Control Unit for a Motor Vehicle, Programming Unit, and Programming System

• US 20140136016A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: PIETSCHMANN, Ingolf
• Granted Patent: US 10,073,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 for a motor vehicle, said control unit comprising:

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

at least one communication interface for transmitting and receiving data;

at least one program memory for storing the program data of the respective control programs;

wherein the control unit is operatively configured to;

evaluate a program data update request, provided at the communication interface, for at least one control program that is to be updated, wherein said program data update request includes at least one 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;

output a program data request for the respective current program data to the external data source over the communication interface and/or over a second communication interface; and

read-in the program data of the respective control programs, which are present at the communication interface and/or the second communication interface in response to the program data request, and to store said program data in the program memory.

2. A 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 program data of the respective control programs that are read-in over the communication interface and/or the second communication interface;

store the program data in the determined memory area; and

make the program data 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 the programming of the control unit with the program data that are stored in a specified way in the program memory;

read-in and evaluate an additional program data update request for at least one 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 updated program data of the respective control program;

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 program data of the control program that is to be updated; 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. A control unit according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to detect the program data, which are 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 program data.

5. A control unit according to claim 3, wherein said control unit is operatively configured to detect the program data, which are 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 program data.

6. 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 program data 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.

7. 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 program data 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 for at least one control unit of a motor vehicle, said programming unit comprising:

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

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

, if said programming unit detects that said at least one control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit, said programming unit sends a program data update request to the respective control unit over the additional communication interface;

wherein the program data update request includes at least one 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.

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

send an additional program data update request for at least said one control program, which is to be updated, to the respective control unit over the additional 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, wherein the additional program data update request comprises at least a first indicator that represents the possible protocols usable for the programming with the updated program data of the respective control program;

evaluate an additional program data request, which is made available at the additional 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 respective control unit; and

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

10. A programming unit according to claim 8, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to compress the program data in a defined manner and to send said compressed data to the respective control unit over the additional communication interface.

11. A programming unit, according to claim 9, wherein said programming unit is operatively configured to compress the program data in a defined manner and to send said compressed data to the respective control unit over the additional communication interface.

12. 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 program data, together into one container file and to send said one container file over the additional communication interface to the respective control unit.

13. 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 program data, together into one container file and to send said one container file over the additional communication interface to the respective control unit.

14. A programming system, comprising:

a control unit for a motor vehicle, said control unit comprising;

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

at least one communication interface for transmitting and receiving data;

at least one program memory for storing the program data of the respective control programs;

wherein the control unit is operatively configured to;

evaluate a program data update request, provided at the communication interface, for at least one control program that is to be updated, wherein said program data update request includes at least one 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;

output a program data request for the respective current program data to the external data source over the communication interface and/or over a second communication interface; and

read in the program data of the respective control programs, which are present at the communication interface and/or the second communication interface in response to the program data request, and to store said program data in the program memory; and

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

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

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

, if said programming unit detects that said at least one control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit, said programming unit is sends a program data update request to the respective control unit over the additional communication interface;

wherein the program data update request includes at least one 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.