Work Vehicle Remote Flashing Triggered by Charging Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric work vehicles require frequent software updates, which typically necessitate a technician's visit, resulting in downtime and inefficiency, especially when the vehicle is in use or at a worksite, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A method for remotely updating software on electric work vehicles, which checks for updates and only proceeds with the update when the vehicle is connected to a charging module, ensuring a safe and low-risk environment by preventing movement and operation, allowing wireless software installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a technician visits the machine to update software, then safety is ensured and updates are carried out reliably, but downtime increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-updating by automatically detecting update availability, checking charging status, and executing software updates without requiring technician intervention. The work vehicle autonomously manages its own software maintenance while connected to a charging module, eliminating the need for external technical service.
Solution Approach 2:
The system checks whether the vehicle is connected to a charging module before initiating the software update process. This preliminary safety check ensures that updates only occur when the vehicle is stationary and powered, preventing updates during operation and ensuring a safe update environment is established beforehand.
2Productivity
If software updates are performed remotely without technician intervention, then downtime is reduced and efficiency improves, but safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the charging status of the battery and uses this feedback to control the software update process. Updates are automatically enabled only when charging feedback indicates the vehicle is connected to a charging module, and disabled when charging is not detected, creating a safety-based control loop.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging module connection serves as an intermediary safety mechanism that mediates between the remote update system and the vehicle's operational state. The system uses the charging connection status as an intermediate condition to determine whether to proceed with updates, ensuring safety without requiring direct technician oversight.
3Loss of time
If updates are sent automatically based on availability, then update timeliness improves, but unnecessary updates may occur during operation causing safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its update execution behavior based on real-time charging status. Rather than using a static update schedule, the system continuously adapts update timing to the vehicle's charging state, enabling updates only during charged-connected periods and automatically deferring or disabling them when charging is not detected, thus avoiding unsafe update conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Remote updating of software on a target module of an electric work vehicle including a rechargeable battery. When a software update for the machine's software is available a determination is made as to whether or not the machine's rechargeable battery is connected to a charging module. If the machine's rechargeable battery is connected to a charging module, the software update is provided on the target module. If the machine's rechargeable battery is not connected to a charging module, the software update is delayed until the rechargeable battery is connected to a charging module. The software update to the target module may be performed via remote flashing.