Module updating device

• US 8,813,061 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Movimento Group
• Original Assignee: Movimento Group
• Inventors: Hoffman, Benjamin J., Umbach, Dan, Dorfstatter, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xi D
• Application Number:
  US14/055,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An automobile, vehicle, vessel or other device may include a plurality of modules, software applications, computer program products, controllers or other logically executing entities to facilitate controlling, implementing or otherwise enabling various operations according to computer-readable instructions, code or other information stored within a memory, such as within a file or other memory construct. A controller having capabilities sufficient to facilitate updating, modifying, creating or otherwise manipulating such stored files and/or corresponding instructions is contemplated.

Claims

1. A method for updating an old file stored within a memory of a module included within an automobile, the module being operable to facilitate an automobile related operation based at least in part on a first plurality of computer-readable instructions included within the old file, the method comprising:

determining a new file to be stored within the memory of the module in order to facilitate the automobile related operation, the new file including a second plurality of computer-readable instructions different in at least content and/or form than the first plurality of computer-readable instructions;

generating update instructions with a controller, the update instructions sufficient for commanding the module to replace the old file stored within the memory with the new file such that the module thereafter facilitates the automobile related operation at least based in part on the second plurality of computer-readable instructions;

determining a state of the automobile to be at least one of a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding with automobile diagnostics indicating conditions suitable to updating the old file, the second state corresponding with automobile diagnostics indicating conditions unsuitable to updating the old file;

transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module following determination of the first state;

delaying transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module following determination of the second state at least until subsequently determining the first state;

determining the first state and the second state based at least in part on a capacity of a battery included within the automobile to power at least the module, wherein the first state requires the capacity to be greater than a threshold and the second state requires the capacity to be less than the threshold;

determining an update time, the update time including a first length of time representative of time needed for the module to replace the old file stored within the memory with the new file;

determining the threshold based at lest in part on the update time, including determining the threshold to be greater when the update time is longer and the threshold to be less when the update time is shorter; and

determining the update time to include the first length of time plus a second length of time, the second length of time being proportional to a communication rate of a medium used to communicate the update instructions from the controller to the module.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the update time to include the first and second lengths of time plus a third length of time, the third length of time approximating time needed to query a server in order to assess whether updating of the old file is desired, and if desired, to download the new file to the controller.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the new file based at least in part on a difference file, the difference file including a third plurality of computer-readable instructions intended to replace at least a portion of the first plurality of computer-readable instructions of the old file such that the second plurality of computer-readable instruction of the new file corresponds with the first plurality of computer-readable instructions except for those replaced with the third plurality of computer-readable instructions.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

storing a backup of the old file within a memory of the controller;

downloading the difference file for storage in the memory of the controller;

subsequently merging the backup with the difference file to create the new file having the second plurality of computer-readable instructions; and

following the merging and prior to transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module, storing the new file within the memory of the controller.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing an identification number of the automobile to a server located remotely from the automobile, the server looking-up the difference file for download to the controller based at least in part on the identification number, the identification number being sufficient to differentiate between various types of automobiles.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising wirelessly downloading the difference file from the server to the controller.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising downloading the difference file to the controller while the controller is physically connected to the automobile.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module over a wire connected therebetween.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising formatting the update instructions for transmission over the wire according to Controller Area Network (CAN).

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising wirelessly transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the new file to the module through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface of the controller, the USB interface communicating with a USB loader of the module, the USB loader performing operations at the module for replacing the old file stored in the memory of the module with the new file.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising switching a relay of the USB interface from a first position to a second position prior to transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module, the first position connecting an interior port of the USB interface to an exterior port and thereby bypassing a memory of the controller storing the new file, the second position connecting the interior port to the memory of the controlling storing the new file and thereby bypassing the exterior port to enable transmission of the new file from the controller to the USB loader for subsequent replacement of the old file stored in the memory of the module.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions, operable with a processor, sufficient to facilitate updating an old file stored within a first memory of a module included within a vehicle, the module being operable to facilitate a vehicle related operation based at least in part on a first plurality of computer-readable instructions included within the old file, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions sufficient for:

storing a copy of the old file within a second memory of a controller physically connected to the vehicle, the controller being separate from the module such that the second memory is independent of the first memory;

storing a difference file within the second memory, the difference file being wirelessly received by the controller while physically connected to the vehicle, the difference file including a second plurality of computer-readable instructions;

merging the copy with the difference file to generate a new file, the new file including a third plurality of computer-readable instructions, the third plurality of computer-readable instructions comprising the second plurality of computer-readable instructions plus any of the first plurality of computer-readable instructions not intended to be replaced with the second-plurality of computer-readable instructions;

storing the new file within the second memory;

transmitting update instructions to the module, the update instructions sufficient for commanding the module to replace the old file stored within the first memory with the new file such that the module thereafter facilitates the vehicle related operation at least based in part on the third plurality of computer-readable instructions;

determining a state of the vehicle to be at least one of a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding with vehicle diagnostics indicating conditions suitable to updating the old file, the second state corresponding with vehicle diagnostics indicating conditions unsuitable to updating the old file;

transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module following determination of the first state;

delaying transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module following determination of the second state at least until subsequently determining the first state;

determining the first state and the second state based at least in part on a capacity of a battery included within the vehicle to power at least the module, wherein the first state requires the capacity to be greater than a threshold and the second state requires the capacity to be less than the threshold;

determining an update time, the update time including a first length of time representative of time needed for the module to replace the old file stored within the memory with the new file;

determining the threshold based at lest in part on the update time, including determining the threshold to be greater when the update time is longer and the threshold to be less when the update time is shorter; and

determining the update time to include the first length of time plus a second length of time, the second length of time being proportional to a communication rate of a medium used to communicate the update instructions from the controller to the module.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions sufficient for:

determining an amount of time needed for storing the difference file in the second memory, merging the copy with the difference file, storing the new file to the second memory, transmitting the update instruction to the module and replacing the old file stored within the first memory with the new file; and

querying a server to determine a need to update the old file with the new file if the capacity is greater than the threshold and delaying querying of the server if the capacity is less than the threshold, the server being physically disconnected from the vehicle and facilitating download of the difference file to the controller for storage in the second memory.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions sufficient for determining the update time to include the first and second lengths of time plus a third length of time, the third length of time approximating time needed to query a server in order to assess whether updating of the old file is desired, and if desired, to download the new file to the controller.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions, operable with a processor of a controller, sufficient to facilitate updating an old file stored within a first memory of a module included within a vehicle, the module being operable to facilitate a vehicle related operation based at least in part on a first plurality of computer-readable instructions included within the old file, the module including a Universal Serial Bus (USB) loader operable to retrieve files from a second memory of a USB thumb drive when connected to an exterior port of the vehicle and to retrieve files from a third memory of the controller when connected to the third memory, the controller including a relay operable between a first position and a second position, the first position bypassing the third memory to connect the USB loader to the second memory and the second position bypassing the second memory to connect the USB loader to the third memory, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions sufficient for:

storing a copy of the old file within the third memory of the controller;

storing a difference file within the third memory, the difference file being wirelessly received by the controller and including a second plurality of computer-readable instructions;

merging the copy with the difference file to generate a new file, the new file including a third plurality of computer-readable instructions, the third plurality of computer-readable instructions comprising the second plurality of computer-readable instructions plus any of the first plurality of computer-readable instructions not replaced with the second-plurality of computer-readable instructions;

storing the new file within the third memory;

in response to determining a need to replace the old file in the first memory with the new file while the relay is in the first position, controlling the relay from the first position to the second position, thereby enabling the USB loader to retrieve the new file from the third memory and thereafter replace the old file in the first memory with the new file;

determining a state of the vehicle to be at least one of a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding with vehicle diagnostics indicating conditions suitable to updating the old file, the second state corresponding with vehicle diagnostics indicating conditions unsuitable to updating the old file;

transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module following determination of the first state;

delaying transmitting the update instructions from the controller to the module following determination of the second state at least until subsequently determining the first state;

determining the first state and the second state based at least in part on a capacity of a battery included within the vehicle to power at least the module, wherein the first state requires the capacity to be greater than a threshold and the second state requires the capacity to be less than the threshold;

determining an update time, the update time including a first length of time representative of time needed for the module to replace the old file stored within the memory with the new file;

determining the threshold based at least in part on the update time, including determining the threshold to be greater when the update time is longer and the threshold to be less when the update time is shorter; and

determining the update time to include the first length of time plus a second length of time, the second length of time being proportional to a communication rate of a medium used to communicate the update instructions from the controller to the module.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising instructions sufficient for:

instructing a human-machine interface (HMI) to display an update available message to a vehicle occupant;

controlling the relay from the first position to the second position in response to the HMI detecting an update command from the vehicle occupant following display of the update available message; and

controlling the relay to remain in the first position until the HMI detects the update command following display of the update available message.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions sufficient for determining the update time to include the first and second lengths of time plus a third length of time, the third length of time approximating time needed to query a server in order to assess whether updating of the old file is desired, and if desired, to download the new file to the controller.