Method and program for verifying new software versions in a redundant system - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a method capable of verifying a software version and tracing back to old data and records without limit when switching software versions with almost no cost or effort. The present invention relates to a method for verifying the software version of a vehicle in a system and a computer program product including code devices suitable for carrying out the steps of the method, the system controlling the vehicle according to input data and recording output data of the vehicle, in which the software is checked on the vehicle, a side-by-side comparison of an old and a new software version, each of which is non-productive, is carried out in an inactive state of the system, and a switchover to the productive software version is carried out by transitioning the system to an active state.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for validating the software version of a vehicle and to a computer program product comprising code devices suitable for the execution of the steps of said method when said method is executed on a computer. [Background technology]

[0002] According to the following Patent Document 1, a method is known for evaluating an application for controlling a process inside an automation system and a control device of such an automation system. The application is stored in a controller, at least two versions of which exist in the controller. The method includes the following steps: inputting an input signal received from the process to various versions of the application, executing a task based on the input signal in the control for the various versions, generating a report including a comparison of outputs from the various versions of the application, and determining, based on the generated report, the version(s) not used for controlling the process.

[0003] The functionality of software or systems is security critical, so the costs of security are enormous due to the continuous further development and the multiple overlapping generations of software and systems for automatically securing the software.

[0004] In order to ensure such security, a vehicle must then be provided in time in which the new software is checked. If a "closed loop system", i.e. a system that controls the vehicle according to input data, is operated and checked, there is a very limited ability to go back to old data and records, and therefore new data must actually be entered or incorporated. This entails high costs and a relatively large effort. Typically, one tries to record data in software development and re-simulate with the new software only if there are changes during the availability period. This works well as long as the system response does not change. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2007 / 100292(A1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for verifying software versions with little cost and effort, and for allowing unlimited retroactive access to old data and records when switching software versions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments and developments emerge in particular from the dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a method for verifying a vehicle software version in a system which controls the vehicle depending on input data and subsequently records output data of the vehicle and checks the software on the vehicle, in which a side-by-side comparison of an old software version and a new software version, each of which is non-productive, is performed in an inactive state of the system and a switch-over to the productive software version is performed by transitioning to an active state of the system.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, the subject of the present invention is a method for verifying the software version of a vehicle in a system for controlling the vehicle according to input data and subsequently recording output data of the vehicle and checking the software on the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: Not in production A side-by-side comparison of the old and new software versions is performed, and the system transitions to an active state to improve production. In the stage This is resolved by switching to a new software version.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a first of a number of software passes, information obtained from a recording of the vehicle's output data is processed by an older software version.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a second of the software passes, the new software version is applied based on the vehicle's input data, and in a comparison pass, the differences between the old and new software versions are detected and stored. Preferably, the above applying, detecting and storing are performed during vehicle operation in an inactive state of the system, particularly when the system is installed but not activated, in other words, the system is not actively used.

[0012] When the system is switched to the active state, the software parts that are checked are preferably configured to the current version (production series status) and the system is enabled after a predefined time interval. When employing existing algorithms, this process is advantageously quick, since it only requires a new loading of the neural network weights, and can be performed within a few seconds.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system response of the old and new software versions is adapted to the response of the vehicle driver, thereby advantageously providing additional input for a "natural" or correct driving.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a computer program product comprising code devices suitable for carrying out each step of the method according to the first aspect of the invention when said method is executed on a computer.

[0015] Advantageously, the idea of ​​the present invention allows for a comparison of old and new software versions on existing hardware, preferably performed while connected to the network, to check the new scene, thereby preventing "overfitting" to existing data. Moreover, such security can be achieved by customer fleets where the hardware is installed but not activated, or where the hardware is not actually used.

[0016] Furthermore, by comparison with a known older software version, a field comparison with known quality is directly available. Furthermore, preferably, only the differences can be transferred from the newer software version to the older software version, thus allowing automatic selection of critical or interesting scenes.

[0017] This makes it possible to verify software versions with almost no cost or effort, and to provide unlimited retroactive access to old data and records when switching software versions.

[0018] The invention will now be explained in more detail with the aid of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a software-based implementation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention for verifying a vehicle's software version in a system for checking software on a vehicle, parallel software execution and multiple software path comparisons are performed to compare an old software version with a new software version. The system controls the vehicle according to input data, and the output data of the vehicle is subsequently recorded.

[0021] The information of the old software version is processed in the control device path, and based on the vehicle input data, the new software version is applied on another one of the multiple software paths, and then the differences are detected and stored in the comparison path.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, this is done while the vehicle is in operation, without activating the system: if the customer wishes to activate the system, the software parts that should have been checked correctly are reset to the current version, and the system is offered to the driver of the vehicle again after a short period of time.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a software-based implementation according to another preferred embodiment of the invention. According to this preferred embodiment of the invention, a unit 1 is provided which comprises a Processing Unit (PU) 2, which is provided on an individual chip or chip module. The Processing Unit 2 comprises any processor unit or any computer body including a control unit which executes the control using software routines of a control program. The software routines are stored in a Memory Unit 3, also called Memory (MEM). Program code instructions are retrieved from the MEM 3 and loaded into the control unit of the PU 2 to execute the individual process steps of the method according to the invention. The processing steps of the blocks 1 and 2 can be performed on the basis of input data (DI: Data Input) and can generate output data (DO: Data Output). The input data DI corresponds to data or signals communicated and / or detected, and the output data DO corresponds to data or signals which are or should be communicated to another unit.

Claims

1. 1. A method for a system for controlling a vehicle in response to input data, recording output data of the vehicle, and in which software is checked on the vehicle, for the system to verify a version of software of the vehicle, comprising: A side-by-side comparison of an older non-production version of the software and a newer non-production version of the software is performed in an inactive state of the system, and transitioning to an active state of the system results in a switchover to the production version of the software. A method comprising:

2. In a first of a plurality of software passes, information obtained from the record of the output data of the vehicle is processed by an older version of the software.

2. The method of claim 1 .

3. In a second of a plurality of software passes, the new version of the software is applied based on the input data of the vehicle, and in a comparison pass, differences between the old version of the software and the new version of the software are detected and stored.

3. The method of claim 2.

4. The applying, detecting, and storing are performed during vehicle operation in the inactive state of the system.

4. The method of claim 3.

5. Upon transition of the system to the active state, the software portions to be checked are configured to their current versions; The system is enabled after a predefined time interval.

5. The method of claim 4.

6. A program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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