Method and system for updating the software of a motor vehicle sensor

• US 10,572,243 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ewert, Marlon Ramon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kendall, Chuck O
• Application Number:
  US16/099,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20190196806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• 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

Abstract

A method for updating software of at least one sensor in a motor vehicle, which is equipped with a motor vehicle communication system, comprises transmitting the software to be updated to the motor vehicle communication system and to install it from the motor vehicle communication system on the at least one sensor.

Claims

1. A method for updating software of at least one sensor in a first motor vehicle that is equipped with a motor vehicle communication system, comprising the steps:

transmitting updated software of the at least one sensor to the motor vehicle communication system equipped in the first motor vehicle, wherein the transmitting of the updated software of the at least one sensor is performed by a second motor vehicle different from the first motor vehicle; and

installing, on the at least one sensor in the first motor vehicle, the updated software of the at least one sensor from the motor vehicle communication system equipped in the first motor vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the transmitting step, the updated software of the at least one sensor is transmitted by the second motor vehicle via a car-to-car communication connection.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the transmitting step, the updated software of the at least one sensor is transmitted from the second motor vehicle to the motor vehicle communication system equipped in the first motor vehicle via a radio connection.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the transmitting step, the updated software of the at least one sensor is transmitted only to motor vehicle communication systems of motor vehicles that are equipped with sensor using the respective software.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the updated software of the at least one sensor by the second motor vehicle to the motor vehicle communication system equipped in the first motor vehicle only at previously defined times.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting, by the second motor vehicle, the updated software of the at least one sensor in encrypted fashion and/or with a checksum.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising backing up software located on the at least one sensor before installing the updated software of the at least one sensor on the at least one sensor.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the installing includes installing the updated software of the at least one sensor on the at least one sensor only when the motor vehicle is at a standstill.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting data concerning the sensor from the motor vehicle communication system equipped in the first motor vehicle to the second motor vehicle.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the transmitting is performed as a function of the data transmitted from the motor vehicle communication system equipped in the first motor vehicle to the second motor vehicle.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitting is performed with the aid of a push mechanism.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the transmitting of the updated software of the at least one sensor, exchanging data between the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the data includes respective motor vehicle type, at least one sensor number, and current installed software version of the at least one sensor.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

after the exchanging of the data and prior to the transmitting of the updated software of the at least one sensor, detecting by the second vehicle that the second vehicle has an identical sensor as the at least one sensor and has newer software for the identical sensor.

12. A system for updating software of at least one sensor installed in a first motor vehicle, comprising:

a motor vehicle communication system installed in the first motor vehicle, the motor vehicle communication system being adapted to receive, from a second motor vehicle different from the first motor vehicle, updated software of the at least one sensor and to install the received updated software of the at least one sensor on the at least one sensor.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, further comprising an arrangement for transmitting the updated software of the at least one sensor to the motor vehicle communication system installed in the first motor vehicle only at previously defined times.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the motor vehicle communication system installed in the first motor vehicle is configured to transmit data concerning the at least one sensor to the second motor vehicle.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the second vehicle is configured to transmit the updated software of the at least one sensor as a function of the data transmitted from the motor vehicle communication system installed in the first motor vehicle.

16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the second vehicle is configured to transmit the updated software of the at least one sensor to the motor vehicle communication system installed in the first motor vehicle with the aid of a push mechanism.

20. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the second vehicle is configured to transmit the updated software of the at least one software via a car-to-car connection.