5 and a volume set (14) according to any one of Claims 6 to 8th , System (10) according to Claim 9 comprising an indicator (30), in particular a motor sport instrument cluster, arranged to display information (4, 4) identifying the data carrier (4) currently in the data carrier interface (18).

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