Method and apparatus for updating of software in and/or collection operational data of in situ equipment
First Claim
1. A method for exchanging data in memory means of at least one hardware device of an automotive shop service machine, the method comprising steps of:
- connecting a first data storage device to the automotive shop service machine;
checking whether the data stored in the memory means of the at least one hardware device is an older version than the version of data on the first data storage device; and
downloading the data from the first data storage device into the memory means of the at least one hardware device, thereby replacing the data stored in the memory means with the data stored in the first data storage device, dependent on the result of the checking;
the method further comprising;
before connecting the first data storage device, disconnecting a second data storage device connected to the automotive shop service machine such that the disconnecting and the connecting form an exchanging operation, in which the second data storage device is replaced by the first data storage device, wherein operational data of the automotive shop service machine during operation of the automotive shop service machine is collected and stored in the second storage device before the exchanging.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An update/upgrade concept which regards a convenient procedure for making updates or upgrades of control software and/or configuration data available to microcontroller-based hardware of machine units in the field without requirement of special tools and experience. In particular, by use of a standard memory device as known in the field of digital cameras, mp3-players whatsoever, together with a procedure which detects an available update/upgrade stored on such memory device and performs a respective download of the update/upgrade data to the respective microcontroller-based hardware, if applicable. An additional or optional aspect relates to collecting of operational data during operation of a machine unit in the field, which operational data can be transferred/carried back to the manufacturer of the machine unit for research and development purposes as well as for quality control, also a tracking of machine units through their lifetime is made possible thereby.
15 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for exchanging data in memory means of at least one hardware device of an automotive shop service machine, the method comprising steps of:
-
connecting a first data storage device to the automotive shop service machine; checking whether the data stored in the memory means of the at least one hardware device is an older version than the version of data on the first data storage device; and downloading the data from the first data storage device into the memory means of the at least one hardware device, thereby replacing the data stored in the memory means with the data stored in the first data storage device, dependent on the result of the checking; the method further comprising; before connecting the first data storage device, disconnecting a second data storage device connected to the automotive shop service machine such that the disconnecting and the connecting form an exchanging operation, in which the second data storage device is replaced by the first data storage device, wherein operational data of the automotive shop service machine during operation of the automotive shop service machine is collected and stored in the second storage device before the exchanging. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11)
-
-
8. A computer program product at least comprising code means adapted to implement a method when run on a computer device of an automotive shop service machine, the method comprising steps of:
-
collecting operational data of the automotive shop service machine during operation of the automotive shop service machine; storing the collected operational data of the automotive shop service machine in a data storage device; detecting a connection of the data storage device to the computer device; checking whether data stored in memory means, monitored by the computer device and part of the automotive shop service machine, is an older version than the version of data stored in the data storage device; and downloading the data from the data storage device into the memory means of at least one low hardware device, depending on the result of the checking. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
12. An automotive shop service machine comprising:
-
at least one microcontroller-based board specialized for a certain function of the automotive shop service machine, at least one hardware interface for a user-operable removable connection of a first data storage device on which computer program code means or configuration data for the at least one microcontroller-based board is stored, and control means which is configured to; collect operational information of the automotive shop service machine during the life of the automotive shop service machine, store the collected operational information in the first data storage device, detect connection of the first data storage device to the at least one hardware interface, determine whether data present in a memory means of the at least one microcontroller based board is older than data stored on the first data storage device, and dependent on the determination result, download the data from the first data storage device into the memory means of the at least one microcontroller based board. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification