Method for reprogramming a vehicle system or a user system in a vehicle

• US 6,275,585 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thale, Bryan A., Akers, Ron G., Gannon, Mark A., Ablay, Sewim F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod
• Assistant Examiner(s): Callahan, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US09/067,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 341/173-175, 341/180, 341/181, 342/62-72, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/853--85, 340/870-1-8, 340/901-905, 340/906-983, 340/986-996, 340/425.5, 340/643, 380/2, 380/24, 380/270, 380/272, 369/6, 369/24-33, 370/312-489, 364/468-5-4, 307/10-- 1, 902/10, 902/39, 371/68.2, 395/240-7-3, 375/310-316, 455/404-575, 455/151.1, 455/92, 455/99, 455/189, 455/345-351, 713/168, 713/169, 713/190, 713/200
• US Class Current: 380/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A communication system (100) includes an infrastructure (150) and at least one vehicle (101), the vehicle including at least one vehicle system (103), and at least one user system (113). The infrastructure includes an application (155) which, in turn, is arranged to reprogram the vehicle system, the user system, or both.

Claims

1. In a communication system having an infrastructure and a vehicle, the vehicle including one or more vehicle systems, a vehicle gateway, a wireless gateway and a user control unit,

each of the one or more vehicle systems coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the wireless gateway coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the user control unit coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the infrastructure including an application,

a method for the application to transfer executable code to reprogram a vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems, comprising the steps of:

(a) by the infrastructure, establishing a connection with the wireless gateway;

(b) by the infrastructure, establishing a routable authenticated connection with the wireless gateway; and

(c) by the infrastructure, authenticating itself with the user control unit.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

(d) by the application, authenticating itself with the user control unit.

3. The method of claim 2, including the step of:

(e) by the application, causing the user control unit to be authenticated with the vehicle system by means of the vehicle gateway.

4. The method of claim 3, the vehicle system including a vehicle system status and including the step of:

(f) by the user control unit, obtaining the vehicle system status and sending the vehicle system status to the application.

5. The method of claim 4, including the step of:

(g) by the application, based on the vehicle system status, determining when to reprogram the vehicle system.

6. The method of claim 5, the application including a new program, and including the steps of:

(h) by the application, transferring the new program to the user control unit; and

(i) by the user control unit, transferring the new program to the vehicle system.

7. The method of claim 4, the vehicle system status including at least one of a current date, a current time, a current location of the vehicle, a current mileage of the vehicle, a vehicle identification number, a current age of the vehicle, an on/off status of the vehicle, a billing information, an account information, a user information, a current hardware version and a current software version.

8. The method of claim 6, including the step of:

(j) by the vehicle system, validating the new program.

9. The method of claim 8, including the step of:

(k) by the vehicle system, using the new program to obtain a result.

10. The method of claim 9, including the step of:

(l) by the vehicle system, transmitting the result to the application.

11. The method of claim 6, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the vehicle system, decrypting the new program.

12. The method of claim 6, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the user control unit, decrypting the new program.

13. The method of claim 4, including the step of:

by the vehicle system, encrypting the vehicle system status and, by the application, decrypting the vehicle system status.

14. The method of claim 4, including the step of:

by the user control unit, encrypting the vehicle system status and, by the application, decrypting the vehicle system status.

15. The method of claim 6, the vehicle system comprising a motive power source and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the motive power source.

16. The method of claim 6, the vehicle system comprising a transmission and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the transmission.

17. The method of claim 6, the vehicle system comprising brakes and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the brakes.

18. The method of claim 1, the vehicle including a vehicle bus, the vehicle bus coupled to the vehicle system and the vehicle gateway.

19. The method of claim 18, the vehicle further including a user bus.

20. The method of claim 19, the user bus coupled to the vehicle gateway, the wireless gateway and the user control unit.

21. The method of claim 6, the new program comprising executable code.

22. The method of claim 6, the new program comprising one or more data files.

23. The method of claim 6, the new program comprising one or more requests or commands.

24. In a communication system having an infrastructure and a vehicle, the vehicle including one or more user systems, a wireless gateway and a user control unit,

each of the one or more user systems coupled to one another, and to the wireless gateway and the user control unit,

the infrastructure including an application,

a method for the application to transfer executable code to reprogram a user system of the one or more user systems, comprising the steps of:

(a) by the infrastructure, establishing a connection with the wireless gateway;

(b) by the infrastructure, establishing a routable authenticated connection with the wireless gateway; and

(c) by the infrastructure, authenticating itself with the user control unit.

25. The method of claim 24, including the step of:

(d) by the application, authenticating itself with the user control unit.

26. The method of claim 25, including the step of:

(e) by the application, causing the user control unit to be authenticated with the user system.

27. The method of claim 26, the user system including a user system status and including the step of:

(f) by the user control unit, obtaining the user system status and sending the user system status to the application.

28. The method of claim 27, including the step of:

(g) by the application, based on the user system status, determining when to reprogram the user system.

29. The method of claim 28, the application including a new program, and including the steps of:

(h) by the application, transferring the new program to the user control unit; and

(i) by the user control unit, transferring the new program to the user system.

30. The method of claim 27, the user system status including at least one of a current date, a current time, a current location of the vehicle, a current mileage of the vehicle, a vehicle identification number, a user system identification number, a current age of the vehicle, a current age of the user system, an on/off status of the vehicle, an on/off status of the user system, a billing information, an account information, a user information, a current hardware version and a current software version.

31. The method of claim 29, including the step of:

(j) by the user system, validating the new program.

32. The method of claim 31, including the step of:

(k) by the user system, using the new program to obtain a result.

33. The method of claim 32, including the step of:

(l) by the user system, transmitting the result to the application.

34. The method of claim 29, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the user system, decrypting the new program.

35. The method of claim 29, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the user control unit, decrypting the new program.

36. The method of claim 27, including the step of:

by the user system, encrypting the user system status and, by the application, decrypting the user system status.

37. The method of claim 27, including the step of:

by the user control unit, encrypting the user system status and, by the application, decrypting the user system status.

38. The method of claim 29, the user system comprising an entertainment system and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the entertainment system.

39. The method of claim 29, the user system comprising a personal computer and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the personal computer.

40. The method of claim 29, the user system comprising a navigation system and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the navigation system.

41. The method of claim 29, the user system comprising a user interface device and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the user interface device.

42. The method of claim 41, the user interface device comprising a cellular phone.

43. The method of claim 41, the user interface device comprising a pager.

44. The method of claim 41, the user interface device comprising a two-way radio.

45. The method of claim 41, the user interface device comprising an interface of a personal computer.

46. The method of claim 24, the vehicle including a user bus, the user bus coupled to the wireless gateway, the user control unit and the user system.

47. The method of claim 29, the new program comprising executable code.

48. The method of claim 29, the new program comprising one or more data files.

49. The method of claim 29, the new program comprising one or more requests or commands.

50. In a communication system having an infrastructure and a vehicle, the vehicle including one or more vehicle systems, a vehicle gateway, a wireless gateway and a user control unit,

each of the one or more vehicle systems coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the wireless gateway coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the user control unit coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the infrastructure including an application,

a method for the application to transfer executable code to reprogram a vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems, comprising the steps of:

(a) by the infrastructure, establishing a connection with the wireless gateway;

(b) by the infrastructure, establishing a routable authenticated connection with the wireless gateway; and

(c) by the infrastructure, authenticating itself with the user control unit;

(d) by the application, authenticating itself with the user control unit; and

(e) by the application, causing the user control unit to be authenticated with the vehicle system.

51. The method of claim 50, the vehicle system including a vehicle system status and including the step of:

(f) by the user control unit, obtaining the vehicle system status and sending the vehicle system status to the application.

52. The method of claim 51, including the step of:

(g) by the application, based on the vehicle system status, determining when to reprogram the vehicle system.

53. The method of claim 52, the application including a new program, and including the steps of:

(h) by the application, transferring the new program to the user control unit; and

(i) by the user control unit, transferring the new program to the vehicle system.

54. The method of claim 51, the vehicle system status including at least one of a current date, a current time, a current location of the vehicle, a current mileage of the vehicle, a vehicle identification number, a current age of the vehicle, an on/off status of the vehicle, a billing information, an account information, a user information, a current hardware version and a current software version.

55. The method of claim 53, including the step of:

(j) by the vehicle system, validating the new program.

56. The method of claim 55, including the step of:

(k) by the vehicle system, using the new program to obtain a result.

57. The method of claim 56, including the step of:

(l) by the vehicle system, transmitting the result to the application.

58. The method of claim 53, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the vehicle gateway, decrypting the new program.

59. The method of claim 53, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the user control unit, decrypting the new program.

60. The method of claim 51, including the step of:

by the vehicle gateway, encrypting the vehicle system status and, by the application, decrypting the vehicle system status.

61. The method of claim 51, including the step of:

by the user control unit, encrypting the vehicle system status and, by the application, decrypting the vehicle system status.

62. The method of claim 53, the vehicle system comprising a motive power source and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the motive power source.

63. The method of claim 53, the vehicle system comprising a transmission and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the transmission.

64. The method of claim 53, the vehicle system comprising brakes and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the brakes.

65. The method of claim 50, the vehicle including a vehicle bus.

66. The method of claim 65, the vehicle bus coupled to the vehicle system and the vehicle gateway.

67. The method of claim 65, the vehicle further including a user bus.

68. The method of claim 67, the user bus coupled to the wireless gateway and the user control unit.

69. The method of claim 68, the user bus further coupled to the vehicle gateway.

70. The method of claim 53, the new program comprising executable code.

71. The method of claim 53, the new program comprising one or more data files.

72. The method of claim 53, the new program comprising one or more requests or commands.

73. In a communication system having an infrastructure and a vehicle, the vehicle including one or more vehicle systems, a vehicle gateway, a wireless gateway and a user control unit,

each of the one or more vehicle systems coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the wireless gateway coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the user control unit coupled to the vehicle gateway,

the infrastructure including an application,

a method for the application to transfer executable code to reprogram a vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems, the vehicle system including a vehicle system status, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) by the infrastructure, establishing a connection with the wireless gateway;

(b) by the infrastructure, establishing a routable authenticated connection with the wireless gateway;

(c) by the infrastructure, authenticating itself with the user control unit;

(d) by the application, authenticating itself with the user control unit; and

(e) by the user control unit, obtaining the vehicle system status and sending the vehicle system status to the application.

74. The method of claim 73, including the step of:

(f) by the application, based on the vehicle system status, determining when to reprogram the vehicle system.

75. The method of claim 74, the application including a new program, and including the steps of:

(g) by the application, transferring the new program to the user control unit;

(h) by the user control unit, transferring the new program to the vehicle system.

76. The method of claim 75, the vehicle system status including at least one of a current date, a current time, a current location of the vehicle, a current mileage of the vehicle, a vehicle identification number, a current age of the vehicle, an on/off status of the vehicle, a billing information, an account information, a user information, a current hardware version and a current software version.

77. The method of claim 76, including the step of:

(i) by the vehicle system, validating the new program.

78. The method of claim 75, including the step of:

(j) by the vehicle system, using the new program to obtain a result.

79. The method of claim 78, including the step of:

(k) by the vehicle system, transmitting the result to the application.

80. The method of claim 75, including the step of:

by the application, encrypting the new program and, by the user control unit, decrypting the new program.

81. The method of claim 75, including the step of:

by the user control unit, encrypting the vehicle system status and, by the application, decrypting the vehicle system status.

82. The method of claim 75, the vehicle system comprising a motive power source and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the motive power source.

83. The method of claim 75, the vehicle system comprising a transmission and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the transmission.

84. The method of claim 75, the vehicle system comprising brakes and the new program arranged to modify or improve an operation of the brakes.

85. The method of claim 73, the vehicle including a vehicle bus.

86. The method of claim 85, the vehicle bus coupled to the vehicle system and the vehicle gateway.

87. The method of claim 85, the vehicle further including a user bus.

88. The method of claim 87, the user bus coupled to the wireless gateway and the user control unit.

89. The method of claim 88, the user bus further coupled to the vehicle gateway.

90. The method of claim 75, the new program comprising executable code.

91. The method of claim 75, the new program comprising one or more data files.

92. The method of claim 75, the new program comprising one or more requests or commands.