SOFTWARE UPDATE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF VEHICLE

• US 20120167071A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Paek, Jang Woon
• Application Number:
  US13/284,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A software update apparatus of a vehicle includes: a network unit configured to perform internal communications with a plurality of electronic control devices inside the vehicle; a near field communication (NFC) module configured to wirelessly access a mobile communication terminal; and a client control unit configured to manage software versions of the electronic control devices collected through the network unit, provide the software version information to the mobile communication terminal through the NFC module, download software requiring update, transmits the downloaded software to the electronic control devices through the network unit, and receive an update state to transmit to the mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A software update apparatus of a vehicle, comprising:

a network unit configured to perform internal communications with a plurality of electronic control devices inside the vehicle;

a near field communication (NFC) module configured to wirelessly access a mobile communication terminal; and

a client control unit configured to manage software versions of the electronic control devices collected through the network unit, provide software version information to the mobile communication terminal through the NFC module, download software requiring update, transmits the downloaded software to the electronic control devices through the network unit, and receive an update state to transmit to the mobile communication terminal.

2. The software update apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network unit performs the internal communications through one or more of a controller area network (CAN), a local interconnect network (LIN), FlexRay, and a media oriented systems transport (MOST) network.

3. The software update apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NFC module comprises a Bluetooth module.

4. The software update apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal accesses the client control unit through the NFC module, transmits the software version information received from the client control unit to an update server, receives a list of software requiring update from the update server, downloads the software requiring update from the update server, and requests the client control unit to perform update.

5. The software update apparatus of claim 4, wherein the update server comprises a database configured to store a software list and update information of the plurality of electronic control devices for each vehicle, compares the update information stored in the database with the software version information, and provides the list of software requiring update and the update information.

6. The software update apparatus of claim 4, wherein the mobile communication terminal and the update server are connected through wireless Internet.

7. The software update apparatus of claim 5, wherein the update server further comprises a short message service (SMS) configured to transmit new update information to the mobile communication terminal through a text message.

8. The software update apparatus of claim 5, wherein the update server further comprises a mail server configured to transmit new update information through a mail.

9. A software update method of a vehicle, comprising:

collecting software versions through internal communications with a plurality of electronic control devices according to a request of software version information of the electronic control devices from a mobile communication terminal, and transmitting the collected software version to the mobile communication terminal;

transmitting software transmitted in response to an update request of the mobile communication terminal to the electronic control devices, and performing update; and

transmitting the update state to the mobile communication terminal, after the update is performed.

10. A software update method of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving software version information of a plurality of electronic control devices of the vehicle from a software update apparatus;

transmitting the software version information to an update server, receiving a list of software requiring update from the update server, and outputting the received list;

requesting a download of software selected from the software list;

transmitting the downloaded software to the software update apparatus, and requesting update; and

receiving and outputting an update state, after requesting the update.

11. A software update method of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving software version information from a mobile communication terminal;

comparing update information stored in a database with the received software version information, and transmitting a list of software requiring update; and

when a download of software in the list of software requiring update is requested, transmitting corresponding update information to the mobile communication terminal.