SOFTWARE UPDATE MANAGEMENT

• US 20180196656A1
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Published: 07/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MILLER, Jason Michael, SANGAMESWARAN, Sangeetha, MADRID, Daniel Joseph, VISWAMOHAN, Parvathy
• Granted Patent: US 11,036,484 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: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• 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 system for a vehicle includes a controller, and a telematics control unit configured to, in response to receiving instructions indicating transfer and installation techniques supported by the controller to update the controller with a software update, transfer the software update to the controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the transfer technique, and install the software update to the controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the installation technique.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle comprising:

a controller; and

a telematics control unit configured to, in response to receiving instructions that indicate transfer and installation techniques supported by the controller to update the controller with a software update, transfer the software update to the controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the transfer technique, and install the software update to the controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the installation technique.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer technique includes one of erase replace, erase replace with external storage, or AB swap.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer technique is based on a hardware configuration of the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer and installation of the software updates is further in response to detecting a vehicle state change.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle state is defined by an operating parameter associated with one of an ignition, a transmission gear, a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or wheels of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle state compatible with the transfer technique and the vehicle state compatible with the installation technique are different.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second controller, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to, in response to receiving the instructions, transfer the software updates to the first and second controllers in response to vehicle state being compatible with the transfer techniques supported by the first and second controllers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to install the software updates to the second controller in response to detecting a vehicle state change.

9. A method for a vehicle comprising:

in response to receiving, by a telematics control unit, instructions indicating transfer and installation techniques supported by a controller to update the controller with a software update, transferring the software update to the controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the transfer technique, and installing the software update to the controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the installation technique.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transfer technique includes one of erase replace, erase replace with external storage, or AB swap.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transfer technique is based on a hardware configuration of the controller.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transferring and installing of the software updates is further in response to detecting a vehicle state change.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle state is defined by an operating parameter associated with one of an ignition, a transmission gear, a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or wheels of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle state compatible with the transfer technique and the vehicle state compatible with the installation technique are different vehicle states.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to receiving the instructions to update a pair of controllers, transferring the software updates to both controllers prior to vehicle state change and in response to current vehicle state being compatible with the transfer techniques supported by each of the controllers.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising installing the software updates to one of the pair of controllers in response to detecting a vehicle state change.

17. A method comprising:

receiving instructions to update first and second controllers, the instructions indicating different transfer and installation techniques supported by the respective controllers;

transferring a first software update to the first controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with a first transfer technique;

transferring a second software update to the second controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with a second transfer technique; and

installing the first software update to the first controller and the second software update to the second controller responsive to vehicle state being compatible with the installation techniques for both the first and second controllers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transfer techniques include one of erase replace, erase replace with external storage, or AB swap.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the transfer and installation techniques are based on hardware configurations of each of the controllers.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the installing of the software updates is in response to detecting a vehicle state change.