Apparatus and Method of Software Implementation Between a Vehicle and Mobile Device

• US 20150212807A1
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elzein, Hadi
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A vehicle computer system (VCS) configured to communicate with a mobile device, comprising a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the mobile device. The VCS also includes a VCS software stack configured to interact with a mobile device software stack and a processor configured to receive a message from the mobile device indicating a version of the mobile device software stack. The processor is also configured to determine if the VCS needs an update to the VCS software stack based at least upon the version of the mobile device software stack, download an update to the VCS software stack from an off-board server, update the VCS to include the updated VCS software stack, and communicate with the mobile device utilizing the updated VCS software stack.

Claims

1. A vehicle computer system (VCS) configured to communicate with a mobile device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the mobile device;

a VCS software stack configured to interact with a mobile device software stack;

a processor configured to;

1.) receive a message from the mobile device indicating a version of the mobile device software stack;

2.) determine if the VCS needs an update to the VCS software stack based at least upon the version of the mobile device software stack;

3.) download an update to the VCS software stack from an off-board server;

4.) update the VCS to include the updated VCS software stack;

5.) communicate with the mobile device utilizing the updated VCS software stack.

2. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, the processor further configured to download an update to the VCS software stack from an off-board server utilizing the mobile device.

3. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, the processor further configured to download an update to the VCS software stack from an off-board server utilizing a long-range wireless transceiver in communication with the VCS.

4. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, the processor further configured to download an update to the VCS software stack from an off-board server utilizing the wireless transceiver in communication with the mobile device.

5. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if sufficient memory space is available to download the update to the VCS software stack.

6. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if sufficient memory space is available to install the update to the VCS software stack.

7. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if sufficient memory space is available to download and install the update to the VCS software stack.

8. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, wherein the message from the wireless transceiver indicating a version of the mobile device software stack also includes information regarding a manufacturer of the mobile device or information regarding an operating system of the mobile device.

9. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, wherein the VCS software stack facilitates communication between a Bluetooth profile and a human machine interface layer.

10. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 1, wherein the VCS software stack is located in a HCl layer.

11. A vehicle computer system (VCS) configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device;

a VCS Bluetooth profile configured to interact with a mobile device Bluetooth profile;

a processor configured to;

1.) receive a message from the mobile device indicating a version of the Bluetooth profile;

2.) determine if the VCS needs an update to the VCS Bluetooth profile based at least upon the version of the mobile device Bluetooth profile;

3.) determine if sufficient memory space is available to download and install the update to the VCS Bluetooth profile.

4.) download a software update to the VCS Bluetooth profile from an off-board server, the software update including additional features specific to the mobile device;

4.) update the VCS to include the software update;

5.) communicate with the mobile device utilizing the updated VCS Bluetooth profile.

12. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to output a notification to insert an external memory device when sufficient memory space is not available to download and install the update to the VCS Bluetooth profile.

13. The vehicle computer system configured to communicate with a mobile device of claim 11, wherein the message from the wireless transceiver includes information regarding a manufacturer of the mobile device or an operating system of the mobile device.

14. A method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD), comprising:

receiving a message from the MD indicating a version of the MD software stack;

determining if the VCS software stack needs an update based at least upon the version of the MD software stack;

downloading and installing an update to the VCS software stack from an off-board server;

communicating with the MD utilizing the updated VCS software stack.

15. The method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD) of claim 14, wherein the VCS software stack is located in the HCl layer.

16. The method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD) of claim 14, wherein the VCS software stack facilitates communication between a Bluetooth profile and a human machine interface layer.

17. The method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD) of claim 14, wherein the message includes information regarding a manufacturer of the MD or an operating system of the MD.

18. The method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD) of claim 14, the method further including the step of outputting a notification to insert an external memory device when sufficient memory space is not available to download and install the update to the VCS Bluetooth profile.

19. The method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD) of claim 14, the method further including the step of outputting a notification to that a network connection error is present when no connection is available to download the update.

20. The method of a vehicle computer system (VCS) communicating with a mobile device (MD) of claim 14, the method further including the step of downloading and installing an update to the VCS Bluetooth profile.