METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE ROBUST UPDATING OF FIRMWARE OF A VEHICLE VIA AN AIR INTERFACE

• US 20170123784A1
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schneider, Klaus, Blaschke, Volker, Zymeri, Gafur, Fischer, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 10,248,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0863 by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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

Abstract

A method for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, in which data are exchanged with a backend via the air interface through a connection module, the data are managed by a data management module inside the vehicle, the connection module and the data management module are coordinated by a coordination layer, the connection module and the coordination layer are monitored by a monitoring layer, and the data are requested as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

Claims

1. A method for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, comprising:

exchanging data with a backend via the air interface through a connection module;

managing the data by a data management module inside the vehicle;

coordinating the connection module and the data management module by a coordination layer;

monitoring the connection module and the coordination layer by a monitoring layer; and

requesting the data as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the connection module, an autonomous interaction with the backend and a noting and evaluation of last known vehicle states; and

initiating, by the connection module, an autonomous carrying out of an assigned download or upload, and a robust handling of a connection via the air interface.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

initiating, by the data management module, an autonomous storing and granting of access; and

initiating, by the data management module, a reserving and release of storage space that is a function of the coordination layer.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

using, by the coordination layer, a vehicle update client as a function of the vehicle states and states of control devices and corresponding software update clients;

controlling, by the vehicle update client controls the software update clients with starts, pauses, and stops, querying the software update clients, and providing information to the software update clients; and

supplying, by the software update clients, a status and requests to the vehicle update client.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the coordination layer initiates an installation and, as needed, a rollback as a function of at least one of the following circumstances:

the vehicle states can be queried and correspond to specified target values;

a vehicle owner or driver of the vehicle agrees to the installation;

the states of the control devices can be queried and correspond to specified target values;

a time required for the installation is known overall and for the relevant control devices;

a time required for the rollback is known overall and for the relevant control devices;

a state of progress of the software update clients can be queried and corresponds to specified target values;

a functionality of the software update clients and control devices can be used;

a flow logic or configuration indicates how long has to be waited for an item of information that is not accessible;

an access to update and rollback data of all components involved is possible;

or

update and rollback data are locally present.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the installation takes place with a control authority limited to a target object, and includes a controlling, checking, decision, execution, and monitoring of the installation;

and the installation takes place with a permission granted by the coordination layer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring layer autonomously initiates a monitoring and evaluation of at least one of the following circumstances:

an availability of coupled instances; and

a last known state of adjacent instances.

8. A machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform:

exchanging data with a backend via the air interface through a connection module;

managing the data by a data management module inside the vehicle;

coordinating the connection module and the data management module by a coordination layer;

monitoring the connection module and the coordination layer by a monitoring layer; and

requesting the data as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

9. A device for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, the designed to:

exchange data with a backend via the air interface through a connection module;

manage the data by a data management module inside the vehicle;

coordinate the connection module and the data management module by a coordination layer;

monitor the connection module and the coordination layer by a monitoring layer; and

request the data as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.