Vehicle OTA Upgrade Relay for Low-Traffic Secure Software Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenges of high data traffic overheads and failure of timely software upgrades due to poor network signals during over-the-air (OTA) technology-based vehicle software updates, leading to increased costs and poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a first terminal device receiving OTA software upgrade information from a second terminal device, verifying digital signatures, and performing upgrades only when permission is granted, using secure channels and upgrade subpackages to ensure efficient and secure software updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If OTA technology is used for vehicle software upgrade, then user experience is improved and offline recall costs are reduced, but data traffic overheads increase and upgrade timeliness deteriorates in poor network conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The software upgrade package is divided into multiple subpackages that can be downloaded separately. The terminal device receives upgrade information first, then downloads subpackages incrementally based on available network conditions, allowing the upgrade process to continue even when network signal is poor or intermittent.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal device receives and stores upgrade information and authorization data before actually downloading the software subpackages. This preliminary preparation allows the device to be ready to perform the upgrade as soon as sufficient data is available, reducing overall upgrade time and improving responsiveness.
2Reliability
If complete software upgrade packages are downloaded through wireless network, then software upgrade can be performed, but data traffic overheads increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the essential upgrade information and authorization data through the wireless network, rather than downloading complete software packages. The actual software subpackages are obtained through alternative means (such as local storage or different download mechanisms), significantly reducing wireless data traffic overhead while maintaining upgrade capability.
3Productivity
If multiple software packages are downloaded in short time through wireless network, then upgrade speed is improved, but network signal requirements increase and reliability decreases in poor network conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The download strategy dynamically adjusts based on network conditions. The terminal device monitors network signal quality and adapts the download rate and batch size of subpackages accordingly. When network conditions are poor, the device downloads fewer subpackages per attempt and retries later, ensuring reliable completion without requiring consistently high network performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide a software upgrade method and an apparatus, to resolve problems such as high data traffic overheads and failure of timely upgrade when the first terminal device performs software upgrade based on an OTA technology. The method includes: A first terminal device receives OTA software upgrade information from a second terminal device; the first terminal device determines that a software upgrade package and OTA upgrade indication information that are included in the OTA software upgrade information are generated by a first network device and provided to the second terminal device; and the first terminal device performs software upgrade based on the software upgrade package after determining, based on the OTA upgrade indication information, that the second terminal device has permission to perform OTA upgrade on the first terminal device. According to embodiments of this application, efficiency and security of software upgrade of the first terminal device are increased, and user experience of the first terminal device is improved.