OPERATING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT FOR IN-VEHICLE COMPUTING SYSTEM

• US 20150040113A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Muench-Casanova, Stephen, Beets, Paul, Bolinger, Brian, Klochko, Alexander, Montealegre, Steven Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,910,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for a method of replacing an original operating system with a new operating system. In one example embodiment, a method to selectively replace a first in-vehicle operating system includes receiving a temporary update including a second in-vehicle operating system for storage in a memory location of the first in-vehicle operating system and receiving a request to update the first in-vehicle operating system based on the temporary update. The method may further include triggering a reboot of the first in-vehicle operating system including installing the second in-vehicle operating system.

Claims

1. A method to selectively replace a first in-vehicle operating system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a temporary update including a second in-vehicle operating system for storage in a memory location of the first in-vehicle operating system;

receiving a request to update the first in-vehicle operating system based on the temporary update;

triggering a reboot of the first in-vehicle operating system including installing the second in-vehicle operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically restarting under the second in-vehicle operating system following installing the second in-vehicle operating system responsive to a state of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary update comprises an image file system (IFS) and initial program loader (IPL) for the second in-vehicle operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to update the first in-vehicle operating system based on the temporary update triggers loading an internal memory rewrite driver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to update the first in-vehicle operating system based on the temporary update triggers loading a user mode driver initialization application for the second in-vehicle operating system where the user mode driver initialization application is added to an auto-start list for the first in-vehicle operating system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising resetting one or more watchdog timers in response to receiving or running the user mode driver initialization application prior to the expiration of the one or more watchdog timers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising copying user preferences in the first in-vehicle operating system to a second memory location for use by the second in-vehicle operating system.

8. A method of replacing an original operating system with a new operating system for an in-vehicle computing system, the method comprising:

receiving an image file system (IFS) and initial program loader (IPL) files at an external storage device interface of the in-vehicle computing system during operation of the in-vehicle computing system under the original operating system;

storing the IFS and the IPL files in a first memory location of the in-vehicle computing system;

rebooting the in-vehicle computing system while operating under the original operating system;

moving the IFS and the IPL files from the first memory location to a second memory location;

rebooting the in-vehicle computing system while operating under the original operating system; and

automatically restarting the in-vehicle computing system under the new operating system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, while operating under the original operating system, locating user preferences in a storage device of the in-vehicle computing system and copying the user preferences to a known memory location of the in-vehicle computing system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, while operating under the new operating system, restoring the user preferences stored in the known memory location of the in-vehicle computing system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the IFS and the IPL files in a first memory location of the in-vehicle computing system includes loading a script from an external storage device including binaries for an application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the binaries include a driver that performs an internal memory rewrite to store the IFS and the IPL files in the first memory location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the binaries include a user mode application that initializes the driver.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user mode application is added to an auto-start list for the original operating system, the auto-start list including applications that are run automatically responsive to starting the original operating system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user mode application is configured to service one or more watchdog timers of the in-vehicle computing device by resetting the one or more watchdog timers before the one or more watchdog timers expire.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the IFS and the IPL files from the first memory location to a second memory location includes writing a compressed form of the IFS and IPL files to the second memory location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising decompressing the IPL and copying the IFS from the first sector to a second sector.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising restarting the in-vehicle computing system while operating under the new operating system and copying application binaries into a storage device of the in-vehicle computing system.

19. An in-vehicle computing system comprising:

an audio device interface for communicating with one or more audio devices of a vehicle;

a storage device;

an external device interface;

a memory device configured to store instructions;

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

receive an image file system (IFS) and initial program loader (IPL) files at the external storage device interface during operation of the in-vehicle computing system under an original operating system;

install an application for installing a new operating system within the original operating system;

reboot the in-vehicle computing system while operating under the original operating system;

run the application to rewrite the IFS and the IPL files from a first memory location to a second memory location;

reboot the in-vehicle computing system while operating under the original operating system; and

automatically restart the in-vehicle computing system under the new operating system.

20. The in-vehicle computing system of claim 19, wherein the processor includes a first processor for controlling operation of an operating system and a human-machine interface of in-vehicle computing system and a second processor for controlling power to the in-vehicle computing system and communication between the in-vehicle computing system and other elements of a vehicle.