UPGRADABLE VEHICLE

• US 20160185221A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Mere, Shadi, Wingrove, Theodore Charles, Eichbrecht, Michael, Entsminger, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 10,500,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/828 Mounting or fastening exchangeable modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• 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

The aspects of the present disclosure provide an upgradable vehicle cockpit interface and in particular, to a single or multi-phase upgradable hardware and firmware vehicle cockpit interface. The upgradable vehicle cockpit interface may include one or more hardware and firmware components that may be designed to interface with or connect to one or more corresponding hardware and firmware blocks located within the vehicle cockpit. The hardware and firmware components may be detachable from the hardware and firmware blocks and may be backwards compatible with the vehicle'"'"'s hardware and firmware blocks. The upgradable vehicle cockpit interface enables an individual to experience the same vehicle over a time period and have the ability to upgrade the vehicle components (i.e. electronics) to ease the vehicle aging process.

Claims

1. A system for upgrading a component of a vehicle, comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) having a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory being employed to store instructions on the operation of the component; and

an upgradeable vehicle cockpit interface configured to load data onto the non-volatile memory component, wherein

in response to the component being transitioned from a previous version of the component to another version of the component, the upgradeable vehicle cockpit interface rewrites the stored instructions to allow the ECU to interface with the other version of the component.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the component is of a display type.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the previous version of the component is a dashboard display.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the other version of the component is a heads-up display (HUD).

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the previous version of the component is a heads-up display (HUD).

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the other version is a heads-up display (HUD).

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the component is a sensory control hardware device.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the previous component and the other component is at least one of the following:

gesture sensor;

touch pad;

haptic pad;

button knob; and

eye tracking device.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a downloadable interface to connect to a mobile communication device, wherein the downloadable interface is configured to instigate a communication with a third-party source to retrieve new instructions in response to the stored instructions not being available.

10. A method for providing an upgradeable vehicle, comprising:

installing the upgradeable vehicle with multiple ports for implementing a component;

implementing a microcontroller with instructions for operating an older version of the component and a newer version of the component; and

in response to the newer version of the component being installed in the upgradeable vehicle, modifying the microcontroller to be operable with the instructions of the newer version of the component.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the newer version of the component is heads-up display (HUD) and the older version is a dashboard display.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein either the newer version or the older version of the component is one of the following:

gesture sensor;

touch pad;

haptic pad;

button knob; and

eye tracking device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein in response to the instructions of the newer version of the component being not installed in the microcontroller, prompting a download from a third-party provider over a network.

14. An upgradeable vehicle, comprising:

a first installation portion of a first component and a second installation portion of a second component, wherein the first component and the second component represent an older version and a newer version of a function associated with the upgradeable vehicle, respectively; and

a microcontroller with instructions for the first component and the second component,

wherein in response to second component replacing the first component in the upgradeable vehicle, the microcontroller being configured to employ the instructions for the second component.

15. The upgradeable vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the function is related to a display-able technology.