System and method for management of software updates at a vehicle computing system

• US 9,436,456 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Livio, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Danne, Philip Joseph, Grover, Joey Ray, Smereka, Scott, Fischer, Joel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US14/255,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 717/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A vehicle software management system includes a transceiver configured to communicate information with a server, and a processor in communication with the transceiver. The processor may be configured to receive a file manifest from the server and transmit a list of to-be updated application file(s) based on the file manifest to the server. The processor may be further configured to receive one or more application files from the server based on the list. The processor may be further configured to flash one or more systems using the one or more application files based on at least one of destination file location, installation type, and file identification.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle processor, in communication with a transceiver, programmed to;

receive, from a server, a file manifest listing application files to be installed and installation types specifying, for each file, whether instant replacement, process kill, reboot, system command, or reimage type installation is required to install the corresponding file; and

install application files received from the server to memory locations in the vehicle according to the types specified by the manifest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processer is further configured to communicate with the server using a nomadic device in communication with the transceiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processer is further configured to communicate with the server using an embedded modem in communication with the transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the application file is at least one of software and firmware.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory location is at least one of a driver, device, or control module identified by a destination file location included within the manifest.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the destination file location is an instruction that is executed by the vehicle processor to flash a memory location for an identified component.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the reboot type installation includes an instruction that is executed by the vehicle processor to store a copy of the application file for applying to the memory location during a reboot.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle processer is further configured to receive a download corruption message based on the install of the memory location for one or more systems, and attempt a second install of the one or more systems using the application file.

9. A network comprising:

a server, in communication with a vehicle computing system (VCS) via a transceiver, configured to;

recognize a VCS request to communicate based on an identification received via the transceiver;

generate an application manifest based on the identification of the VCS, the manifest listing application files to be installed to the VCS and installation types specifying, for each file, whether instant replacement, process kill, reboot, system command, or reimage type installation is required to install the corresponding file;

transmit the application manifest to the VCS;

receive management criteria having a request for an application file; and

transmit the application file to the VCS based on the management criteria.

10. The network of claim 9, wherein the management criteria is a command for at least one of a partial or full transmission of the application file.

11. The network of claim 9, wherein the application manifest includes at least one of destination file location, installation type, and file identification.

12. The network of claim 9, wherein the server is further configured to receive a corruption message from the VCS and update the application manifest based on the corruption message.

13. The network of claim 9, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate with at least one of a nomadic device in communication with the VCS and an embedded communication module in communication with the VCS.

14. The network of claim 9, wherein the identification is at least one of an assigned identification for the VCS, a list of currently installed application files at the VCS, and version information of the list of currently installed application files.

15. A nomadic device comprising:

one or more transceivers configured to communicate information with a vehicle computing system and a server;

a processor in communication with the one or more transceivers, the processor configured to;

receive a file manifest from the server, the file manifest listing application files to be installed to a vehicle computing system (VCS) and installation types specifying, for each file, whether instant replacement, process kill, reboot, system command, or reimage type installation is required to install the corresponding file;

transmit the file manifest to the vehicle computing system (VCS);

receive a list of one or more to-be-updated application files based on the file manifest from the VCS and transmit the list to the server;

receive one or more application files from the server; and

transmit one or more application files having at least one of a destination file location, an installation type, and a file identification.

16. The nomadic device of claim 15, wherein the file manifest is a list of one or more applications based on a recognized VCS.

17. The nomadic device of claim 15, wherein the installation type of the one or more applications files includes at least one of an active command, kill command, reboot command, image command, and system command.

18. The nomadic device of claim 17, wherein the active command is an instruction that is executed by the VCS to flash one or more memory locations in the vehicle with the one or more application files upon arrival.

19. The nomadic device of claim 15, wherein the list of one or more to-be-updated application files includes a request for one or more application files and a command for at least one of a partial or full transmission request of the one or more application files.