OTA Software Update Encoding via Segmented Data Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network limitations such as bandwidth and connectivity issues in wide-area networks hinder efficient over-the-air (OTA) software updates for computers, particularly in vehicles, where memory space and update plans can complicate the process.
Innovation Solution
A system where software data for updates is divided into portions, with a server computer encoding and transmitting these portions via wireless transfer to computers, using techniques like XOR operations and adjusting data sizes by adding dummy data, to optimize bandwidth usage and memory efficiency, allowing computers to decode and update operational features efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If software updates are transmitted via wide-area networks (OTA), then remote updating capability is achieved, but bandwidth consumption and connectivity issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The software update data is divided into multiple portions, with different portions distributed to different computers. This segmentation allows the system to retrieve update data from multiple local sources rather than downloading the entire update remotely, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining remote updating capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines data from multiple sources (local computer memory and remote server) to complete the software update. By merging locally stored portions with remotely retrieved portions, the system optimizes bandwidth usage while achieving the complete update.
2Speed
If software update data is stored in computer memory, then update speed is improved, but memory space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Update data is segmented into multiple portions that can be stored in computer memory. This allows only necessary portions to be cached locally for faster updating, rather than storing complete update packages, thus optimizing memory space while maintaining update speed.
Solution Approach 2:
Relevant portions of software update data are pre-stored in computer memory before the actual update is needed. This preliminary action enables faster update execution while minimizing the amount of data that needs to be remotely transferred, balancing memory space requirements with update speed.
3Quantity of substance
If data portions are encoded and transmitted wirelessly, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but decoding complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A server acts as an intermediary to encode software update data into multiple portions before distributing them to different computers. This intermediary encoding process optimizes bandwidth efficiency during transmission while managing the complexity of the encoding/decoding process at a centralized location rather than in each end device.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a server computer programmed upon determining that a first portion of software data for updating an operational feature of a first computer is stored in the first computer and a second portion of the software data is stored in a second computer, to encode the first portion and the second portion to generate encoded data, and to send the encoded data via wireless data transfer to the first and second computers. The first computer is programmed to decode the second portion from the received encoded data, to update the operational feature of the first computer based on the stored first portion and the decoded second portion, and to operate the first computer based on the updated operational feature.