Patent ID: 8209078

Claim:
An electronic control unit for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle identification information storage section that stores vehicle identification information, which is unique on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis; and a rewrite section that rewrites the vehicle identification information stored in the vehicle identification information storage section in response to an input of a vehicle identification information rewrite instruction, wherein the electronic control unit is connected with an electronic apparatus via a network in the vehicle, the electronic apparatus including (i) a malfunction information storage section that stores malfunction information of the vehicle and (ii) an erasure section that erases the malfunction information stored in the malfunction information storage section in response to an input of a malfunction information erasure instruction, the electronic control unit further comprising: an instruction detection section that detects an input of instruction information, the input of the instruction information including the input of the vehicle identification information rewrite instruction and the input of the malfunction information erasure instruction; and an erasure determination section that determines, in response to detection of the input of the instruction information by the instruction detection section, whether the malfunction information in the electronic apparatus has been erased by the erasure section, wherein the rewrite section rewrites the vehicle identification information when the erasure determination section determines that malfunction information in the electronic apparatus has been erased.