Method and device for the robust updating of firmware of a vehicle via an air interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017123784-A1
Application number	US-201615337002-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, in which data are exchanged with a backend via the air interface through a connection module, the data are managed by a data management module inside the vehicle, the connection module and the data management module are coordinated by a coordination layer, the connection module and the coordination layer are monitored by a monitoring layer, and the data are requested as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, comprising:
exchanging data with a backend via the air interface through a connection module; managing the data by a data management module inside the vehicle; coordinating the connection module and the data management module by a coordination layer; monitoring the connection module and the coordination layer by a monitoring layer; and requesting the data as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
initiating, by the connection module, an autonomous interaction with the backend and a noting and evaluation of last known vehicle states; and initiating, by the connection module, an autonomous carrying out of an assigned download or upload, and a robust handling of a connection via the air interface.

3 . The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
initiating, by the data management module, an autonomous storing and granting of access; and initiating, by the data management module, a reserving and release of storage space that is a function of the coordination layer.

4 . The method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
using, by the coordination layer, a vehicle update client as a function of the vehicle states and states of control devices and corresponding software update clients; controlling, by the vehicle update client controls the software update clients with starts, pauses, and stops, querying the software update clients, and providing information to the software update clients; and supplying, by the software update clients, a status and requests to the vehicle update client.

5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the coordination layer initiates an installation and, as needed, a rollback as a function of at least one of the following circumstances:
the vehicle states can be queried and correspond to specified target values; a vehicle owner or driver of the vehicle agrees to the installation; the states of the control devices can be queried and correspond to specified target values; a time required for the installation is known overall and for the relevant control devices; a time required for the rollback is known overall and for the relevant control devices; a state of progress of the software update clients can be queried and corresponds to specified target values; a functionality of the software update clients and control devices can be used; a flow logic or configuration indicates how long has to be waited for an item of information that is not accessible; an access to update and rollback data of all components involved is possible; or update and rollback data are locally present.

6 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the installation takes place with a control authority limited to a target object, and includes a controlling, checking, decision, execution, and monitoring of the installation; and the installation takes place with a permission granted by the coordination layer.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring layer autonomously initiates a monitoring and evaluation of at least one of the following circumstances:
an availability of coupled instances; and a last known state of adjacent instances.

8 . A machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform:
exchanging data with a backend via the air interface through a connection module; managing the data by a data management module inside the vehicle; coordinating the connection module and the data management module by a coordination layer; monitoring the connection module and the coordination layer by a monitoring layer; and requesting the data as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

9 . A device for updating firmware of a vehicle via an air interface, the designed to:
exchange data with a backend via the air interface through a connection module; manage the data by a data management module inside the vehicle; coordinate the connection module and the data management module by a coordination layer; monitor the connection module and the coordination layer by a monitoring layer; and request the data as needed by the coordination layer for an installation.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Zymeri Gafur
• Schneider Klaus
• Blaschke Volker
• Fischer Wolfgang

Classifications

• H04L67/34

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04L67/42

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F8/65 Primary

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

• H04L41/082 Primary

  the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality · CPC title