Method for loading software

• US 7,346,435 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Unruh, Peter, Schneider, Sandra, Augustin, Lawrence, Amendola, Sandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weiskopf; Marie A
• Application Number:
  US10/343,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/33, 717/168, 717/174, 717/177, 717/172
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

In a method for loading software into a target appliance in a vehicle control system having a plurality of appliance, the loading process for one or more software modules is subdivided into task elements (at least one monitoring appliance task, one update appliance task and one receiving appliance task), and performance of the respective task elements is assigned to the target appliance, other appliances and/or to a control appliance outside the vehicle control system. The monitoring appliance task includes processing and passing on the control commands for the loading of the software module from outside the vehicle control system; the update appliance task includes controlling the loading of the software module between the target appliance, the appliances and/or the control appliance; and the receiving appliance task includes provision of an interface for the software module which is to be loaded from outside the vehicle control system.

Claims

1. Method for loading software into a target appliance in a vehicle control system having a plurality of appliances, comprising:

subdividing the loading process for at least one software module into task elements, including at least one monitoring appliance task, one update appliance task and one receiving appliance task; and

assigning performance of each task element to a respective one of a target appliance, other appliances in said plurality of appliances in said vehicle control system, and a control appliance situated outside the vehicle control system;

wherein

the monitoring appliance task includes processing and passing on control commands for loading of a first software module from outside the vehicle control system;

the update appliance task includes controlling the loading of the software module between the target appliance, the other appliances and/or the control appliance; and

the receiving appliance task includes provision of an interface for the first software module which is to be loaded from outside the vehicle control system.

2. The method for loading software according to claim 1, comprising further subdivision of the loading process for the first software module into a configuration manager task, which includes a check as to whether the vehicle control system satisfies the hardware and software requirements of the software module, and whether the first software module satisfies the requirements for operation of the vehicle control system.

3. The method for loading software according to claim 2, wherein

each one of first and second software modules to be loaded is provided with one version line and a list of requirements;

the version line has a title for the software module to be loaded, an identification for the target appliance, an identification for internal or external use of a software module to be loaded in the target appliance, as well as a version number for the software module to be loaded;

the list of requirements includes identifications for appliances to which access by a particular software module to be loaded is envisaged, titles of software modules which are required by the software module to be loaded in the appliances to which access is intended, and version numbers for the required software module;

the configuration manager task includes a first check, in which requirements for software modules already loaded in the target appliance and in the other appliances are checked against the software module to be loaded, using the version line of the software module to be loaded and using lists of requirements of the already-loaded software modules;

the configuration manager task further includes a second check, in which requirements for the software module to be loaded are checked against software modules that have already been loaded in the target appliance and in the appliances, using the list of requirements of the software module to be loaded and version lines of the already-loaded software modules.

4. The method for loading software according to claim 2, wherein the configuration manager task is carried out by an appliance in the vehicle control system.

5. The method for loading software according to claim 2, the configuration manager task is carried out by the control appliance outside the vehicle.

6. The method for loading software according to claim 1, comprising a further subdivision of the loading process for the software module into a backup appliance task, which includes backing up of at least some of the software modules which have already been loaded in the target appliance, within the vehicle control system.

7. The method for loading software according to claim 1, wherein performance of the task elements is assigned as a function of at least one of computation power required for the task elements, memory space required for the task elements, and time required in the target appliance and in the other appliances for the storage of data.

8. The method for loading software according to claim 1, wherein security for data transmission is provided by cryptographic scrambling only outside the vehicle control system.

9. A vehicle control system for carrying out a method according to claim 1, wherein:

to carry out a configuration manager task which includes a check as to whether the vehicle control system satisfies hardware and software requirements for a software module to be loaded, and whether the software module to be loaded satisfies the requirements for operation of the vehicle control system, software modules which have already been loaded in a respective appliance in the vehicle control system each include a version line and a list of requirements;

the version line has a title for the already-loaded software module, an identification for internal or external use of the already-loaded software module in the respective appliance and a version number for the already-loaded software module; and

the list of requirements has identifications for appliances to which access by the already-loaded software module is intended, titles of software modules which are required by the already loaded software module in the appliances to which access is intended, as well as version numbers of the required software modules.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle control system can be operated by a control appliance outside the vehicle control system to perform the configuration manager task.

11. The vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein an appliance suitable for carrying out the configuration manager task is provided in the vehicle control system.

12. A method for loading software into a target controller in a vehicle control network that includes a plurality of other controllers, said method comprising:

dividing the loading process for loading at least one software module into task elements;

loading said at least one software module into said target controller by causing at least one of said task elements to be performed by said target controller, and at least one other task element to be performed by one of said other controllers in said vehicle control network, which communicates with said target controller via said vehicle control network.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said task elements include a monitoring appliance task, an update appliance task and a receiving appliance task.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein:

said task elements further include a configuration manager task that checks whether the vehicle control system satisfies the hardware and software requirements of the at least one software module, and whether the at least one software module satisfies requirements for operation of the vehicle control system; and

processing for performing said configuration manager task is performed by one of said other controllers.