Apparatus for updating software of vehicle terminal and software providing server

• US 9,575,743 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Chun, Chang Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Cheneca
• Application Number:
  US14/949,244
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An apparatus for updating software of a vehicle terminal includes: a software information storage unit receiving latest version software information transmitted from a software providing server; an update controller receiving a software update request of a vehicle terminal transmitted from the software providing server and performing a software download and update; a battery charging determiner checking a state of charge of a battery installed in a vehicle and comparing the state of charge of the battery with an estimated battery consumption among the latest version software information; and an engine driver driving an engine of the vehicle when the state of charge of the battery is less than the estimated battery consumption.

Claims

1. An apparatus for updating software of a vehicle terminal, comprising:

a software information storage unit receiving latest version software information transmitted from a software providing server;

an update controller receiving a software update request of the vehicle terminal transmitted from the software providing server and performing a software download and update;

a battery charging determiner checking a state of charge of a battery installed in a vehicle and comparing the state of charge of the battery with an estimated battery consumption among the latest version software information;

a fuel level checker checking a fuel level of the vehicle and comparing the checked fuel level with an estimated fuel consumption among the latest version software information when the state of charge of the battery is less than the estimated battery consumption; and

an engine driver driving an engine of the vehicle when the state of charge of the battery is less than the estimated battery consumption and the fuel level is greater than or equal to the estimated fuel consumption and, after driving the engine for a period of time, ending the driving of the engine when the state of charge of the battery is greater than or equal to the estimated battery consumption,

wherein the update controller performs the software download and update when the state of charge of the battery is greater than or equal to the estimated battery consumption.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the engine driver stops driving the engine when the state of charge of the battery is greater than or equal to the estimated battery consumption while the software is being downloaded and updated.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first download and update information transmitter transmitting software download and update information to the software providing server.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the software providing server receives the software download and update information and transmits the received software download and update information to a driver terminal of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the latest version software information includes at least one of;

a latest software version, a latest version release date, an applied vehicle model, modified and additional function related information, an applied terminal, a download file capacity, a download estimation time, an estimated update time, an estimated battery consumption when the download and update is performed, an estimated fuel consumption when the download and update is performed, and a software update file.