US 12,217,040 B2
Electronic control unit, software update method, software update program product and electronic control system
Fumihide Goto, Kariya (JP)
Assigned to DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP)
Filed by DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP)
Filed on Nov. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/534,491.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-197110 (JP), filed on Nov. 27, 2020; and application No. 2021-178075 (JP), filed on Oct. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0171613 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 8/65 (2018.01); G06F 9/455 (2018.01)
CPC G06F 8/65 (2013.01) [G06F 9/45558 (2013.01); G06F 2009/45579 (2013.01); G06F 2009/45595 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A software update method performed on an electronic control unit including at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to serve as:
a first virtual machine;
a second virtual machine connected to the first virtual machine;
a third virtual machine connected to the first virtual machine;
a file acquisition portion that is configured to acquire a file to update software from an outside of the electronic control unit;
an update management portion that is configured to manage updates of the software;
a first update portion configured to update software of the first virtual machine;
a second update portion configured to update software of the second virtual machine; and
a third update portion configured to update software of the third virtual machine;
the method comprising:
accepting the file from the file acquisition portion;
instructing the first update portion, in response to, communication between the first update portion and the update management portion being established, to perform a software update using the file accepted from the file acquisition portion;
instructing the second update portion, in response to communication between the second update portion and the update management portion being established, to perform a software update using the file accepted from the file acquisition portion;
transmitting, with the at least one processor executing the computer program code to serve as the update management portion, a search signal at a predetermined timing to each of the first and second update portions;
transmitting, with the at least one processor executing the computer program code to serve as the first update portion, a response signal to the update management portion if the first update portion receives the search signal from the update management portion;
transmitting, with the at least one processor executing the computer program code to serve as the second update portion, a response signal to the update management portion if the second update portion receives the search signal from the update management portion;
instructing the first update portion to perform the software update if the update management portion receives the response signal from the first update portion;
instructing the second update portion to perform the software update if the update management portion receives the response signal from the second update portion; and
not instructing the second update portion and the third update portion to perform a software update using the accepted file, even if the communication between the update management portion and the third update portion is established, in response to the communication between the update management portion and the second update portion not being established and in response to the software update for the second virtual machine being associated with the software update for the third virtual machine.