Vehicle OTA Updates With Local Rollback Backup Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Over-the-air software updates in vehicles face reliability issues due to the risk of errors or interruptions during installation, which can leave vehicles in a nonfunctional state and require inconvenient trips to service centers for resolution.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle computer system automatically stores backup software versions locally and checks for compatibility, allowing for error-free rollbacks to a previous functional state without user intervention, ensuring the vehicle remains operational even without a communication link to a remote server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If over-the-air software updates are implemented to eliminate service center visits, then convenience and time savings are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of errors or interruptions during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of the software update package before installation, checking for errors and compatibility issues. This preliminary action prevents defective updates from being installed, thereby maintaining reliability while enabling convenient over-the-air updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and stores backup copies of the software update package and previous working software versions before installation. This cushioning mechanism allows the system to recover from installation errors or interruptions by restoring from backups, thus maintaining reliability while enabling convenient remote updates.
2Ease of operation
If software updates are performed without trained technicians to improve convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but safety and reliability worsen due to lack of expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-validation and self-correction during the software update process. It automatically checks for errors, validates compatibility, and recovers from failures without human intervention. This self-service capability enables untrained users to safely perform updates while maintaining reliability through automated expert-level checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the update installation process and provides feedback on the status and health of the update. It detects errors during installation and automatically triggers recovery procedures based on this feedback, ensuring safety without requiring trained technicians to interpret system states.
3Reliability
If backup storage is implemented to enable error recovery, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates simplified backup copies of the software update package and previous working versions. These copies are stored in a structured manner that enables automatic recovery without complex restoration procedures. The copying mechanism provides reliability through redundancy while keeping the system relatively simple through automated management of these copies.
Data Source
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AI summary
An on-board vehicle computer system receives a software update package from a remote computer system via a wireless communication network. The update package includes a software update for an updatable electronic component (e.g., an ECU) of the vehicle. Prior to installing the update, the vehicle computer system may check for a valid backup software version in a storage medium in the vehicle computer system to facilitate reversion to a previous software version in the event of an error during installation of the update. Installation of the update may be delayed until a compatible backup software version is obtained. After installation of the update, the system stores the update in the storage medium as the current backup software version for the updatable electronic component. This facilitates roll-back to a functional state in the event of an error during a future update.