System and method for storing a vehicle identification code in an engine control unit

A device (100,200) stores a vehicle identification code (VIN,240) that includes a character string of a plurality of digits (242-248). The device includes a writing request detection section (210) that detects a request for writing the vehicle identification code (VIN,240). An encoding section (222) compresses and encodes the vehicle identification code (VIN,240) that corresponds to the detected writing request to generate a storage code. A storage code storing section (230) stores the storage code. Therefore, the device efficiently stores the vehicle identification codes (VIN,240) in a nonvolatile memory (116,230).