Module interface for vehicle updates

• US 10,402,184 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rockwell, Mark Anthony, Martin, Douglas Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingram, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/282,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A vehicle may include a processor of a vehicle configured to communicate with an update server hosting software updates; and a software update management module connected to the processor and vehicle modules over a vehicle bus and configured to send an update command over the vehicle bus to invoke a software update mode for one of the vehicle modules identified by a software update, and apply the software update to the one of the vehicle modules. A computing system of a vehicle may be configured to request consent from a user to install a software update, when consent is received, install the software updates using a software update management module configured to invoke software update mode for a vehicle module identified by the software update, and apply the software update to the vehicle module, and when consent is not received, display an indication that software updates are available.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor of a vehicle configured to communicate with an update server hosting software updates; and

a software update management module connected to the processor and vehicle modules over a vehicle bus and configured to

determine that a software update is an optional software update based on a data indicator associated with the software update, wherein the software update is configured to at least one of add an additional feature to a vehicle module or adjust a configuration of an existing feature of a vehicle module,

provide, in a head unit display of the vehicle, an indication of an optional status of the software update and a request for consent from a user to install the optional software update,

invoke a software update mode responsive to receipt of a message indicating user consent to install the software update,

send an update command over the vehicle bus to invoke the software update mode for the vehicle module identified by the software update,

apply the software update to the vehicle module by installing the update to a memory of the vehicle module, and

display an indication as an icon within a gauge cluster of the vehicle responsive to lack of receipt of the user consent.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the software update management module is further configured to send a reset command over the vehicle bus to perform a force reset of the vehicle module upon completion of the software update.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the software update management module is further configured to periodically request the processor to request software updates from the update server, and wherein the software update is downloaded by the processor from the update server responsive to a periodic request for updates from the update server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the software update management module is further configured to update a vehicle history log to indicate a result of application of the software update to the vehicle module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user consent to install the software update includes receipt of a first consent to install software updates, and receipt of a second consent to wait an estimated amount of time for the software update to be installed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to prompt to key cycle the vehicle responsive to receipt of an indication of completion of the software update from the software update management module.

7. A system comprising:

a gauge cluster of a vehicle, and

a computing system of the vehicle programmed to

request consent to install a software update indicated as being an optional software update to add an additional feature to the vehicle or adjust a configuration of an existing feature of the vehicle, and

when consent is not received, display an indication in the gauge cluster that the optional software update is available.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing system is further programmed to:

determine that the software update is an optional software update configured to at least one of add an additional feature to a vehicle module or adjust a configuration of an existing feature of a vehicle module, and

provide, in a user interface of the vehicle, an indication of an optional status of the software update and a request for consent from the user to install the software update as an optional software update.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing system is further programmed to:

determine that installation of the software update is complete, and

provide, in a user interface of the vehicle, an indication that the software update will be available upon vehicle restart.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing system is further programmed to update a vehicle history log to indicate a result of application of the software update to the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing system is further programmed to invoke a software update mode responsive to user consent to install the software update.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein user consent to install the software update includes receipt of a first consent to install software updates, and receipt of a second consent to wait an estimated amount of time for the software update to be installed.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing system is further programmed to prompt to restart the vehicle upon completion of install of the software update.

14. A method comprising:

displaying, as an icon in a gauge cluster of a vehicle, an indication that an optional software update configured to at least one of add an additional feature to a vehicle or adjust a configuration of an existing feature of the vehicle is available for installation; and

installing the software update by a computing system of the vehicle responsive to receipt of user consent to install the software update.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing, in a user interface of the vehicle, the indication of an optional status of the software update and a request for consent from the user to install the software update as an optional software update.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that installation of the software update is complete, and

providing, in a user interface of the vehicle, an indication that the software update will be available upon vehicle restart.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the icon within a gauge cluster of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, upon completion of install of the software update, at least one of updating a vehicle history log to indicate a result of application of the software update to the vehicle or prompting to restart the vehicle.