Module updating device

• US 9,348,577 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US14/458,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20140351803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 controller comprising:

an interface configured for communicatively interconnecting a module included within a vehicle with an exterior port of the vehicle, the module being configured to facilitate a vehicle related operation based at least in part on a first plurality of computer-readable instructions included at least partially within an old filed stored on a first memory, the module including a Universal Serial Bus (USB) loader to facilitate erasing and/or writing processes computer-readable instructions to the first memory;

a processor configured to determine a new file to be stored within the first memory of the module in order to facilitate the vehicle 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;

a second memory for storing the new file; and

a relay included as part of the interface being configured for;

i) communicatively connecting the module to the exterior port when in a first position; and

ii) communicatively connecting the module to the second memory when in a second position;

wherein the USB loader is configured to automatically obtain the new file stored on the second memory and to perform the erasing and/or writing processes necessary for replacing the old file stored on the first memory with the new file when the relay is in the second position, whereby the module thereafter facilitates the vehicle related operation at least based in part on the second plurality of computer-readable instructions.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to control the relay from the first position to the second position in response to receipt of a first command from a human-machine interface (HMI) included on the vehicle detecting a first update command from a vehicle occupant following display of a first update available message indicating a need to replace the old file with the new file.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to automatically control the relay from the second position back to the first position after the USB loader replaces the old file with the new file.

4. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to maintain the relay in the second position, after the USB loader replaces the old file with the new file, for a period of time sufficient to perform diagnostics on the module when performing the vehicle related operation based at least in part on the second plurality of computer-readable instructions.

5. The controller of claim 4 wherein the processor is configured to:

generate a copy of the old file for storage within the second memory prior to the USB loader beginning the erasing and/or writing processes necessary for replacing the old file with the new file and

replace the new file stored within the first memory with the copy of the old file prior to returning the relay to the first position in the event the diagnostics indicate the module failing to properly execute the vehicle related operation based at least in part on the second plurality of computer-readable instructions.

6. The controller of claim 1 further comprising an antenna configured to wirelessly receive the new file for storage on the second memory and a Controller Area Network (CAN) port included as part of the interface to communicatively connect the exterior port and the module via a CAN of the vehicle.

7. The controller of claim 6 wherein the relay is configured to provide a wired interconnect between the exterior port and the module when in the first position and between the second memory and the module when in the second position.

8. The controller of claim 1 wherein:

the first position prevents communication between the second memory and the module and interconnects a device connected to the exterior port with a network bus within the vehicle, the network bus being operable to facilitate communications with at least one additional module with the vehicle; and

the second position prevents communication between the exterior port and the module, thereby causing the device when connected to the exterior port to be temporarily disabled from communicating via the network bus with the module while the relay is in the second position.

9. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to automatically control the relay from the second position back to the first position after elapse of an update time, the update time corresponding with an amount of time needed for the USB loader to perform the operations necessary for replacing the old file stored on the first memory with the new file stored on the second memory.

10. The controller of claim 9 wherein the relay is configured to calculate the update time based at least in part on an amount of time associated with obtaining a permission for updating the module from a server located exterior of the vehicle.

11. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the vehicle to be in a first state when vehicle diagnostics indicate conditions suitable to updating the old file, the first state requiring a capacity of a battery included within the vehicle to provide power for a period of time sufficient to enable the USB loader to perform the processes necessary for replacing the old file with the new file;

determine the vehicle to be in a second state when vehicle diagnostics indicate conditions unsuitable to updating the old file;

control the relay to the first position when the second state is determined; and

control the relay to the second position in response to determining both of a need to update the old file and the first state.

12. The controller of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured for determining the period of time to include at least:

a first length of time representative of time needed for the USB loader to replace the old file with the new file; and

a second length of time proportional to a communication rate of a medium used to communicate the new file from the second memory to the USB loader.

13. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to provide a permission to the USB loader in response to receipt of a wireless authorization received from a server outside of the vehicle, the USB loader requiring the permission prior to undertaking the processes necessary for replacing the old file with the new file.

14. The controller of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to facilitate updating the old file with the new file by controlling the relay to the second position and without issuing instructions the USB loader to begin performing the operations necessary for replacing the old file with the new file.

15. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a logger configured to log performance of the erasing and/or writing processes necessary for replacing the old file with the new file.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of non-transitory instructions operable with a controller for updating a module having a Universal Serial Bus (USB) loader, the module being configured to facilitate an vehicle related operation based at least in part on a first plurality of computer-readable instructions included within an old file stored on a first memory, the plurality of non-transitory instructions being sufficient for:

determining a new file to be stored within the first memory of the module in order to facilitate the vehicle 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;

determining condition suitable for updating the module as a function of vehicle diagnostics; and

controlling a relay from a first position to a second position for a period of time sufficient for the USB loader to perform operations necessary for replacing the old file with the new file, the second position disconnecting the USB loader from an exterior port of the vehicle and connecting the USB loader to a second memory of the controller having the new file, the USB loader thereafter performing operations for replacing the old file stored on the first memory with the new file stored on the second memory such that the module subsequently facilitates the vehicle related operation at least based in part on the second plurality of computer-readable instructions.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the plurality of computer-readable instructions are sufficient for:

controlling the relay from the second position back to the first position after the USB loader performs the operations necessary for replacing the old file with the new filed, thereby communicatively disconnecting the module from the second memory and communicatively connecting the module to the exterior port while power remains supplied to the second memory.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the plurality of computer-readable instructions are sufficient for determining conditions suitable for updating the module when a capacity of a battery included in the vehicle is sufficient to power the controller and the module for a period of time at least equal to a first length of time representative of time needed for the USB loader to replace the old file with the new file plus a second length of time proportional to a communication rate of a medium used to communicate the new file from the second memory to the USB loader.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the plurality of computer-readable instructions are sufficient for determining the capacity for the period of time using a constant or estimated power consumption value representative of energy consumed per unit time while the USB loader performs the operations necessary for replacing the old file with the new file.

20. A system for updating a module within an vehicle comprising:

wherein the module is configured to facilitate a vehicle related operation for a vehicle based at least in part on a first plurality of computer-readable instructions included within an old file stored on a first memory and the module is associated with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) loader capable of erasing and/or writing computer-readable instructions to the first memory;

a server configured to facilitate wirelessly transmitting a new file having a second plurality of computer-readable instructions different in at least content and/or form than the first plurality of computer-readable instructions; and

a controller having a computer-readable medium with a plurality of non-transitory instructions, which when executed with a processor, are sufficient to;

i) wirelessly receive the new file from the server for storage within a second memory, establish a wired connection between the second memory and the USB loader to enable the USB loader to subsequently perform operations necessary to retrieve the new file from the second memory and thereafter replace the old file in the first memory with the new file, the controller establishing the wired connection by disconnecting the USB loader from an exterior USB port of the vehicle for a period of time greater than or equal to a first length of time representative of time needed for the USB loader to replace the old file with the new file plus a second length of time proportional to a communication rate of a medium used to communicate the new file from the second memory to the USB loader, the disconnecting of the USB loader from the exterior preventing communications between the exterior port and the module; and

ii) re-connect the USB loader with the exterior USB port following expiration of the period of time, whereupon the USB loader is unable to communicate with the second memory via the wired connection.