JP5152230B2 - Electronic control unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic control device that stores abnormality information as a diagnosis result in a non-volatile rewritable memory.

  For example, as an electronic control device that is assembled in a vehicle and controls an engine of the vehicle, diagnosis of various abnormal items based on information from various sensors mounted on the vehicle (that is, determination of normal or abnormal) If it is determined that there is an abnormality, abnormality information (so-called DTC: Diagnostic Trouble Code or Fault Code) as a diagnostic result indicating the abnormality is stored in a data rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (hereinafter, rewritable). Some are stored in a non-volatile memory.

  In this type of electronic control device, for example, when the vehicle is manufactured, the device is not completely assembled to the vehicle (that is, all peripheral devices such as sensors and electric loads are completely connected to the device). May not work). Then, if the electronic control unit performs the above diagnosis in such a state, there is a possibility of detecting an abnormality, which is abnormality information indicating the abnormality, that is, abnormality information before completion of assembly to the vehicle (in other words, The abnormal information during the assembly work and the abnormal information when the vehicle is not completed is stored in the rewritable nonvolatile memory.

  Then, after the vehicle is used by the user, when the vehicle mechanic reads the abnormality information in the rewritable nonvolatile memory of the electronic control device by the failure diagnosis device at a vehicle maintenance shop or the like. The abnormal information before the completion of the assembly is read, and as a result, the mechanic determines that an abnormality has occurred even if it is normal. That is, the abnormality information before completion of assembly to the vehicle is abnormality information that is unnecessary in a normal vehicle maintenance process on the market.

  Therefore, as an electronic control device that does not store abnormality information before completion of such assembly, it is determined whether or not a condition that the vehicle is considered to have started to be used is satisfied, and the memory is stored from the timing that the condition is satisfied. Some are configured to start storing diagnostic results in the means (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-291730 A

  However, the electronic control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot perform the abnormality information detected during the assembly work to the vehicle when it is desired to read and verify from the rewritable nonvolatile memory later.

  In view of this, the present invention relates to abnormality abnormality information detected until the predetermined timing comes after completion of assembly in the vehicle, and abnormality abnormality information detected after that timing. An object of the present invention is to make it possible to distinguish and store in a rewritable nonvolatile memory.

First, the electronic control device of the reference invention will be described.
The electronic control device of the reference invention is assembled in a vehicle, and includes information from a nonvolatile memory (rewritable nonvolatile memory) capable of rewriting data and equipment mounted on the vehicle (vehicle to be assembled). A diagnosis unit that performs diagnosis based on the abnormality information storage unit that stores abnormality information indicating the abnormality in a rewritable nonvolatile memory when the abnormality is detected by the diagnosis unit;

Further, in this electronic control device, the rewritable nonvolatile memory has a plurality of storage areas for storing abnormality information.
Then, the abnormality information storage means determines whether or not a specific condition that is satisfied after the assembly of the electronic control device to the vehicle is satisfied, and based on the determination result (that is, whether the specific condition is satisfied). The storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory that stores the abnormality information is changed depending on whether or not the abnormality information is stored. In addition, when the assembly of the electronic control device to the vehicle is completed, among the devices such as sensors and electric loads mounted on the vehicle, all devices that should be connected to the electronic control device are connected to the electronic control device. It means that it was in the state.

  According to such an electronic control device of the reference invention, abnormality information before the specific condition is satisfied after the assembly to the vehicle is completed (specifically, abnormality information detected before the specific condition is satisfied) and The abnormality information after the specific condition is satisfied (specifically, abnormality abnormality information detected after the specific condition is satisfied) can be stored in separate storage areas in the rewritable nonvolatile memory.

  In addition, among a plurality of storage areas in the rewritable nonvolatile memory, a storage area in which abnormality information before a specific condition is satisfied is referred to as a “first storage area”, and abnormality information after the specific condition is satisfied If the storage area in which is stored is referred to as a “secondary storage area”, abnormal information before completion of the assembly to the vehicle will be stored in the primary storage area, and the vehicle has been used by the user. This abnormal information is stored in the secondary storage area.

  For this reason, among the requests from the external failure diagnosis device, the second is not used for the normal abnormality information read request (failure diagnosis abnormality information read request) prepared conventionally for performing vehicle failure diagnosis. If it is configured to read out the abnormality information stored in the next storage area and output it to the failure diagnosis device, the abnormality information before completion of assembly to the vehicle and unnecessary in normal vehicle maintenance processes is diagnosed. It is possible to prevent the vehicle mechanic from judging that an abnormality has occurred even though it is normal. In addition, in response to a special abnormality information read request from the failure diagnosis apparatus, if the abnormality information stored in the primary storage area is read out and output to the failure diagnosis apparatus, the output abnormality is output. By the information, it is possible to confirm an abnormality detected before the completion of the assembly to the vehicle (during the assembly operation).

  Here, according to the regulations of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the DTC stored as a diagnosis result is referred to as a permanent fault code (hereinafter referred to as PDTC (Permanent DTC)). In other words, there is a provision that the PDTC must be stored in the EEPROM of the electronic control unit and cannot be deleted by a command from an external tool that can communicate with the electronic control unit. However, according to the electronic control device of the reference invention, in response to a PDTC read request from the failure diagnosis device (corresponding to the above-described failure diagnosis abnormality information read request), the abnormality information in the secondary storage area is output. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent abnormal information before completion of assembly to the vehicle from being output as PDTC, and there is no problem even if the above-mentioned provisions are made. That is, it is not necessary to delete the abnormality information from the EEPROM before the assembly to the vehicle is completed.

  On the other hand, the specific condition determined by the abnormality information storage means is any condition that is satisfied after the assembly of the electronic control device to the vehicle until the vehicle starts to be used by the user. It may be a condition, or a condition that the vehicle is considered to have started to be used by the user.

  By the way, in general, in a vehicle manufacturing factory, when the electronic control device is assembled to the vehicle, the electronic control device is first operated in a function inspection mode (mode for performing a function inspection). If the electronic control unit is switched from the function inspection mode to the normal mode (the mode in which normal operation is performed), and then the vehicle is shipped, ing.

Therefore, the electronic control device according to claim 1 also includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a diagnostic unit, and an abnormality information storage unit. The operation mode of the electronic control unit is a function test for performing a function test. The mode is switched to a normal mode in which normal operation is performed. The abnormality information storage means basically changes the storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory storing the abnormality information according to the operation mode of the electronic control device when the abnormality is detected by the diagnosis means. It has become. In other words, in this electronic control apparatus, the time when the assembly to the vehicle and the function test in the function test mode are completed and the mode is switched to the normal mode corresponds to the time when the predetermined timing arrives.

  According to such an electronic control device of claim 1, abnormality information (that is, abnormality information at the time of the functional inspection mode) until the assembly to the vehicle and the functional inspection by the functional inspection mode is completed and the mode is switched to the normal mode, Then, the abnormal information in the normal mode, which is the abnormal information in the situation where the vehicle is used by the user, can be stored in a separate storage area in the rewritable nonvolatile memory, achieving the above-mentioned object can do.

  Of the plurality of storage areas in the rewritable nonvolatile memory, the storage area in which the abnormality information in the function inspection mode is stored is referred to as “function inspection storage area”, and the abnormality information in the normal mode is stored. When the area is referred to as “normal storage area”, in response to the above-described failure diagnosis abnormality information read request (PDTC read request), the abnormality information in the normal storage area is read and output to the failure diagnosis apparatus. What is necessary is just to comprise. If comprised in this way, it will be prevented in the normal vehicle maintenance process that the abnormal information at the time of the function test mode unnecessary for maintenance of a vehicle will be output to a failure diagnosis apparatus.

  In addition, in response to a special abnormality information read request for verifying an abnormality detected before the assembly to the vehicle is completed, the abnormality information in the storage area during function inspection is read and output to the failure diagnosis device Just do it. If comprised in this way, it will become possible to confirm easily the abnormality detected at the time of the function test mode.

As a reference example, the abnormality information storage means is a non-volatile memory that can rewrite the storage destination of abnormality information when an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means when the operation mode of the electronic control device is the function inspection mode. If an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means when the operation mode of the electronic control unit is the normal mode, the storage destination of the abnormality information is stored in the second storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory. It is conceivable to configure as follows.

  In this configuration, the first storage area corresponds to the above-described functional inspection storage area, and the second storage area corresponds to the above-described normal storage area. Therefore, out of the requests from the external failure diagnosis device, in response to the above-described failure diagnosis abnormality information read request (PDTC read request), the failure information in the second storage area is read and output to the failure diagnosis device. What is necessary is just to comprise. In addition, in response to a special abnormality information read request for verifying an abnormality detected before the assembly to the vehicle is completed, the abnormality information in the first storage area is read and output to the failure diagnosis apparatus. It ’s fine.

Also, with this configuration, the storage area for abnormal information in each mode is fixed and divided, so that it is clear and easy to understand in which storage area abnormal information is stored in which mode. There is.

On the other hand, in the electronic control device according to claim 1 , the abnormality information storage means stores the storage location of the abnormality information when the abnormality is detected by the diagnosis means when the operation mode of the electronic control apparatus is the function inspection mode. In the first storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory, history information is set, and when an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means when the operation mode of the electronic control device is the normal mode, the history information is stored in the history information. Accordingly, if the history information is not set, the storage destination of the abnormality information is set to the first storage area, and if the history information is set, the storage destination of the abnormality information is rewritten to the second storage of the nonvolatile memory. Make it an area.

In such an electronic control device according to the first aspect , when an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means in the function inspection mode, the abnormality information in the function inspection mode is stored in the first storage area as in the above-described reference example. The abnormality information stored in the normal mode is stored in the second storage area. On the other hand, if no abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means in the function test mode, the history information is not set, so the abnormality information in the normal mode is stored in the first storage area. Therefore, the storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory can be used efficiently without waste.

For this reason, when the electronic control device according to claim 1 receives the above-described failure diagnosis abnormality information read request (PDTC read request) from an external failure diagnosis device, the history is determined according to the history information. If the information is set, the abnormality information in the second storage area is read and output to the failure diagnosis apparatus. If the history information is not set, the abnormality information in the first storage area is read and sent to the failure diagnosis apparatus. What is necessary is just to comprise so that it may output. That is, the storage area in which the abnormality information in the normal mode is stored can be specified from the history information. On the other hand, when the above-described special abnormality information read request is received, if the history information is set according to the history information, the abnormality information in the first storage area is read and output to the failure diagnosis apparatus. If history information is not set, message information indicating that there is no corresponding abnormality information can be output to the failure diagnosis apparatus.

On the other hand, the electronic control device according to claim 2 also includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a diagnostic unit, and an abnormality information storage unit. Then, the abnormality information storage means basically changes the storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory that stores abnormality information in response to an instruction (storage area switching instruction) transmitted from the external device.

According to this electronic control device, a storage area switching instruction may be transmitted from the external device when the assembly to the vehicle is completed and a predetermined timing comes. In this way, abnormality information before a predetermined timing and abnormality information after that timing can be stored in separate storage areas in the rewritable nonvolatile memory.
In particular, in the electronic control device according to claim 2, when the abnormality information storage means detects an abnormality by the diagnosis means before receiving the instruction transmitted from the external device, the abnormality information storage means In the first storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory, when history information is set and an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means after receiving the instruction, the history information is determined according to the history information. Is set, the storage destination of the abnormality information is set to the first storage area, and if history information is set, the storage destination of the abnormality information is set to the second storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory.
According to such an electronic control device of claim 2, when an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic unit until the instruction transmitted from the external device is received, the abnormality information is stored in the first storage area. After receiving the instruction, the abnormality information is stored in the second storage area. On the other hand, if no abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means until the instruction transmitted from the external device is received, the history information is not set, so the abnormality information after receiving the instruction. Is stored in the first storage area. Therefore, similarly to the electronic control device according to the first aspect, the storage area of the rewritable nonvolatile memory can be used efficiently without waste. Further, similarly to the electronic control device according to the first aspect, the storage area in which the abnormality information after receiving the instruction can be specified by the history information.

  The timing for transmitting the storage area switching instruction from the external device may be from when the assembly of the electronic control device to the vehicle is completed until the vehicle starts to be used by the user. Timing when it was confirmed that there was no abnormality in the function inspection mode described above, timing when vehicle completion confirmation work was completed at the vehicle manufacturing factory, timing when the vehicle was shipped to the factory, and before the vehicle was delivered to the user at the card dealer (Before delivery)

In addition, it is preferable in the following points that a specific command transmitted from a failure diagnosis apparatus corresponding to the OBD2 standard is used as a storage area switching instruction.
That is, failure diagnosis devices (so-called scan tools) that comply with the OBD2 standard are commercially available. For example, when performing vehicle failure diagnosis at a car dealer or a vehicle repair shop other than a car dealer, vehicle communication is performed. It is connected to the electronic control unit via a line. For this reason, it is advantageous to switch the storage area that is the storage destination of the abnormality information after the vehicle enters the market.

  Furthermore, when a failure diagnosis device corresponding to the OBD2 standard is connected to a communication line of a vehicle, a command (inquiries about the type of information that the electronic control device can output to the failure diagnosis device is sent to the electronic control device. (Hereinafter referred to as a support information inquiry command). Therefore, if the storage area switching instruction is a support information inquiry command, the storage area that is the storage destination of the abnormality information can be obtained by simply connecting the failure diagnosis device to the communication line of the vehicle and performing no special operation. Can be switched.

It is a block diagram showing ECU (electronic control apparatus) 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the diagnostic result storage process which CPU in ECU of 1st Embodiment performs. It is explanatory drawing explaining the flow until the information of service start is transmitted from the center to the vehicle carrying ECU of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the service start process which the information processing apparatus of the center of 1st Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the flag setting process which CPU in ECU of 1st Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the abnormality information output process which CPU in ECU of 1st Embodiment performs. It is explanatory drawing explaining the flow until communication start information is transmitted from the center to the vehicle by which ECU of 2nd Embodiment is mounted. It is a flowchart showing the communication start determination process which the information processing apparatus of the center of 2nd Embodiment performs. It is explanatory drawing explaining the flow until area leaving information is transmitted from a center to the vehicle by which ECU of 3rd Embodiment is mounted. It is a flowchart showing the position determination process which the information processing apparatus of the center of 3rd Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the flag setting process which CPU in ECU of 4th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the diagnostic result storage process which CPU in ECU of 5th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the abnormality information output process which CPU in ECU of 5th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the diagnostic result storage process which CPU in ECU of 6th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the diagnostic result storage process which CPU in ECU of 7th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the flag setting process which CPU in ECU of 8th Embodiment performs. It is explanatory drawing explaining the use area | region status and EEPROM area | region of 9th Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the diagnostic result storage process which CPU in ECU of 9th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the abnormality information output process which CPU in ECU of 9th Embodiment performs.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, among the embodiments described below, first to 4, 6, 8, 9 embodiment provides that the 5,7 embodiment a part of the present invention is applied to common reference It is disclosed as an example.
[First Embodiment]
First, FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as ECU) 1 of the first embodiment. The ECU 1 of the present embodiment is assembled to a vehicle and controls the engine of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 3, a ROM 5 for storing a program executed by the CPU 3 and data referred to when the program is executed, and a RAM 7 for temporarily storing data. And a standby RAM (SRAM) 9 to which power for holding data is constantly supplied, an EEPROM 11 which is a rewritable nonvolatile memory, an input circuit 13 and an output circuit 15.

  The CPU 3 includes, as information for controlling the engine, an output Pb of the intake pipe pressure sensor, an output Ne of the engine speed sensor, an output Tw of the engine water temperature sensor, an output O2 of an exhaust system oxygen sensor (air-fuel ratio sensor), Various signals such as the output V of the vehicle speed sensor and the output IGN of the ignition switch are input via the input circuit 13. The output circuit 15 outputs a drive signal to an electrical load such as an ignition device, an injector, a warning lamp (MIL), or the like according to a command from the CPU 3.

  Then, the CPU 3 performs a control calculation based on various signals input via the input circuit 13, and gives an instruction to the output circuit 15 based on the calculation result, thereby controlling an electric load related to engine control. . For example, the CPU 3 calculates the valve opening timing and valve opening time of the injector, and controls the fuel injection to the engine by giving a command for driving the injector to the output circuit 15 based on the calculation result.

The ECU 1 is also provided with a communication circuit 17 for the CPU 3 to communicate with other devices connected to the communication line 21 in the vehicle.
One of the other devices is a navigation device 23, for example. And the calculated value of vehicle speed is transmitted to the navigation apparatus 23 from ECU1, for example. In addition, the navigation device 23 is provided with a wireless communication device 25 for communicating with an information processing device in a data center that performs processing for carrying out a telematics service for a vehicle.

  Furthermore, an external tool 27, which is a failure diagnosis device for performing vehicle failure diagnosis, can be attached to and detached from the communication line 21 via a connector (not shown). The external tool 27 is a handy type device provided with a microcomputer and a display device (display), or a small personal computer.

  Note that the power source of the ECU 1 includes an operation power source supplied from the in-vehicle battery in conjunction with the on / off of the ignition switch and a backup power source always supplied from the in-vehicle battery. When the ignition switch is turned on, the ECU 1 is supplied with operating power and operates. The standby RAM 9 is constantly supplied with a constant voltage generated from the backup power supply by a power supply circuit (not shown) in the ECU 1 as a data holding power supply.

Here, in parallel with the process for controlling the engine, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 executes the diagnosis result storage process shown in FIG. 2 at regular intervals, for example.
Then, when the CPU 3 starts executing the diagnostic result storage process, first, in S110, the CPU 3 performs a diagnostic process for detecting an abnormality. This diagnosis process is a process (a so-called self-diagnosis process) for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in a location related to the signal based on signals from various sensors, switches and the like input via the input circuit 13. Yes, for a plurality of abnormality detection target items. For example, as a diagnostic process for detecting an abnormality of a sensor, it is determined whether or not the output value of the sensor is within a specified range. If the output value is not within the specified range, the sensor is abnormal. Judge.

Next, in S120, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality detection target item that is determined to be abnormal in the above-described diagnosis processing. If there is no item that is determined to be abnormal, the diagnostic result storage processing is terminated as it is.
If there is an item determined to be abnormal (S120: YES), the process proceeds to S130, and DTC corresponding to the item determined to be abnormal (that is, abnormal information indicating that the item is abnormal) is stored in the standby RAM 9. At the same time, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the ignition switch is turned on and off for one trip and the same abnormality is detected continuously for two trips, the warning lamp is turned on.

  Then, in the next S140, it is determined whether or not a specific condition that is satisfied after the assembly of the ECU 1 to the vehicle is already satisfied. Specifically, with reference to a condition establishment flag described later, if the condition establishment flag is on, it is determined that a specific condition is established. The condition satisfaction flag is a flag stored in a predetermined storage area in the EEPROM 11 and is initially set to OFF when the ECU 1 is manufactured.

  If it is determined in S140 that the specific condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to S155, and the DTC corresponding to the item determined to be abnormal in the diagnosis process is stored in the PDTC (in the EEPROM 11 that cannot be deleted by a command from an external tool). As a permanent failure code) in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11. Thereafter, the diagnosis result storage process is terminated.

  If it is determined in S140 that the specific condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to S150, and the DTC corresponding to the item determined to be abnormal in the diagnostic process is stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11. Thereafter, the diagnosis result storage process is terminated.

Next, how the condition satisfaction flag referred to in S140 is turned on from the initial value off will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, the telematics service center 31 that communicates with the wireless communication device 25 of the vehicle 35 on which the ECU 1 is mounted (assembled) has an information processing device 33 including a server, a communication device, and the like. The information processing device 33 communicates with the wireless communication device 25 of the vehicle 35 via a public line for a mobile phone. Then, through the communication, information such as the current position of the vehicle 35, the driving state, the presence / absence of a failure, etc. is collected from the vehicle 35 side, and road traffic information and vehicle inspection / maintenance guidance information based on the collected information. Etc. are transmitted to the vehicle 35 side. Then, such information is displayed on the display device of the navigation device 23 of the vehicle 35.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, when a purchaser of a new vehicle 35 on which the ECU 1 is mounted is determined, the card dealer 37 that sells the vehicle 35 has a time point before the delivery of the vehicle 35 to the user. The registration information related to the vehicle 35 is input to the terminal device 39 composed of a computer. The registration information includes, for example, the body number and registration number of the vehicle 35, the user's address, name, contact telephone number, and e-mail address. The registration information regarding the vehicle 35 input to the terminal device 39 is transmitted to the information processing device 33 of the center 31 via a public line or a dedicated line.

On the other hand, the information processing device 33 of the center 31 performs the service start process shown in FIG. 4 at regular intervals.
In this service start process, first, in S210, it is determined whether or not the registration information from the terminal device 39 has been received. If the registration information has not been received, the service start process is terminated as it is. If the information is received, the process proceeds to the next S220, and a registration process for storing the received registration information is performed. In the next S230, the service start information indicating that the service is started is transmitted to the vehicle 35 corresponding to the registration information received this time (hereinafter referred to as the corresponding vehicle 35), and then the service start is started. The process ends.

In the corresponding vehicle 35, information on service start from the center 31 is received by the wireless communication device 25 of the navigation device 23.
When the navigation device 23 receives the service start information from the center 31, the navigation device 23 displays a message indicating that the telematics service can be received on the display device constituting the navigation device 23. Let the user know. For this reason, when the information processing device 33 of the center 31 transmits the service start information to the corresponding vehicle 35, the service for the corresponding vehicle 35 is started.

In addition, the navigation device 23 transfers service start information from the center 31 to the ECU 1 via the communication line 21.
In the ECU 1, the CPU 3 executes the flag setting process shown in FIG. 5 at regular intervals when the condition establishment flag is turned off. In the flag setting process, first, in S310, it is determined whether or not the service start information is received via the communication line 21. If it is determined that the service start information has not been received, the flag setting process is terminated. If it is determined that the service start information has been received, the process proceeds to S320 and the EEPROM 11 stores the information. The condition satisfaction flag is rewritten to ON, and then the flag setting process ends.

  That is, when the ECU 1 according to the present embodiment detects that the service start information indicating the start of the implementation of the telematics service is transmitted from the information processing device 33 of the center 31 to the vehicle 35 on which the ECU 1 is mounted, Is satisfied, the condition satisfaction flag is changed from off to on. Then, when the condition establishment flag is turned on, the storage destination when the abnormality is detected in the diagnosis processing (S110) in FIG. 2 and the DTC of the abnormality is stored in the EEPROM 11 is changed from the first storage area to the second storage area. Be changed.

  In S230 of FIG. 4, the information processing apparatus 33 of the center 31 transmits a storage area switching command for instructing the ECU 1 to switch the storage area together with the service start information. If it is transferred from the navigation device 23 to the ECU 1 via the communication line 21, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 determines whether or not the storage area switching command is received in S310 of FIG. The condition establishment flag may be rewritten to ON. Further, when the navigation device 23 receives the service start information from the center 31, the notification information indicating that the information has been transmitted from the center 31 is transmitted to the ECU 1, and the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 performs S310 in FIG. Then, it may be configured to determine whether or not the notification information is received.

  On the other hand, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 performs an abnormality shown in FIG. 6 as a process for responding to a DTC read request stored in the EEPROM 11 among commands indicating a request from the external tool 27 (hereinafter simply referred to as a request). The information output process is executed at regular intervals.

  In the abnormality information output process, first, in S410, it is determined whether or not a PDTC read request from the external tool 27 has been received. This PDTC read request is a request for reading and outputting the PDTC defined by the law of the California Air Resources Bureau from the EEPROM 11, and corresponds to the above-described failure diagnosis abnormal information read request. That is, the PDTC read request is a request used when a vehicle mechanic (also an operator of the external tool 27) performs a vehicle failure diagnosis in a vehicle maintenance factory or the like.

  If it is determined in S410 that the PDTC read request has been received, the process proceeds to S420, and the DTC (that is, PDTC) stored in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11 is read and transmitted to the external tool 27. The abnormality information output process ends.

  If it is determined in S410 that a PDTC read request has not been received, the process proceeds to S430 to determine whether a special DTC read request from the external tool 27 has been received. This special DTC read request is a request used to read out the abnormal DTC detected in S110 of FIG. 2 before the completion of the assembly of the ECU 1 to the vehicle (during the assembly) and verify the abnormality. This corresponds to the above-described special abnormality information read request.

  If it is determined in S430 that a special DTC read request has not been received, the abnormality information output process is terminated. If it is determined that a special DTC read request has been received, the process proceeds to S440, and the EEPROM 11 The DTC stored in the first storage area is read out and transmitted to the external tool 27, and then the abnormality information output process is terminated.

  When the operation for transmitting the PDTC read request is performed, the external tool 27 transmits the PDTC read request to the ECU 1 and the PDTC (in this case, the second storage area of the EEPROM 11) transmitted from the ECU 1. DTC) is displayed on the display device of the external tool 27. Similarly, when an operation for transmitting a special DTC read request is performed, the external tool 27 transmits the special DTC read request to the ECU 1 and also a DTC (in this case, the first of the EEPROM 11) transmitted from the ECU 1. DTC) in the storage area is displayed on the display device of the external tool 27.

  According to the ECU 1 of the present embodiment as described above, the telematics service for the vehicle is started at a specific timing from when the assembly to the vehicle is completed until the vehicle starts to be used by the user. Until the timing, the abnormal DTC detected in the diagnostic process is stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11, and after the telematics service is started, the DTC is stored in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11 as PDTC.

  For this reason, the abnormal DTC detected during the assembly to the vehicle, which is unnecessary for reference in the normal vehicle maintenance process, is stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11 and detected after the vehicle starts to be used by the user. The abnormal DTC thus made is stored in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11 as a PDTC.

  In response to a PDTC read request from the external tool 27, the PDTC in the second storage area is output to the external tool 27. Therefore, the DTC before completion of assembly to the vehicle (during assembly) is output to the external tool 27. Thus, it is possible to prevent the vehicle mechanic from judging that an abnormality has occurred even though the vehicle is actually normal. Therefore, it is not necessary to delete the DTC from the EEPROM 11 before the assembly to the vehicle is completed.

  Further, in response to a special DTC read request from the external tool 27, the DTC in the first storage area is output to the external tool 27. Therefore, the user of the external tool 27 uses the DTC to send the ECU 1 to the vehicle. It is possible to confirm an abnormality detected before completion of assembly (during assembly work).

The DTC before completion of assembly to the vehicle is also stored in the standby RAM 9 by S130 in FIG. 2, but the stored content of the standby RAM 9 is lost when the vehicle battery is removed or the battery runs out. . On the other hand, the stored contents of the EEPROM 11 are not erased by the stop of the power supply. Therefore, according to the ECU 1 of the present embodiment, the DTC before the completion of the assembly to the vehicle can be reliably stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11. In the present embodiment, the diagnosis process of S120 in FIG. 2 corresponds to a diagnosis unit, and the processes of S140 to S155 correspond to an abnormality information storage unit.
[Second Embodiment]
Since the ECU of the second embodiment has the same hardware configuration as that of the ECU 1 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment are used in the following description. This also applies to other embodiments described later.

  The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the condition that the condition satisfaction flag is turned on from off (that is, the condition for switching the storage destination in the DTC EEPROM 11).

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, in the second embodiment, a management device 43 including a computer is provided in a manufacturing factory 41 of the vehicle 35 to which the ECU 1 is assembled. Management information indicating whether or not each vehicle 35 is completed is input. Then, the management device 43 transmits the management information to the information processing device 33 of the center 31 at regular intervals or whenever the management information is updated via a public line or a dedicated line. The management information includes, for example, a vehicle body number of the vehicle and information indicating whether or not the vehicle of the vehicle body number is completed. Therefore, it is possible to know which vehicle number has been completed by the management information.

  Further, the wireless communication device 25 of the navigation device 23 mounted on the vehicle 35 together with the ECU 1 starts periodic access to the information processing device 33 of the center 31 when power is supplied and operation starts. The signal transmitted at the time of access includes information (vehicle number in the present embodiment) unique to the vehicle on which the wireless communication device 25 is mounted.

And the information processing apparatus 33 of the center 31 performs the communication start determination process shown in FIG. 8 for every fixed time.
In this communication start determination process, first, in S250, it is determined whether or not there is an access from the wireless communication device 25 of the vehicle 35. If there is no access, the process ends as it is, but it is determined that there is an access. The process proceeds to S260.

  In S260, it is determined based on the management information received from the management device 43 described above whether or not the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an access vehicle) 35 on which the accessed wireless communication device 25 is mounted is completed. Specifically, it is determined based on the management information received from the management device 43 whether or not the vehicle with the vehicle body number included in the access signal from the wireless communication device 25 is completed. If it is determined that the access vehicle 35 is not completed (being manufactured), the communication start determination process is terminated as it is. If it is determined that the access vehicle 35 is completed, the next step S270 is performed. Then, the communication start information for notifying that the communication with the information processing apparatus 33 is established is transmitted to the access vehicle 35, and then the communication start determination process is ended.

  In the vehicle 35 that is the transmission destination of the communication start information from the center 31, the communication start information from the center 31 is transferred from the navigation device 23 to the ECU 1 via the communication line 21.

  In the ECU 1, the CPU 3 determines whether or not the communication start information is received instead of the service start information described above in S310 in the flag setting process of FIG. 5, and receives the communication start information. If it is determined, the process proceeds to S320, and the condition satisfaction flag is rewritten to ON.

  In such a second embodiment, even when the wireless communication device 25 of the vehicle 35 being manufactured starts operation and accesses the information processing device 33 of the center 31, the communication start information is transmitted from the information processing device 33. Not. Then, after the vehicle 35 is completed, when the wireless communication device 25 of the vehicle 35 accesses the information processing device 33 of the center 31, communication start information is automatically transmitted from the information processing device 33 to the vehicle 35. Then, in the ECU 1 of the vehicle 35, the storage destination in the DTC EEPROM 11 is changed from the first storage area to the second storage area.

  The ECU 1 according to the second embodiment also has a specific timing (specifically, the vehicle wireless communication device 25 and the information processing) after the assembly to the vehicle is completed until the vehicle starts to be used by the user. At the time when communication with the device 33 is established), the storage destination in the DTC EEPROM 11 is changed from the first storage area to the second storage area. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

In the second embodiment, the information processing device 33 of the center 31 transmits a signal requesting management information about the access vehicle 35 to the management device 43 and responds to the request signal in S260 of FIG. Based on the management information transmitted from the management device 43, it may be determined whether or not the access vehicle 35 is completed.
[Third Embodiment]
The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the condition that the condition satisfaction flag is turned on from off.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, in the third embodiment, the navigation device 23 of the vehicle 35 on which the ECU 1 is mounted is transmitted to the information processing device 33 of the center 31 by the wireless communication device 25. The position information indicating is periodically transmitted.

And the information processing apparatus 33 of the center 31 performs the position determination process shown in FIG. 10 for every fixed time.
In this position determination process, first, in S280, based on the position information from the vehicle 35, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 35 has left the specific area 45 (in other words, whether or not it has moved from the specific area). (See FIG. 9). The specific area 45 is a site of a manufacturing factory that manufactures the vehicle 35, or an area of the site where it is determined that the vehicle 35 being manufactured exists and the completed vehicle is excluded. However, the vehicle 35 exiting the specific area 45 is an unused vehicle that has been completed but is not used by the user.

  If it is determined in S280 that the vehicle 35 has not left the specific area 45, the position determination process is terminated as it is. If it is determined that the vehicle 35 has left the specific area 45, S290 is performed. Proceed to

In S290, area leaving information indicating that the specific area 45 has been exited is transmitted to the vehicle 35 that has been determined to have exited the specific area 45 (see FIG. 9), and then the position determination process ends.
Further, in the vehicle 35 that is the destination of the area departure information from the center 31, the area departure information from the center 31 is transferred from the navigation device 23 to the ECU 1 via the communication line 21.

  Then, in the ECU 1, the CPU 3 determines whether or not the area leaving information is received instead of the service start information described above in S310 in the flag setting process of FIG. 5, and the area leaving information is received. If it is determined, the process proceeds to S320, and the condition satisfaction flag is rewritten to ON.

  The ECU 1 according to the third embodiment also has a specific timing (specifically, the vehicle 35 has left the specific area 45 until the user starts using the vehicle after the assembly to the vehicle is completed). At the timing, the storage location in the DTC EEPROM 11 is changed from the first storage area to the second storage area. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

Note that the specific area 45 may be set as a work area for exchanging the ECU 1 of the vehicle 35 with a new one in the site of the card dealer selling the vehicle 35 or in the site of the card dealer.
[Modification of Third Embodiment]
As a modification of the third embodiment, the navigation device 23 of the vehicle 35 may execute the same process as in FIG.

That is, since the navigation device 23 constantly detects the position of the vehicle 35 on which the navigation device 23 is mounted (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle), whether or not the host vehicle 35 has left the specific area 45 based on the detected value. If it is determined that the specific area 45 has been exited, the area leaving information may be transmitted to the ECU 1 via the communication line 21.
[Fourth Embodiment]
The ECU 1 of the fourth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that the CPU 3 executes the process of FIG. 11 as the flag setting process.

In the fourth embodiment, the position information of the host vehicle 35 is periodically transmitted from the navigation device 23 to the ECU 1.
When the CPU 3 starts the flag setting process of FIG. 11, first, in S313, based on the position information from the navigation device 23, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle 35 has left the specific area 45 described in the third embodiment. To do. And when it determines with the own vehicle 35 not leaving the specific area 45, a flag setting process is complete | finished as it is, but when it determines with the own vehicle 35 having left the specific area 45, it progresses to S320, The condition satisfaction flag is rewritten to ON, and then the flag setting process ends.

That is, in the ECU 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the CPU 3 performs a process of determining whether or not the own vehicle 35 has left the specific area 45 based on the position information, not an external device. And also by ECU1 of such 4th Embodiment, the same effect as 3rd Embodiment is acquired.
[Fifth Embodiment]
Compared with the first to fourth embodiments, the ECU 1 of the fifth embodiment executes the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 12 instead of the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. Instead of the process, the abnormality information output process of FIG. 13 is executed.

First, in the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 12, S145 and S147 are added to the diagnosis result storage process of FIG.
If it is determined in S140 that the condition establishment flag is off and the specific condition is not established, the process proceeds to S145 to set the history flag (in this example, the history flag is set to 1). Thereafter, the process proceeds to S150. If it is determined in S140 that the condition establishment flag is on and the specific condition is established, the process proceeds to S147 to determine whether or not the history flag is set. If the history flag is set, the process proceeds to S155. If the history flag is not set, the process proceeds to S150. The history flag is also a flag stored in a predetermined storage area in the EEPROM 11 like the condition satisfaction flag, and is initially set to OFF when the ECU 1 is manufactured.

Next, in the abnormality information output process of FIG. 13, S415, S435, and S445 are added to the abnormality information output process of FIG.
If it is determined in S410 that the PDTC read request from the external tool 27 has been received, the process proceeds to S415 to determine whether the history flag is set. If the history flag is set, The process proceeds to S420, but if the history flag is not set, the process proceeds to S440.

  If it is determined in S430 that the special DTC read request from the external tool 27 has been received, the process proceeds to S435 to determine whether or not the history flag is set, and the history flag is set. If the history flag is not set, the process proceeds to S445. Then, in S445, message information indicating that there is no corresponding DTC is transmitted to the external tool 27, and then the abnormality information output process is terminated.

  That is, in the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 12, when an abnormality is detected by the diagnosis process of S110 when the condition satisfaction flag is not yet set (S140: NO), the storage location of the DTC indicating the abnormality is set. In addition to the first storage area of the EEPROM 11, a history flag as history information is set (S145, S150). If an abnormality is detected by the diagnosis processing in S110 after the condition satisfaction flag is set (S140: YES), the history flag is referred to, and if the history flag is not set, the storage location of the DTC Is set as the first storage area of the EEPROM 11 (S147: NO → S150), and if the history flag is set, the DTC storage destination is set as the second storage area of the EEPROM 11 (S147: YES → S155). .

  For this reason, if an abnormality is detected by the diagnosis process before the condition satisfaction flag is turned on, the DTC before the condition satisfaction flag is turned on is stored in the first memory of the EEPROM 11 as in the first to fourth embodiments. The DTC stored in the area and after the condition satisfaction flag is turned on is stored in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11.

  On the other hand, when no abnormality is detected by the diagnostic process until the condition satisfaction flag is turned on (that is, the DTC before the condition satisfaction flag is turned on is not stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11). ), Since the history flag is not set, the DTC after the condition satisfaction flag is set is stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11. Therefore, the storage area of the EEPROM 11 can be used efficiently without waste.

  For this reason, in the abnormality information output process of FIG. 13, when a PDTC read request is received from the external tool 27, the history flag is referred to, and if the history flag is set, the second storage of the EEPROM 11 is performed. The DTC in the area is read and output to the external tool 27 (S415: YES → S420). If the history flag is not set, the DTC in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11 is read and output to the external tool. (S415: NO → S440). That is, in S415, it can be said that the history flag specifies the storage location of the PDTC that is to be output in response to the PDTC read request, after the condition satisfaction flag is set.

Even when a special DTC read request is received from the external tool 27, the DTC in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11 is read out to the external tool 27 if the history flag is set with reference to the history flag. Although the output is performed (S435: YES → S440), if the history flag is not set, the corresponding DTC (that is, the abnormal DTC detected before the assembly of the ECU 1 to the vehicle) is not present in the EEPROM 11. The message information indicating this is output to the external tool 27 (S435: NO → S445).
[Sixth Embodiment]
The ECU 1 of the sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the CPU 3 executes the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 14 instead of the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. Note that the diagnostic result storage process of FIG. 14 is executed regardless of the operation mode described later.

Furthermore, the operation mode of the CPU 3 (which is also the operation mode of the ECU 1) is switched between a normal mode for performing a normal operation and a function inspection mode.
Here, the function inspection mode is a special operation mode used in a vehicle manufacturing factory or a car dealer, and is a mode for performing an operation for a function inspection related to the ECU 1.

  For example, in this function inspection mode, a specific load (for example, a lamp or an instrument provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle) is forcibly sequentially operated in order to check the load operation, or the diagnosis described above is performed. Although the process is the same as the process, a special diagnosis process is performed in which normal determination conditions are stricter than the diagnosis process.

  When the CPU 3 receives the function inspection mode transition command from the external tool 27, the CPU 3 enters the function inspection mode. After that, when the condition for shifting to the normal mode is satisfied, the CPU 3 enters the normal mode from the function inspection mode. In addition, as a condition for shifting to the normal mode, a condition that the ignition switch is turned on from off for the number of times designated in advance by the external tool 27, or a condition that a normal mode shift command is received from the external tool 27. It is. Note that the number of times of turning on the ignition switch designated in advance is, for example, the number of times of turning on the ignition switch required in the function inspection mode. Alternatively, the number of times the ignition switch is turned on may be increased a predetermined number of times (for example, 1 or 2 times) in consideration of the situation of the vehicle.

  For this reason, in the vehicle manufacturing factory, when the assembly of the ECU 1 to the vehicle is completed, the function inspection mode transition command is given from the external tool 27 to the ECU 1 and the ECU 1 is first operated in the function inspection mode. The existence is checked efficiently. For example, by the above-described forced load operation function, it is possible to visually check whether lamps, instruments, etc. operate normally, or to read out the diagnosis result by the special diagnosis process to the external tool 27 side, thereby Check whether or not switches and switches are functioning properly.

  If it is confirmed that there is no abnormality, the condition for shifting to the normal mode is established, the ECU 1 is set from the function inspection mode to the normal mode, and then the vehicle is shipped. Such work may also be performed when the failed ECU 1 is replaced with a new one in the card dealer. The function inspection mode is also called a factory mode.

  Therefore, in the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 14, when compared with the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 2, the current operation mode is determined in S143 instead of S140. The process proceeds to S155.

  In the ECU 1 according to the sixth embodiment, when an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic process in the function inspection mode that is considered to be before the assembly work to the vehicle is completed, the DTC of the abnormality is detected by the EEPROM 11. In the normal mode that is stored in the first storage area and considered to be after the assembly work to the vehicle is completed, if an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic process, the DTC of the abnormality is stored in the EEPROM 11 as the PDTC. It will be stored in the second storage area. In other words, the DTC in the functional inspection mode and until the assembly work to the vehicle is completed is made the first storage area of the EEPROM 11 and is the DTC in the normal mode, and the vehicle is used by the user. The DTC after entering the state is stored as PDTC in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11. Therefore, the same effects as those of the other embodiments described above can be obtained.

  In the ECU 1 of the sixth embodiment, the PDTC in the second storage area is output to the external tool 27 in response to a PDTC read request from the external tool 27 as in the first embodiment. In the normal vehicle maintenance process, unnecessary DTC in the function inspection mode is prevented from being output to the external tool 27. As a result, the vehicle mechanic determines that an abnormality has occurred even though it is normal. Can be prevented. Therefore, it is not necessary to erase the DTC in the function inspection mode from the EEPROM 11. Also in the ECU 1 of the sixth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, in response to a special DTC read request from the external tool 27, the DTC in the first storage area is output to the external tool 27. Therefore, the user of the external tool 27 can confirm the abnormality detected in the function inspection mode of the ECU 1 by the DTC.

On the other hand, in the sixth embodiment, the processes of S143 to S155 correspond to abnormality information storage means.
[Seventh Embodiment]
The ECU 1 of the seventh embodiment is a combination of the fifth embodiment and the sixth embodiment.

Specifically, first, as compared with the fifth embodiment, the CPU 3 switches between the normal mode and the function inspection mode, as in the sixth embodiment.
Further, the CPU 3 executes the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 15 instead of the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. Note that the diagnostic result storage process of FIG. 15 is executed regardless of the operation mode of the CPU 3.

  Then, in the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 15, compared with the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 12, the current operation mode is determined in S <b> 144 instead of S <b> 140. The process proceeds to S147.

  Therefore, in the diagnostic result storage process of FIG. 15, if an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic process of S110 in the functional test mode (S144: YES), the storage location of the DTC indicating the abnormality is the first in the EEPROM 11. In addition to the storage area, a history flag as history information is set (S145, S150). If an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic processing in S110 in the normal mode (S144: NO), the history flag is referred to, and if the history flag is not set, the DTC storage destination is stored in the EEPROM 11 1 storage area (S147: NO → S150), and if the history flag is set, the DTC storage destination will be the second storage area of the EEPROM 11 (S147: YES → S155).

  For this reason, if an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic processing in the function inspection mode, the DTC in the function inspection mode is stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11 as in the sixth embodiment, and in the subsequent normal mode. The DTC is stored in the second storage area of the EEPROM 11. On the other hand, if no abnormality is detected by the diagnostic process in the function inspection mode, the history flag is not set, and the DTC in the normal mode is stored in the first storage area of the EEPROM 11. . Therefore, as in the fifth embodiment, the storage area of the EEPROM 11 can be used efficiently without waste.

Also in the seventh embodiment, the process of FIG. 13 is executed as the abnormality information output process. In the process of FIG. 13, in step S415 when a PDTC read request is received from the external tool 27, the history flag indicates the DTC in the normal mode and should be output in response to the PDTC read request. Will be specified.
[Eighth Embodiment]
The ECU 1 of the eighth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the following points.

  First, as the external tool 27, a commercially available fault diagnosis device (hereinafter referred to as a scan tool) corresponding to the OBD2 standard (in this embodiment, more specifically, ISO15765) is detachably connected to the communication line 21. .

  This scan tool is connected to the communication line 21 when, for example, a vehicle failure diagnosis is performed at a car dealer or a vehicle repair factory other than a car dealer, a vehicle maintenance factory, or the like. The scan tool has the same function as the external tool 27 described in the first embodiment.

  Further, when the scan tool is connected to the communication line 21, a command (hereinafter referred to as a support information inquiry command) that inquires the ECU 1 about the type of information that the ECU 1 can output to the scan tool in order to confirm the connection. ) Is automatically sent.

  Specifically, the support information inquiry command is a command including a data string “$ 7DF, $ 01, $ 00”. Note that $ is a code indicating that the subsequent number is a hexadecimal number. When the ECU 1 receives the support information inquiry command, the ECU 1 sends back to the scan tool data indicating what type of information exists as failure diagnosis information that the ECU can output to the scan tool. Then, a list indicating the types of information that can be output by the ECU 1 is displayed on the display device of the scan tool. Therefore, the user of the scan tool can know what kind of failure diagnosis information can be extracted from the ECU 1 based on the display content.

In the ECU 1 of the eighth embodiment, the CPU 3 executes the flag setting process of FIG. 16 instead of the flag setting process of FIG.
In the flag setting process of FIG. 16, first, in S315, it is determined whether or not a support information inquiry command (“specific command” in FIG. 16) from the scan tool has been received. If it is determined that the support information inquiry command has not been received, the flag setting process is terminated. If it is determined that the support information inquiry command has been received, the process proceeds to S320 and the condition satisfaction flag is set. Then, the flag setting process is terminated.

  For this reason, in the eighth embodiment, the support information inquiry command from the scan tool serves as an instruction to switch the storage area of the DTC, similar to the service start information from the center 31 in the first embodiment. It will be.

  According to the ECU 1 of the eighth embodiment, when the ECU 1 is replaced with a new one after the vehicle is put on the market, or the storage destination in the DTC EEPROM 11 is changed from the first storage area to the second storage area. Even if the vehicle is shipped from the factory without being connected, the storage location of the DTC can be changed from the first storage area to the second storage area by connecting the scan tool in the market. Therefore, it is advantageous to switch the storage destination in the DTC EEPROM 11 from the first storage area to the second storage area immediately before the user starts using the vehicle in which the ECU 1 is replaced with a new one or the new vehicle shipped from the factory. It is.

In addition, the DTC storage destination can be switched by simply connecting the scan tool to the vehicle communication line 21 without any special operation. It can also be avoided.
[Ninth Embodiment]
The ECU 1 of the ninth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the following points.

  In the description of the ninth embodiment, each storage area of the EEPROM 11 for storing the DTC is referred to as EEPROM areas (0) to (*) as shown in FIG. “*” Is an integer smaller by 1 than the total number of EEPROM areas.

  First, as shown in FIG. 17A, a predetermined storage area in the EEPROM 11 stores a use area status indicating which EEPROM area is a DTC storage destination. For example, if the use area status value is 0, it indicates that the EEPROM area (0) is a DTC storage destination, and if the use area status value is 1, the EEPROM area (1) is a DTC storage destination. It is shown that. In addition, the value of the use area status (that is, the initial value) at the time when the ECU 1 is manufactured is zero.

Then, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 changes the value of the use area status in response to a switching instruction from the external tool 27.
More specifically, the external tool 27 transmits a switching instruction to the ECU 1 when a predetermined operation is performed in advance. Then, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 determines whether or not a switching instruction from the external tool 27 has been received. When it is determined that the switching instruction has been received, the CPU 3 increments the use area status value by one.

Further, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 executes the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 18 instead of the diagnosis result storage process of FIG.
In the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 18, the processes of S160 and S170 are performed instead of S140 to S155 as compared with the diagnosis result storage process of FIG.

  That is, in the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 18, after performing the process of S130, the process proceeds to S160, and the used area status is read. In subsequent S170, the DTC corresponding to the item determined to be abnormal in the current diagnosis process (S110) is stored in the EEPROM area indicated by the use area status among the EEPROM areas (0) to (*). Thereafter, the diagnosis result storage process is terminated.

Further, in the diagnosis result storage process of FIG. 18, since the condition satisfaction flag is not referred to, the CPU 3 does not execute the flag setting process of FIG. 5.
According to the ECU 1 of the ninth embodiment as described above, by transmitting a switching instruction from the external tool 27, the storage area of the EEPROM 11 in which the DTC is stored is the EEPROM area (0) → EEPROM area (1) → EEPROM area. (2)... Can be changed sequentially.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the vehicle manufacturing factory, the external tool 27 is used at a specific time (for example, when the vehicle is completed or shipped) from when the assembly of the ECU 1 to the vehicle is completed until the vehicle is shipped. The ECU 1 is given a switching instruction to update the use area status value from 0 to 1, so that the DTC storage destination is changed from the EEPROM area (0) to the EEPROM area (1). Therefore, in the ECU 1, the DTC before the vehicle is shipped from the factory is stored in the EEPROM area (0), and the DTC after the vehicle is shipped and used by the user is stored in the EEPROM area (1). Will be.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the program in the ECU 1 (that is, the program executed by the CPU 3) is rewritten after the vehicle enters the market, a switching instruction is given from the external tool 27 to the ECU 1, and the usage area status is changed. By updating the value from 1 to 2, the DTC storage destination is changed from the EEPROM area (1) to the EEPROM area (2). Therefore, the ECU 1 can store the DTC by the new program after rewriting in the EEPROM area (2) different from the EEPROM area (1) in which the DTC by the old program before rewriting is stored.

From the above, the CPU 3 executes the abnormality information output process of FIG. 19 instead of the abnormality information output process of FIG.
In the abnormality information output process of FIG. 19, first, in S510, it is determined whether or not the above-described PDTC read request from the external tool 27 has been received, and if it is determined that the PDTC read request has been received, In S520, it is determined whether or not the use area status value is zero.

  If the use area status value is 0, the vehicle to which the ECU 1 is assembled has not been shipped, and there is no DTC since the vehicle has been used by the user. Therefore, the corresponding DTC (read PDTC) Message information indicating that there is no DTC to respond to the request is transmitted to the external tool 27, and then the abnormality information output processing is terminated.

  If it is determined in S520 that the value of the use area status is not 0, the process proceeds to S540 and stored in the EEPROM area indicated by the use area status among the EEPROM areas (0) to (*). The read DTC is read out and transmitted to the external tool 27, and then the abnormality information output process is terminated.

  Therefore, if the ECU 1 receives a PDTC read request after the vehicle is shipped from the factory, the ECU 1 reads the DTC from the EEPROM area set as the DTC storage destination at that time, and uses the DTC as the PDTC. 27 will be transmitted.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S510 that a PDTC read request has not been received, the process proceeds to S550, where it is determined whether or not the special DTC read request from the external tool 27 has been received. If it is determined that a special DTC read request has not been received, the abnormality information output process is terminated. If it is determined that a special DTC read request has been received, the process proceeds to S560 and the EEPROM area ( 0) stored in (0) (that is, the DTC before the vehicle is shipped from the factory, which is considered to have been detected during the assembly of the ECU 1 to the vehicle) and is transmitted to the external tool 27 Thereafter, the abnormality information output process is terminated.

  Also by the ECU 1 of the ninth embodiment as described above, the same effect as described in the first embodiment can be obtained. In the ninth embodiment, the processes of S160 and S170 correspond to abnormality information storage means. Further, the use area status corresponds to the above-described determination information.

By the way, if there is a possibility that the operation mode of the ECU 1 may be changed to the above-described function inspection mode after the vehicle is put on the market (after factory shipment), the vehicle is modified as in the following first and second modifications. It ’s fine.
[Modification 1]
When the CPU 1 of the ECU 1 changes from the normal mode to the function inspection mode, the use area status value is automatically incremented by 1, and then when the function inspection mode returns to the normal mode, the use area in the function inspection mode The status value is stored in the predetermined area R of the EEPROM 11, and the used area status value is returned to the original value before entering the function inspection mode. Thereafter, when a switching command is received from the external tool 27 (for example, when the program of the ECU 1 is rewritten), the value of the use area status is stored in the function inspection mode stored in the predetermined area R. The value is changed to the minimum value of values other than the hour value and larger than the current value. For example, if the current value of the use area status is 2 and the value stored in the predetermined area R is 3, the use area status value is changed from 2 to 4.

  Further, in S540 of FIG. 19, the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 reads out the DTC from the EEPROM area indicated by the largest value other than the value stored in the predetermined area R among the already set use area status values, and externally reads the DTC. Output to the tool 27.

  Further, in S560 of FIG. 19, if no value is stored in the predetermined area R, the CPU 3 reads out the DTC from the EEPROM area (0) and transmits it to the external tool 27, and the value is stored in the predetermined area R. If so, the EEPROM area (or even from the EEPROM area (0)) indicated by the value is read out and transmitted to the external tool 27.

When the CPU 1 of the ECU 1 returns from the function inspection mode to the normal mode, the CPU 1 automatically increases the use area status value by 1 instead of returning to the original value before entering the function inspection mode. Also good. Further, the change of the use area status when the operation mode is changed may not be automatically performed by the CPU 1 but may be performed by giving a switching instruction from the external tool 27.
[Modification 2]
The CPU 1 of the ECU 1 automatically sets the use area status value to 0 when the normal mode changes to the function inspection mode, and then sets the use area status value when returning from the function inspection mode to the normal mode. Alternatively, the value may be returned to the value before entering the function inspection mode or set to a value obtained by adding 1 to the value before entering the function inspection mode.
[Modification 3]
Further, the ECU 1 of the ninth embodiment can be modified as follows.

  First, the external tool 27 transmits a switching instruction including a value specified by any of 0 to * to the ECU 1 by an external operation. When the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 determines that the switching instruction is received, The use area status value is set to a value indicated by the received switching instruction.

  In other words, the use area status value (and hence the EEPROM area that is the storage location of the DTC) may be arbitrarily changed by a switching instruction from the external tool 27.

  Also in this case, the value of the use area status is changed from 0 to 1 at the specific time point (when the vehicle is completed or when the vehicle is shipped) at the vehicle manufacturing factory by an instruction to switch from the external tool to the ECU 1. When the program in the ECU 1 is rewritten, the use area status value may be changed from 1 to 2.

  Further, if there is a possibility that the operation mode of the ECU 1 is changed to the function inspection mode after the vehicle enters the market, the switching from the external tool 27 to the ECU 1 is performed when the function inspection mode is changed. When the usage area status value is changed to 0 by the instruction and returned to the normal mode, the usage area status value is returned to the original value before the change to 0 by the switching instruction from the external tool to the ECU 1. Alternatively, it may be changed to a value larger by 1 than the original value.

  Further, if the CPU 3 of the ECU 1 is configured to output the use area status value to the external tool 27 in response to a request from the external tool 27, the external tool 27 causes the current value of the use area status in the ECU 1 to be output. Can be confirmed easily and reliably, improving usability.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to such Embodiment at all, Of course, in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can implement in a various aspect. .

  In each of the above embodiments, the DTC in the EEPROM 11 stored as a non-PDTC can be read by a special DTC read request from the external tool 27. However, it is not always necessary to configure as such. For example, for DTC stored as non-PDTC, the EEPROM 11 may be removed from the ECU 1 and read directly from the EEPROM 11 in a single state.

  In each of the above embodiments, the DTC non-volatile memory (EEPROM) is used when the condition satisfaction flag is changed from OFF to ON due to various conditions being satisfied, or when the function inspection mode is switched to the normal mode. Etc.), the storage destination of the DTC is switched from the first storage area of the nonvolatile memory to the second storage area by the switching process as well as the storage destination switching process. Alternatively, after that, the DTC in the first storage area may be erased. By doing so, the area of the nonvolatile memory can be effectively used. In other words, in addition to storing DTC (PDTC), the nonvolatile memory stores learning values as information related to control of equipment mounted on the vehicle, such as engine control, or in the anti-theft device. It may be used to store information that is not easily deleted, such as an authentication number or a password. As described above, as the area for storing various types of information, the first storage area having a low value in practical use is used after switching the storage destination, and the amount of information to be stored is large, but the memory size is limited. It can be said that it is effective for the problem that there is.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... ECU (electronic control apparatus), 3 ... CPU, 5 ... ROM, 7 ... RAM, 9 ... Standby RAM, 11 ... EEPROM, 13 ... Input circuit, 15 ... Output circuit, 17 ... Communication circuit, 21 ... Communication line, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 23 ... Navigation apparatus, 25 ... Wireless communication apparatus, 27 ... External tool, 31 ... Center, 33 ... Information processing apparatus, 35 ... Vehicle, 37 ... Card dealer, 39 ... Terminal device, 41 ... Vehicle manufacturing factory, 43 ... Management Device, 45 ... specific area

Claims (2)

As well as being assembled in the vehicle,
Non-volatile memory that can rewrite data,
Diagnosing means for making a diagnosis based on information from equipment mounted on the vehicle;
When an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means, abnormality information storage means for storing abnormality information indicating the abnormality in the nonvolatile memory;
An electronic control device comprising:
The operation mode of the electronic control device is switched between a function inspection mode for performing an operation for a function inspection and a normal mode for performing a normal operation.
The nonvolatile memory has a plurality of storage areas for storing the abnormality information,
The abnormality information storage means,
When an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means when the operation mode of the electronic control device is the function inspection mode, the storage destination of the abnormality information is set to the first storage area of the nonvolatile memory, and the history Set the information,
If an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means when the operation mode of the electronic control device is the normal mode, the abnormality information is stored if the history information is not set according to the history information. If the destination is the first storage area and the history information is set, the storage destination of the abnormality information is the second storage area of the nonvolatile memory;
An electronic control device. As well as being assembled in the vehicle,
Non-volatile memory that can rewrite data,
Diagnosing means for making a diagnosis based on information from equipment mounted on the vehicle;
When an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means, abnormality information storage means for storing abnormality information indicating the abnormality in the nonvolatile memory;
An electronic control device comprising:
The nonvolatile memory has a plurality of storage areas for storing the abnormality information,
The abnormality information storage means includes
If an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic unit until an instruction transmitted from an external device is received, the storage destination of the abnormality information is set to the first storage area of the nonvolatile memory, and history information is stored. Set and
If an abnormality is detected by the diagnostic means after receiving the instruction, if the history information is not set according to the history information, the storage location of the abnormality information is the first storage area. If the history information is set, the storage destination of the abnormality information is the second storage area of the nonvolatile memory,
An electronic control device.