Targeted vehicle remote feature updates

• US 9,323,546 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rork, Joseph Paul, Petersen, Brian, Pandya, Ritesh, Yalavarty, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/230,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.4, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

A system may include a configurable module having a firmware version supporting multiple functions and a configuration specifying which of the functions are utilized for a vehicle feature; and a controller configured to update the configuration of the module, based on a command published by a server to a controller-subscribed topic tree message topic, the command targeting the vehicle according to one of unique vehicle identifier and the vehicle feature.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a configurable module having a firmware version supporting multiple functions and a configuration specifying which of the functions are utilized for a vehicle feature; and

a controller, subscribed to configuration-specific and vehicle-specific message topics of a hierarchical topic tree, programmed to update the configuration based on server-published commands to the topics, such that commands targeting the published to the vehicle-specific message topic take precedence over commands published to the configuration-specific message topic.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein (i) the configuration-specific message topic of the topic tree corresponds to the vehicle feature, and (ii) the vehicle-specific message topic of the topic tree corresponds to a unique vehicle identifier of a vehicle in which the configurable module is included.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

check the vehicle-specific message topic of the topic tree for updates to the configuration; and

when no updates are included in the vehicle-specific message topic, further check the configuration-specific message topic of the topic tree for updates to the configuration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to publish a message to a topic tree message topic associated with a unique vehicle identifier of a vehicle in which the configurable module is included, the message specifying configuration information including:

(i) the vehicle feature implemented by the configurable module and (ii) the firmware version of the configurable module.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the configuration information is included in the message as part of common information included in messages from the vehicle to the server.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the unique vehicle identifier is a vehicle identification number (VIN).

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to publish a configuration update alert to a topic of the topic tree associated with the vehicle identifier and indicative of whether the command to update the configuration succeeded.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the command includes a network location of an updated configuration for the configurable module, and wherein the controller is further programmed to retrieve the updated configuration from the network location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration is associated with an updated firmware version, and wherein the controller is further programmed to update the firmware version of the configurable module to the updated firmware version responsive to receipt of the configuration.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to publish a firmware update alert to a topic of the topic tree associated with a unique vehicle identifier of a vehicle in which the configurable module is included and indicative of whether the firmware update succeeded.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further programmed to update to configuration of the module upon completion of the update of the firmware version.

12. A system comprising:

a topic tree including a hierarchical arrangement of topics; and

a server programmed to;

identify vehicle configuration information, in a message published from a vehicle to a message topic of the topic tree associated with a unique vehicle identifier of the vehicle, describing a vehicle feature implemented by a configurable module;

publish a first command to a configuration-specific message topic of the topic tree; and

publish a second command to a vehicle-specific message topic of the topic tree, the second command taking precedence over the first command.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the unique vehicle identifier is a vehicle identification number (VIN).

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is further programmed to receive a configuration update alert published by the vehicle to a topic of the topic tree associated with the vehicle identifier and indicative of whether the second command to update the configuration succeeded.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the message topic is one of:

(i) a configuration-specific message topic of the topic tree corresponding to the vehicle feature, and (ii) a vehicle-specific message topic of the topic tree corresponding to the vehicle identifier.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the command includes a network location of an updated configuration for the configurable module, and wherein the server is further configured programmed to provide the updated configuration from the network location.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration is associated with an updated firmware version configured to cause the vehicle to update the firmware version of the configurable module to the updated firmware version responsive to receipt of the configuration.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server is further programmed to receive a firmware update alert published by the vehicle to a topic of the topic tree associated with the vehicle identifier and indicative of whether the firmware update succeeded.

19. A method comprising:

publishing, by a vehicle, a message to a topic tree message topic associated with a unique vehicle identifier, the message specifying configuration information describing a vehicle feature implemented by a vehicle configurable module including a firmware version of the configurable module;

receiving a first command to a configuration-specific message topic of the topic tree; and

receiving a second command to a vehicle-specific message topic of the topic tree, the second command taking precedence over the first command.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the configuration information is included in the message as part of common information included in messages from the vehicle to a server, and further comprising updating a configuration of the module based on the command.