PROCESSOR-IMPLEMENTED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE UPDATING OVER-THE-AIR

• US 20180349157A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: AHMED, WAHAJ, LAVI, NADAV, BUCHBUT, YOHAY, CIESINSKI, BRIAN J., WIST, ALAN D., THOMAS, JESSE P., THANAYANKIZIL, LAKSHMI V.
• Application Number:
  US15/615,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20180349157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for enabling an over-the-air update to a plurality of vehicles. A system and method include transmitting a wakeup signal over a communication network to the vehicles that are in a listen state. The update is transmitted over the Wi-Fi network to the vehicles. The transmitting of the update over the Wi-Fi network includes using a transmission scheme to overcome asynchronous communication wakeup of the vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for providing an over-the-air update to a plurality of vehicles, comprising:

transmitting a wakeup signal over a communication network to the plurality of vehicles that are in a listen state;

whereby the plurality of vehicles sense the wakeup signal at different points in time and are in a state to receive the update; and

transmitting the update over a Wi-Fi network to the plurality of vehicles;

wherein the transmitting of the update over the Wi-Fi network includes using a multi-cast cyclic transmission scheme to overcome asynchronous communication wakeup of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wakeup signal operates to wake the vehicles whose Wi-Fi communication systems use a Wi-Fi sleep-awake cycle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Wi-Fi sleep-awake cycle includes sleep periods where a vehicle'"'"'s Wi-Fi is turned off to conserve energy and awake periods where the vehicle'"'"'s Wi-Fi listen to a Wi-Fi channel for checking for received data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wakeup signal is received by a vehicle with a Wi-Fi chipset that is configurable to operate on low power mode and track traffic over network addresses.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein when a data packet is received, the Wi-Fi chipset switches to a normal operational mode and wakes up Wi-Fi communications.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a backend server to transmit to each vehicle multicast streams or data packets related to vehicle type;

receiving a completion status update that indicates the vehicles which have successfully received the update;

sending the update over the Wi-Fi network using a unicast transmission scheme for the vehicles which have not successfully received the update.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicles is parked in an assembly yard subsequent to vehicle assembly or is parked at a vehicle dealership.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the update comprises data for reprogramming a control module of each of the plurality of vehicles or vehicle navigation map updates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wakeup signal and the generated messages for the update are transmitted to the plurality of vehicles without requiring transmission over a cellular network, wherein the generated messages for the update includes data fields for indicating that a message is directed to a predetermined vehicle type, vehicle trim, and update type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is the Wi-Fi network or a cellular communication network, wherein the transmitting of the update includes data fields for indicating that a message is directed to a predetermined vehicle type, vehicle trim, and update type.

11. A system for providing an over-the-air update to a plurality of vehicles, comprising:

a computer storage device for storing the update for transmission over a communication network to the plurality of vehicles; and

one or more data processors configured to;

generate a wakeup signal for transmission over the communication network to the plurality of vehicles that are in a listen state;

whereby the plurality of vehicles have sensed the wakeup signal at different points in time and are in a state to receive the update; and

generate messages to transmit the update over the Wi-Fi network to the plurality of vehicles using a multi-cast cyclic transmission scheme to overcome asynchronous communication wakeup of the plurality of vehicles.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wakeup signal operates to wake the vehicles whose Wi-Fi communication systems use a Wi-Fi sleep-awake cycle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the Wi-Fi sleep-awake cycle includes sleep periods where a vehicle'"'"'s Wi-Fi is turned off to conserve energy and awake periods where the vehicle'"'"'s Wi-Fi listen to a Wi-Fi channel for checking for received data packets.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the wakeup signal is received by a vehicle with a Wi-Fi chipset that is configurable to operate on low power mode and track traffic over network addresses.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein when a data packet is received, the Wi-Fi chipset switches to a normal operational mode and wakes up Wi-Fi communications.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising a backend server that transmits to each vehicle multicast streams or data packets related to vehicle type;

wherein a completion status update is received that indicates the vehicles which have successfully received the update;

wherein the update is sent over the Wi-Fi network using a unicast transmission scheme for the vehicles which have not successfully received the update.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of vehicles is parked in an assembly yard subsequent to vehicle assembly or is parked at a vehicle dealership.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication network is the Wi-Fi network or a cellular communication network, wherein the update comprises data for reprogramming a control module of each of the plurality of vehicles or vehicle navigation map updates.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the wakeup signal and the generated messages for the update are transmitted to the plurality of vehicles without requiring transmission over a cellular network, wherein the generated messages for the update includes data fields for indicating that a message is directed to a predetermined vehicle type, vehicle trim, and update type.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored there on instructions for providing an over-the-air update to a plurality of vehicles that, when executed, cause one or more data processors to:

generate a wakeup signal for transmission over a communication network to the plurality of vehicles that are in a listen state;

whereby the plurality of vehicles have sensed the wakeup signal at different points in time and are in a state to receive the update; and

generate messages to transmit the update over a Wi-Fi network to the plurality of vehicles using a multi-cast cyclic transmission scheme to overcome asynchronous communication wakeup of the plurality of vehicles.