JP7600930B2 - Center for controlling software updates - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a center that controls software updates for electronic control units installed in vehicles.

A vehicle is equipped with multiple electronic control units (ECUs) for controlling the operation of the vehicle. The electronic control unit includes a processor, a temporary storage unit such as RAM, and a non-volatile memory that is a non-volatile storage unit such as flash ROM. The processor executes software stored in the non-volatile memory to realize the control functions of the electronic control unit. The software stored in each electronic control unit is rewritable, and by updating to a newer version of the software, it is possible to improve the functions of each electronic control unit or add new vehicle control functions.

One known technology for updating software in an electronic control unit is OTA (Over The Air) technology, in which an in-vehicle communication device connected to an in-vehicle network is wirelessly connected to a communication network such as the Internet, and a device responsible for updating the vehicle's software downloads software from a server via wireless communication, writes and installs the downloaded software in the electronic control unit, and activates the installed software, thereby updating or adding software to the electronic control unit. For example, see Patent Document 1.

JP 2017-149323 A

In software updates using OTA, the center may need to use a human-machine interface (HMI) or other means to provide advance explanations about the software update to vehicle users and administrators. However, because the explanations about the software update use content (terminology, sizes, diagrams, etc.) that is uniformly set for all vehicle users and administrators, there is a risk that the explanations may not be appropriate for some users and administrators.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a center that can properly explain software updates to vehicle users, administrators, and others.

In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the disclosed technology is a center that controls software updates for an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, the center including: a communication unit that communicates with the vehicle and an information terminal linked to the vehicle; an acquisition unit that acquires information about the user of the vehicle from the information terminal linked to the vehicle; a determination unit that determines a user type corresponding to the user of the vehicle based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a control unit that distributes an explanation about the software update to the vehicle based on the user type determined by the determination unit for the vehicle that is the target of the software update.

The center disclosed herein can provide appropriate explanations about software updates to vehicle users, administrators, etc.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a network system according to an embodiment; Block diagram showing the general configuration of the center Center functional block diagram Block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the OTA master OTA Master Functional Block Diagram Flowchart of the process for setting user type performed by the center Flowchart of distribution process of explanation regarding software update performed by the center An example of user type information stored by the center

According to the present disclosure, the center that controls the software update of the electronic control unit mounted on the vehicle provides an explanation about the software update to the user, manager, etc. of the vehicle according to the user type set based on the information about the user. This allows the explanation about the software update to be appropriately provided to the user, manager, etc. of the vehicle.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Embodiment>
[System configuration]
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a network system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network system shown in Fig. 1 is a system for updating software of a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 50a to 50d mounted on a vehicle, and includes a center 10 located outside the vehicle, an in-vehicle network 90 established within the vehicle, and an information terminal 95 linked to the vehicle.

(1) Center The center 10 can communicate with the OTA master 30 (described later) provided in the in-vehicle network 90 via the network 100, and can control and manage software updates of the multiple electronic control units 50a to 50d connected to the OTA master 30 by sending notifications of software updates to vehicle users and administrators, sending information defining software update data and update processing procedures for the electronic control units 50a to 50d, and receiving notifications indicating the progress of the software update processing. This center 10 has a function as a so-called server. The center 10 can also communicate with an information terminal 95 via the network 100, and can receive various information (hereinafter referred to as "information about the user") regarding the user's preferences, lifestyle, habits, etc., including operations on the information terminal 95 performed by the vehicle user or administrator.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the center 10 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the center 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a storage device 13, and a communication device 14. The storage device 13 is a device equipped with a readable and writable storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores a program for performing software update management, information used for software update control and update management, and software update data for each electronic control unit. In the center 10, the CPU 11 executes a program read from the storage device 13 using the RAM 12 as a working area, thereby performing a predetermined process related to software updates. The communication device 14 is a device for communicating with the OTA master 30 and the information terminal 95 via the network 100.

Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the center 10 shown in Figure 2. The center 10 shown in Figure 3 includes a memory unit 16, a communication unit 17, a control unit 18, an acquisition unit 19, and a determination unit 20. The memory unit 16 is realized by the storage device 13 shown in Figure 2. The communication unit 17, the control unit 18, the acquisition unit 19, and the determination unit 20 are realized by the CPU 11 shown in Figure 2 executing a program stored in the storage device 13 using the RAM 12.

The storage unit 16 stores information related to software update processing of one or more electronic control units mounted on the vehicle. As information related to the software update processing, the storage unit 16 stores at least update management information in which information indicating software available in the electronic control units 50a to 50d is associated with each vehicle identification information (vehicle ID) that identifies the vehicle, and update data for the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d. As information indicating software available in the electronic control units 50a to 50d, for example, a combination of the latest version information of each software of the multiple electronic control units 50a to 50d is defined. As information related to the software update processing, the storage unit 16 can store an update status indicating the update status of the software being performed in the vehicle. As information related to the software update processing, the storage unit 16 can store information related to an update sequence that indicates the procedure of the software update processing for issuing control instructions to the OTA master 30. In addition, the storage unit 16 can store user type information corresponding to a user type determined by the determination unit 20 described later.

Figure 8 shows an overview of an example of user type information stored in the storage unit 16 of the center 10. This user type information is information that defines the manner of explanation regarding software updates to be given to vehicle users, administrators, etc. in advance when updating software using OTA. The manner of explanation regarding software updates is determined to have different contents for each type classified according to the vehicle users, administrators, etc. assumed to be the subject of the explanation. In the example of Figure 8, type "2" is a user type defined for average users, etc. (standard users), and the manner of explanation regarding software updates is defined to be generally standard content (which can be set arbitrarily and the explanation is omitted). Type "1" is a user type defined for, for example, those who have difficulty reading small characters compared to standard users of type "2" (e.g., elderly people), and the manner of explanation regarding software updates is set to be simplified (summarized) compared to the content of type "2", not using vehicle technical terms (or using them less frequently), using larger font size, and using many visually easy-to-understand diagrams and charts. Type "3" is a user type defined for those who are more knowledgeable about vehicles and IT (e.g., experts) and those who are accustomed to operating smartphones (e.g., young people) than the standard user of type "2". The type "3" is set as the mode of explanation regarding software updates, such as making the content of the explanation more detailed (specialized), using more vehicle terminology, making the font size smaller, and using fewer diagrams that take up a large display area, compared to the content of type "2". Note that the user type information may be set to different content for each update software. Also, the storage unit 16 may store explanation data (e.g., HMI data) itself that is generated in advance to reflect the definition of the user type information, rather than the format of the user type information that defines the mode of explanation regarding software updates as shown in FIG. 8.

The communication unit 17 functions as a transmitting unit and a receiving unit that transmits and receives data, information, notifications, requests, etc. between the OTA master 30 (vehicle) and the information terminal 95. The communication unit 17 receives a software update confirmation request from the OTA master 30 (receiving unit). The update confirmation request is information transmitted from the OTA master 30 to the center 10 when, for example, the power or ignition is turned on in the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "power ON"), and is information for requesting the center 10 to confirm whether or not there is update data for the electronic control units 50a to 50d based on the vehicle configuration information described later. In addition, in response to the update confirmation request received from the OTA master 30, the communication unit 17 transmits information indicating the presence or absence of update data to the OTA master 30 (transmitting unit). In addition, the communication unit 17 receives a request to transmit a distribution package (download request) from the OTA master 30 (receiving unit). Furthermore, when the communication unit 17 receives a download request for a distribution package (reception unit), it transmits a distribution package including software update data for the electronic control units 50a to 50d generated by the control unit 18 described later to the OTA master 30 (transmission unit). Furthermore, the communication unit 17 receives information about the user of the information terminal 95 linked to the vehicle directly from the information terminal 95 or indirectly via the vehicle (reception unit). Furthermore, based on instructions from the control unit 18, the communication unit 17 transmits to the vehicle an explanation about the software update according to the user type determined by the determination unit 20 described later (transmission unit).

When the communication unit 17 receives an update confirmation request from the OTA master 30, the control unit 18 determines whether or not there is software update data for the electronic control units 50a to 50d installed in the vehicle identified by the vehicle ID included in the update confirmation request, based on the update management information stored in the memory unit 16. The control unit 18 transmits the determination result of whether or not there is update data to the OTA master 30 by the communication unit 17. When the control unit 18 determines that there is software update data for the electronic control units 50a to 50d, and receives a distribution package download request from the OTA master 30, it generates one or more distribution packages including the corresponding update data stored in the memory unit 16. The control unit 18 also acquires or generates data for explaining the software update based on the user type determined by the determination unit 20. The data for explaining the software update may be included in the distribution package together with the update data.

The acquisition unit 19 acquires information about the user of the vehicle directly from the information terminal 95 via the communication unit 17 or indirectly via the vehicle (e.g., via WiFi-DCM). The acquisition unit 19 can determine which information terminal 95 the information about the user comes from, based on unique information (user identification information) such as the identification ID of the information terminal 95 transmitted together with the information about the user of the vehicle. The timing and cycle at which the acquisition unit 19 acquires the information about the user can be set arbitrarily, and the acquisition method may be either a push type or a pull type. This information about the user includes at least information about the content (video images, music, emails, etc.) that the user is viewing or operating using the information terminal 95, and the user's spoken words (phone calls, messages, etc.).

The determination unit 20 determines the user type corresponding to the vehicle user, administrator, etc., based on the information on the vehicle user acquired by the acquisition unit 19. The information on the user is accumulated for each information terminal 95 based on the information unique to the information terminal 95, and is analyzed/analyzed to determine the user type. As a method of determining the user type, for example, when there is a lot (or high frequency) of information that the information terminal 95 is operated with large display characters, or when there is a lot of information that a homepage described in text is viewed, the user type of the user or administrator who sent the information can be determined to be "1". In addition, when there is a lot of information that the information terminal 95 is operated by frequently using scrolls, flicks, and swipes, or when there is a lot of information that a music distribution site or a video distribution site is viewed, the user type of the user or administrator who sent the information can be determined to be "3". Then, the user type of the user or administrator who does not correspond to either user type "1" or "3" can be determined to be "2". The user type determined by the determination unit 20 is associated with the vehicle and/or user identification information (information terminal 95) and stored in the memory unit 16.

(2) Information Terminal The information terminal 95 is a device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, a network camera (monitoring camera), and a smart speaker owned by a user or manager of the vehicle. This information terminal 95 is connected to the center 10 via the network 100 directly or indirectly via the vehicle so as to be able to communicate with the center 10. The information terminal 95 of this embodiment transmits information (raw data or processed data) about the user, which is information about the contents (moving images, music, e-mail, etc.) that the user or the like is viewing or operating using the information terminal 95, and the spoken words (phone calls, messages, etc.) of the user or the like, to the center 10. This information terminal 95 is linked to the vehicle by, for example, registering and managing unique information (terminal ID, etc.) in the vehicle. In addition, the unique information (terminal ID, etc.) of this information terminal 95 is linked to user identification information (user ID, etc.). Note that the user ID may be the same as the terminal ID. The information terminal 95 linked to the vehicle or user identification information is not limited to one, and may be multiple.

(3) In-Vehicle Network The in-vehicle network 90 includes an OTA master 30, a plurality of electronic control units 50a to 50d, a display device 70, and a communication module 80. The OTA master 30 and the communication module 80 are connected via a bus 60a. The OTA master 30 and the electronic control units 50a and 50b are connected via a bus 60b. The OTA master 30 and the electronic control units 50c and 50d are connected via a bus 60c. The OTA master 30 and the display device 70 are connected via a bus 60d.

The OTA master 30 can communicate wirelessly with the center 10 via the network 100 through the bus 60a and the communication module 80. The OTA master 30 can also communicate wired with the electronic control units 50a to 50d and the display device 70 through the buses 60b to 60d. The OTA master 30 is a device that has the function of managing the OTA state and controlling the update sequence, which is the flow of the software update process, to perform software updates of the electronic control units to be updated (hereinafter referred to as "target electronic control units"). The OTA master 30 controls software updates of the target electronic control units among the electronic control units 50a to 50d based on update data acquired from the center 10. The OTA master 30 can also control the appropriate screen display on the display device 70 based on information and notifications related to software updates received from the center 10. The OTA master 30 is sometimes called a central gateway (CGW).

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the OTA master 30 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the OTA master 30 includes a CPU 31, a RAM 32, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 33, a storage device 34, and a communication device 36. The CPU 31, RAM 32, ROM 33, and storage device 34 constitute a microcomputer 35. In the OTA master 30, the CPU 31 executes a program read from the ROM 33 using the RAM 32 as a working area, thereby performing a predetermined process related to software updates. The communication device 36 is a device for communicating with the communication module 80, the electronic control units 50a to 50d, and the display device 70, respectively, via the buses 60a to 60d shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the OTA master 30 shown in Figure 4. The OTA master 30 shown in Figure 5 includes a memory unit 37, a communication unit 38, and a control unit 39. The memory unit 37 is realized by the storage device 34 shown in Figure 4. The communication unit 38 and the control unit 39 are realized by the CPU 31 shown in Figure 4 executing a program stored in the ROM 33 using the RAM 32.

The storage unit 37 stores a program for executing software updates for the multiple electronic control units 50a-50d (a control program for the OTA master 30), various data used when executing software updates, and software update data downloaded from the center 10. The storage unit 37 can also store information about the type of non-volatile memory installed in each of the multiple electronic control units 50a-50d. The storage unit 37 can also store information (such as a terminal ID) about the information terminal 95 linked to the vehicle.

The communication unit 38 functions as a transmitter and a receiver that transmits and receives data, information, notifications, requests, and the like to and from the center 10. The communication unit 38 transmits a software update confirmation request to the center 10, for example, when the vehicle is turned on (transmitter). The update confirmation request includes, for example, a vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle and information on the current version of the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d connected to the in-vehicle network 90. The vehicle ID and the current version of the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d are used to determine whether or not there is update data for the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d by comparing them with the latest version of the software held by the center 10 for each vehicle ID. The communication unit 38 also receives a notification indicating the presence or absence of update data from the center 10 in response to the update confirmation request (receiver). When there is software update data for the electronic control units 50a-50d, the communication unit 38 transmits a download request for a distribution package including the software update data to the center 10 (transmission unit), and receives (downloads) the distribution package transmitted from the center 10 (reception unit). The communication unit 38 also transmits the update status of the software transmitted by the electronic control units 50a-50d to the center 10 (transmission unit). Based on instructions from the control unit 39, the communication unit 38 can also display information related to the software update, notifications related to the transmission of that information, and the software update status on the display device 70.

The control unit 39 determines whether there is update data for the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d based on the response from the center 10 to the update confirmation request received by the communication unit 38. The control unit 39 also verifies the authenticity of the update data that the communication unit 38 receives (downloads) from the center 10 in a distribution package and stores in the memory unit 37. The control unit 39 also uses the update data downloaded from the center 10 to control the software update process (installation, activation, etc.) of the electronic control units 50a to 50d. Specifically, the control unit 39 transfers the downloaded update data to the target electronic control unit and causes the target electronic control unit to install update software based on the update data. After the installation is completed, the control unit 39 instructs the target electronic control unit to activate the installed update software.

The multiple electronic control units 50a-50d are devices (ECUs) for controlling the operation of each part of the vehicle. In FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the in-vehicle network 90 includes four electronic control units 50a-50d, but the number of electronic control units is not particularly limited. In addition, the number of buses connecting the electronic control units 50a-50d to the OTA master 30 is also not particularly limited.

The display device 70 is a device used to perform various displays, such as displaying that there is update data during software update processing of the electronic control units 50a to 50d, displaying an explanation of the software update based on the user type, displaying a consent request screen for requesting consent to the software update from the vehicle user or administrator, and displaying the results and status of the software update. A display device of a car navigation system can typically be used as the display device 70. In this embodiment, the display device 70 receives information and notifications transmitted from the center 10 via the OTA master 30, but the display device 70 may receive the information and notifications directly from the communication module 80 without going through the OTA master 30, or directly via another communication device (such as a WiFi-DCM) not shown in the figure instead of the communication module 80. In addition to the display device 70, an electronic control unit or the like may be further connected to the bus 60d shown in FIG. 1.

The communication module 80 is a unit with the function of controlling communication between the center 10 and the vehicle, and is a communication device for connecting the in-vehicle network 90 to the center 10. The communication module 80 is wirelessly connected to the center 10 via the network 100, and performs vehicle authentication by the OTA master 30, downloading update data, and the like. This communication module 80 may be configured as part of the OTA master 30.

[Overview of the software update process]
The OTA master 30 transmits a software update confirmation request to the center 10, for example, when the power supply of the vehicle is turned on. The update confirmation request includes a vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle, and vehicle configuration information, which is information on the state (system configuration) of the electronic control units 50a to 50d connected to the in-vehicle network 90, such as the current versions of the hardware and software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d. The vehicle configuration information can be created by acquiring the identification number (ECU_ID) of the electronic control unit and the identification number (ECU_Software_ID) of the software version of the electronic control unit from the electronic control units 50a to 50d connected to the in-vehicle network 90. The vehicle ID and the current version of the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d are used to determine whether or not there is update data for the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d by comparing them with the latest version of the software held by the center 10 for each vehicle ID. The center 10 transmits to the OTA master 30, in response to the update confirmation request received from the OTA master 30, a notification indicating the presence or absence of update data, information regarding software updates, and the like. If there is update data for the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d, the OTA master 30 transmits a download request for a distribution package to the center 10. In response to the download request received from the OTA master 30, the center 10 transmits a distribution package including the update data and the like to the OTA master 30. In addition to the update data, the distribution package may include verification data for verifying the authenticity of the update data, the number and type information of the update data, various control information used when updating the software, and the like.

The OTA master 30 determines whether there is update data for the software of the electronic control units 50a to 50d based on the response to the update confirmation request received from the center 10. The OTA master 30 also verifies the authenticity of the distribution package received from the center 10 and stored in the storage device 13. The OTA master 30 also transfers the update data downloaded in the distribution package to the target electronic control unit and causes the target electronic control unit to install the update data. After the installation is complete, the OTA master 30 instructs the target electronic control unit to activate the installed updated software.

In addition, in the consent request process, the center 10 causes the output device to output information explaining the software update, a notification that consent is required for the software update, and a notification prompting input that the software update has been consented to. The output device may be a display device 70 or an information terminal 95 provided in the in-vehicle network 90. For example, in the consent request process, if information to be explained in advance to the vehicle user or administrator can be displayed on the screen of the display device 70, the display device 70 is used as the output device. When the display device 70 is used as the output device, the OTA master 30 can display information about the software update, a consent request screen for requesting consent to the software update from the user or administrator, and a notification prompting a specific input operation such as pressing an consent button if the user or administrator consents, on the display device 70. When the center 10 receives input indicating consent from the user or administrator via the OTA master 30, it instructs the OTA master 30 to execute the above-mentioned installation and activation control process, and updates the software of the target electronic control unit.

Here, if the non-volatile memory of the target electronic control unit is a single bank memory having one storage area for storing data such as software, in principle, installation and activation are performed consecutively, so consent request processing for software update is performed before installation is performed. Note that even if the target electronic control unit is a single bank memory, depending on the information on the update sequence instructed by the center 10, it may be requested to temporarily stop the update processing when installation is complete, that is, to put activation on hold (wait). Also, if the non-volatile memory of the target electronic control unit is a dual bank memory having two storage areas for storing data such as software, consent request processing for software update is performed at least after installation is performed and before activation is performed. Note that if the non-volatile memory of the target electronic control unit is a dual bank memory, consent request processing for software update before installation may be performed or may be omitted.

The software update process consists of a phase in which the OTA master 30 downloads update data from the center 10 (download phase), a phase in which the OTA master 30 transfers the downloaded update data to the target electronic control unit and installs update software based on the update data in the storage area of the target electronic control unit (installation phase), and a phase in which the target electronic control unit activates the installed update software (activation phase).

Downloading is a process in which the OTA master 30 receives update data for updating the software of the electronic control unit, which is transmitted from the center 10 in a distribution package, and stores it in the storage unit 37. When receiving update data by downloading, the download phase not only executes the download, but also includes control of a series of processes related to the download, such as determining whether the download can be executed and verifying the update data.

The update data transmitted from the center 10 to the OTA master 30 may include update software for the electronic control unit (all data or difference data), compressed data obtained by compressing the update software, or divided data obtained by dividing the update software or compressed data. The update data may also include the ECU_ID (or serial number) of the target electronic control unit and the ECU_Software_ID of the target electronic control unit before the update. The update data is downloaded as the distribution package described above, and the distribution package includes update data for a single electronic control unit or multiple electronic control units.

Installation is a process in which the OTA master 30 writes update software (an updated program) to the non-volatile memory of the target electronic control unit based on the update data downloaded from the center 10. The installation phase not only executes the installation, but also includes control of a series of processes related to the installation, such as determining whether or not the installation can be executed, transferring the update data, and verifying the update software.

If the update data includes the update software itself (all data), in the installation phase, the OTA master 30 transfers the update data (update software) to the target electronic control unit. Also, if the update data includes compressed data, difference data, or divided data of the update software, the OTA master 30 may transfer the update data to the target electronic control unit, and the target electronic control unit may generate the update software from the update data, or the OTA master 30 may generate the update software from the update data and then transfer the update software to the target electronic control unit. Here, the update software can be generated by decompressing the compressed data or assembling (integrating) the difference data or divided data.

The target electronic control unit can install the update software based on an installation request from the OTA master 30. Note that for a specific target electronic control unit that has received the update data, the installation may be performed autonomously without receiving an explicit instruction from the OTA master 30.

Activation is a process in which the target electronic control unit activates the update software installed in its own non-volatile memory. The activation phase not only executes the activation, but also includes a series of controls related to the activation, such as determining whether or not to execute the activation, requesting consent to the activation from the vehicle user or administrator, and verifying the execution results.

The target electronic control unit can activate the update software based on an activation request from the OTA master 30. Note that for a specific target electronic control unit that has received the update data, the activation can be performed autonomously after the installation is complete, without receiving an explicit instruction from the OTA master 30.

The software update process can be performed consecutively or in parallel for each of the multiple target electronic control units.

In addition, the "software update process" in this specification includes not only a process in which download, installation, and activation are all performed consecutively, but also a process in which only some of the download, installation, and activation are performed.

[process]
Next, with further reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a process relating to software update executed in the network system of this embodiment will be described.

Figure 6 is a flowchart that explains an example of a process in which the center 10 sets a user type to be linked to a vehicle or an information terminal 95 based on information about the user acquired from the information terminal 95. The process shown in Figure 6 is started when the center 10 acquires information about the user from any information terminal 95.

(Step S601)
The center 10 identifies the user or administrator (hereinafter referred to as the "user of the information terminal 95") who is using the information terminal 95 that has transmitted the information about the user. The user of the information terminal 95 can be identified based on unique information, such as the terminal ID of the information terminal 95, transmitted together with the information, and by vehicle and user identification information that are linked to the information terminal 95 and registered for management in advance. When the user of the information terminal 95 is identified, the process proceeds to step S602.

(Step S602)
The center 10 judges whether or not sufficient information has been accumulated about the user of the information terminal 95 identified in step S601. "Sufficient information has been accumulated" means, for example, that enough information has been accumulated to predict how to explain the update software to the user of the information terminal 95 in a suitable manner by analyzing the plurality of pieces of accumulated information. If sufficient information about the user of the information terminal 95 has been accumulated (step S602, Yes), the process proceeds to step S603. On the other hand, if sufficient information about the user of the information terminal 95 has not yet been accumulated (step S602, No), the process ends.

(Step S603)
Based on the accumulated user-related information, the center 10 determines the user type corresponding to the user of the information terminal 95. As described above in relation to the determination unit 20, the user type can be determined based on the user's preferences and lifestyle, such as what the user has seen and what he or she has spoken about. Once the user type of the user of the information terminal 95 has been determined, the process proceeds to step S604.

(Step S604)
The center 10 sets the user type determined in step S603 as the user type of the user of the information terminal 95 identified in step S601 (or the user type of the vehicle linked to the user of the information terminal 95). When the user type is set, this process ends.

By repeatedly performing the above-mentioned steps S601 to S604, the center 10 sets a user type that determines the manner of explanation regarding the software update that is suitable for the vehicle user, administrator, etc.

Figure 7 is a flowchart that explains an example of a process performed by the center 10 to distribute an explanation about a software update based on a user type. The process shown in Figure 7 is started when a request for a software update is generated from the vehicle, for example, when the center 10 receives a download request from the OTA master 30.

(Step S701)
The center 10 identifies the vehicle requesting the software update. This identification of the vehicle is possible, for example, by vehicle identification information (vehicle ID) for identifying the vehicle that is transmitted together with the request. When the vehicle requesting the software update is identified, the process proceeds to step S702.

(Step S702)
The center 10 determines the user type set (linked) to the vehicle identified in step S701 above. As a specific example, the center 10 determines whether the user type set to the vehicle is standard or non-standard. In the case of the user type information exemplified in FIG. 8, if the user type is "2", it is determined to be standard, and if the user type is "1" or "3", it is determined to be non-standard. If the user type set to the vehicle is standard (step S702, standard), processing proceeds to step S703. On the other hand, if the user type set to the vehicle is non-standard (step S702, non-standard), processing proceeds to step S704.

(Step S703)
The center 10 selects a predetermined standard (default) software update explanation as a form of software update explanation suitable for the user or manager of the identified vehicle. In the case of the user type information exemplified in Fig. 8, an explanation in the form of user type "2" is selected. When the standard software update explanation is selected, the process proceeds to step S705.

(Step S704)
The center 10 selects an explanation regarding the software update based on the determined user type as a form of explanation regarding the software update suitable for the user or manager of the identified vehicle. In the case of the user type information exemplified in Fig. 8, an explanation in the form of user type "1" or "3" is selected. When an explanation regarding the software update based on the determined user type is selected, the process proceeds to step S705.

(Step S705)
The center 10 distributes the explanation regarding the software update selected in step S703 or S704 to the vehicle identified in step S601. When distributing to the vehicle, explanation data generated each time based on the mode of the explanation regarding the selected software update may be distributed, or explanation data prepared in advance for each mode may be obtained and distributed. When the explanation regarding the selected software update is distributed to the vehicle, this process ends.

By having the center 10 carry out the above-mentioned steps S701 to S705 prior to carrying out the software update, it is possible to provide an explanation regarding the software update using wording and illustrations that suit the individual preferences of the vehicle user or administrator, or content that is appropriate for their level of understanding.

<Action and Effects>
As described above, according to the center that controls software updates for an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an explanation regarding the software update is given to the user, manager, etc. of the vehicle according to a user type that is preset based on information regarding the user related to the user's preferences, lifestyle, habits, etc. This process makes it possible to give an appropriate explanation regarding the software update to the user, manager, etc. of the vehicle.

Although one embodiment of the disclosed technology has been described above, the present disclosure can be understood not only as a center, but also as a method executed by a center equipped with a processor and memory, a program, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program, an OTA master capable of communicating with a center, or a vehicle equipped with an OTA master.

The disclosed technology can be used in centers that control software updates for electronic control units installed in vehicles.

10 Center 11, 31 CPU
12,32 RAM
13, 34 Storage device 14, 36 Communication device 16, 37 Storage unit 17, 38 Communication unit 18, 39 Control unit 19 Acquisition unit 20 Determination unit 30 OTA master 33 ROM
35 Microcomputers 50a to 50d Electronic Control Unit (ECU)
60a to 60d Bus 70 Display device 80 Communication module 90 In-vehicle network 95 Information terminal 100 Network

Claims (1)

A center for controlling software updates of an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
A communication unit that communicates between the vehicle and an information terminal associated with the vehicle;
an acquisition unit that acquires information about a user of the vehicle from an information terminal associated with the vehicle;
a determination unit that determines a user type corresponding to a user of the vehicle based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit;
a control unit that distributes an explanation regarding the software update to the vehicle based on the user type determined by the determination unit for the vehicle that is a target of the software update ,
The control unit is
if the user type indicates a standard user, delivering instructions regarding the software update to the vehicle in a first text size and a first graphic;
When the user type indicates a user who has difficulty seeing small characters compared to the standard user, an explanation regarding the software update is delivered to the vehicle using a second character size larger than the first character size and a second diagram that is visually easier to understand than the first diagram;
If the user type indicates a user who is more familiar with operating the vehicle or smartphone than the standard user, the center delivers to the vehicle an explanation regarding the software update using a third character size smaller than the first character size and a third diagram having a smaller display area than the first diagram .

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