Methods and apparatus for updating software components in coordination with operational modes of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9600266-B2
Application number	US-201214646880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2012
Priority date	Dec 5, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for updating at least one software component of a motor vehicle in coordination with predetermined safe operational modes of the vehicle permitting the updating without danger to a driver operating the motor vehicle. The method operates such that a receiver circuit of a hub controller of the motor vehicle receives and stores a software update module in a memory of the hub controller. A processor of the hub controller determines an operational condition of the motor vehicle and selectively updates at least one software component of the motor vehicle with the software update module responsive to the operational condition of the motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating without danger to a driver operating the motor vehicle. Preferably, the updating of the at least one software component with the software update module takes place only during DPF regeneration.

First claim

Having described the example embodiments, we claim:

1. A method in a hub controller of an associated motor vehicle for coordinating an update of at least one software component of the associated motor vehicle with an operational condition of the motor vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving by a receiver circuit of the hub controller a software update module;
storing the software update module in a memory of the hub controller;
determining by a processor of the hub controller the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle, wherein the determining comprises receiving a signal from an associated diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration subsystem device of the associated motor vehicle, the signal being representative of the DPF regeneration subsystem device performing a DPF regeneration operation; and,
selectively updating the at least one software component of the associated motor vehicle by the processor with the software update module from the memory responsive to receiving the signal representative of the DPF regeneration subsystem device performing the DPF regeneration operation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining by the processor of the hub controller an estimated update time parameter representative of an update time period required for updating the at least one software component of the motor vehicle with the software update module; and,
determining by the processor of the hub controller an estimated safe operational mode time parameter representative of a window time period available for updating the at least one software component of the motor vehicle with the software update module while the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle is in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating,
wherein the updating comprises selectively updating the at least one software component of the motor vehicle by the processor with the software update module responsive to a predetermined relative difference between the estimated safe operational mode time parameter representative of the window time period available for updating the at least one software component and the estimated update time parameter representative of the update time period required for updating the at least one software component.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving comprises receiving by the receiver circuit of the hub controller a software update module comprising a plurality of software update modules, each of the plurality of software update modules being directed to updating corresponding ones of a plurality of subsystem software components of subsystem devices of the associated motor vehicle operatively coupled with the hub controller; and,
the updating comprises selectively updating at least one of the plurality of subsystem software components of at least one subsystem device of the associated motor vehicle by the processor with a corresponding software update module of the plurality of software update modules responsive to determining the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
determining by the processor of the hub controller an update interdependence relationship between first and second software update modules of the plurality of software update modules, wherein the second software update module requires the first software update module for operation of the second software update module; and,
selectively updating the plurality of subsystem software components with the plurality of software update modules in accordance with the update interdependence relationship wherein a first subsystem software component is updated with the first software update module prior to a second subsystem software component being updated with the second software update module.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving comprises receiving by the receiver circuit of the hub controller a software update module comprising a plurality of software update modules, each of the plurality of software update modules being directed to updating corresponding ones of a plurality of subsystem software components of subsystem devices of the associated motor vehicle; and,
the updating comprises selectively updating each of the subsystem software components of the subsystem devices of the associated motor vehicle by the processor with a corresponding one of the plurality of software update modules of the software update module responsive to the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the updating comprises selectively updating at least one software component of the hub controller with the software update module responsive to determining the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving comprises receiving the software update module by a receiver circuit of an electronic control unit of an anti-lock brake system of the associated motor vehicle;
the storing comprises storing the software update module in a memory of the electronic control unit of the anti-lock brake system;
the determining comprises determining by a processor of the electronic control unit of the anti-lock brake system the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle; and,
the updating comprises selectively updating the at least one software component of the associated motor vehicle by the processor of the electronic control unit of the anti-lock brake system with the software update module responsive to determining the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the determining comprises determining by the processor the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating by:
determining a condition of an ignition circuit of the associated motor vehicle being deactivated; and,
determining a condition of an electronic communication network of the associated motor vehicle operatively coupled with the hub controller being functionally activated.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the determining comprises determining by the processor the operational condition of the associated motor vehicle being in a predetermined safe operational mode permitting the updating by:
determining a first software component of the at least one software components of the associated motor vehicle being not essential to normal operation of the associated motor vehicle during the updating; and,
selectively updating the first software component with the software update module during the normal operation of the associated motor vehicle.

10. A method in a hub controller of an associated motor vehicle for coordinating an update of at least one software component of the associated motor vehicle with an operational condition of the motor vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving by the receiver circuit of the hub controller a software update module comprising a plurality of software update modules, each of the plurality of software update modules being directed to updating corresponding ones of a plurality of subsystem software components of subsystem devices of the associated motor vehicle operatively coupled with the hub controller;
storing the software update module in a memory of th

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc
• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Molin Hans M
• Pandy Ananda
• Amato William P

Classifications

• F01N9/002

  of filter regeneration · CPC title

• B60T8/176

  Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel slip during vehicle deceleration, e.g. ABS (B60T8/1755 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

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