Control unit for a motor vehicle, programming unit, and programming system

• US 10,073,675 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Pietschmann, Ingolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Genna M
• Application Number:
  US14/158,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 701 291- 344, 701 1, 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A control unit for a motor vehicle includes a central processing unit, which is configured to execute one or more control programs. The control unit has a communication interface, and a memory for storing the program data of respective control programs. The control unit evaluates a program data update request, provided at the communication interface, for a control program that is to be updated. The program data update request includes an address of an external data source, which is independent of the control unit and from which the respective current program data of the control program to be updated can be requested. The control unit outputs a program data request to the external data source, reads in the program data of the respective control programs, which are present at the communication interface in response to the program data request, and stores the program data in the program memory.

Claims

1. A control unit arranged in a motor vehicle, said control unit comprising:

at least one central processing unit, which is operatively configured to execute one or more control programs necessary to program the control unit to control systems of the motor vehicle;

a communication interface operatively configured to transmit data to and receive data from a programming unit, which is external to the vehicle and is configured to program motor vehicle control units;

at least one program memory for storing program data of the respective control programs, wherein the program data comprises executable program code of the respective control program;

wherein the control unit is operatively configured to;

evaluate a program data update request, received at the communication interface from the programming unit, for a control program, of the one or more control programs, that is to be updated, wherein the program data update request includes an address of an external data source, which is independent of the programming unit and of the control unit and from which respective current executable program code of the control program to be updated can be requested;

output, in response to the received program data update request and using the address, a program data request for the respective current executable program code to the external data source over the communication interface and/or over a second communication interface;

read-in the respective current executable program code of the control program to be updated when provided by the external data source at the communication interface and/or the second communication interface in response to the program data request;

read-in the respective current executable program code of the control program to be updated when provided directly by the programming unit at the communication interface; and

store the read-in executable program code of the control program to be updated in the program memory.

2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises a memory management unit, which is operatively configured to:

determine a memory area for the read-in executable program code;

store the read-in executable program code in the determined memory area; and

make the read-in executable program code available to the central processing unit for execution.

3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to:

support a specified set of protocols for programming of the control unit with the read-in executable program code that is stored in a specified way in the program memory;

read-in and evaluate an additional program data update request for the control program that is to be updated and that is provided at the communication interface, wherein the additional program data update request comprises at least a first indicator that represents the possible protocols usable for the programming with the read-in executable program code of the control program to be updated;

determine, depending on the first indicator in each case, a second indicator that represents the protocol from the set of protocols that is to be used for the programming of the control unit with the read-in executable program code; and

send an additional program data request, which comprises the second indicator, over the communication interface in response to the additional program data update request.

4. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to detect the read-in executable program code, which is compressed in a defined manner and which are read-in over the communication interface and/or the second communication interface, as such and to decompress the compressed read-in executable program code.

5. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to detect a container file, which is composed of one or more data files with executable program code of the one or more control programs and which is read-in over the communication interface and/or the second communication interface, as such and to extract the data files from the container file.

6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to detect the read-in executable program code, which is compressed in a defined manner and which are read-in over the communication interface and/or the second communication interface, as such and to decompress the compressed read-in executable program code.

7. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to detect a container file, which is composed of one or more data files with executable program code of the one or more control programs and which is read-in over the communication interface and/or the second communication interface, as such and to extract the data files from the container file.

8. A programming unit arranged externally from a motor vehicle for a control unit of the motor vehicle, said programming unit comprising:

a communication interface, by which the programming unit is coupleable to the control unit,

wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to;

query a program version of at least one control program of the control unit, to which it is coupled;

send a program data update request to the control unit over the communication interface when said programming unit detects that said at least one control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit; and

send current executable program code for the at least one control program to the control unit, wherein the executable program code is necessary to program the control unit to control systems of the motor vehicle,

wherein the program data update request includes an address of an external data source, which is independent of the programming unit and the control unit and from which the current executable program code of the at least one control program can be requested.

9. The programming unit according to claim 8, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to:

send an additional program data update request for the control program, which is to be updated, to the control unit over the communication interface, when said programming unit detects that said control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit, wherein the additional program data update request comprises at least a first indicator that represents the possible protocols usable for the programming with the current executable program code of the respective control program;

evaluate an additional program data request, which is made available at the communication interface in response to the additional program data update request, wherein the additional program data request comprises a second indicator, which represents a protocol selected by the control unit; and

provide, depending on results of the evaluation, the programming unit with the current executable program code according to the protocol that is currently selected.

10. The programming unit, according to claim 9, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to compress the current executable program code in a defined manner and to send said compressed current executable program code to the respective control unit over the communication interface.

11. The programming unit according to claim 9, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to combine one or more data files, each of which is composed of executable program code of control programs, together into one container file and to send said one container file over the communication interface to the respective control unit.

12. The programming unit according to claim 8, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to compress the current executable program code in a defined manner and to send said compressed current executable program code to the respective control unit over the communication interface.

13. The programming unit according to claim 8, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to combine one or more data files, each of which is composed of executable program code of control programs, together into one container file and to send said one container file over the communication interface to the respective control unit.

14. The programming unit of claim 8, wherein the external data source is one of a plurality of available external data sources from which the current executable program code of the control program can be updated, and which is accessed by the control unit using the address.

15. A programming system, comprising:

a control unit arranged in a motor vehicle, said control unit comprising;

at least one central processing unit, which is operatively configured to execute one or more control programs;

a communication interface operatively configured to transmit data to and receive data from a programming unit, which is external to the motor vehicle and is configured to program motor vehicle control units;

at least one program memory for storing the program data of the respective one or more control programs, the program data comprising executable program code of the respective one or more control programs, wherein the control unit is operatively configured to;

evaluate a program data update request, received at the communication interface, for a control program, of the one or more control programs, that is to be updated, wherein said program data update request includes an address of an external data source, which is independent of the programming unit and of the control unit and from which current executable program code of the control program to be updated can be requested;

output, in response to the received program data update request and using the address, a program data request for the current executable program code to the external data source over the communication interface; and

read in the current executable program code of the control program to be updated when provided by the external data source at the communication interface and/or a second communication interface in response to the program data request;

read in the respective current executable program code of the control program to be updated when provided by the external data source directly by the programming unit at the communication interface; and

store said read-in executable program code of the control program to be updated in the program memory; and

the programming unit coupled to the control unit, said programming unit comprising;

the communication interface, by which the programming unit is coupleable to the control unit, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to;

query a program version of the control program of the control unit, to which it is coupled;

send the program data update request to the control unit over the communication interface when said programming unit detects that said at least one control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit; and

send the respective current executable program code of the control to be updated to the control unit.

16. The programming system of claim 15, wherein the external data source is one of a plurality of available external data sources from which the current executable program code of the control program can be updated, and which is accessible by the control unit using the address.