System for vehicle component management, system for vehicle component management data update, and vehicle component management center

Abstract

Each of ECUs constituting a system of a vehicle is registered with authentication IDs of other ECUs. The each of ECUs determines whether the other ECUs are regular by comparing the registered IDs with authentication IDs newly obtained from the other ECUs when the system is started. When a certain ECU within the other ECUs is determined to be not regular, the certain ECU is prohibited from being used in this system. Further, when a new ECU is substituted or added, a terminal confirms whether the new ECU is unused in another vehicle and is thereby enabled to be usable by transmitting an authentication ID of the new ECU to a management center. When the new ECU is confirmed to be enabled to be usable, authentication IDs registered in the respective ECUs are updated.

1 . (canceled)  
   
   
       2 . A vehicle component management system for managing a plurality of components included in an in-vehicle system that is provided in a vehicle for achieving a certain function, the vehicle component management system comprising: 
 a storing unit that stores, as component management data, unique identification codes that are assigned to the respective components included in the in-vehicle system;    an identification code obtaining unit that obtains, when the in-vehicle system is started, identification codes from components included in the in-vehicle system;    a determining unit that determines whether the obtained identification codes accord with the identification codes stored as the component management data; and    a prohibiting unit that prohibits, when a certain component whose identification code does not accord with any one of the identification codes stored as the component management data is present, the certain component from being used.    
   
   
       3 . The vehicle component management system of  claim 2 , 
 wherein components are provided in the in-vehicle system to perform data communications with each other via a network in the vehicle, and    wherein the identification code obtaining unit obtains identification codes from components included in the in-vehicle system, via the network in the vehicle.    
   
   
       4 . The vehicle component management system of  claim 2 , 
 wherein the storing unit, the identification code obtaining unit, the determining unit, and the prohibiting unit are provided for each of the components,    wherein, when the in-vehicle system is started, with respect to the each of the components, the identification code obtaining unit obtains identification codes from other components included in the in-vehicle system, and    wherein the determining unit determines whether the obtained identification codes accord with identification codes that are stored as the component management data and correspond to other components included in the in-vehicle system.    
   
   
       5 . (canceled)  
   
   
       6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . A vehicle component management data update system for updating component management data of a certain vehicle by using a management center when a component in an in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle is substituted or added, 
 wherein the certain vehicle includes a component management system including:    a storing unit that stores, as the component management data, identification codes that are assigned to respective components included in the in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle;    an identification code obtaining unit that obtains, when the in-vehicle system is started, identification codes from components included in the in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle;    a determining unit that determines whether the obtained identification codes accord with the identification codes stored as the component management data; and    a prohibiting unit that prohibits, when a certain component whose identification code does not accord with any one of the identification codes stored as the component management data is present, the certain component from being used,    wherein the management center that is accessed to via a communications network and that includes:    a vehicle database that is registered with, as vehicle data, identification codes of entire components included in the in-vehicle system with respect to each of vehicles that are shipped from an assembling factory and includes the certain vehicle,    the vehicle component management data update system comprising:    an obtaining unit that obtains an identification code of a new component of a target for one of substitution and addition;    an inquiring unit that inquires whether the new component is enabled to be usable in the certain vehicle by transmitting the obtained identification code to the management center via the communications network; and    an updating unit that updates, when a response that the new component is enabled to be usable is received, the component management data stored in the storing unit based on the obtained identification code, and then causes the management center to update the vehicle data of the certain vehicle that is registered in the vehicle database.    
   
   
       8 . The vehicle component management data update system of  claim 7 , 
 wherein the vehicle database includes permission information representing whether a change of the in-vehicle system is permitted with respect to each of the vehicles, and    wherein, when the new component in the in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle is substituted or added, the inquiring unit inquires whether the change of the in-vehicle system is permitted or not in the certain vehicle in addition to whether the new component is enabled to be usable in the certain vehicle, and    wherein the updating unit updates, when a response that the new component is enabled to be usable in the certain vehicle and that the change of the in-vehicle system is permitted in the certain vehicle is received, the component management data stored in the storing unit based on the identification code of the new component, and then causes the management center to update the vehicle data of the certain vehicle that is registered in the vehicle database.    
   
   
       9 . A vehicle component management center used for updating component management data of a certain vehicle via a management data update system when a component in an in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle is substituted or added, 
 wherein the certain vehicle includes a component management system including:    a storing unit that stores, as the component management data, identification codes that are assigned to respective components included in the in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle;    an identification code obtaining unit that obtains, when the in-vehicle system is started, identification codes from components included in the in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle;    a determining unit that determines whether the obtained identification codes accord with the identification codes stored as the component management data; and    a prohibiting unit that prohibits, when a certain component whose identification code does not accord with any one of the identification codes stored as the component management data is present, the certain component from being used,    wherein the management data update system includes:    an obtaining unit that obtains an identification code of a new component of a target for one of substitution and addition;    an inquiring unit that inquires whether the new component is enabled to be usable in the certain vehicle by transmitting the obtained identification code to the vehicle component management center via a communications network; and    an updating unit that updates, when a response that the new component is enabled to be usable is received, the component management data stored in the storing unit based on the obtained identification code, and then causes the vehicle component management center to update vehicle data of the certain vehicle that is registered in a vehicle database, by transmitting an update instruction,    the vehicle component management center comprising:    the vehicle database that is registered with, as the vehicle data, identification codes of entire components included in the in-vehicle system with respect to each of vehicles that are shipped from an assembling factory and includes the certain vehicle;    a responding unit that transmits the respond as a determination result to the management data update system after determining using the vehicle database whether the new component is enabled to be usable in the certain vehicle when the identification code of the new component that is to be used in the certain vehicle is transmitted from the management data update system via the communications network; and    an updating unit that then updates the vehicle data of the certain vehicle that is registered in the vehicle database, based on the identification code of the new component, when the update instruction is received from the management data update system via the communications network.    
   
   
       10 . The vehicle component management center of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a component database that is registered with identification codes shipped from a component factory,    wherein the responding unit determines whether the new component is enabled to be usable in the certain vehicle by using the vehicle database and the component database, when the identification code of the new component that is to be used in the certain vehicle is transmitted from the management data update system via the communications network.    
   
   
       11 . The vehicle component management center of  claim 9 , 
 wherein the vehicle database is provided with permission information representing whether a change of the in-vehicle system is permitted or not, with respect to each of the vehicles, and    wherein the responding unit transmits the respond as a determination result to the management data update system after determining whether the change of the in-vehicle system in the certain vehicle is permitted or not based on the permission information when the identification code of the new component that is to be used in the certain vehicle is transmitted from the management data update system via the communications network.