On board vehicle installation supervisor

• US 9,134,986 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoConnect Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US14/485,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20150006035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 717/174, 717/168
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0796 Safety measures, i.e. ensuring safe condition in the event of error, e.g. for controlling element
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1428 with loss of hardware functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2041 with more than one idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/349 for interfaces, buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/14 Handling requests for interconnection or transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a microprocessor executable installation supervisor operable to determine, for a selected computational component to be installed in the vehicle, whether the selected computational component satisfies a requirement and/or restriction associated with the selected computational component, when installed, and, when the selected computational component can satisfy the requirement and/or restriction, create a set of data structures in the selected computational component and/or a computer readable medium on board the vehicle to bind the selected computational component to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a computer readable memory on board the vehicle;

a power source to propel the vehicle; and

a microprocessor executable installation supervisor operable for a selected computational component to be installed in the vehicle, to create a set of data structures in the selected computational component and/or the computer readable medium to bind the selected computational component to the vehicle, thereby preventing the selected computational component, after installation in the vehicle, from communicating openly with a processing module in a different vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of hardware and/or software and wherein the installation supervisor is further operable to determine, for the selected computational component to be installed in the vehicle, whether the selected computational component satisfies a requirement and/or restriction associated with the selected computational component, when installed, and, when the selected computational component can satisfy the requirement and/or restriction, creates the set of data structures.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of an on-board sensor, processing module, software application, circuit board, expansion module, critical device, non-critical device, and cellular upgrade module.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of an on board sensor, a media controller, a gateway, a firewall, a processing module, a network controller, an input/output system, a display controller, an audio controller, an arbitration module, a health check module, a critical system controller, a non-critical system controller, an on board sensor monitor, a displayed object movement module, a diagnostic module, a media filter, a network selector, a remote control module, a computational module selector, an expansion module, an application, and a plug-in module.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selected computational component monitors, controls, operates, and/or is one or more of an engine and/or power control unit, transmission control unit (TCU), a door setting, a window setting, a blind spot monitor, an airbag deployment control unit, a collision sensor, a nearby object sensing system, a seat belt control unit, a sensor for a seat belt setting, a power source controller, an energy output sensor, an engine temperature sensor, oil pressure, hydraulic pressure, a headlight, an emergency light, a brake light, a parking light, a fog light, an interior and/or passenger compartment light, a tail light, a vehicle control system sensor, a wireless network, a cellular data sensor, a steering sensor, a torque sensor, an engine, power steering, a display panel, switch state control unit, and a brake control unit.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the selected computational component monitors, controls, operates, and/or is one or more of an emissions system, a seating system controller and/or sensor, an entertainment system, monitoring an ambient (outdoor) weather sensor, an odometer reading sensor, a trip mileage reading sensor, a road condition sensor, a radar transmitter/receiver output, a brake wear sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ambient lighting sensor, a vision system sensor, a ranging sensor, a parking sensor, a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and/or sensor, a water sensor, a air-fuel ratio meter, a hall effect sensor, a microphone, a radio frequency (RF) sensor, and/or an infrared (IR) sensor.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the installation supervisor is operable to perform a plurality of:

(a) detect an installation attempt of the selected computational component on board the vehicle, (b) in response, determine a characteristic of the selected computational component, (c) determine whether the selected computational component is linked with another vehicle, and (d) determine whether the installation of the selected computational component is in compliance with a license restriction and/or requirement.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein operation (c) is performed.

9. A method, comprising:

a microprocessor executable installation supervisor determining that a selected computational component is to be installed in a selected vehicle, and

in response, the microprocessor executable installation supervisor creating a set of data structures in the selected computational component and/or a computer readable medium on board the selected vehicle to bind the selected computational component to the selected vehicle, thereby restricting the ability of the selected computational component, after installation in the selected vehicle, to communicate with a processing module in a different vehicle when compared to the ability of the selected computational component, after installation in the selected vehicle, to communicate with a processing module in the selected vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of hardware and/or software, wherein the installation supervisor determines whether the selected computational component satisfies a requirement and/or restriction associated with the selected computational component, when installed, and when the selected computational component can satisfy the requirement and/or restriction, the installation supervisor creates the set of data structures.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of an on-board sensor, processing module, software application, circuit board, expansion module, critical device, non-critical device, and cellular upgrade module.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of an on board sensor, a media controller, a gateway, a firewall, a processing module, a network controller, an input/output system, a display controller, an audio controller, an arbitration module, a health check module, a critical system controller, a non-critical system controller, an on board sensor monitor, a displayed object movement module, a diagnostic module, a media filter, a network selector, a remote control module, a computational module selector, an expansion module, an application, and a plug-in module.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected computational component monitors, controls, operates, and/or is one or more of an engine and/or power control unit, transmission control unit (TCU), a door setting, a window setting, a blind spot monitor, an airbag deployment control unit, a collision sensor, a nearby object sensing system, a seat belt control unit, a sensor for a seat belt setting, a power source controller, an energy output sensor, an engine temperature sensor, oil pressure, hydraulic pressure, a headlight, an emergency light, a brake light, a parking light, a fog light, an interior and/or passenger compartment light, a tail light, a vehicle control system sensor, a wireless network, a cellular data sensor, a steering sensor, a torque sensor, an engine, power steering, a display panel, switch state control unit, and a brake control unit.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected computational component monitors, controls, operates, and/or is one or more of an emissions system, a seating system controller and/or sensor, an entertainment system, monitoring an ambient (outdoor) weather sensor, an odometer reading sensor, a trip mileage reading sensor, a road condition sensor, a radar transmitter/receiver output, a brake wear sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ambient lighting sensor, a vision system sensor, a ranging sensor, a parking sensor, a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and/or sensor, a water sensor, a air-fuel ratio meter, a hall effect sensor, a microphone, a radio frequency (RF) sensor, and/or an infrared (IR) sensor.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

the installation supervisor performing a plurality of;

(a) detecting an installation attempt of the selected computational component on board the selected vehicle,

(b) in response, determining a characteristic of the selected computational component,

(c) determining whether the selected computational component is linked with another vehicle, and

(d) determining whether the installation of the selected computational component is in compliance with a license restriction and/or requirement.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein operation (c) is performed.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, perform or cause the performance of a plurality of:

detecting an installation attempt of the selected computational component on board the selected vehicle,

in response, determining a characteristic of the selected computational component,

determining whether the selected computational component is linked with another vehicle, and

determining whether the installation of the selected computational component is in compliance with a license restriction and/or requirement.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions perform or cause the performance of determining whether the selected computational component is linked with another vehicle.

17. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium comprising a microprocessor executable installation supervisor on board a selected vehicle that, when executed, creates a set of data structures in a selected computational component to be installed in a selected vehicle and/or a computer readable medium on board the selected vehicle to bind the selected computational component to the selected vehicle, thereby prohibiting the selected computational component, after installation in the selected vehicle, from communicating restricted vehicle information to a processing module in a different vehicle.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the installation supervisor (a) determines, for the selected computational component to be installed in the selected vehicle, whether the selected computational component satisfies a requirement and/or restriction associated with the selected computational component when installed, and (b) when the selected computational component can satisfy the requirement and/or restriction, the installation supervisor creates the data structures and wherein the selected computational component is one or more of hardware and/or software.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of an on-board sensor, processing module, software application, circuit board, expansion module, critical device, non-critical device, and cellular upgrade module.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selected computational component is one or more of an on board sensor, a media controller, a gateway, a firewall, a processing module, a network controller, an input/output system, a display controller, an audio controller, an arbitration module, a health check module, a critical system controller, a non-critical system controller, an on board sensor monitor, a displayed object movement module, a diagnostic module, a media filter, a network selector, a remote control module, a computational module selector, an expansion module, an application, and a plug-in module.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selected computational component monitors, controls, operates, and/or is one or more of an engine and/or power control unit, transmission control unit (TCU), a door setting, a window setting, a blind spot monitor, an airbag deployment control unit, a collision sensor, a nearby object sensing system, a seat belt control unit, a sensor for a seat belt setting, a power source controller, an energy output sensor, an engine temperature sensor, oil pressure, hydraulic pressure, a headlight, an emergency light, a brake light, a parking light, a fog light, an interior and/or passenger compartment light, a tail light, a vehicle control system sensor, a wireless network, a cellular data sensor, a steering sensor, a torque sensor, an engine, power steering, a display panel, switch state control unit, and a brake control unit.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selected computational component monitors, controls, operates, and/or is one or more of an emissions system, a seating system controller and/or sensor, an entertainment system, monitoring an ambient (outdoor) weather sensor, an odometer reading sensor, a trip mileage reading sensor, a road condition sensor, a radar transmitter/receiver output, a brake wear sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ambient lighting sensor, a vision system sensor, a ranging sensor, a parking sensor, a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and/or sensor, a water sensor, a air-fuel ratio meter, a hall effect sensor, a microphone, a radio frequency (RF) sensor, and/or an infrared (IR) sensor.