Method, head unit, and vehicle for introducing applications into the head unit of the vehicle

• US 10,365,921 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Schmidt, Andre, Michel, Maximilian
• Primary Examiner(s): St Leger, Geoffrey R
• Application Number:
  US15/843,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20180113704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method introduces applications into a head unit of a vehicle. The method transfers a first identifier by a software component of the head unit via a first communication channel to a server; receives a main application in response to the transferring; transfers a vehicle identification number of the vehicle by the main application via a second communication channel to the server; receives metadata associated with the vehicle identification number, wherein the metadata include one or more identifiers; transfers at least one identifier of the received metadata from the main application to the software component; transfers the identifier by an invariable software component via the first communication channel to the server; receives an application associated with the identifier by the software component; saves the application; and forwards a storage location of the application from the software component to the main application.

Claims

1. A method for introducing applications into a head unit of a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

transmitting a first identifier by a software component of the head unit to a server via a first communication channel;

receiving a main application in response to the transmission of the first identifier by the server;

transmitting a vehicle identification number of the vehicle by the main application to the server via a second communication channel;

receiving metadata associated with the vehicle identification number of the vehicle, wherein the metadata comprises one or more identifiers;

transferring at least one identifier of the received metadata from the main application to the software component;

communicating the at least one identifier of the received metadata by an invariable software component to the server via the first communication channel;

receiving at least one application associated with the at least one identifier by the software component;

storing the at least one application by the software component; and

forwarding a storage location of the at least one application from the software component to the main application.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following:

the first identifier denotes a storage location of the main application on the server;

the software component is an invariable software component;

the software component is a native software application of the head unit.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission of the first identifier takes place after a start of the invariable software component, after the start of a communication unit of the head unit, as a function of a time-based parameter and/or by way of an interaction of a user with the head unit.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel are encrypted communication channels.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises a URL relating to an application, a hash value of the application and/or a version number of the application.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving of the at least one application by the software component comprises:

validation of an archive file of the application; and

unpacking of the archive file if the validation of the archive file is successful.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the act of:

updating of the at least one application by the main application.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the updating of the at least one application comprises the acts of:

transmitting the vehicle identification number of the vehicle by the main application to the server via the second communication channel;

receiving updated metadata associated with the vehicle identification number of the vehicle, wherein the updated metadata comprises one or more identifiers;

comparing the updated metadata with the metadata;

if the updated metadata deviates from the metadata, transferring at least one identifier of the updated metadata from the main application to the software component;

communicating the at least one identifier of the updated metadata by the invariable software component to the server via the first communication channel;

receiving at least one updated application associated with the at least one identifier by the software component; and

forwarding the at least one updated application from the software component to the main application in order to replace the at least one application by the at least one updated application.

9. A head unit of a vehicle, wherein the head unit comprises instructions which, when executed, carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

10. A vehicle, comprising a head unit, wherein the head unit comprises instructions which, when executed, carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.