Vehicle software updating technique

A method for vehicle software updates comprising:

• storing in a source vehicle a plurality of approved software components and a plurality of approved version numbers;
• moving one or more of the source vehicle and a destination vehicle suitably close to each other, wherein the destination vehicle comprises a transceiver, a plurality of circuits, a plurality of current software components installed within the plurality of circuits, and a plurality of current version numbers of the plurality of current software components;
• determining that the source vehicle and the destination vehicle are suitably close to exchange data through the transceiver via a wireless communications channel;
• comparing the plurality of current version numbers in the destination vehicle with the plurality of approved version numbers in the source vehicle;
• approving an update for one or more of the plurality of current software components in response to one or more criteria;
• receiving one or more of the plurality of approved software components at the destination vehicle from the source vehicle via the wireless communications channel in response to the plurality of current version numbers of the plurality of current software components approved for the update being different from corresponding ones of the plurality of approved version numbers;
• updating the one or more of the plurality of current software components in the destination vehicle with the one or more of the plurality of approved software components received from the source vehicle;
• and
• transferring from the destination vehicle to the source vehicle a list of the plurality of current software components and the plurality of approved software components installed in the destination vehicle after the update has finished.

A vehicle comprising:

• a transceiver configured to exchange data with a source vehicle via a wireless communications channel;
• a plurality of circuits;
• a plurality of current software components installed within the plurality of circuits;
• a plurality of current version numbers of the plurality of current software components;
• and
• a vehicle task manager configured to:
• determine that the source vehicle and the vehicle are suitably close to exchange data through the transceiver via the wireless communications channel, wherein the source vehicle is configured to store a plurality of approved software components and a plurality of approved version numbers;
• compare the plurality of current version numbers in the vehicle with the plurality of approved version numbers in the source vehicle;
• approve an update for one or more of the plurality of current software components in response to one or more criteria;
• receive one or more of the plurality of approved software components at the vehicle from the source vehicle via the wireless communications channel in response to the plurality of current version numbers of the plurality of current software components approved for the update being different from corresponding ones of the plurality of approved version numbers;
• and
• update the one or more of the plurality of current software components in the vehicle with the one or more of the plurality of approved software components received from the source vehicle,
• wherein the vehicle is further configured to transfer to the source vehicle a list of the plurality of current software components and the plurality of approved software components installed in the vehicle after the update has finished.