Method of operating a motor vehicle management computer system

• US 6,185,484 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Rhinehart, Matthew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/129,275
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 345/504, 345/326, 345/335, 700/3
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence

Abstract

A driver information system for a motor vehicle includes a network which executes one of a number of application programs depending on which function of the system the driver has selected at any given point in time. In response to the driver'"'"'s selection, the appropriate application program is retrieved from storage for execution. Information regarding the specific hardware interface software objects that are required during that execution are read from the retrieved application program and loaded for execution. Thus only the software that is necessary to implement the selected function is loaded for execution which reduces the complexity of the hardware of the driver information system. A method for verifying the compatibility of each software program and object also is described.

Claims

1. A method for selecting software to be executed by a motor vehicle computer system, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of application programs which implement functions of the motor vehicle;

storing a plurality of hardware support objects for interfacing the plurality of application programs to data input devices and data output devices of the motor vehicle;

storing a list of hardware support codes which identify specific hardware support objects;

receiving a designation of one of the application programs as designated by an operator of the motor vehicle;

reading, from the one of the application programs, designation of at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects which are required by the one of the application programs;

reading from the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects a given hardware support code;

determining whether the given hardware support code is contained in the list of hardware support codes, and if so producing a validation indication; and

executing the one of the application programs and the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects in response to the validation indication.

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

storing a list of application codes which identify specific application programs;

reading from the one of the application programs a given application code;

determining whether the given application code is contained in the list of application codes, and if so producing a validation indication; and

executing the one of the application programs in response to the validation indication.

3. A method for selecting software to be executed by a motor vehicle computer system, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of application programs which implement motor vehicle functions;

storing a plurality of hardware support objects for interfacing the plurality of application programs to data input devices and data output devices of the motor vehicle;

storing a list of application codes which identify specific application programs;

receiving a designation of one of the application programs as designated by an operator of the motor vehicle;

reading, from the one of the application programs, a given application code;

determining whether the given application code is contained in the list of application codes, and if so producing a first validation indication;

enabling execution of the one of the application programs in response to the first validation indication;

reading, from the one of the application programs, designation of at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects which is required by the one of the application programs; and

enabling execution of the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects.

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

storing a list of hardware support codes which identify specific hardware support objects;

reading from the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects a given hardware support code;

determining whether the given hardware support code is contained in the list of hardware support codes, and if so producing a second validation indication; and

enabling execution of the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects in response to the second validation indication.

5. A method for selecting software to be executed by a driver information computer system for a motor vehicle, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of application programs which implement information display functions;

storing a plurality of hardware support objects for interfacing the plurality of application programs to data input devices and data output devices of the motor vehicle;

storing a list of application codes which identify specific application programs;

storing a list of hardware support codes which identify specific hardware support objects;

receiving a designation of one of the application programs as designated by an operator of the motor vehicle;

reading, from the one of the application programs, a given application code;

determining whether the given application code is contained in the list of application codes, and if so producing a first validation indication;

enabling execution of the one of the application programs in response to the first validation indication;

reading, from the one of the application programs, designation of at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects which is required by the one of the application programs;

reading from the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects a given hardware support code;

determining whether the given hardware support code is contained in the list of hardware support codes, and if so producing a second validation indication; and

enabling execution of the at least one of the plurality of hardware support objects in response to the second validation indication.