JP6185789B2 - In-vehicle software update device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an update process in which an electronic device mounted on a vehicle updates software using a wireless communication function, and more particularly to an in-vehicle software update apparatus that controls the update process.

  Conventionally, various electronic devices are mounted on a vehicle as an in-vehicle device. Various on-vehicle devices in recent years are equipped with software including a program and data for determining the operation of the microcomputer. Such software may be updated to a new version of software on a daily or periodic basis to correct malfunctions or to change or add functions.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for updating map data in a range that is more necessary for a user in a timely manner without leaving the update timing to the user in a map data utilization device or navigation device that is a vehicle-mounted device. ing. In the technique of Patent Document 1, the vehicle-mounted device is connected to the information distribution center via a wireless communication device, and the map data is controlled to be automatically updated to a new version of data downloaded from the information distribution center.

  Moreover, although patent document 2 is not a technique for onboard equipment, when updating and installing an application program, it is suggested that various problems may arise (paragraphs 0003 and 0004).

  Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for automatically identifying entry and exit of a vehicle.

JP 2008-90057 A JP 2007-200040 A JP 2011-227552 A

  By the way, when the software of the vehicle-mounted device is updated to a new one, it is necessary to keep the current software as it is in preparation for the failure of the update. For this reason, it is necessary to prepare a relatively large-capacity storage device (such as a non-volatile memory) having a sufficient margin as compared with the storage capacity necessary for writing new software. In other words, a storage device having a larger capacity than the memory capacity necessary for holding specific software necessary for operating the vehicle-mounted device is required. This leads to an increase in the cost of the vehicle-mounted device. In recent years, the cost per capacity of storage devices has tended to decrease in recent years, but the functions of on-board devices are becoming more complex, so the memory capacity required to hold the software used in the on-board devices also increases. There is a tendency. For this reason, it is difficult to suppress an increase in the cost of the storage device.

  In addition, when updating the OBE software to a new one, it is also possible to delete the current software from the OBE storage device and secure a free storage area before installing the new software. It is done. In that case, since it is not necessary to secure a storage area for holding both new and old software, the capacity required for the storage device can be greatly reduced.

  However, particularly when new software is downloaded using wireless communication as in Patent Document 1, there is a high possibility that the download will fail or the installation of the new software will fail due to the occurrence of a data error. When such a situation occurs, since the current software has already been deleted, the vehicle-mounted device may not operate at all. As a result, a special repair work is required, and an extra repair cost more than the suppression of the cost increase of the storage device is required. In addition, the fact that the vehicle-mounted device cannot be used until the repair is completed is a big problem particularly in the case of a vehicle-mounted device for business use.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to suppress an increase in the capacity of a storage device necessary for updating software in the vehicle-mounted device, and to solve some problems when updating software. It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-vehicle software update device capable of continuously using an in-vehicle device even when the in-vehicle device occurs.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the in-vehicle software update device according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (4).
(1) A software holding memory capable of rewriting data, holding software including at least one of a set of data and a program as information,
A wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with devices outside the vehicle;
When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the second software related to the first software held in the software holding memory is downloaded via the wireless communication module, and the software holding memory A software update control unit for controlling an update process for replacing the first software with the second software;
With
The software update control unit executes download of the first part of the second software as the first process of the update process, and determines whether or not the download has been normally completed,
If it is determined that this download has not been completed successfully, the update process is stopped,
When it is determined that the download has been completed normally, as a process subsequent to the first process of the update process , at least a part of the data of the first software is erased or invalidated to secure a memory free area, Download the remaining portion of the second software and write the downloaded second software into the memory free space ;
When the software update control unit detects that the update process has ended abnormally, the software update control unit downloads the first software via the wireless communication module, and downloads the downloaded first software to the memory free area. Write to the
about.
(2) An in-vehicle software update device configured as described in (1) above,
A position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the current position of the host vehicle;
Based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is within the range of a predetermined area, and the length of the period during which the position of the host vehicle belongs to the range. A warehousing / unloading identification unit for identifying the state of warehousing and unloading of the own vehicle,
Further comprising
The software update control unit starts the update process when the warehousing / unloading identification unit detects the warehousing state of the host vehicle.
about.
(3) The in-vehicle software update device having the configuration (1) or (2),
The software update control unit prohibits the start of the update process when a communication environment of a wireless communication line used by the wireless communication module does not satisfy a predetermined condition;
about.
(4) The in-vehicle software update device configured as described in (1) above,
The software update control unit is configured to download the second software when the download of the second software is not completed and the number of times the second software is downloaded is less than a predetermined number in the update process. Download again,
about.

According to the in-vehicle software update device having the configuration (1), the main body of the second software is downloaded after erasing or invalidating the first software and securing a free memory area. In addition, it is not necessary to greatly increase the capacity of the storage device. In addition, when the update process ends abnormally due to deterioration of the wireless communication environment, etc., the first software is downloaded and written in the software holding memory, so that the corresponding vehicle-mounted device remains in the state before the update. Can be used.
According to the in-vehicle software update device having the configuration of (2), the update is performed in a state where there is a high possibility that the wireless communication environment is good and the possibility that the own vehicle will move to another place during the software update is low. Processing can be started. Therefore, the frequency of software update failures can be greatly reduced.
According to the in-vehicle software update device having the configuration (3), since the update process can be controlled not to start when the wireless communication environment is not good, the frequency of software update failures can be greatly reduced.
According to the in-vehicle software update device having the configuration (4), even if the download fails due to a temporary deterioration of the wireless communication environment, the second software download is repeated if the number is less than the specified number. The possibility of succeeding in the update to the second software can be increased.

  According to the in-vehicle software update device of the present invention, while suppressing an increase in the capacity of the storage device required for software update in the in-vehicle device, even when some problem occurs during software update, The vehicle-mounted device can be used continuously.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing processing of the software update control unit of the telematics in-vehicle terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the telematics in-vehicle terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing of the warehousing / unloading identification unit. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a specific example of the vehicle position when entering the base.

  Specific embodiments relating to the in-vehicle software update device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Description of the outline of the device>
A configuration example of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 equipped with the in-vehicle software update device of the present invention is shown in FIG. The telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 of this embodiment is assumed to be used in a state where it is mounted on a vehicle used for business purposes such as a taxi, a truck, or a bus.

  Therefore, the business vehicle equipped with the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is in a state where it is stored in a parking lot located at a base such as a carrier's office when the operation is not performed, and the parking lot when the operation is performed. When the daily operation is completed, the vehicle returns to the parking lot and enters the warehousing state.

  The basic function of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is to transmit various information collected on the vehicle to a predetermined server outside the vehicle by wireless data communication, or to data received from the predetermined server outside the vehicle by wireless data communication. Based on this, various controls are implemented. In addition to this function, the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 also includes the function of the in-vehicle software update device of the present invention as software. In other words, the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is necessary for realizing various functions necessary for realizing the function of itself (telematics in-vehicle terminal 10) or other in-vehicle devices connected to the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10. Various kinds of software are acquired by wireless data communication from a predetermined server existing outside the host vehicle. Then, the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 automatically updates the acquired software to itself (telematics in-vehicle terminal 10) or another in-vehicle device.

  As the software to be updated, a control program dedicated to the vehicle-mounted device, an operating system, an application program, various databases, and the like are assumed. In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle software update device is installed in the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10, but the in-vehicle software update device may be installed in various other in-vehicle devices.

<Device configuration>
As shown in FIG. 2, the main body of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a radio communication module 12, a GPS module 13, an external interface (I / F) 14, a display unit 15, a nonvolatile memory 16, an operation interface 17, An operation unit 18, a digital 5ch input interface 19, a rotation interface 20, a speed interface 21, and a power supply unit 22 are provided.

  The control unit 11 is configured by hardware mainly including a microcomputer. The microcomputer of the control unit 11 can perform control for realizing the functions of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 by executing a program prepared on the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10.

  The program executed by the microcomputer of the control unit 11 includes a program for the in-vehicle software update device. As a function of the in-vehicle software update device, the control unit 11 includes a software update control unit 11a and a warehousing / unloading identification unit 11b. These functions are realized by the microcomputer of the control unit 11 executing a program.

  The wireless communication module 12 performs wireless communication with a predetermined wireless base station included in a wireless communication system provided by, for example, a mobile communication provider via the communication antenna 31, and is necessary for data communication. A wireless communication line can be secured.

  The GPS module 13 receives radio waves respectively transmitted from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) via the GPS antenna 32, and calculates the current position (latitude / longitude) of the host vehicle based on the timing of the received signal. be able to.

  The external interface 14 provides a connection function for performing data communication with various vehicle-mounted devices connected to the telematics vehicle-mounted terminal 10 as the external device 33. Specific examples of the external device 33 include a car navigation device, a drive recorder, a digital tachograph, an ETC vehicle-mounted device, a meter unit, a taximeter, and an electronic control unit (ECU).

  The display unit 15 can display visible information such as characters on the screen as necessary in order to notify the user of information such as the operation state of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 and operations to be performed by the user.

  The nonvolatile memory 16 is configured by a memory that can read and rewrite data, such as a flash memory, and holds various programs and data (software) that can be executed by the microcomputer of the control unit 11. doing.

  The contents of various kinds of software stored in the nonvolatile memory 16 can be updated as needed by downloading from a predetermined server via the wireless communication module 12. This update operation can be automatically performed by the function of the in-vehicle software update device provided in the control unit 11.

  The operation unit 18 includes a plurality of buttons that can be operated by the user. These buttons are used by the user to give instructions to the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10. The operation unit 18 is connected to the control unit 11 via the operation interface 17. That is, when the user operates the button of the operation unit 18, an instruction can be given to the microcomputer of the control unit 11.

  The digital 5ch input interface 19 can process each of a plurality of digital signals respectively output from various sensors 34 provided on the vehicle side, and can provide information of each signal to the control unit 11.

  The rotation interface 20 converts the rotation pulse signal output from the engine rotation sensor 35 provided on the vehicle side into a signal suitable for the processing of the microcomputer of the control unit 11. The engine rotation sensor 35 can output a pulse signal every time the output shaft of the engine rotates a predetermined amount. Therefore, the rotation speed of the engine can be grasped from this rotation pulse signal.

  The speed interface 21 converts the speed pulse signal output from the speed sensor 36 provided on the vehicle side into a signal suitable for the processing of the microcomputer of the control unit 11. The speed sensor 36 can output a pulse signal each time the output shaft of the vehicle transmission rotates by a predetermined amount. Therefore, the moving amount and moving speed of the vehicle can be grasped based on the number of pulses and the pulse period of the speed pulse signal.

  The power supply unit 22 generates a stable DC power supply voltage required by each circuit in the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 based on the DC power supplied from the vehicle-side power supply 37. The vehicle-side power source 37 is an in-vehicle battery, a generator (alternator), or the like, and can also output a signal that is linked to the on / off of the ignition switch.

<Operation of the device>
<Processing of Software Update Control Unit 11a>
The contents of the processing of the software update control unit 11a are shown in FIG. When an ignition switch of a vehicle equipped with the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is turned on and supply of power to the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is started, the processing shown in FIG. 1 is executed at a predetermined timing.

  In the first step S11, the control unit 11 identifies whether or not the state of the own vehicle is a warehousing state. That is, the state of the own vehicle is grasped from the identification result of the warehousing / unloading identification unit 11b. If it is detected that it is in the warehousing state, the process proceeds to the next step S12.

  In step S12, the control unit 11 secures a wireless communication line using the wireless communication module 12 and the communication antenna 31, and the server and the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 disposed in a predetermined data center or office, for example, Connect via a wireless communication line so that you can communicate. Further, the control unit 11 identifies whether or not new software that can be used is registered on the server. If the corresponding software is registered, the control unit 11 performs an initial process for starting the download of the software. Run. Specifically, a transmission request for the first block of the software is sent from the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 to the server, and the first block data transmitted by the server in response to this request is transmitted to the control unit of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10. 11 receives.

  Note that the block of data to be transmitted means a block of data having a minimum size determined in advance according to communication specifications such as a communication line to be used. For example, when the size of data to be transmitted exceeds a size upper limit (for example, 500 bytes), the communication specification may automatically divide the data into a plurality of data on the system side of the provider providing the wireless communication line. . In this case, since it is necessary to prevent the data from being divided arbitrarily at a place that the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 does not expect, a block having a size smaller than the upper limit size, for example, a size of 400 bytes or less. Each time the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 divides the data, the data is transmitted in block units. Therefore, the size of the block of data to be transmitted is changed as necessary.

  In FIG. 1, “new software” means software that belongs to the same type as “current software” and has some degree of compatibility, and “new software” is software that is relatively newer than “current software”. Means. As a typical example, the “new software” program is a newer version of software that is compatible with the “current software” program.

  In step S13, the control unit 11 identifies whether or not the download of the first block of data started in step S12 has been normally completed. If the download is completed normally, the process proceeds to step S15. If the download is not completed normally, the process proceeds to step S14.

  For example, when the wireless communication environment between the wireless communication module 12 and the wireless base station is deteriorated, a data error occurs during transmission of one block of data, or temporarily or continuously. There is a possibility that data communication cannot be performed. For example, if downloading of the entire data of one block is not completed before a predetermined time elapses, the process proceeds from step S13 to step S14. In other words, even if the cause is a temporary deterioration in the wireless communication environment, the failure to download the first block, which is a part of the software to be downloaded, makes it difficult to normally download the entire software. It is desirable to cancel the download.

  In step S <b> 14, the control unit 11 notifies the server of information indicating that the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 stops downloading the corresponding software via the wireless communication module 12. In addition, information indicating that the reason for canceling the download is deterioration of the wireless communication environment or the like is simultaneously notified to the server.

  In step S <b> 15, the control unit 11 erases the entire “current software” to be updated held in the nonvolatile memory 16 from the nonvolatile memory 16. As a result, the storage area on the non-volatile memory 16 occupied by the corresponding “current software” is released to become a new free area, so that a storage area for storing the “new software” can be easily secured. become. That is, the storage area previously occupied by the “current software” can be secured as a storage area for storing the “new software”.

  In step S16, the control unit 11 requests the server to continue the process for downloading the data from the second block to the last block of the specific software to be downloaded in step S12.

  In response to this request, the server sequentially transmits the data of the second and subsequent blocks of the corresponding software in units of blocks. The control unit 11 of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 receives each block of “new software” transmitted from the server, and sequentially stores the received data in the free area on the nonvolatile memory 16 secured in step S15.

  In step S <b> 17, the control unit 11 identifies whether all the data up to the last block after the second block of “new software” has been downloaded in a normal state. If the download is completed normally, the process proceeds to step S18. If any abnormality occurs, the process proceeds to step S19.

  In step S <b> 18, the control unit 11 stores, on the non-volatile memory 16, end state information indicating a situation indicating that all the current downloads have been successful and the update to “new software” has been completed. Further, this end state information is notified to the server via the wireless communication module 12 in S26.

  In step S19, the control unit 11 grasps the number of times Cn that the telematics vehicle-mounted terminal 10 itself has repeatedly downloaded the corresponding “new software”, and compares this number Cn with a predetermined number of times Cmax. If “Cn> Cmax”, the process proceeds to step S21. If “Cn ≦ Cmax”, the process proceeds to step S20.

  In step S20, the control unit 11 designates the specific software to be downloaded in step S12 as the download target again, and requests the server to transmit the first block of data of the corresponding software. Further, a counter for grasping the number of downloads Cn is counted up.

  In step S21, the control unit 11 designates “current software” corresponding to the specific software to be downloaded in step S12 as the download target, and the entire software block from the first block to the final block of the corresponding software. Request the server to send data. In addition, a counter for grasping the number of times of downloading “current software” C0n is counted up.

  In response to the request from the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 described above, the server sequentially transmits data of all blocks of the corresponding “current software” in units of blocks. The control unit 11 of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 receives each block of “current software” transmitted from the server, and sequentially stores the received data in the free area on the nonvolatile memory 16 secured in step S15.

  In step S22, the control unit 11 identifies whether or not all data from the first block to the last block of “current software” has been downloaded in a normal state. If the download is completed normally, the process proceeds to step pS23, and if any abnormality occurs, the process proceeds to step S24.

  In step S <b> 23, the control unit 11 stores, on the nonvolatile memory 16, end state information indicating that the update process has ended after returning to “current software” because the download of “new software” has failed. Further, this end state information is notified to the server via the wireless communication module 12 in step S26.

  In step S24, the control unit 11 grasps the number of times C0n that the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 itself has repeatedly downloaded the corresponding “current software”, and compares this number C0n with a predetermined number of times C0max set in advance. If “C0n> C0max”, the process proceeds to step S25. If “C0n ≦ C0max”, the process returns to step S21 to repeat the process.

  In step S <b> 25, the control unit 11 stores, in the nonvolatile memory 16, end state information indicating that downloading of “new software” has failed and “current software” has also been deleted. Further, this end state information is notified to the server via the wireless communication module 12 in step S26.

<Processing of entry / exit identification unit 11b>
The content of the process of the warehousing / unloading identification part 11b is shown in FIG. Further, a specific example of the vehicle position when entering the base is shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the location where the vehicle is normally parked when the management target vehicle is not operating is used as a base, and this base position (latitude and longitude) P0 is registered in the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 in advance. Further, the base range determined to distinguish the entry / exit of the vehicle is centered on the base position P0 as shown in FIG. And when it detects that the vehicle in a leaving state has stopped inside the said base range for a long time, it considers that this vehicle has received.

  When the operation of the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is started, the control unit 11 executes processing from step S31 in FIG. In step S31, the control unit 11 refers to the content of the vehicle state memory Mc holding information for distinguishing whether the current state of the host vehicle is warehousing or evacuating, and identifies warehousing / departing. If it is in the warehousing state, the process proceeds to step S32. If it is in the warehousing state, the process proceeds to step S37.

  In step S32, the control part 11 clears the value of the stay time memory which manages the stay time of the own vehicle to zero.

  In step S33, the control unit 11 acquires information on the current position Pp of the host vehicle from the GPS module 13, and identifies whether the current position Pp is within the base range determined in advance or outside the base range. That is, if the distance between the current position Pp and the base position P0 is within the radius R, it is regarded as being within the base range, and the process proceeds to step S34. If the distance exceeds the radius R, it is regarded as outside the base range and the process returns to step S32.

  In step S34, the control part 11 counts up the value of the stay time memory which manages the stay time of the own vehicle according to elapsed time.

  In step S35, the control unit 11 compares the current value (stay time until now) Tp held in the stay time memory with a predetermined warehousing determination time T0. If “Tp ≧ T0”, the process proceeds to step S36, and if “Tp <T0”, the process returns to step S33.

  In step S36, the control unit 11 regards the current state of the host vehicle as warehousing, and updates the contents of the vehicle state memory Mc according to this state. Therefore, in this case, the vehicle state memory Mc holds information on “entry state”.

  In step S37, the control unit 11 acquires information on the current position Pp of the host vehicle from the GPS module 13, and identifies whether the current position Pp is within the base range determined in advance or outside the base range. That is, if the distance between the current position Pp and the base position P0 is within the radius R, it is regarded as being within the base range, and step S37 is repeated. If the distance exceeds the radius R, it is assumed that the distance is outside the base range and the process proceeds to step S38. move on.

  In step S38, the control unit 11 regards the current state of the host vehicle as a shipment, and updates the contents of the vehicle state memory Mc according to this state. Therefore, in this case, the vehicle state memory Mc holds information on the “shipping state”.

<Description of characteristic operation>
<Timing of update processing>
In the present embodiment, the software update control unit 11a starts the software update process only when it is detected that the host vehicle is in the warehousing state (step S11). When a business vehicle changes from a leaving state to a warehousing state, it is likely that the position of the vehicle will not change for a long time because it is at the end of the business, and the time until the next start of operation of the vehicle There is sufficient margin.

  When the position of the vehicle does not change, the possibility that the wireless communication environment changes rapidly is reduced. For this reason, when the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 downloads software from the server, a situation in which the download fails due to deterioration of the wireless communication environment is less likely to occur.

  Moreover, there is a time margin until the next vehicle operation starts. For this reason, it is difficult to cause a situation in which the download is interrupted when the vehicle operation starts while the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 is downloading the software from the server. Further, even when a part of software is deleted during the download or update process and does not exist on the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10, the normal state is restored until the next vehicle operation is started. If you can, there is no problem.

<Reduction of necessary memory capacity>
When the software is updated as in the process shown in FIG. 1, “current software” is deleted in step S15, and a storage area for storing “new software” is secured. For this reason, it is not necessary to store both “current software” and “new software” on the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 at the same time. Therefore, the memory capacity required for software update is greatly reduced.

<Ensuring safety associated with update processing>
As shown in FIG. 1, before deleting the “current software” in step S15, only a part of the “new software” is downloaded in step S12, and it is confirmed in step S13 that this download has been completed normally. Confirmed with. Therefore, in a situation where the actual wireless communication environment has deteriorated, the processing can be automatically interrupted before deleting the “current software”. That is, it is possible to prevent a situation in which neither “current software” nor “new software” can be used due to a failure in software update.

  As in the process shown in FIG. 1, when it is detected in step S17 that the download of the “new software” has failed, the download process can be repeatedly executed if it is less than the specified number of times. Therefore, when the wireless communication environment temporarily deteriorates, the “new software” can be reliably downloaded and installed in the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10.

  If it is detected in step S19 that downloading of “new software” has failed repeatedly as in the process shown in FIG. 1, “current software” is downloaded from the server in step S21. Therefore, even if “current software” is erased in step S15 and the installation of “new software” fails after that, the “current software” before the start of the update process is automatically restored to a usable state. Can be made.

  If it is detected in step S22 that the download of the “current software” has failed, the download process can be repeatedly executed if the number is less than the specified number. Therefore, when the wireless communication environment temporarily deteriorates, the “current software” can be reliably downloaded and reinstalled in the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10.

  Moreover, since the telematics vehicle-mounted terminal 10 notifies the server of the result of the update process in step S26 as in the process shown in FIG. 1, the manager of the company that manages a large number of vehicles is the information managed by the server. By referring to, it is possible to easily grasp the actual software update status in each vehicle.

<Possibility of deformation>
In the above embodiment, the function of the in-vehicle software update device of the present invention is built in the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10, but the in-vehicle software update device is not limited to the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 and can be installed in various in-vehicle devices. . Further, when the in-vehicle software update device is installed in an in-vehicle device other than the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10, the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 may be used in order to secure a wireless communication line necessary for software download. In this case, for example, a wireless LAN device capable of communication within a relatively narrow range or a wide area wireless communication device connectable with various wide area wireless communication networks may be used.

  In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the in-vehicle software update device of the present invention updates its own (telematics in-vehicle terminal 10) software. In addition to this form, the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 can also be controlled to automatically update the software of various in-vehicle devices that can be connected to the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10 via the telematics in-vehicle terminal 10.

Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the in-vehicle software update device according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [4], respectively.
[1] A software holding memory (nonvolatile memory 16) capable of rewriting data and holding software including at least one of a set of data and a program as information;
A wireless communication module (12) capable of wireless communication with a device outside the vehicle;
When a predetermined condition is satisfied, second software related to the first software held in the software holding memory is downloaded via the wireless communication module (12), and the software holding memory is downloaded. A software update control unit (software update control unit 11a of the control unit 11) for controlling an update process for replacing the first software with the second software;
With
The software update control unit writes the downloaded second software into a memory free area secured by erasing or invalidating at least part of the data of the first software,
When the software update control unit detects that the update process has ended abnormally, the software update control unit downloads the first software via the wireless communication module (12) and downloads the downloaded first software to the software update control unit. Write to free memory space,
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above.
[2] The in-vehicle software update device according to [1],
A position information acquisition unit (GPS module 13) that acquires position information indicating the current position of the host vehicle;
Based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is within the range of a predetermined area, and the length of the period during which the position of the host vehicle belongs to the range. A warehousing / unloading identification unit (control unit 11) that identifies the state of warehousing and unloading of the own vehicle in response
Further comprising
The software update control unit starts the update process when the warehousing / unloading identification unit detects the warehousing state of the host vehicle.
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above.
[3] The in-vehicle software update device according to [1] or [2],
The software update control unit prohibits the start of the update process when a communication environment of a wireless communication line used by the wireless communication module (12) does not satisfy a predetermined condition;
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above.
[4] The in-vehicle software update device according to [1],
The software update control unit is configured to download the second software when the download of the second software is not completed and the number of times the second software is downloaded is less than a predetermined number in the update process. Download again,
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Telematics vehicle-mounted terminal 11 Control part 11a Software update control part 11b Warehousing / discharging identification part 12 Wireless communication module 13 GPS module 14 External interface 15 Display part 16 Non-volatile memory 17 Operation interface 18 Operation part 19 Digital 5ch input interface 20 Rotation interface 21 Speed Interface 22 Power supply unit 31 Communication antenna 32 GPS antenna 33 External device 34 Various sensors on the vehicle side 35 Engine rotation sensor 36 Speed sensor 37 Power source on the vehicle side

Claims (4)

A software holding memory capable of rewriting data, holding software including at least one of a set of data and a program as information;
A wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with devices outside the vehicle;
When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the second software related to the first software held in the software holding memory is downloaded via the wireless communication module, and the software holding memory A software update control unit for controlling an update process for replacing the first software with the second software;
With
The software update control unit executes download of the first part of the second software as the first process of the update process, and determines whether or not the download has been normally completed,
If it is determined that this download has not been completed successfully, the update process is stopped,
When it is determined that the download has been completed normally, as a process subsequent to the first process of the update process , at least a part of the data of the first software is erased or invalidated to secure a memory free area, Download the remaining portion of the second software and write the downloaded second software into the memory free space ;
When the software update control unit detects that the update process has ended abnormally, the software update control unit downloads the first software via the wireless communication module, and downloads the downloaded first software to the memory free area. Write to the
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above. The in-vehicle software update device according to claim 1,
A position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the current position of the host vehicle;
Based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is within the range of a predetermined area, and the length of the period during which the position of the host vehicle belongs to the range. A warehousing / unloading identification unit for identifying the state of warehousing and unloading of the own vehicle,
Further comprising
The software update control unit starts the update process when the warehousing / unloading identification unit detects the warehousing state of the host vehicle.
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above. The in-vehicle software update device according to claim 1 or 2,
The software update control unit prohibits the start of the update process when a communication environment of a wireless communication line used by the wireless communication module does not satisfy a predetermined condition;
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above. The in-vehicle software update device according to claim 1,
The software update control unit is configured to download the second software when the download of the second software is not completed and the number of times the second software is downloaded is less than a predetermined number in the update process. Download again,
In-vehicle software update device characterized by the above.

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