JPH0620028A - In-vehicle ECU device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the change of programs, the individual information, etc., without adding any contrivance to the internal memory of an ECU and indepentently of a data base of large capacity and also to read out the programs, etc., at a high speed while reducing effectively the cost of an external storage. CONSTITUTION:An on-vehicle ECU device 1 contains an external storage 4 which stores a data base of large capacity and also the external storages 7 and 10 which store the programs, the individual information, etc. Furthermore the storage media 5 and 8 storing at least the programs, the individual information, etc., can be attached to and detached from the device 1. Meanwhile both storages 7 and 10 have the high access speeds.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ECU device comprising a CPU, a program ROM and a control RAM,
In particular, it relates to a vehicle-mounted ECU device having an external storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, for example, various vehicle-mounted devices such as a navigation device for a vehicle which measures the position of the vehicle under the control of an ECU and displays the current position of the vehicle on a road map displayed on a screen. ECU devices for automobiles are being actively developed.

Conventionally, this type of vehicle-mounted ECU device is provided with only one external storage device using a large-capacity storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and the large-capacity storage medium is provided with a road map or the like. The database and the application programs required for vehicle navigation are written together. Alternatively, only a large-capacity database is written in the storage medium in the external storage device provided only one, and the application program writes it in the ROM incorporated in the ECU.

In this type of vehicle-mounted ECU device,
A storage medium such as a CD-ROM in the external storage device is set so as not to be removable.

Further, since an external storage device capable of accessing a large capacity storage medium at high speed is very expensive, an external storage device having a relatively slow access speed is used for cost reasons.

Conventionally, in this type of vehicle-mounted ECU device, for example, the distance between the starting point and the destination of the vehicle set on the road map projected on the screen, the road width, etc. An application that uses an evaluation function that takes parameters and searches for the optimum route from the starting point to the destination that minimizes the value of the evaluation function and shows the searched optimum route on the road map.・ By adding a program, the shortest route is the best route from the starting point to the destination depending on the driver, or the route that goes through a wide road such as a national highway Since there are individual differences depending on whether it is optimal, the weighting factor of each parameter in the evaluation function can be changed so that the optimum route can be searched according to the driver's preference whether to prioritize distance or road width. And to be able to register in the internal memory of the ECU by the input operation of personal information of the driver can be set.

[0007]

The problem to be solved is that only one external storage device is provided in the vehicle-mounted ECU device, such as displaying the current position of the vehicle on the road map displayed on the screen. If various data such as a database such as a road map and application programs are stored together in the storage medium, it is possible to change a part of the data in the application programs, so that a large capacity of unrelated It is necessary to recreate the storage medium including the database, which is troublesome and costly.

Since the storage medium in the external storage device is set so as not to be removable, replacement of the storage medium is troublesome.

Further, if only the database is stored in the storage medium of the external storage device provided only in the vehicle-mounted ECU device and the application program is stored in the ROM incorporated in the ECU,
In order to change the program, it is necessary to replace the ROM incorporated in the ECU, which makes the work complicated.

Further, if the personal information of each driver is registered in the internal memory of the ECU by an input operation, a complicated input operation is required every time the driver is different, and a large number of drivers can be replaced. It is not possible to correspond to.

Furthermore, if an external storage device having a relatively low access speed is used to store a large-capacity database and application program together in the storage medium, it takes time to read the data of the application program. When the execution speed of the program becomes slower, especially when it is necessary to immediately read out the data of the application program from the external storage device and immediately execute the predetermined program by starting the vehicle engine or starting running as the vehicle-mounted ECU device. It is inconvenient.

[0012]

According to the present invention, a plurality of external storage devices having different capacities are installed side by side in an on-vehicle ECU device for displaying the present position of a vehicle on a road map displayed on a screen. For example, one external storage device having a large capacity stores a database such as a road map exclusively, and another external storage device having a relatively small capacity stores an application program and personal information separately, and・ We are able to easily respond to changes in programs and personal information.

Further, according to the present invention, among the external storage devices, at least the storage medium in the external storage device for storing the application program, personal information and the like can be detachably mounted so that the exchange can be easily performed. I am able to do that.

Further, according to the present invention, among the external storage devices, one having a high access speed is used as at least an external storage device for storing application programs, personal information, etc. A predetermined program can be executed quickly and with good responsiveness when the engine is started or when the vehicle starts running.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle-mounted ECU device according to the present invention is, for example,
Under the control of the ECU, while detecting the traveling distance and the traveling direction of the own vehicle by the distance sensor and the direction sensor, the current position on the XY coordinates is sequentially obtained by the cumulative calculation process, and the map is previously stored from the external storage device. In a vehicle navigation device that reads out information and renewally displays the current position of the vehicle on a road map displayed on the screen of a display, as shown in FIG. 1, a CPU, a program ROM, and a control RAM. CDR that stores a large-capacity road map as a database in the ECU 1
A second external storage device 4 including an OM 2 and a CD driver 3 having a loading function, a floppy disk 5 for storing an application program required for vehicle navigation, and an FD driver 6 having a loading function. From the external storage device 7, the IC card 8 for storing various personal information such as the personal information for searching the optimum route and the destination of the package delivery, and the IC card driver 9 having the loading function thereof as described above. Is connected to the third external storage device 10.

Of the storage media, at least the floppy disk 5 and the IC card 8 are removable from the drivers 6 and 9, respectively.

The second and third external storage devices 7 and 1 are also provided.
Under the control of the ECU 1, 0 can be read and written by an input operation from an operation input unit (not shown).

However, in the case of such a configuration, the F
Floppy disk 5 inserted in D driver 6
Can be partially rewritten, and the application program can be easily changed without affecting the database.

Further, another application program can be easily executed only by replacing a new floppy disk 5 in accordance with a drastic change in the application program.

Then, the personal information is prepared in advance I
Only by inserting the C card 8 into the IC card driver 9, it is possible to cause the ECU 1 to read different personal information for each driver, and it is necessary to register the personal information for each driver in the internal memory of the ECU 1 by a complicated input operation. It will disappear and will be able to cope with the change of many drivers.

The IC card 8 inserted in the IC card driver 9 by the input operation by the operation input unit.
It becomes possible to freely write the personal information necessary for the IC card 8 and to easily rewrite the personal information already written in the IC card 8.

In the first external storage device 4 which stores a large-capacity road map as a database, normally,
Since it is relatively large, it is stored in the trunk room away from the main body of the vehicle navigation system installed in the driver's seat and is set in the CD driver 3 so that the CD / ROM 2 cannot be removed. If necessary, the CD / ROM 2 can be detachably set in the CD driver 3 so that the database can be exchanged by replacing the CD / ROM 2.

Further, in the first external storage device 4 which stores a large-capacity road map as a database, normally,
It is read-only, but it is possible to read and write it as necessary so that the necessary data can be written by the input operation from the operation input section. Is.

Further, according to the present invention, if the first external storage device 4 for storing a large-capacity database has a high access speed, the cost becomes very high. The external storage device 4 having a relatively low access speed is used to effectively reduce the cost, but the access speed to the second external storage device 7 for storing the application program may be relatively small. The speed is increased by using the fast one, so that the application program can be started quickly.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a vehicle-mounted EC
As the U device, a predetermined program can be executed with good responsiveness at the time of starting the engine of the vehicle or starting traveling, without causing an operation delay.

Similarly, the third external storage device 10 for storing personal information, which may have a relatively small capacity, has a high access speed, and is used to quickly perform vehicle navigation in accordance with the personal information. I am able to do that.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
Here, in addition to the first external storage device 4 for storing a large-capacity database, a small-capacity second external storage device 7 including a floppy disk 5 and an FD driver 6 is separately provided, and an application is applied to the floppy disk 5.・ I try to remember the program. When the vehicle-mounted ECU device needs to have other auxiliary data such as personal information, the auxiliary data is stored together in the floppy disk 5.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. Here, in addition to the first external storage device 4 for storing a large-capacity database, the IC cards 8 and I are used.
A small-capacity third external storage device 10 including a C card driver 9 is separately provided so that the application program is stored in the IC card 8. Also,
When it is necessary for the vehicle-mounted ECU device to have other auxiliary data such as personal information, the auxiliary data is stored in the IC.
Make sure that they are stored together on card 8.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, a large-capacity external storage device for storing a database and a small-capacity external storage device for storing application programs, personal information, etc. are separately installed, and Since at least the storage medium in the external storage device that stores the application program, personal information, etc. is made removable, it is possible to change the application program or replace the storage medium itself regardless of the large-capacity database. It has an advantage that it can be easily performed, and that it is possible to easily set different personal information for each driver and fully cope with the replacement of a large number of drivers.

Further, according to the present invention, an external storage device for storing a large-capacity database is used with a relatively slow access speed to effectively reduce the cost, while the application program, personal information, etc. are stored. A small-capacity external storage device that has a high access speed is used to satisfy the demand for high speed, and as a vehicle-mounted ECU device, an operation delay of a predetermined program occurs at the time of starting the engine of the vehicle or starting traveling. It has the advantage that it can be executed with good responsiveness.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an ECU in a vehicle-mounted ECU device according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an external storage device portion.

FIG. 2 is an ECU in a vehicle-mounted ECU device according to the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of an external storage device portion.

FIG. 3 is an ECU in a vehicle-mounted ECU device according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing still another configuration example of the external storage device portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ECU 2 CD / ROM 3 CD driver 4 First external storage device 5 Floppy disk 6 FD driver 7 Second external storage device 8 IC card 9 IC card driver 10 Third external storage device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An in-vehicle ECU device having an external storage device, wherein an external storage device for storing a large-capacity database and an external storage device for storing application programs, personal information, etc. are provided in parallel. The vehicle-mounted ECU device. 2. The vehicle-mounted ECU device according to claim 1, wherein at least a storage medium in the external storage device for storing application programs, personal information, etc., of each external storage device is removable. . 3. The vehicle-mounted ECU according to claim 1, wherein at least an external storage device for storing at least an application program, personal information, etc. is used among the external storage devices. apparatus.