Vehicle OTA Master Update Retention for ECU Retry Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing software update methods for electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles are inefficient and can fail due to poor communication environments, leading to incomplete updates and operational disruptions, especially for ECUs with single-bank memories, causing inconvenience during emergencies.

Innovation Solution

An OTA master system that includes a communication device, storage device, and processor to manage software updates by retaining update data until completion, allowing retries and ensuring successful updates even in poor communication conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If software update is retried due to failure, then update reliability is improved, but update time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware update reliabilityVSAvoidsoftware update time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by downloading and storing update data in advance in the OTA master's storage device before the actual software update is performed. This allows the update data to be retained locally, so that if the update fails, the system can immediately retry using the stored data without needing to re-download, thus improving reliability while minimizing additional time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If update data is retained until successful completion, then update reliability is improved, but storage resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware update reliabilityVSAvoidstorage resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary download and storage of update data in the OTA master's storage device before the actual update execution. This allows the data to be retained locally for the duration of the update process, ensuring reliability by having the data available for retries if needed, while the storage consumption is managed as a temporary resource allocation during the update window.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If software update is performed on single-bank memory ECU, then device complexity is reduced, but operational availability during update fails

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveECU memory structure complexityVSAvoidvehicle operational availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the OTA master as an intermediary system that manages the software update process externally to the ECU. The OTA master stores update data in its own storage device and controls the update execution, allowing the ECU to maintain simpler single-bank memory architecture while the intermediary handles the complexity of reliable update delivery and retry management, thus preserving operational availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12591425B2Ota master, update control method, non-transitory storage medium, and vehicle

Publication Date: 2026.03.31 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An Over-The-Air (OTA) master includes: a communication device configured to receive update data for software on a target electronic control unit from a center; a storage device configured to store the update data; and a processor configured to: control a process of software update for the target electronic control unit based on the update data; cause the storage device to retain the update data until the process of the software update for the target electronic control unit is successfully completed; and delete the update data from the storage device after the process of the software update for the target electronic control unit is successfully completed.