Firmware upgrading method, wireless charger, vehicle, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a firmware upgrading method, a wireless charger, a vehicle, a storage medium and a program product, the wireless charger comprises a main control chip and a wireless charging chip connected with the main control chip; wherein the main control chip is configured to obtain the upgrading firmware of the wireless charger, and store the upgrading firmware; in response to the detection that the wireless charger is not in the working state, writing the upgrading firmware into the wireless charging chip; the wireless charging chip is configured to wirelessly charge the terminal according to the upgrading firmware. According to the technical scheme, simple, low-cost and effective firmware upgrading can be realized, and the reliability and stability of the wireless charger are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless charging technology, and in particular to firmware upgrade methods, wireless chargers, vehicles, storage media, and software products. Background Technology

[0002] As consumers increasingly demand convenient and timely charging, wired charging methods can no longer meet some practical needs, leading to the development of wireless charging. Wireless chargers utilize the principle of electromagnetic induction for wireless charging, thus satisfying the requirements for convenience and timeliness. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a firmware upgrade method, a wireless charger, a vehicle, a storage medium, and a program product.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless charger is provided, comprising: a main control chip and a wireless charging chip connected to the main control chip; wherein the main control chip is configured to acquire and store an upgrade firmware of the wireless charger; in response to detecting that the wireless charger is not in a working state, the upgrade firmware is written to the wireless charging chip; and the wireless charging chip is configured to wirelessly charge a terminal according to the upgrade firmware.

[0005] Optionally, the main control chip is communicatively connected to the firmware sending end, and the main control chip is further configured to receive the upgraded firmware sent by the firmware sending end.

[0006] Optionally, the wireless charger is an in-vehicle wireless charger, and the firmware sending end is a vehicle controller; or, the wireless charger is a non-in-vehicle wireless charger, and the firmware sending end is a terminal.

[0007] Optionally, the main control chip is further configured to: in response to detecting an abnormality in the wireless charging function of the wireless charger, send a firmware upgrade request to the firmware distribution end, so that the firmware distribution end obtains the upgraded firmware according to the firmware upgrade request.

[0008] Optionally, the main control chip is further configured to store the old firmware corresponding to the upgraded firmware; in response to detecting that the upgrade firmware writing failed, the old firmware is written to the wireless charging chip.

[0009] Optionally, the wireless charger further includes a memory connected to the main control chip, the main control chip being configured to store the old firmware and / or the upgraded firmware in the memory.

[0010] Optionally, the main control chip is further configured to detect the upgraded firmware and obtain a detection result; if the detection result indicates that the upgraded firmware is a complete and correct firmware, the upgraded firmware is stored.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a firmware upgrade method is provided, applied to the wireless charger described in the first aspect. The firmware upgrade method includes: acquiring upgrade firmware for the wireless charger and storing the upgrade firmware; in response to detecting that the wireless charging chip is not in a working state, writing the upgrade firmware into the wireless charging chip, so that the wireless charging chip wirelessly charges the terminal according to the upgrade firmware.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, including: a wireless charger as described in the first aspect.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer program instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the firmware upgrade method described in the first aspect.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the firmware upgrade method described in the first aspect.

[0015] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure can include the following beneficial effects: The wireless charger adopts a main control chip and a wireless charging chip architecture. The main control chip can acquire and store the upgrade firmware of the wireless charger. When it detects that the wireless charger is not in a working state, it writes the upgrade firmware to the wireless charging chip, realizing a firmware upgrade. Thus, the wireless charging chip can realize wireless charging of the terminal based on the upgraded firmware. The architecture of the main control chip and the wireless charging chip is relatively simple, and the functions of each chip are also relatively simple, resulting in low hardware requirements. Therefore, both the main control chip and the wireless charging chip can use low-cost consumer-grade chips, reducing the cost of the wireless charger. Furthermore, this technical solution can achieve simple, low-cost, and effective firmware upgrades, ensuring the reliability and stability of the wireless charger.

[0016] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a wireless charger architecture according to an exemplary embodiment of a related technology.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a first wireless charger according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a firmware delivery process according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a second wireless charger according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application process of a wireless charger according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a firmware upgrade method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0026] The embodiments described in the following examples of this disclosure are not representative of all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0027] It should be noted that all actions involving the acquisition of signals, information, or data in this disclosure are carried out in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where the location is situated, and with authorization from the owner of the relevant device.

[0028] As users increasingly demand convenient and timely charging, wired charging methods can no longer meet some practical charging needs, leading to the development of wireless charging. Wireless chargers utilize the principle of electromagnetic induction for wireless charging, thus satisfying the requirements for convenience and timeliness.

[0029] For example, a wireless charger can be an in-vehicle wireless charger or a non-in-vehicle wireless charger. An in-vehicle wireless charger can be installed inside a vehicle to provide drivers with convenient wireless charging capabilities. A non-in-vehicle wireless charger can be a portable charger that allows for wireless charging anytime, anywhere, such as a wireless charger for mobile phones.

[0030] For wireless chargers, firmware upgrades may be necessary. For example, firmware upgrades can be performed when software versions need to be changed; when program problems occur, firmware upgrades can resolve them; and when wireless charger compatibility issues arise, firmware upgrades can also resolve them.

[0031] In related technologies, firmware upgrades for wireless chargers are mostly applied to in-vehicle wireless chargers. This is achieved by using automotive-grade wireless charging SOC (System-on-Chip) chips or automotive-grade MCU (Microcontroller Unit) chips, paired with automotive-grade wireless charger power stage circuit chips. The drawback of this approach is the high cost of automotive-grade chips, which leads to a high cost for wireless chargers. Therefore, some low-priced wireless chargers lack firmware upgrade capabilities, while others do offer upgrades but are expensive.

[0032] For ease of understanding, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wireless charger architecture according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 1 As shown, this wireless charger architecture includes: an automotive-grade main control MCU, an automotive-grade wireless charging transmitter control chip, and an automotive-grade wireless charging power stage chip. The automotive-grade main control MCU is used for communication with the vehicle's infotainment system and is upgradable. The automotive-grade wireless charging transmitter control chip is used for wireless charging control and is also upgradable. The automotive-grade wireless charging power stage program is hardcoded and set not to be updated.

[0033] Based on this architecture, updating the in-vehicle wireless charger requires relying on the firmware upgrade function of the automotive-grade chip itself; that is, the automotive-grade wireless charger PowerStage has its own firmware upgrade function. Specifically, the chip has a built-in AB backup function, for example, area A is the operating area and area B is the backup area. Upgrading in area B does not affect the normal operation of area A, ensuring that the wireless charger will not lose functionality even if the firmware upgrade fails. However, automotive-grade chips are very expensive due to their powerful functions and large firmware space, usually several times or even tens of times more expensive than consumer-grade chips, making them difficult to implement in low-cost project development.

[0034] The firmware described in this disclosure can be OTA (Over-The-Air) firmware.

[0035] Based on this, the present disclosure provides a technical solution that employs a relatively simple architecture for the main control chip and the wireless charging chip. The functions of both the main control chip and the wireless charging chip are also relatively simple, resulting in low hardware requirements. Therefore, both the main control chip and the wireless charging chip can be low-cost consumer-grade chips, reducing the cost of the wireless charger. This enables simple, low-cost, and effective firmware upgrades, ensuring the reliability and stability of the wireless charger.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a first wireless charger 200 according to an exemplary embodiment, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the wireless charger 200 includes a main control chip 201 and a wireless charging chip 202 connected to the main control chip 201.

[0037] The main control chip 201 is configured to acquire and store the upgrade firmware of the wireless charger 200; in response to detecting that the wireless charger 200 is not in operation, it writes the upgrade firmware to the wireless charging chip 202; the wireless charging chip 202 is configured to wirelessly charge the terminal according to the upgrade firmware.

[0038] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the wireless charger 200 is used to enable wireless charging of a terminal, which may be a terminal device such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, or game console.

[0039] Regarding the main control chip 201, a consumer-grade main control MCU can be used, and the firmware of the main control chip 201 does not need to be upgraded.

[0040] Regarding the wireless charging chip 202, a consumer-grade wireless charging SOC chip can be used, and the firmware of the wireless charging chip 202 can be upgraded.

[0041] In some embodiments, the main control chip 201 can communicate with external devices to obtain the upgraded firmware of the wireless charger 200.

[0042] Therefore, as an optional implementation, the main control chip 201 is communicatively connected to the firmware sending end, and the main control chip 201 is also configured to receive upgrade firmware sent by the firmware sending end.

[0043] In different application scenarios, the firmware delivery end may have different implementation methods.

[0044] For example, if the wireless charger 200 is an in-vehicle wireless charger 200, the firmware downloader can be a vehicle controller, which can serve as the central control unit of the vehicle's infotainment system. In this implementation, the in-vehicle wireless charger 200 can establish a communication connection with the firmware downloader via wired or wireless means.

[0045] The in-vehicle wireless charger 200 can be installed near the vehicle's infotainment display or in other locations that do not interfere with the user's driving.

[0046] For example, if the wireless charger 200 is a non-vehicle wireless charger 200, the firmware downloader can be a terminal. This terminal can be the terminal that the wireless charger 200 needs to charge, or it can be other terminals. In this implementation, the non-vehicle wireless charger 200 can establish a communication connection with the firmware downloader via wired or wireless means.

[0047] Wired communication connections include, for example, connections via data transmission lines, CAN bus, pogo pins (a type of connector), and single-bus connections. Wireless communication connections include, for example, connections via wireless networks and Bluetooth pairing. In different application scenarios, appropriate communication methods can be configured based on the specific circumstances; no limitations are specified here.

[0048] In some embodiments, the firmware sending end can actively send upgrade firmware to the main control chip 201. After the main control chip 201 receives the upgrade firmware, it is considered that the firmware of the wireless charger 200 needs to be upgraded.

[0049] In other embodiments, the main control chip 201 can proactively request a firmware upgrade from the firmware distribution end, and the firmware distribution end sends the upgraded firmware to the main control chip 201 based on the request.

[0050] Therefore, as an optional implementation, the main control chip 201 is also configured to: in response to detecting an abnormality in the wireless charging function of the wireless charger 200, send a firmware upgrade request to the firmware sending end, so that the firmware sending end can obtain the upgraded firmware according to the firmware upgrade request.

[0051] In some embodiments, the wireless charging function may malfunction, such as the wireless charger 200 losing its wireless charging function, the wireless charger 200 experiencing compatibility issues, the wireless charger 200 charging slowly, or the wireless charger 200 failing to achieve a full charge.

[0052] For example, a compatibility issue may occur with wireless charging. When device A is charging, the wireless charger 200 charges normally, but when device B is charging, the wireless charger 200 fails to charge normally. Furthermore, devices A and B are of different types, for example, they operate different operating systems. In this case, it can be determined that the wireless charging function is malfunctioning.

[0053] It's understandable that a malfunction in wireless charging might not necessarily be due to firmware issues. Therefore, when a wireless charging malfunction is detected, other possible causes should be investigated first. If other causes are ruled out, the problem is likely with the firmware, in which case a firmware upgrade request should be sent to the firmware provider. Other possible causes include component damage and circuit malfunctions.

[0054] Furthermore, after sending a firmware upgrade request to the firmware distribution end, the firmware distribution end can obtain the upgrade firmware from the cloud, which is used to maintain the firmware of the wireless charger 200.

[0055] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a firmware delivery process according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 3 As shown, when the wireless charger 200 needs a new firmware upgrade, the vehicle's infotainment system will download the new firmware from the cloud. After obtaining the new firmware (i.e., the aforementioned upgrade firmware), it will send the new firmware to the main control chip 201 of the wireless charger 200 via wired or wireless data transmission. At this time, the wireless charger 200 will start the upgrade process after receiving the new firmware.

[0056] After the main control chip 201 obtains the upgrade firmware of the wireless charger 200, it can first store the upgrade firmware.

[0057] In some embodiments, the main control chip 201 typically has internal storage space, but the size of this storage space is limited. Therefore, if the storage space can also store upgrade firmware, the upgrade firmware can be directly stored in the internal storage space of the main control chip 201.

[0058] In other embodiments, considering the limited storage space of the main control chip 201 and the cost control of the main control chip 201, a separate storage space can also be configured.

[0059] therefore, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a second wireless charger 200 according to an exemplary embodiment, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, in Figure 2 Based on the architecture shown, the wireless charger 200 also includes a memory 203, which is connected to the main control chip 201.

[0060] Regarding the memory 203, it can be an external memory 203, such as: EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory 203).

[0061] The memory 203 has a storage function, which can be used to store firmware upgrades. Furthermore, its storage space does not need to be large; typically, the firmware size of a wireless charger 200 is around 64k, and this wireless charger 200 firmware can be around 256k.

[0062] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application process of a wireless charger 200 according to an exemplary embodiment; such as Figure 5 As shown, the consumer-grade MCU is a low-cost main control chip 201. It only needs to be able to communicate with the outside world. If it is wired communication, the MCU needs to have the corresponding interface (such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) or SII (Serial Peripheral Interface)). If it is wireless communication such as Bluetooth, the MCU needs to have an IIC (Inter-Integrated Circuit) interface. The requirements are very basic and the cost is very low.

[0063] The external EEPROM is a storage space used to store the firmware of the wireless charger 200. The firmware of the wireless charger 200 is usually around 64K in size. Assuming that the EEPROM stores two firmware files, plus the margin, a 256K EEPROM is sufficient and the cost is very low.

[0064] A consumer-grade wireless charging SOC chip is a chip that integrates wireless charging functions, including BOOST driver, full-bridge driver, demodulation, protection, sampling, control, IIC and UART, etc. It is the core of wireless charging and has a lower cost for consumer-grade applications.

[0065] Therefore, by adopting the technical solution of this disclosure embodiment, the cost of the wireless charger 200 can be significantly reduced, and the firmware upgrade of the wireless charger 200 can also be realized, ensuring the user experience.

[0066] Furthermore, after storing the upgrade firmware, the main control chip 201 detects the status of the wireless charger 200. If it detects that the wireless charger 200 is not in operation, it can write the upgrade firmware to the wireless charging chip 202 to achieve firmware upgrade. Then, the wireless charging chip 202 can achieve wireless charging of the terminal through the firmware upgrade.

[0067] It is understandable that performing a firmware upgrade when the wireless charger 200 is not working will not affect the current charging process, and the upgrade will be more stable.

[0068] In some embodiments, after the upgrade firmware is written to the wireless charging chip 202, the wireless charger 200 can be restarted, and after restarting, the upgrade firmware can run.

[0069] It is understandable that the firmware writing is an overwrite process; after the firmware upgrade is written, the original firmware will no longer be in the wireless charging chip 202.

[0070] In some embodiments, if the firmware upgrade fails to write, the wireless charging chip 202 does not contain the corresponding firmware that implements the wireless charging function. Therefore, in order to ensure the stability of the wireless charging function and to provide remedial and functional recovery in the event of an upgrade failure, the old firmware corresponding to the upgrade firmware can also be stored.

[0071] As an optional implementation, the main control chip 201 is also configured to store the old firmware corresponding to the upgrade firmware; in response to detecting that the upgrade firmware writing has failed, the old firmware is written to the wireless charging chip 202.

[0072] In this implementation, the old firmware corresponding to the upgrade firmware is stored before the upgrade firmware is written. If the upgrade firmware writing fails, the old firmware is written to the wireless charging chip 202, so that the wireless charging function of the wireless charging chip 202 is temporarily unaffected.

[0073] In some embodiments, the storage implementation of the old firmware can be the same as that of the upgrade firmware. That is, when the memory 203 is configured, the old firmware and the upgrade firmware can be stored together in the memory 203; of course, the old firmware and the upgrade firmware can also be stored separately, for example, the upgrade firmware is stored in the memory 203 and the old firmware is stored in the main control chip 201. When the memory 203 is not configured, the old firmware and the upgrade firmware are stored together in the main control chip 201.

[0074] Therefore, the main control chip 201 is also configured to store old firmware and / or upgraded firmware in memory 203.

[0075] In some embodiments, the firmware initially used by the wireless charger 200 before it leaves the factory may be stored in the memory 203. During subsequent applications, each firmware upgrade may change the old firmware stored in the memory 203 accordingly.

[0076] In some embodiments, the main control chip 201 may perform corresponding detection on the upgrade firmware before writing the upgrade firmware to the wireless charging chip 202. Therefore, as an optional implementation, the main control chip 201 is also configured to detect the upgrade firmware and obtain a detection result; if the detection result indicates that the upgrade firmware is complete and correct, the upgrade firmware is stored.

[0077] In some embodiments, when the firmware upgrade is sent to the main control chip 201 from the firmware sending end, relevant verification information can be carried in the data being sent. This verification information can be used to detect the firmware upgrade.

[0078] For example, the verification information could be a hash value obtained by performing a hash operation based on the file size and content of the upgrade firmware. The main control chip 201 and the firmware sender can pre-agree on the algorithm used for the hash operation. Therefore, after receiving the upgrade firmware and verification information, the main control chip 201 can check whether the upgrade firmware is complete and correct based on the verification information and the upgrade firmware itself.

[0079] This implementation method can improve the reliability and stability of the firmware update written to the wireless charging chip 202.

[0080] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a firmware upgrade method according to an exemplary embodiment. This firmware upgrade method can be applied to the aforementioned wireless charger 200, specifically to the main control chip 201 therein. The method includes: Step S61: Obtain the upgrade firmware of the wireless charger 200 and store the upgrade firmware.

[0081] In step S62, in response to detecting that the wireless charging chip 202 is not in working state, the upgrade firmware is written to the wireless charging chip 202 so that the wireless charging chip 202 can wirelessly charge the terminal according to the upgrade firmware.

[0082] It is understood that this firmware upgrade method can be applied to the aforementioned wireless charger 200. Therefore, the implementation method of this firmware upgrade method can refer to the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be described again here.

[0083] By adopting the technical solution of this disclosure embodiment, the wireless charger 200 can be programmed (i.e. written) with mass production firmware in the main control MCU and the wireless charging SOC chip at the factory, and ensure that the main control MCU communicates normally with the vehicle terminal. The EEPROM stores the same mass production firmware as the wireless charging SOC chip as the old firmware.

[0084] When an upgrade is needed, the vehicle's infotainment system downloads the firmware from the cloud and transmits it to the main control MCU. The MCU checks the new firmware for correctness and completeness, and if all checks are successful, it stores it in the EEPROM as the new firmware. The main control MCU determines whether the wireless charger 200 is working. If it is working, the upgrade is not performed. If it is not working, the upgrade begins.

[0085] During the upgrade, the new firmware in the EEPROM is burned into the wireless charging SOC chip, which usually takes 5-10 seconds. If the burning is successful, the wireless charger 200 will restart and work normally with the new firmware. If the burning of the new firmware fails for some reason, the main control MCU will burn the old firmware stored in the EEPROM into the wireless charging SOC chip to restore its function.

[0086] Therefore, this technical solution enables firmware upgrades that are virtually imperceptible to users at a very low cost, and even if the upgrade fails, it has corresponding recovery capabilities. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the wireless charger 200 and the vehicle's communication system do not require upgrades, meaning the main control MCU is not upgradeable.

[0087] Furthermore, this technical architecture uses a wireless charging SOC chip, rather than a combination of a wireless charging transmitter control chip and a wireless charging power stage chip. A wireless charging SOC chip can achieve the same functionality with only one chip, resulting in shorter upgrade times, a better user experience, and a lower likelihood of upgrade failure.

[0088] Therefore, the technical solution of this disclosure can optimize the user experience and complete the firmware upgrade of the wireless charger 200 almost imperceptibly. Furthermore, it is easy to implement and has a very low cost; the cost of related technologies is several times or even tens of times that of the technical solution of this disclosure.

[0089] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the firmware upgrade method provided in this disclosure.

[0090] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle 700 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, vehicle 700 can be a hybrid vehicle, a non-hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or other types of vehicle. Vehicle 700 can be an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or a non-autonomous vehicle.

[0091] Reference Figure 7The vehicle 700 may include various subsystems, such as an infotainment system 710, a perception system 720, a decision control system 730, a drive system 740, and a computing platform 750. The vehicle 700 may also include more or fewer subsystems, and each subsystem may include multiple components. Furthermore, each subsystem and each component of the vehicle 700 can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0092] Regarding the aforementioned wireless charger, as a type of in-vehicle wireless charger, it can be part of the vehicle, for example, as part of the infotainment system.

[0093] In some embodiments, the infotainment system 710 may include a communication system, an entertainment system, and a navigation system, etc.

[0094] The perception system 720 may include several sensors for sensing information about the environment surrounding the vehicle 700. For example, the perception system 720 may include a global positioning system (which may be GPS, BeiDou, or other positioning systems), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), lidar, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic radar, and a camera device.

[0095] The decision control system 730 may include a computing system, a vehicle controller, a steering system, a throttle, and a braking system.

[0096] The drive system 740 may include components that provide powered motion to the vehicle 700. In one embodiment, the drive system 740 may include an engine, an energy source, a transmission system, and wheels. The engine may be one or a combination of internal combustion engines, electric motors, and compressed air engines. The engine is capable of converting energy provided by the energy source into mechanical energy.

[0097] Some or all of the functions of vehicle 700 are controlled by computing platform 750. Computing platform 750 may include at least one processor and memory (different from the aforementioned memory), the processor being able to execute instructions stored in memory.

[0098] The processor can be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available CPU. The processor can also include, for example, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a System on Chip (SOC), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof.

[0099] Memory can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0100] In addition to instructions, the memory can also store data, such as road maps, route information, and vehicle position, direction, and speed. The data stored in the memory can be used by the computing platform 750.

[0101] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product comprising a computer program executable by a programmable device, the computer program having, when executed by the programmable device, the function of performing the firmware upgrade method described above.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps listed in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functionality is implemented through hardware or software depends on the specific application and the overall system design requirements. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality using various methods for each specific application, but such implementation should not be construed as exceeding the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0103] Furthermore, the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as advantageous compared to other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the term “exemplary” is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner. As used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, “X applies A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive arrangements. That is, “X applies A or B” satisfies any of the foregoing instances if X applies A; X applies B; or both X applies A and B. Additionally, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context to refer to the singular form, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims are generally understood to mean “one or more.”

[0104] Similarly, although this disclosure has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure includes all such modifications and variations and is limited only by the scope of the claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the components described above (e.g., elements, resources, etc.), unless otherwise indicated, the terminology used to describe such components is intended to correspond to any component (functionally equivalent) that performs the specific function of the described component, even if structurally not equivalent to the disclosed structure. Furthermore, although specific features of this disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations, as may be desired and advantageous to any given or particular application. Moreover, with regard to the terms “comprising,” “owning,” “having,” “having,” or variations thereof as used in the detailed description or claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “including.”

[0105] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

[0106] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0107] It should be understood that, unless otherwise specifically indicated, features of various embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be combined with each other. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one of the relevant listed items and any combination of any two or more; similarly, “at least one of…” includes any one of the relevant listed items and any combination of any two or more.

[0108] It should be understood that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" and other similar terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between the components; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms herein based on the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A wireless charger, characterized in that, include: The main control chip and the wireless charging chip connected to the main control chip; The main control chip is configured to acquire and store the upgraded firmware of the wireless charger; in response to detecting that the wireless charger is not in operation, the upgraded firmware is written to the wireless charging chip; the wireless charging chip is configured to wirelessly charge the terminal according to the upgraded firmware.

2. The wireless charger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control chip is communicatively connected to the firmware sending end, and the main control chip is also configured to receive the upgraded firmware sent by the firmware sending end.

3. The wireless charger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wireless charger is an in-vehicle wireless charger, and the firmware sending end is a vehicle controller; or, the wireless charger is a non-in-vehicle wireless charger, and the firmware sending end is a terminal.

4. The wireless charger according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The main control chip is also configured to: in response to detecting an abnormality in the wireless charging function of the wireless charger, send a firmware upgrade request to the firmware sending end, so that the firmware sending end can obtain the upgraded firmware according to the firmware upgrade request.

5. The wireless charger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control chip is also configured to store the old firmware corresponding to the upgraded firmware; in response to detecting that the upgrade firmware writing has failed, the old firmware is written to the wireless charging chip.

6. The wireless charger according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wireless charger further includes a memory connected to the main control chip, the main control chip being configured to store the old firmware and / or the upgraded firmware in the memory.

7. The wireless charger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control chip is also configured to detect the upgraded firmware and obtain a detection result; if the detection result indicates that the upgraded firmware is a complete and correct firmware, the upgraded firmware is stored.

8. A firmware upgrade method, characterized in that, The firmware upgrade method, applied to the wireless charger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprises: Obtain the upgrade firmware for the wireless charger and store the upgrade firmware; In response to detecting that the wireless charging chip is not in operation, the upgraded firmware is written to the wireless charging chip so that the wireless charging chip can wirelessly charge the terminal according to the upgraded firmware.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: The wireless charger as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the firmware upgrade method of claim 8.

11. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the firmware upgrade method of claim 8.

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