Charger memory for cached vehicle updates

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a charger memory for cached vehicle updates. In response to a powerline connection of a vehicle to an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), vehicle version information is received, the vehicle version information indicating whether the vehicle requires a software update downloaded to a non-transitory memory. If the vehicle requires a software update downloaded to a non-transitory memory, the software update is sent to the vehicle via the powerline connection. If the vehicle does not require a software update downloaded to a non-transitory memory, a software update is cached in the non-transitory memory via a wide area connection to a remote server for subsequent vehicle powerline connections.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a charger cache for storing vehicle updates. Background Art

[0002] An electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle may be charged at a relatively slow rate through a conventional electrical outlet, or at a relatively fast rate through a dedicated vehicle charger. In order to receive power from a vehicle charger or other type of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), the electric vehicle may need to be physically connected to and electrically associated with the EVSE. In some cases, the EVSE may perform authentication of the electric vehicle to ensure that the vehicle is authorized to use the charger, and also to ensure that the vehicle is billed for the charging time or energy consumed.

[0003] Over-the-air (OTA) software updates can be slow or unreliable because such updates are subject to the speed and signal strength of the wireless network over which they are received. Depending on the OTA update method or strategy, the time taken to download and install the update can cause inconvenience to the user. Summary of the invention

[0004] A system includes a non-transitory memory and a processor. The processor is configured to: in response to a powerline connection of a vehicle to an EVSE, receive vehicle version information indicating whether the vehicle requires a software update downloaded to the non-transitory memory. If the vehicle requires a software update downloaded to the non-transitory memory, send the software update to the vehicle via the powerline connection. If the vehicle does not require a software update downloaded to the non-transitory memory, a wide area network request to a remote server is cached in the non-transitory memory for a subsequent vehicle powerline connection software update.

[0005] A vehicle includes a processor configured to: in response to the vehicle associating to an EVSE via a powerline connection to receive a first charge of a traction battery, send version information via the powerline connection to cause the EVSE to download a software update to a memory of the EVSE; again connect to the EVSE to receive a second charge of the traction battery; and during the second charge, receive the software update from the memory via the powerline connection.

[0006] A method includes: in response to a powerline connection of a vehicle to an EVSE for charging the vehicle and receiving vehicle version information indicating whether the vehicle requires a software update, a request to a remote server over a wide area network is cached in a non-transitory memory of the EVSE for the software update to be provided to the vehicle during a subsequent vehicle powerline connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, an EVSE, and an update server are shown;

[0008] Figure 2 Further details of the EVSE are shown;

[0009] Figure 3 Further details of the vehicle are shown;

[0010] Figure 4 An example process for providing a cached software update from an EVSE to a vehicle is shown;

[0011] Figure 5 An example process is shown for a vehicle to receive a cached software update from an EVSE. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, which may be implemented in various forms and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various forms.

[0013] Fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles require extended charging periods and are often connected to a charger overnight. The connection of the vehicle to the charger may thus provide a unique opportunity to deliver software updates to the vehicle utilizing the physical connection of the charger to the vehicle.

[0014] The charger may communicate with a cloud-based software update server via a wired or wireless Internet connection. In response to the vehicle being connected to the charger, the charger queries the vehicle for current software level information and sends that information to the update server. If the update server identifies that the vehicle is eligible for one or more updates, the update server sends those software updates to the charger for storage until a future vehicle charging event. In response to the occurrence of a future vehicle charging event, the software updates will already be stored locally on the charger, and the software updates will be downloaded to the vehicle via the vehicle-charger physical connection.

[0015] By using a vehicle-to-charger physical connection, software updates to the vehicle can be completed with minimal customer downtime and without loss of connectivity features or functionality during the update. Additionally, because the software updates are stored locally, the process is significantly faster and more reliable than wireless OTA methods with the vehicle. Additionally, the system does not require any wireless capabilities of the vehicle. Additionally, the process can save costs by reducing module storage capacity on the vehicle that would otherwise be required by the OTA vehicle update process. Other aspects of the disclosure are discussed in further detail herein.

[0016] Figure 1 A typical plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is depicted. A typical plug-in hybrid electric vehicle 112 may include one or more electric machines 114 mechanically connected to a hybrid transmission 116. The electric machine 114 can operate as a motor or a generator. In addition, the hybrid transmission 116 is mechanically connected to an engine 118. The hybrid transmission 116 is also mechanically connected to a drive shaft 120, which is mechanically connected to wheels 122. The electric machine 114 can provide the ability to propel and decelerate when the engine 118 is turned on or off. The electric machine 114 also acts as a generator and can provide fuel economy benefits by recovering energy that is usually lost as heat in the friction braking system. The electric machine 114 can also reduce vehicle emissions by allowing the engine 118 to operate at a more efficient speed and allowing the hybrid electric vehicle 112 to operate in an electric mode with the engine 118 turned off under certain conditions.

[0017] The traction battery 124 stores energy that can be used by the motor 114. The traction battery 124 generally provides a high voltage direct current (DC) output. The traction battery 124 is electrically connected to one or more power electronics modules 126. One or more contactors (not shown) can isolate the traction battery 124 from other components when disconnected, and connect the traction battery 124 to other components when closed. The power electronics module 126 is also electrically connected to the motor 114 and provides the ability to transfer energy bidirectionally between the traction battery 124 and the motor 114. For example, a typical traction battery 124 can provide a DC voltage, and the motor 114 can require a three-phase AC current to operate. The power electronics module 126 can convert the DC voltage into the three-phase AC current required by the motor 114. In the regenerative mode, the power electronics module 126 can convert the three-phase AC current from the motor 114 used as a generator into the DC voltage required by the traction battery 124. The description here is also applicable to pure electric vehicles. For pure electric vehicles, the hybrid transmission 116 can be a gearbox connected to the motor 114, and the engine 118 may not exist.

[0018] The traction battery 124 may provide energy for other vehicle electrical systems in addition to providing energy for propulsion. A typical system may include a DC / DC converter module 128 that converts the high voltage DC output of the traction battery 124 to a low voltage DC power source that is compatible with other vehicle loads. Other high voltage electrical loads (such as compressors and electric heaters) may be connected directly to the high voltage DC output without using the DC / DC converter module 128. The low voltage systems may be electrically connected to an auxiliary battery 130 (e.g., a twelve volt battery).

[0019] The vehicle 112 may be an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle in which the traction battery 124 may be recharged by an external power source 136. The external power source 136 may be connected to an electrical outlet. The external power source 136 may be electrically connected to one or more EVSEs 138 (although Figure 1 138, but it should be noted that multiple EVSEs 138 may be connected to an external power source 136). The EVSE 138 may provide circuitry and controls to regulate and manage energy transfer between the power source 136 and the vehicle 112. The external power source 136 may provide DC or AC power to the EVSE 138. The EVSE 138 may have an EVSE connector 140 for plugging into a charging port 134 of the vehicle 112. The charging port 134 may be any type of port configured to transfer power from the EVSE 138 to the vehicle 112. The charging port 134 may be electrically connected to a charger or on-board power conversion module 132. The power conversion module 132 may condition the power supplied from the EVSE 138 to provide the appropriate voltage level and current level to the traction battery 124. The power conversion module 132 may interface with the EVSE 138 to coordinate power transfer with the vehicle 112. The EVSE connector 140 may have pins that mate with corresponding recesses of the charging port 134. Alternatively, the various components described as being electrically connected may transfer power using wireless inductive coupling.

[0020] In addition to transferring energy from the EVSE 138 to the vehicle 112, the EVSE 138 may also provide communication capabilities with the connected vehicle 112 using power line communications. One type of power line communications performed between the EVSE 138 and the vehicle 112 is an association process configured to allow the EVSE 138 and the vehicle 112 to recognize each other when the vehicle 112 is plugged in. The association process may be implemented in various ways, such as using a The Green PHY specification defines the Signal Level Attenuation Characteristic (SLAC) protocol. To implement the SLAC protocol, the vehicle 112 may include an update controller 142 configured to execute a controlled sequence of requests and responses to the requests.

[0021] Wide area network 144 may include one or more interconnected communication networks such as, as some non-limiting examples, the Internet, a cable television distribution network, a satellite link network, a local area network, a wide area network, and a telephone network.

[0022] Figure 2 144. As shown, the EVSE 138 may include a modem 202 or other network hardware configured to facilitate communication between the EVSE 138 and other networked devices via the wide area network 144. As one possible approach, the modem 202 may be a cellular network transceiver configured to transmit data via a cellular telephone network. As another possible approach, the modem 202 may be a Wi-Fi transceiver configured to connect to a local wireless network to access the wide area network 144.

[0023] The EVSE 138 may also include various types of computing devices that support the execution of the functions of the EVSE 138 described herein. In an example, the EVSE 138 may include one or more processors 204 configured to execute computer instructions and a storage medium 206 on which computer-executable instructions and / or data may be stored. Computer-readable storage media (also referred to as processor-readable media or memory 206) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by the processor 204). In general, the processor 204 receives instructions and / or data from, for example, the memory 206 for transfer to memory and executes the instructions using the data to perform one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted by a computer program created using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or techniques, including but not limited to one or a combination of Java, C, C++, C#, Fortran, Pascal, Visual Basic, Python, Java Script, Perl, PL / SQL, etc.

[0024] Return to reference Figure 1, the update server 146 may include various types of computing devices, such as a computer workstation, a server, a desktop computer, a virtual server instance executed by a host server, or some other computing system and / or device. Similar to the EVSE 138, the update server 146 generally includes a memory on which computer executable instructions may be stored, which instructions may be executed by one or more processors (not shown for clarity). Various computer-readable media may be used to store the instructions and other data. In an example, the update server 146 may be configured to store software updates 148 to be provided to the vehicle 112.

[0025] Reference Figure 2 , the EVSE update logic 208 may be an application included on the memory 206 of the EVSE 138. The EVSE update logic 208 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 204 of the EVSE 138, cause the EVSE 138 to request a software update 148 from the update server 146 and provide the software update 148 to the vehicle 112. Figure 4 Other aspects of the operation of the EVSE update logic 208 are discussed in detail.

[0026] Figure 3 Further details of the vehicle 112 are shown. As shown, the vehicle 112 may include multiple controllers 302 configured to perform and manage various vehicle 112 functions under power from the vehicle battery 124, 130 and / or the drive train. As depicted, the example vehicle controllers 302 are shown as discrete controllers 302-A through 302-G. However, the vehicle controllers 302 may share physical hardware, firmware, and / or software, such that the functionality from multiple controllers 302 may be integrated into a single controller 302, and such that the functionality of multiple such controllers 302 may be dispersed among multiple controllers 302.

[0027] As some non-limiting examples of vehicle controllers 302: a powertrain controller 302-A, which may be configured to provide control of engine operating components (e.g., idle control components, fuel delivery components, emission control components, etc.) and monitor the status of the engine operating components (e.g., engine status codes); a body controller 302-B, which may be configured to manage various power control functions (such as exterior lighting, interior lighting, keyless entry, remote start, and access point status verification (e.g., the closed status of the hood, doors, and / or trunk of the vehicle 112)); a radio transceiver controller 302-C, which may be configured to communicate with a remote control key, a mobile device, or other local device of the vehicle 112; an entertainment controller 302-D, which may be configured to support voice commands and Bluetooth interfaces with the driver and devices carried by the driver; a climate control management controller 302-E, which may be configured to provide control of heating system components and cooling system components (e.g., compressor clutch, blower fan, temperature sensor, etc.); a global positioning system (GPS) controller 302-F, which may be configured to provide vehicle location information; and a human-machine interaction (HMI) controller 302-G, which may be configured to receive user input via various buttons or other controls and provide vehicle status information (such as fuel level information, engine operating temperature information, and the current location of the vehicle 112) to the driver.

[0028] The vehicle bus 304 may include various communication methods available between the vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) 302 and between the update controller 142 and the vehicle ECU 302. As some non-limiting examples, the vehicle bus 304 may include one or more of a vehicle controller area network (CAN), Ethernet, or a media oriented systems transport (MOST) network.

[0029] In addition, similar to the EVSE 138, the update controller 142 includes a memory 306 on which computer executable instructions can be stored and executed by one or more processors 308. Various computer readable media can be used to store the instructions and other data. In an example, the update controller 142 can be configured to store the software update 148 to be provided to the vehicle 112.

[0030] The vehicle update logic 310 may be an application included in the memory 306 of the update controller 142. The vehicle update logic 310 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 308 of the update controller 142, cause the update controller 142 to request a software update 148 from the EVSE 138 using power line communication, receive the software update 148 via power line communication, and provide the software update 148 to the controller 302 to be updated via the vehicle bus 304. Figure 5Other aspects of the operation of the vehicle update logic 310 are discussed in detail.

[0031] Figure 4 An example process 400 is shown for providing a cached software update 148 from the EVSE 138 to the vehicle 112 . In an example, the process 400 may be performed by the EVSE 138 .

[0032] At operation 402, the EVSE 138 connects to the vehicle 112. In an example, the EVSE connector 140 may be plugged into the charging port 134 of the vehicle 112, and the processor 204 of the EVSE 138 may receive a signal indicating the connection from the charging port 134. In some examples, the EVSE 138 and the vehicle 112 perform an association process to allow the EVSE 138 and the vehicle 112 to recognize each other when the vehicle 112 is plugged in.

[0033] At operation 404, the EVSE 138 receives version information from the vehicle 112. In an example, the EVSE 138 may send a message over the powerline connection requesting the vehicle 112 to provide version information of the connected vehicle 112. In other examples, the EVSE 138 may receive the vehicle version information from the vehicle 112 during or after the association process of operation 402 is completed.

[0034] At operation 406, the EVSE 138 determines whether the vehicle 112 requires a software update 148. In an example, by utilizing the vehicle information, the EVSE 138 may utilize the modem 202 to communicate via the network 144 to request an update server 146 to indicate whether any software updates are required for the vehicle 112. In some examples, the EVSE 138 identifies the software update 148 based on a unique identifier of the software update 148 and / or by a hash value or signature corresponding to the software update 148. If any software update 148 is identified, control passes to operation 408. Otherwise, the process 400 ends.

[0035] At operation 408, the EVSE 138 determines whether any required software updates 148 have been cached in the memory 206 by the EVSE 138. In an example, the EVSE 138 queries the memory 206 for a unique identifier, hash value, and / or signature of the required software update 148. If the software update is stored in the memory 206, control passes to operation 410. If the software update is not stored in the memory 206, control passes to operation 412.

[0036] At operation 410, the EVSE 138 sends the software update 148 to the vehicle 112. In the example, the EVSE 138 sends the software update 148 to the vehicle 112 via a powerline connection. Accordingly, the vehicle 112 receives the software update 148 without using network resources of the vehicle 112. After operation 410, the process 400 ends.

[0037] At operation 412, the EVSE 138 requests the software update 148 from the update server 146. In the example, the EVSE 138 receives the software update 148 from the update server 146 using the modem 202.

[0038] At operation 414, the EVSE 138 adds the software update 148 to the memory 206. In an example, the EVSE 138 caches the acquired software update 148 in the memory 206 of the EVSE 138. The storage of the software update 148 may utilize various caching methods. As one possible approach, the software updates may be stored utilizing a first-in-first-out methodology such that the oldest software update 148 is discarded from the memory 206 when a new update requires space. As another possible approach, the software updates may be stored utilizing a least-recently-used methodology such that the oldest used software update 148 is discarded from the memory 206 when a new update requires space. Accordingly, upon the next connection of the vehicle 112 to the EVSE 138 (e.g., when the user next charges the vehicle 112), the acquired software update 148 is then available for download to the vehicle as discussed above with respect to operation 410. After operation 414, the process 400 ends.

[0039] Figure 5 An example process 500 is shown in which the vehicle 112 receives a cached software update 148 from the EVSE 138 . In an example, the process 500 may be performed in whole or in part by the update controller 142 executing the vehicle update logic 310 via one or more processors 308 .

[0040] At operation 502, the vehicle 112 detects a connection of the vehicle 112 to the EVSE 138. In an example, the EVSE connector 140 may be plugged into the charging port 134 of the vehicle 112, and the update controller 142 may receive a signal indicating the connection from the charging port 134. In some examples, the EVSE 138 and the vehicle 112 perform an association process to allow the EVSE 138 and the vehicle 112 to recognize each other when the vehicle 112 is plugged in.

[0041] At operation 504, the vehicle 112 sends version information of the vehicle 112 to the EVSE 138. In an example, the update controller 142 queries the existence and version information of at least a portion of the hardware and software components of the vehicle 112. For example, the update controller 142 may access the vehicle bus 304 to query the plurality of controllers 302 for information. As another feasible approach, the update controller 142 may identify and include additional information for identifying a particular vehicle 112 (e.g., VIN information published on the vehicle bus 304). The update controller 142 may send the queried information to the EVSE 138 via the power line connection between the vehicle 112 and the EVSE 138.

[0042] At operation 506, the vehicle 112 determines whether a software update 148 is available at the EVSE 138 for the vehicle 112. If the EVSE 138 determines that a software update 148 is available for the vehicle 112, the update controller 142 may receive a message over the powerline connection indicating that the software update 148 is to be installed (or, in other cases, receive a message indicating that a software update 148 is present). Process 400 discusses other aspects of determining whether a software update 148 is available in further detail.

[0043] At operation 508, the vehicle 112 receives the software update 148. In an example, the update controller 142 receives the software update 148 from the EVSE 138 via a powerline connection. By using the physical connection of the vehicle 112 to the EVSE 138, updating the software of the vehicle 112 can be accomplished with minimal customer downtime and without loss of connectivity features or functionality during the update. In some cases, operation 506 is optional, and control can be transferred from operation 504 to operation 508, where the vehicle 112 receives the software update 148 without a separate notification message.

[0044] At operation 510, the vehicle 112 installs the software update 148. In the example, the update controller 142 provides the software update 148 to the controller 302 to be updated via the vehicle bus 304. After operation 510, the process 500 ends.

[0045] Variations of the systems and methods discussed above are also possible. For example, communications between the vehicle 112 and the EVSE 138 may be performed via a communication channel rather than via power line communications. As some possibilities, communications between the vehicle 112 and the EVSE 138 (such as transmission of software updates 148) may additionally or alternatively be performed via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and / or CAN connections.

[0046] The computing devices described herein (such as the EVSE 138, update controller 142, update server 146, and controller 302) generally include computer-executable instructions that can be executed by one or more computing devices (such as the devices listed above). The computer-executable instructions (such as the instructions of the EVSE update logic 208 and the vehicle update logic 310) can be compiled or interpreted by a computer program created using various programming languages ​​and / or technologies, including but not limited to Java. TM , C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, JavaScript, Python, Perl, PL / SQL, etc., or a combination thereof. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions from, for example, a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions to perform one or more processes, including one or more processes described herein. Various computer-readable media can be used to store and transmit such instructions and other data.

[0047] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, teachings, and the like described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of the processes, and the like have been described as occurring in a particular ordered sequence, the processes may also be implemented with the described steps performed in an order other than that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating specific embodiments and should not be construed in any way as limiting the claims.

[0048] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. When reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but with reference to the claims and the full range of equivalents to which the claims are authorized. It is expected and contemplated that future developments will occur in the technology discussed herein, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.

[0049] Unless expressly indicated to the contrary herein, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable interpretations and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art to which the technology described herein belongs. In particular, unless a claim recites an express limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "a", "an", "said", "the", etc. should be understood to recite one or more of the indicated elements.

[0050] An abstract of the present disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the essence of the present technical disclosure. The abstract is submitted with the understanding that the abstract will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, it can be seen from the foregoing detailed description that various features are combined together in various embodiments for the purpose of simplifying the present disclosure. The method of the present disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the claims, the subject matter of the invention lies in fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims are thereby incorporated into the detailed description, and each claim itself serves as a separately claimed subject matter.

[0051] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. More specifically, the words used in the specification are descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of the embodiments of each implementation may be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle power supply device, comprising: non-transitory memory; The processor is configured as: receiving vehicle version information from the vehicle during an association process in response to a powerline connection of the vehicle to the electric vehicle supply equipment, the vehicle version information indicating whether the vehicle requires a software update downloaded into the non-transitory memory, the association process being configured to allow the electric vehicle supply equipment and the vehicle to identify each other when the vehicle is connected; if the vehicle requires a software update to be downloaded into the non-transitory memory, sending the software update to the vehicle via the powerline connection; If the vehicle does not require a software update downloaded into the non-transitory memory, the request over the wide area network to the remote server will be cached into the non-transitory memory for subsequent vehicle powerline connected software updates.

2. The electric vehicle power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is further configured to discard software updates from the non-transitory memory using a first-in-first-out caching method.

3. The electric vehicle power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is further configured to discard software updates from the non-transitory memory using a first used method caching method.

4. The electric vehicle power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle version information includes software version information of multiple controllers of the vehicle. 5 . The EVSE of claim 1 , further comprising a modem configured to access the wide area network using a cellular telephone network. 6 . The EVSE of claim 1 , further comprising a modem configured to access the wide area network using a local area wireless network.

7. A vehicle comprising: The processor is configured as: in response to the vehicle associating to the electric vehicle supply equipment via the power line connection to receive a first charge of the traction battery, sending version information to the electric vehicle supply equipment via the power line connection during an association process to cause the electric vehicle supply equipment to download a software update to a memory of the electric vehicle supply equipment, wherein the association process is configured to allow the electric vehicle supply equipment and the vehicle to recognize each other when the vehicle is connected; again connected to the EVSE to receive a second charge from the traction battery; During the second charge, a software update is received from the memory via the powerline connection.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The processor is further configured to query a plurality of controllers of the vehicle via a vehicle bus to determine the version information.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The processor is further configured to send a software update via a vehicle bus to a controller of the vehicle to be updated.

10. A method for software updating, comprising: In response to a power line connection between a vehicle and an electric vehicle supply equipment for charging the vehicle and the electric vehicle supply equipment receiving vehicle version information from the vehicle indicating whether the vehicle requires a software update during an association process, a wide area network request to a remote server will be cached in a non-transitory memory of the electric vehicle supply equipment for software updates provided to the vehicle during a subsequent vehicle power line connection, wherein the association process is configured to allow the electric vehicle supply equipment and the vehicle to recognize each other when the vehicles are connected.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: In response to a subsequent powerline connection of the vehicle to the EVSE and receiving vehicle version information indicating whether the vehicle requires a software update downloaded to the non-transitory memory, the software update cached in the non-transitory memory is sent to the vehicle via the powerline connection.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: In response to a subsequent power line connection of another vehicle to the electric vehicle supply equipment and the electric vehicle supply equipment receiving from the other vehicle another vehicle version information indicating whether the other vehicle requires a software update downloaded into the non-transitory memory, the software update cached in the non-transitory memory is sent to the other vehicle via the power line connection.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: identifying that the non-transitory memory lacks capacity for the software update; One or more software updates that were earliest added to the non-transitory memory are discarded from the non-transitory memory.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: identifying that the non-transitory memory lacks capacity for the software update; The oldest used one or more software updates are discarded from the non-transitory memory.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The software update includes updates to multiple controllers of the vehicle.

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