PROVIDING VEHICLE SYSTEM MODULE UPDATES

• US 20170322791A1
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: TILES, Rafael
• Granted Patent: US 10,318,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A communication system that includes a backend system and a vehicle. A method of using the communication system to remotely provide system module updates for the vehicle. The method includes: generating at a vehicle backend system an electronic message (e-mail) that includes an update for a vehicle system module (VSM) in the vehicle; storing the e-mail at a mail cache server, the cache server being associated with the backend system; and when the vehicle becomes associated with a backend services agreement, then delivering the e-mail stored at the cache server to the vehicle via a cellular link so that the update may be applied to the VSM.

Claims

1. A method of remotely providing system module updates for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

generating at a vehicle backend system an electronic message (e-mail) that includes an update for a first vehicle system module (VSM) in the vehicle;

storing the e-mail at a mail cache server, the cache server being associated with the backend system; and

when the vehicle becomes associated with a backend services agreement, then delivering the e-mail stored at the cache server to the vehicle via a cellular link so that the update may be applied to the first VSM.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-mail is generated at a mail server in communication with a secure area network, wherein the cache server is outside the secure area network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the e-mail is addressed to the vehicle using a vehicle identifier, a VSM identifier, or an electronic control unit (ECU) identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the e-mail is addressed using a domain name and the identifier is a vehicle identification number (VIN).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising attempting to transmit the e-mail to the vehicle, receiving an indication that the e-mail was not delivered to the vehicle, and thereafter storing the e-mail at the cache server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a plurality of similarly generated e-mails at the cache server, wherein some of the e-mails are associated with the vehicle and other e-mails are associated with other vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of similarly generated e-mails at the cache server for the vehicle, wherein at least some of the e-mails comprise different updates for the first VSM or a second VSM;

determining an installation sequence of at least some of the updates associated with the e-mails; and

transmitting the e-mails to the vehicle with an instruction to install the at least some of the updates in a predefined sequence, or transmitting the e-mails to the vehicle in a determined sequence, wherein a next sequential e-mail is not transmitted to the vehicle until a previous sequential e-mail is received and its respective update is installed in one of the first or second VSMs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the installation of each update is logged at the backend system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to vehicle data associated with the update via an internet connection.

10. A method of receiving system module updates for a vehicle from a remotely located backend system, comprising the steps of:

ceasing to receive e-mail from the backend system as a result a termination of a backend services agreement between a user of the vehicle and the backend system;

then,

receiving an e-mail at the vehicle via a cellular link from a cache server which stored the e-mail during a subscription lapse period;

extracting a software update or a firmware update from the e-mail; and

installing the software or firmware update at a vehicle system module (VSM) in the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a plurality of e-mails via the cellular link, wherein the plurality of e-mails were stored at the cache server during the subscription lapse period.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

installing an update extracted from one of the plurality of e-mails;

sending an indication of the installation to the backend system; and

then receiving another of the plurality of e-mails.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an instruction e-mail from the backend system; and

installing updates in each of the plurality of e-mails according to a command in the instruction e-mail.