Method and apparatus for software updates for embedded vehicle systems

• US 9,639,346 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tuukkanen, Marko Tapio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US14/738,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20160364224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 717169, 717174, 717175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• 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

Abstract

An approach is provided for updating an embedded vehicle system during travel with one or more data packages configured based on the operating time associated with the travel. A maintenance platform determines an estimated operating time of at least one embedded system. The maintenance platform configures one or more data packages for performing one or more maintenance operations based, at least in part, on the estimated operating time. The maintenance platform then causes, at least in part, a transmission of the one or more data packages to the at least one embedded system to initiate the one or more maintenance operations during the estimated operating time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by an apparatus, that a uploading time of a maintenance operation of an embedded system in a vehicle is longer than an estimated operating time of the embedded system, wherein the estimated operating time is determined based, at least in part, on user route information that is entered via the embedded system or predicted for the embedded system;

determining, by the apparatus, one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system available after the estimated operating time;

configuring, by the apparatus, data packages for performing the maintenance operation with sizes to be uploaded during the estimated operating time and then during the one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system;

calculating, by the apparatus, a maximum package size and a number of the data packages based on the estimated operating time, the one or more subsequent estimated operating times, and one or more memory areas available for the embedded system; and

initiating, by the apparatus, a transmission of the data packages to the embedded system to initiate the maintenance operation during the estimated operating time and then during one or more subsequent estimated operating times, wherein the maintenance operation of the embedded system is completed within the estimated operating time and the one or more subsequent estimated operating times.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the apparatus, a display of an upload status of the data packages to the embedded system during the estimated operating time and then during the one or more subsequent estimated operating times,

wherein the embedded system includes at least one embedded navigation system, wherein the maintenance operation further includes at least one application update operation, at least one data update operation, or a combination thereof, and wherein the sizes of the data packages are configured to ne uploaded to the embedded system and to update the embedded system within the estimated operating time and then within the one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system respectively.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

initiating a display of a update status of the embedded system during the estimated operating time and then during the one or more subsequent estimated operating times,

wherein the estimated operating time of the embedded system includes at least a portion of an engine-running time of the vehicle.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the user route information includes a plurality of routes to be completed over a plurality of operating sessions of the embedded navigation system, the method further comprising:

determining the estimated operating time based, at least in part, on the plurality of operating sessions,

wherein the estimated operating time of the embedded system includes at least a portion of a moving time of the vehicle.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an available upload time, an available installation time, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the estimated operating time,

wherein the configuring on the data packages is further based, at least in part, on the available upload time, the available installation time, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the data packages to the embedded system is from at least one user device, at least one cloud service, or a combination thereof, and the apparatus is embedded in the at least one user device or the at least one cloud service.

7. A method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining device capability information, resource availability information, or a combination thereof associated with the embedded system, the at least one user device, the at least one cloud service, or a combination thereof,

wherein the transmission of the data packages, the configuring of the data packages, or a combination thereof is further based, at least in part, on the device capability information, the resource availability information, the estimated operating time, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 6, further comprising:

initiating a validation of (a) the data packages, (b) a progress of one or more steps of the maintenance operation, (c) a successful completion of the maintenance operation, or (d) a combination thereof with respect to the embedded system, the at least one user device, the at least one cloud service, or a combination thereof,

wherein the validation includes determining that data in the data packages is not corrupted, determining that the sizes of the data packages are correct, determining that authentication certificates of the data packages are correct, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more dependencies among the data packages for performing the maintenance operation,

wherein the configuring of the data packages is further based, at least in part, on the one or more dependencies.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a deletion of one or more incomplete data packages, one or more non-validated data packages, or a combination thereof, from the one or more memory areas available for the embedded system at an end of each of the estimated operating time and the one or more subsequent estimated operating times.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine that a uploading time of a maintenance operation of an embedded system in a vehicle is longer than an estimated operating time of the embedded system, wherein the estimated operating time is determined based, at least in part, on a user route information that is entered via the embedded system or predicted for the embedded system;

determine one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system available after the estimated operating time;

configure data packages for performing the maintenance operation with sizes to be uploaded during the estimated operating time and then during the one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system;

calculate a maximum package size and a number of the data packages based on the estimated operating time, the one or more subsequent estimated operating times, and one or more memory areas available for the embedded system; and

initiate a transmission of the data packages to the embedded system to initiate the maintenance operation during the estimated operating time and then during one or more subsequent estimated operating times, wherein the maintenance operation of the embedded system is completed within the estimated operating time and the one or more subsequent estimated operating times.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the embedded system includes at least one embedded navigation system, wherein the maintenance operation further includes at least one application update operation, at least one data update operation, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user route information includes a plurality of routes to be completed over a plurality of operating sessions of the embedded navigation system, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the estimated operating time based, at least in part, on the plurality of operating sessions,

wherein the maintenance operation is performed over the plurality of operating sessions.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine an available upload time, an available installation time, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the estimated operating time,

wherein the configuring on the data packages is further based, at least in part, on the available upload time, the available installation time, or a combination thereof.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmission of the data packages to the at least one embedded system is from at least one user device, at least one cloud service, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine device capability information, resource availability information, or a combination thereof associated with the at least one embedded system, the at least one user device, the at least one cloud service, or a combination,

wherein the transmission of the data packages, the configuring of the data packages, or a combination thereof is further based, at least in part, on the device capability information, the resource availability information, the estimated operating time, or a combination thereof.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

determining that a uploading time of a maintenance operation of an embedded system in a vehicle is longer than an estimated operating time of the embedded system, wherein the estimated operating time is determined based, at least in part, on a user route information that is entered via the embedded system or predicted for the embedded system;

determining one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system available after the estimated operating time;

configuring data packages for performing the maintenance operation with sizes to be uploaded during the estimated operating time and then during the one or more subsequent estimated operating times of the embedded system;

calculating a maximum package size and a number of the data packages based on the estimated operating time, the one or more subsequent estimated operating times, and one or more memory areas available for the embedded system; and

initiating a transmission of the data packages to the embedded system to initiate the maintenance operation during the estimated operating time and then during one or more subsequent estimated operating times, wherein the maintenance operation of the embedded system is completed within the estimated operating time and the one or more subsequent estimated operating times.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the embedded system includes at least one embedded navigation system, wherein the maintenance operation further includes at least one application update operation, at least one data update operation, or a combination thereof.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

determining an available upload time, an available installation time, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the estimated operating time,

wherein the configuring on the data packages is further based, at least in part, on the available upload time, the available installation time, or a combination thereof.