Software update apparatus, software update method, non-transitory storage medium storing program, vehicle, and OTA master

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11720349-B2
Application number	US-202117367972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A software update apparatus includes a communication unit that sends a request for downloading update data to a center, a storage unit that stores the downloaded update data, and a control unit that executes, based on the update data, a control for installing, or installing and activating update software on one or more target electronic control units from among a plurality of electronic control units connected to each other via an in-vehicle network. The control unit acquires software versions of the electronic control units, determines whether there is a consistency in a combination of the acquired software versions, and executes, upon determining that there is an inconsistency in the combination of the acquired software versions, a process for attaining the consistency in the combination of the software versions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A software update apparatus comprising:
a computer comprising a storage and a processor that is configured to:
generate a request for downloading update data from a center; and
store the downloaded update data in the storage;

wherein the processor is programmed to execute, based on the update data, a control for installing, or installing and activating updated software on a target electronic control unit from among a plurality of electronic control units connected to each other via an in-vehicle network, and
the processor is further programmed to acquire software versions of the electronic control units, determine whether there is a consistency in a combination of the acquired software versions after the target electronic control unit installs, or installs and activates the updated software, and execute, upon determining that there is an inconsistency in the combination of the acquired software versions, a process for attaining the consistency in the combination of the software versions a predetermined number of times, and
the processor is further programmed to notify a user of an occurrence of an abnormality when the processor does not confirm the consistency in the combination of the software versions even after repeating the process the predetermined number of times.

2. The software update apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to restrict a predetermined operation of a vehicle, at least during the process for attaining the consistency.

3. The software update apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is programmed to:
start a restriction on the predetermined operation of the vehicle before executing the control for installing or activating;
acquire the combination of the software versions of the electronic control units after the process for attaining the consistency; and
release the restriction on the predetermined operation of the vehicle when the consistency in the acquired combination is attained.

4. The software update apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to:
specify an electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency from among the electronic control units as the process for attaining the consistency; and
update software of the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency based on data used for updating the software of the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency from among the update data.

5. The software update apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is programmed to specify the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency based on the combination of the software versions.

6. The software update apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to:
specify an electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency from among the electronic control units as the process for attaining the consistency; and
control the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency such that the electronic control unit sets software before updating as an execution version.

7. The software update apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is programmed to, in a case where the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency stores the software before the updating, control the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency such that the electronic control unit sets the stored software before the updating as the execution version.

8. The software update apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is programmed to, in a case where there is the consistency in the combination of the software versions when a software version of the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency is set as a version before the updating, control the electronic control unit that causes the inconsistency such that the electronic control unit sets the software before the updating as the execution version.

9. The software update apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to:
when an electronic control unit that stores the software before the updating receives a designation for setting the software before updating as an execution version, acquire the software versions of the electronic control units; and
in a case where, in the combination of the acquired versions, there is the consistency in the combination of versions even when the software version of the designated electronic control unit is set as the software version before the updating, control the electronic control unit such that the electronic control unit sets the software before the updating as the execution version.

10. The software update apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a function of the processor is implemented in software of two or more electronic control units, respectively or in software, which is separate from software to be updated, of one electronic control unit from among the electronic control units.

11. A vehicle comprising the software update apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. A software update method executed by a computer of a software update apparatus, the software update method comprising:
sending a request for downloading update data to a center;
storing the downloaded update data;
executing, based on the update data, a control for installing, or installing and activating updated software on a target electronic control unit from among a plurality of electronic control units connected to each other via an in-vehicle network; and
acquiring software versions of the electronic control units, determining whether there is a consistency in a combination of the acquired software versions after the target electronic control unit installs, or installs and activates the updated software, and executing, upon determining that there is an inconsistency in the combination of the acquired software versions, a process for attaining the consistency in the combination of the software versions a predetermined number of times, and
notifying a user of an occurrence of an abnormality when the computer does not confirm the consistency in the combination of the software versions even after repeating the process the predetermined number of times.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program executable on a computer of a software update apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute processing comprising the following functions:
sending a request for downloading update data to a center;
storing the downloaded update data;
executing, based on the update data, a control for installing, or installing and activating updated software on a target electronic control unit from among a plurality of electronic control units connected to each other via an in-vehicle network; and
acquiring software versions of the electronic control units, determining whether there is a consistency in a combination of the acquired software versions after the target electronic control unit installs, or installs and activates the updated software, and executing, upon determining that there is an inconsistency in the combination of the acquired software versions, a process for attaining the consistency in the combination of the software versions a predetermined number of times, and
notifying a user of an occurrence of an abnormality when the computer does not confirm the consistency in the combination of the software versions even after repeating the process the predetermined number of times.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukuyo Satoru
• Ishikawa Tomoyasu
• Satoh Yusuke

Classifications

• G06F8/71 Primary

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G06F8/454

  Consistency (cache consistency protocols in hierarchically structured memory systems G06F12/0815) · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F8/61 Primary

  Installation · CPC title

• G06F11/1433

  during software upgrading · CPC title